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1:38am Dec 26 2010
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"Sure you aren't," Boneshatter said, as if he didn't believe her. Whiskers twitching in amusement, he nodded his head in direction of the cliff. "Why don't you go catch up with the other apprentices?" he suggestion. "I'm sure you could use a break. After all, you're only young once." -- Xerus stared into Scorchwhisker's eyes for countless moments, as if trying to read his thoughts and feelings. "Talk to her... Calm, right." she repeated quietly as she stood up, as if to memorize the few words she'd heard from him. While he was talking she'd actually been drifting off into her own little world. As she approached the bigger she-cat, she glanced backwards at Scorchwhisker nervously, making sure he hadn't disappeared. Nerves making her shake slightly, she sat down in front of the regal Clan leader, and dipped her head respectively. The silver tabby began, harsh eyes piercing Xerus'. "So, one of my warriors tell me you come from a land of permanent snow. Tell me about it." -- Quailpaw, mouth nearly empty, was able to catch a whiff of the intruding tom. However, his lack of training with Scorchwhisker seemed to hinder him in this area, as he didn't know what it was. He knew it was a cat, yes, but for all he knew it could be his mother, a kitty pet from not far away, or one of his Clan members. He continued on, leading them in the direction of their new encampment, oblivious to the danger that stalked them. Mace blinked, keen eyes narrowing as he spotted the strange cats from where he hid behind a large rock half-submerged in the ground. Now that he was closer, he could tell that there were two females and a young tom. Slithering out from behind his hiding place, the brown tabby started to trail after the small group.
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6:17pm Dec 26 2010 (last edited on 6:18pm Dec 26 2010)
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"Nah," Dreampaw responded instantly. "They're doing chores right now. I'd rather being learning some more Medicine Cat things than clearing away rubble and fixing walls." Purring she rubbed her back against the cliff wall, her back arching as she itched herself. -- "Good job," Scorchwhisker mouthed encouragingly from the side-lines, noting with amusement that she had copied the same respectful head-dip he had used heartbeats before. The tom settled on his haunches, sensing a long wait ahead as Xerus explained herself. Though he felt a bit split about whatever decision Fadedstar came to, Scorchwhisker wasn't sure if he wanted Xerus sent away. The Clan needs she-cats anyways, he as.sured himself. -- Flicking her tail lazily and pausing her quick walk to arch her back and stretch for a moment, Stormwing felt the need to look back and check her surroundings but resisted it, knowing she was already hampering the group with her slow pace. The she-cat could feel her neck strain as she lifted her head higher, trying to compensate for the long tail of the mouse she had caught. I'd rather get this prey back in one piece, she thought irritably as the hindquarters of the voles bumped against the ground and her chest. -- Feeling a bit unsure about what to do then Mistdance wandered over casually towards Fadedstar and the apprentices, scooting a trembling Graypaw out of the way to get a better view, craning her head over the shorter apprentices. "What's going on?" she asked Owlpaw, who was sulking near a boulder.
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1:58am Dec 27 2010
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Boneshatter only chuckled, pleased as always to find his apprentice hadn't lost her love for healing yet. Although he never thought Dreampaw to be the type, he had always feared that she would envy the other apprentices, and demand to train to be a warrior instead. "Alright, alright. How about you go and get some poppy seeds, then? I seemed to have forgotten to go out and get some. I'll accompany you, if you'd like." The tom had always like Dreampaw very much, she was lovable, and made a good companion. He almost felt as if he'd be lost without her company sometimes. -- Once finished listening to her life's story, Fadedstar seemed to be evaluating the foreign she-cat, eyes tracing invisible lines over Xerus' slim body. "You seem to be of honest nature," she said thoughtfully, tail slowly moving back and forth, as if she were still thinking. "Have Scorchwhisker come and speak with me, please." There was a short, nerve-wracking pause before she said with a hearty purr, "You may stay, if you wish, but your male friend must first speak with me. He is an entirely different situation. Your warrior ceremony will be held at moonhigh." Xerus, heart thundering in her chest, leaped to her feet in such a manner that it seemed to startle the other she-cat. "You won't regret this!" she said, jade green eyes flooding with emotion. "You don't know how much I owe you for this!" Unable to sit still, the grey and white cat bounded over to Scorchwhisker, the tom who'd found her in the first place. She was quivering from head to toe, much like an excited kit. "I'm allowed to stay!" she squealed, unable to keep from bouncing slightly. "Oh, and, by the way, she told me to send you over." -- It was Quailpaw who looked back first, though Sealpelt had considered it, fur crawling like someone was watching them. He dropped his diseased mouse, eyes wide and shell shocked. "Stormwing! Sealpelt!" he cried, forgetting about his dropped meal. "Look behind you!" Sealpelt, thin and stream-lined as she was, was built for more than swimming. She narrowed her eyes as she dropped her catch on the ground, a low snarl escaping her throat when she saw the advancing tom. "I told you I smelled something fishy..." Her claws sank into the ground, ready to fight, unlike the startled apprentice who seemed paralyzed. Mace, cover blown, was only four or five meters behind them now. If it was something he and Xerus had learned while homeless, it was that stealth was everything and when you were discovered, you only had two options. Run, or fight. In this instance, running was clearly not an option, as the two older cats seemed able to catch him in no time flat. Fighting, as well, was in not in his favor. So instead of following instinct, he tried to think of what his counter-part would do in this instance. "Uh. Hi."
