Two Cats are Better than One

Apologies for how long this thread took to set up!! Been very unmotivated lately and.. shit has been hectic :)

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for @Kuhn
 Having separated from Mei for the time being, Boa had begun his trek up the mountains not to long ago, his large, rippling muscles making it easier to climb the steep mountain-faces,
 yet sharp-ledges still put him off. 

 As he climbed, a familiar scent rode the winds, and the beasts mouth watered. Prey. He hadn’t eaten since catching that measly rabbit while teaching Mei how to hunt land-prey. 
 Mei.. he missed her, but she needed to find her sisters, and Boa wanted to see what else was out there. 

 Climbing towards the delectable smell, the striped cat furrowed his brows, leaping up over one last rock-face before scrambling on the ledge, the carcass of a goat left half-eaten. No other animal nearby.. seemed luck was on his side..

 But, as Boa stalked towards the meal, he couldn’t help but feel the hair on his shoulder rise. Perhaps this wasn’t a good idea. It seemed all too easy.. But, he was starving. 

 So, he trotted forward and took a bite. It was easy to say he did not regret it one bit, but he couldn’t help but feel suspicious of the area. What if it was a trap?
 Maybe it was a trap for wolves, but he doubted any animal would try to take on a tiger, of all creatures; but.. one could never be too certain.. hm..

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Contented from a recent meal, the striped cat sat atop of a warm stone, soaking up the intense mountain sun.  His tail flicked, as the cool breeze swept through his comparatively shorter summer coat.  Lines of musculature ran through his striped pelt, no longer hidden by long winter fur where a testament to his recovery, after his injuries and meager diet bouncing back in Northfall.  

Finishing cleaning the remnants of gore from his fur,  something caught his attention.  Nose pointed upward, a familiar pang of testosterone made the cats face feel hot.  Gritting his teeth, Kuhn knew it was another male tiger. 

Quickly, he was on his feet. Skulking towards the source of the smell.  Though he couldn't help the attitude, he told himself that it was probably fine, and that he would be polite.  Thinking hard as he went, he knew that not all of his kind where opposed to making meals from wolves.  The wolves here where his, and this area was starting to feel like a territory. 

Scent leading him back to his kill site, he spotted that other coat of orange and black.  Another cat: formattable and dangerous.  Whoever this was, they where getting awfully close to the wolves he would consider his.  The other striped beast was already helping himself to the kill, but that's not what mattered. Without getting a feel for the man, he wouldn't let him get any closer. 

Picking his way down the rocky crags, Kuhn attempted to purge any hostility from his voice, despite the territorial bravado.   "Hello there...", he projected calmly, eying the man from head to tail.
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 He'd still been tucking into the free meal for a few moments, until a familiar scent managed to push its way past the flesh and blood. 
 Tiger. 

 He thought he'd never have to face that eerie smell again, but Boa whipped his head around, eyes wide until.. No, it wasn't one of them. It.. couldn't of been, anyway.

 The beast dipped his head in greeting, only giving a short reply in return. “Hello,” He tilted his head curiously, before suddenly becoming weary about the maybe-fact that he may of been tucking himself into this other males meal. “Apologies, was this yours?”

 He wouldn't give up on the carcass immediately, but the man was asking whether the stranger would fight over it, or whether he could keep eating.
 The beast... wanted to sink his claws into something, but Boa quickly flicked that thought away.

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short post lol, very unmotivated with Boa atm

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A moment of silence passed between them as Kuhn scanned over the kill and the stranger's bloody jaws.   "Its fine...  I can kill another tomorrow.", he responded with disinterest, twitching at the ear.   At the moment, Kuhn was well fed, so fighting over food wasn't top priority.  Though, his posture was obviously somewhat uneasy, shifting his weight back and forth.  Standing out at the border lands, he wanted to know what kind of creature this was coming into his realm.    

Deep instinctual forces caused the fur on the back of his spine to rise. Attempting to overcome it: the cat choked out, "Looking for game?" 

The topic if hunting seemed like a safe one, and if the man had lupine tastes, this would be a good way to find out.
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 It's fine, he'd said. Boa wasn't completely sure he believed the other tiger, but all he gave in reply was a smile and a nod. There wasn't too much to say, really.

 Though, the beast did catch on to the uneasy shifting. Was this his territory?
 He suddenly felt a little weary; though he remained on his feet, licking the blood from his lips, a tasting distant yet all too familiar for his liking..

 Big game, hm? This man knew where to find a meal? The beast wasn't overly hungry, but he'd easily tuck into some left-overs tomorrow. “Sure,” he nodded, calm, unlike the feline ahead of him. “You know where to find this 'big game', I presume?”

 Hopefully this wasn't some scheme to get him injured, because Boa had another long journey ahead of him.
 The man would just have to stay on his toes, and try to avoid trouble...

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It would be strange if the other tiger was not a big game hunter, so Kuhn knew it would be a winning topic.  Truthfully, it did bother him a bit that the man just helped himself to an unattended carcass. Though, if Kuhn wanted to claim it, than he should have marked it.  