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5:22pm Dec 27 2010 (last edited on 5:22pm Dec 27 2010)
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"Oh good," Dreampaw purred excitedly, stretching out one of her hindlegs to loosen the kinks and to steady herself for their journey. Or at least, Dreampaw was referring it herself as a journey. For the small apprentice, any trip outside the camp boundaries was a whole new adventure. "Do we need a warrior though?" she asked anxiously, glancing up the pathway beyond her mentor. "Since, you know, there's been all these rogues around. And I saw Scorchwhisker with one earlier!" -- "Really," Scorchwhisker meowed evenly, though he couldn't help but let out a purr at the she-cats obvious enthusiasm. "Well, I'm glad Fadedstar trusts you...enough to let you stay, at least. Just wait here, I guess. I'll come get you after I'm done talking to Fadedstar and give you a tour of the camp." Standing up the tom padded over to Fadedstar in quick yet cautious steps, giving the leader a wary look. "I'm hoping I'm not in trouble," the warrior confessed in a quiet tone, crouching down on his haunches in front of her. -- "Hi," Stormwing sighed back, the initial shock of Quailpaw's warning drifting off slightly as she realized the rogue was starving and brow-beaten, surely not a match for three healthy Clan cats. Letting the fur on her shoulders settle back down Stormwing padded up to the tom cautiously and sniffed the air about him, hoping he wasn't sick with some sort of foreign illness. "You should tell us your reasons for being here," she meowed after a long, nerve-racking pause, her blue eyes hard.
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2:57am Dec 28 2010 (last edited on 2:58am Dec 28 2010)
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Boneshatter snorted, rolling his eyes at her. Though he skipped over the topic of Scorchwhisker and Xerus, all he said was, "I'm sure no rogue would dare attack you with myself around." And it was true; the tom was finely built, like any warrior, with wide shoulders and strong back legs. He was a gentle giant, but in an instant he would be ready to unsheathe his claws for another's sake. Never in his own defense, however, but he would surely wound another to protect Dreampaw or another Clanmate. -- Fadedstar sighed, clearly worn out from moving stones with the apprentices and dealing with Scorchwhisker's dramatic entrance with Xerus. "You would be, if you weren't one of my finer warriors, Scorchwhisker. But I'm going to personally entrust this young rogue's training in your paws. You'll be held personally responsible for her training." Twitching her whiskers, she chuckled and added, "Don't worry about Quailpaw, either. I'm sure Mistdance will have no problem mentoring him until Xerus is accustomed to our lifestyle." She waved her tail in the air, as if to dismiss him. "I'll arrange things for the tom when/if he arrives." -- "Your friend took my hunting partner away," Mace spluttered stiffly, drawing back from Stormwing. He could help his fur standing on end; being out-matched and out-numbered put him on edge. "A tom. Roughly the same size as myself, the color of the sky at moon high." Flicking his ears, he inclined his head at the obvious leader of the group, the curious she-cat that had approached. "My friend, she's solid gray with a few splotches of white and very bright green eyes. Slightly larger than he is." Mace nodded at Quailpaw, who seemed to be getting over his surprise. "Why should we believe you?" Sealpelt demanded, voice not as strong as she had hoped it to be. Her eyes gave away the shock and confusion as the strange tom described Scorchwhisker. Had he brought this cat's friend to camp? Surely not! Knowing Scorchwhisker he would have chased her away. She trembled slightly, starting to get restless with inactivity. She wanted to move around, possibly sink her claws into the intruder.