Finding that it was best to let it go, Kuhn looked back to the other male.  Sitting back on his haunches, he showed that he had no intention of fighting the other cat.  "Well farther out to the North, there is caribou, around here, mountain goats.  Just a bit more north and you start to see boar.",  he replied obviously exited about the topic.  

"Do you have a favorite?", he asked licking his lips, wondering how to bring up the topic of wolf.
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 Boa was glad to see that the other feline had no intentions of sparring or starting a fight, and his tail flicked calmly, any fur that was once standing on end now lying flat.

“Caribou?” He asked curiously, tilting his striped head. “Isn't that.. like.. something only wolves eat?” He was far too used to his diet of elk, lynx, boar.. on rare occasions, even fish.
 So when the stranger made it clear that he knew were wolf-prey was, Boa felt his nose wrinkle. Did he lead over these mountain wolves? hm?

 Blinking a few times, Boa smiled as the tiger asked for his favourite. “Bears.. boars.. sometimes elk if it isn't too cold, at least...” He paused for a moment, before continuing; “At least, where I used to live.”
 The man sat down as well, eyes glinting curiously. “Do you have a favourite of your own?”

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"Caribou isn't just for wolves!", he responded a bit defensive.  In the next moment, he couldn't help but smirk a bit and quietly chuckling and shaking his head.   Up on his rock, the cat lowered himself down onto his stomach mirroring the other man's calmness.  

"Elk is also a great choice, funny enough... it tastes a lot like caribou.", he continued, still smirking.  "I don't know if i have a favorite... Though lately, I have been having tons of fun with the humble mountain goat.  Its a great chase..." 
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 The strangers sudden defensiveness made Boa wrinkle his nose-bridge instinctively, but quickly shook his head.
 Odd, this tiger was. He held a smirk upon his features, and the man couldn't help but feel... threatened.

 Caribou tasted like elk? He heard that both male and female caribou had horns, though, which put him off about it.
 No thanks, he targeted doe elk for a reason. 

 Mountain goat, he said. Easy to see with the kill he had made prior.

“I see,” Boa murmured. “Anyway, so, where is the game you were talking about earlier?” 
 He wanted to get straight to the point, so he could have something to eat tomorrow.

 Waiting patiently for a reply, the man flicked his ears, hoping to hear anything nearby.
 What would this prey be, hm?

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A pang of frustration ran down Kuhn's neck when the other cat asked where he could find prey.  Kuhn had just explained it, giving the other striped beast options, telling the man where to travel to get each type of meal.  The playful smirk faded from the cats features, replaced with a neural gaze.  

The only tell of his frustration was a single throw of his tail, whipping the surface of the rock he was resting on.  "Uh... well, like I said... around here is mostly mountain goat.", he sighed eyeing the man helping himself to the carcass. Perhaps the man was just tired.  Giving the other striped cat the benefit of the doubt, the real question was how to catch the prey.

"If you are looking to make your own kill, I would start by posting up somewhere high. When you see one, stalk it back to water, you will have a tough time with the chase if they aren't on flat land.  Though if you are looking for some sport, try your luck on the mountain slopes."   

Standing up on his feet with his social battery depleting, Kuhn could no longer afford to beat around the bush.  "Oh and... leave the wolves here unharmed.", he commanded making direct eye contact.  Letting the moment linger, looking down from his high ground, he made sure the man knew it was a threat.

Little does he know the both have wolf friends XD

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Apologies for the shitty quality lmao, I'm absolutely knackered

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 He knew that there was mountain goat here. What Boa was hinting to was something bigger.
 A smal twinge irritation fizzled in his paws, but at the tail flick the other tiger made, he realised that they were both annoying eachother.

 Best hurry on with the hunt, then.
 He didn't feel like dealing with an angry tiger, funnily enough.

 As the beast begun explaining to him how to hunt mountain goat, Boa nodded; The stalking bit was fine, but chasing to water? Surely he could find a flat ledge or something...
 ...Or maybe it'd be fun to try and chase it along the mountains.

 Oh, and... leave the wolves here alone. 
 Boa was slightly taken aback by the command. This tiger cared about the wolves here, hm?
“Trust me,” he began, thoughts flickering back to Mei.. “I could never harm a wolf. I have many that are important to me.”

 Perhaps in saying that the beast would calm down, but he didn't wait to check, instead lifting his nose to the air and drinking in the surrounding scents.

 He'd have to move, though, since the scent of the carcass was too powerful. So, he turned from the other tigers ledge, making his way downwards.
 He wasn't too close to the tree-line; hopefully he'd find a goat nearby...

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Kuhn didn't really know what the other man was getting at, he didn't pick up on the fact that the man was displeased with the size of the goat, especially after balking at the idea of hunting caribou.  Still laying in place, the cat's aggression didn't escalate any, though he felt like he was getting a headache.  