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12:25pm Dec 28 2010
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"Mmm," Dreampaw murmured back, stalking ahead of her mentor so he wouldn't see that she was rolling her eyes at him. "Let's go then!" she meowed loudly, rounding back at Boneshatter and pawing at his tail with slightly unconfined enthusiasm, her eyes glowing. -- "The tom...?" Scorchwhisker meowed in confusion, then realized who Fadedstar was referring to. "Oh, you mean Xerus's travelling companion. Now I get it." Purring in embarra.ssment Scorchwhisker glanced over his shoulder back at the rogue. "Should I start now then?" he asked, sparing a few heartbeats to lick his whiskers. -- "Well," Stormwing began carefully, eying the rogue cautiously. "We have no reason to either believe or disbelieve you. But you're a rogue and since I won't take any chances, I'm going to have to tell you to get off our territory and out of my sites before I claw your mangy tail off." Curling her lips in a large snarl she slipped forwards, claws unsheathing and digging into the ground, gouging up deep furrows. -- "So Scorchwhisker did find a she-cat friend," Mistdance meowed in an amused tone, cuffing Owlpaw around the head as he tried to get closer to the meeting between Fadedstar and the two cats. "But besides that, I think after Scorchwhisker leaves you need to go help Fadedstar again." She was met with three pairs of angry slit-eyed stares, each apprentice disgusted at the thought of having to help again.
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9:03pm Dec 28 2010
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Boneshatter flicked her with his tail, ears twitching slightly as he chuckled at her enthusiasm. He wondered, with slight curiousity, where apprentices and kits got all of their energy, as they always seem wide awake and ready to play or hunt. Thinking back, he tried to remember himself being that way, but was met with only memories of a laid-back, solemn childhood. "Lead the way," was all he rumbled, eyes searching the sky for any sign of the storm that had wiped out so many of their numbers. But it was gone, as it always was when he checked. -- Fadedstar, ex
pression showing nothing, couldn't hide the good-natured laughing in her eyes. "Yes, you should get right on that. The sooner we start teacher her, the better." She sighed, turning her head to stare at the waves still lapping at the shore, one small orange speck laying on the beach catching her attention. A starfish. Perhaps it was a sign from Starclan, but she couldn't force herself read into it too much. -- Bristling as he dropped into a crouch, Mace pinned his ears to his head. Although he knew he didn't stand a chance of defeating the three Clan cats, he knew that they wouldn't kill him. The softness evident in Sealpelt's eyes revealed that. "I cannot leave," he rumbled, unsheathing his own claws, sharp as thorns. "Not without Xerus." Sealpelt, shaking herself out of her state of pity for him, did not unsheathe her claws. Instead, she turned to the small cat next to her, who was shaking like a leaf. She hissed into his ear, too quiet for Mace to hear, "Go tell Fadedstar what's going on." When Quailpaw started to flee towards camp, Sealpelt flanked her deputy, a low snarl rising in her throat.
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11:43am Dec 31 2010 (last edited on 11:44am Dec 31 2010)
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"Towards the treecutters then?" Dreampaw meowed uncertainly, skipping ahead a few steps and looking back over her shoulder to get her mentor's affirmation. "I hate my sense of direction," the apprentice muttered under her breath, "meaning, I don't have one." Bored, the she-cat glanced up at the sky and nearly fell over onto her back as a large golden form swooped down just above her head, shrieking up a storm. -- "Right," Scorchwhisker meowed, ignoring the slight hint of a yawn that had crept into his voice. Padding up to the she-cat he nudged her gently, hoping she would cooperate with this. "You have to listen to me now," he mewed bluntly, though his eyes glimmered with amusement. This time she didn't have a choice. "First we're going to show you around the camp, alright? Where do you want to go first?" -- "Wait," Stormwing meowed slowly, though Quailpaw was already too far gone to hear her. Shaking her head ruefully at Sealpelt's brash actions the deputy padded forwards a few steps, gazing at the rogue intently. "So you're telling me Scorchwhisker, my littermate, brought a rogue to our camp? You didn't know this, but Scorcwhisker's first action when he sees your kind is to attack and kill. Not a very intelligent move, but that's the way him and I were brought up. Because of this I see no reason to believe you, but you have no reason to lie either." Shrugging her shoulders at the difficult paradox that had arisen she glanced at Sealpelt to see if she had any insight on this predicament. "Sealpelt, what do you think?" Stormwing meowed heavily. -- Mistdance, bored with the scene already now that Scorchwhisker was leaving with the strange she-cat, stood up and padded towards the exit of the camp again, though not really sure of what she was going to do. "Camp-life is so boring without and strife," she mewed to herself glumly. There were no big battles since they were the only Clan, there was too much terror of the outside world in the cats that they didn't have time to get annoyed at each other, and there wasn't any point in plots and intrigues since no-cat had that kind of personality. Well, except for Scorchwhisker, but he's far too honorable, the she-cat thought, snorting with amusement. [I'm being terrible with responding. D:]
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2:21am Jan 1 2011
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Boneshatter bristled, considering pouncing on the bird, mind instantly met with memories of kits and young apprentices being carried off by eagles and vultures. Instead, he nudged Dreampaw gently and mumbled, "Come on. Let's move more towards trees. Open space makes me uncomfortable." -- Xerus, exhaling slowly, tried not to look too annoyed that Scorchwhisker had been the cat *censored*igned to show her around. He'd been more than generous to her, but his prickly nature got under her skin. She only twitched her whiskers and responded slowly, "I don't care where to go, particularly. Just show me the most important places in your camp." -- Sealpelt had grown nervous of Quailpaw's lack of hunting skills, which made her sure that he couldn't fight either, and if it came down to it the powerful rogue could easily injure the small tom. Then she would never forgive herself. Perhaps sending him back to camp was the safest thing to do. Blinking a few times to rid herself of the dreadful thoughts, she stared intently at Mace for a moment. "I'm not sure," she said carefully. "We could bring him to camp for Fadedstar to decide. There would be too many cats for him to get away uninjured if he chose to fight. But it might also cause an upset. We're still settling in and all..." -- Quailpaw slid sideways to avoid falling over the cliff ahead of him. He peered down the pathway that led to their encampment, panting. He started down slowly, ears twitching rapidly, as he thought of the specific words he was going to use. He pas/sed Mistdance with only a short bob of his head, not really paying attention.
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3:59pm Jan 1 2011
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"You seem like you were sent back here for a reason," Mistdance observed, giving the apprentice a hard look. "And you're out of breath. Do Sealpelt and Stormwing require help?" Slipping around the tom she nudged him over to the side so he wasn't about to tip over the edge, wondering if the apprentice was right in his mind. Don't all cats have a good sense of heights? Mistdance thought incredulously. -- "True true," Stormwing meowed with a sigh, though she was itching for a battle. "Well, I suppose you have to come back with us. Or, you could just get out of our territory and abandon your friend. I have no idea what verdict Fadedstar pas.sed, but she has a good heart and probably wouldn't throw out 'Xerus'." The she-cat was desperately hoping the rogue didn't have an attachment to the other she-cat. Because if he did then they were stuck with him. And then they'd have to deal with another surly tom without Clan background. -- "Every place is important," Scorchwhisker meowed irritably. "Well...other than the dirt place. But I guess you could consider it important too." Shrugging his shoulders he tapped her shoulder so she would look in the same direction as him. "That there," he meowed, nodding his head at a small crack in the cliff-side, "is the Medicine Cat's den. That's where Boneshatter and Dreampaw sleep and heal. There's a natural spring in there too so the patients and the medicine cats don't have to travel for water."
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10:35am Jan 3 2011
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[UP c:]
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11:03pm Jan 4 2011
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"They don't need help," Quailpaw insisted, panting as he tried catching his breath. Being out of shape wasn't very good to his physical health. "Sealpelt sent me back to tell Fadedstar that they've found a rogue not far from the old two-leg place." He twitched his whiskers. "Though, to me it seemed that Sealpelt just didn't want me there." -- Mace's smile was patient. "Then I guess I'll be accompanying you back to your camp, then." he purred, shaking out his fur. "Lead me there, then. I'll fetch Xerus and be gone before you can say Mouse tail." Sealpelt, still looking unconvinced, scooped up her and Quailpaw's kills and waited for Stormwing to signal for them to leave. She shifted her weight from left to right, like an impatient kit, and stared at her deputy. -- Xerus nodded, memorizing the location of the Medicine cat den. She almost expected someone to walk out and greet her, but when there was no one, she only nodded at Scorchwhisker and told him to continue the tour. "Where do all the other cats sleep?" she asked.
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3:33pm Jan 7 2011
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"She only wants the best for you," Mistdance chided gently, nuzzling the poor apprentice lightly in between his ears. "If she thinks you aren't ready to be part of a fight, then heed her decision. I'm sure your moment will come in the near future." Giving Quailpaw a gentle look she glanced down behind her and shrugged. "Scorchwhisker is showing another rogue around camp. Maybe you could help him out." -- "You're only going to enter the camp for a few heartbeats," Stormwing growled irately. "If I see you sticking your muzzle where it shouldn't belong, you'll end up outside of the camp barrier with a few scars to remind you of your visit here, understand?" Twitching her tail in Sealpelt's direction the deputy picked up her own meager catch and pushed past the rogue, showing her evident distrust of the rangy tom. -- "The warriors sleep over there," he said in a patient tone, flicking his tail at the large recess in the cliff that stood more or less in the middle of all of the caves. "It's there so the warriors can bound up to the cliff-top at a moment's notice, but they're also evenly spaced compared to the apprentice's den and the nursery. "The apprentice's den is to the right, and on the other side is the nursery, where the kits and nursing queens stay. I think you can tell that this is probably the safest formation we can have. Want to tell me how?" [I got rushed on Scorch's post D:]
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9:37pm Jan 10 2011
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[UP c:]
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5:35pm Jan 11 2011
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Quailpaw's guard instantly shot up, eyes becoming veiled like the sky in a thunderstorm. He wasn't as open and free around his mentor as he was around the she-cats of the clan. Nobody knew why, but he'd heard Boneshatter whispering something about the young apprentice looking for a 'mother figure' before. "Alright," he said stiffly. "I'll see what I can do." He started towards the spot where he'd seen the foreign cat and Scorchwhisker pa ss. -- Sealpelt thought, with a suppressed sigh, that it would be best for her to watch the back of the group. She didn't trust her back to the foreign tom, and wasn't about to leave Stormwing unguarded. She slipped behind Mace, eyes burning into his fur threateningly, as if daring him to raise a claw against either of them. Mace's smile faltered, and for a moment he wondered if it would have been better to leave Xerus behind. He was feeling slightly uneasy, but he didn't let it show and only rumbled in a strong, confident voice, "Alright. You needn't tell me twice. I didn't mean to offend you." -- "I haven't got a clue," Xerus said honestly. "All of the cats where I lived slept in their own dens." She flicked her ears thoughtfully, eyes distant. "But I suppose it's safest because the warrior's are directly next to the nursery and the apprentice den... which means help in either location at any moment necessary." She burned under her fur, silently praying that she wouldn't sound too stupid. "I mean, I think that's why." [ Blah. ]
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7:01pm Jan 11 2011
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"No need to be so huffy," Mistdance muttered under her breath, glaring at the young apprentice as he stalked off stiffly, seemingly in a bad mood. "Hmph." Turning away haughtily she bounded up the cliff-side and began trailing Stormwing's scent, flicking her ears and lifting her head every few foxlengths to see if they were close enough to see without using her sense of smell. Glancing up at the sky briefly the she-cat was surprised to see that the sun had already begun it's descent, casting the forest into a blood-red shade. -- "You didn't...yet," Stormwing meowed in warning, keeping her eyes ahead of her. Lost in her own thoughts, the deputy failed to notice Sealpelt slowing down and slipping behind the group of cats, but under normal circumstances would probably have thought nothing of it. "Just don't make trouble." -- "You got it spot on," Scorchwhisker meowed with a purr, feeling a tiny spark of praise well up in his chest. "The Medicine cat's den is in the most secure place though, since they care for all the Clan and can be considered our most precious cats after the leader and deputy. And I don't think you noticed, but since the cliff wraps around on the left side, we placed the nursery there so they wouldn't be caught by a front attack." Digging his paws into the sand briefly he sped up his pace a little, giving Xerus a competitive grin. "Race you to the cliff-top?" he asked.
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4:52pm Jan 13 2011
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Xerus laughed, nodding in anticipation. "Alright. But just get ready to get creamed." She dug her paws into the sand, slim body shaking slightly with anticipation. She kept pace with him, already thinking ahead. I'll stay tied with him, she thought, smiling to herself, and then when I'm sure I know where I'm going I'll kick it up a notch. Then, all of a sudden, a little ball of black fur appeared in front of her, and she had to stop abruptly before she ran into it. It puffed out its fur, hissing and spitting. Turns out it was Quailpaw, and he was not pleased with almost being run over. "Mistdance sent me," he muttered briskly to his mentor, not bothering to introduce himself to the grey and white she-cat.
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7:16pm Jan 16 2011
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{ Up }
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