Without looking back at him the other man was on his feet sniffing at the air.  Putting a palm up, he was left in disbelief.  When other cat stated his position towards wolves, Kuhn's ears drooped to the side; feeling like an asshole for making assumptions. The way the other tiger explained how some where very dear to him, prompted Kuhn to wish he hadn't been so rude.   In actuality they would have a lot to talk about.  

"H-Hey!", he called out apprehensively.  

"Wai...",  Chocked by pride, he cut himself short.  "Good luck.", escaped his lips rather than what he wanted to say, now wishing he could know more about the tiger, as odd as he was.
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 Climbing down the slopes wasn’t too difficult, unless it was on a complete 90° angle, which was just impossible. He picked his way through the mountains, nose still pointed upwards to catch any scents of goat. It seemed the kill the other tiger had made earlier had scared away any of the aggressive ungulates, which was a bummer, ‘cos he really wanted some practice with them! Boa would be able to teach Mei how to hunt them, if he ever brought her to the mountains…
 But, he continued his trek, a smell catching his attention. It was, in fact, similar to that of the carcass, which must mean… 
 A few more steps, around sharp points and across a few other ledges, where a goat stood, munching away at some grass that sprouted from a crack in the rock. Now, if he was careful, hopefully he’d be able to get it… 

 Dropping on his stomach, he prowled forwards, inching ever closer to the Goat as it ate; Luckily, he was down wind, and the two creatures were on a flat ledge. Was this a creature with a conscious and a family..? Boa crushed down the feeling of guilt. It probably wasn’t.. no stress.
 He was only a few inches away, then, he leaped. Claws out stretched to grab the goat, it lagged behind for a few moments, which gave the tiger the upperhand — upperpaw? — He sunk his claws into the animals flank, ears pinning to his head as it cried out. God, it was an awful sound…

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Feel free to throw Kuhn into this hunt if you’d like <3

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Not wanting to interfere with the man's hunt, Kuhn simply watched the other man gracefully snake his way down and out of sight. Shrugging his shoulders, the big cat let out a huff as he collapsed back to the ground to enjoy the warm surface of the stone.

Nodding off into half sleep, his ears twitched, kicking himself for his rudeness.

Sometime later, the desperate cry if a mountain goat echoed out, bouncing off the mighty stones of the north. It seemed the tiger's hunt was going well.
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 It reared, attempting to throw the tiger off, though he was pushing his claws deeper, keeping his balance. Then, he yanked his claws out of the goats flank, ducking past the hooves and horns to go for it’s shoulders. It’d be a bloody fight, especially when your prey fought back. 
 Boa whirled on his paws, side-stepping past the goats defensive attacks and readying his jaws for a bite to the throat. It was almost finished, almost, so he jumped again, claws out-stretched and meeting with the goats shoulder-fur. Boa was never aware of the blood-curdling cry a goat could make, and a shiver crawled down his spine; Yuck.

 Throwing his head towards the goat, his teeth clashed with the ungulates neck, and Boa bit down as hard as he possibly could. Almost thrown off by a kick to the leg, the tiger held on, bracing himself for any more impact…
 And finally, in what felt like millions of years, the goat stopped squirming and trying to fight back. Instead, it hung limply in his jaw, too heavy and large to carry back. Instead, he dragged it away from the ledge, closer to the mountain where he first descended. He sent his gaze upwards, towards the other tiger, and parted his jaw in a calling-yowl. The beast could come down and observe his kill if he liked, but either way, Boa wanted to see what was past the mountains.
 He may or may not of been searching for a pasture or beach in particular.

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Curiously, after hearing the bloody calls of the goat, a feline call rang out.   Kuhn knew that this meant that the man was calling him to come and see.  The big cat, with a love for the hunt couldn't resist seeing how the stranger did, and at least it was a good sign that he didn't get under the other tiger's skin to much.  

Picking his way down the rocky slope, the scene of the hunt came into view.  At first look, there was a decent sign of a struggle, but overall the stranger had pulled off a relatively clean kill. 

"Hey! That's a good sized one!", he exclaimed, praising the man's catch. "Smart use of the ledge too."
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 His call was received by the other tiger, and shortly the beast's scent wafted towards where Boa sat. He turned his head to the striped beast, unnerved for a moment; It was like he was looking into a mirror. Eerie, especially since he looked so similar to his family. He looked down at his claws for a moment, brows furrowing before standing and turning towards the man.
 Boa gave a quick dip of his head in a 'thank you.'

 “I'm Boa, by the way,” He greeted, turning from the stranger to the carcass and coiling around it. “You?” The tiger dipped his head down, jaws parted as he began to tear out a few chunks. He flicked his tail in an invitation for the other to eat with him. Perhaps this would clear the air between them; That'd be nice, to have a friend who is also a tiger...
 Boa would have to tell Mei about him, surely.

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"Kuhn", he returned through his scared lip, letting a slight smile linger for a moment.  Placing his paw on his chest, he finished the motion with a very slight bow.  He had to admit the scent of another male tiger slightly aggravated him, twinging at something primal in the back of his mind.  Curiously though, Boa's posture was open, not guarding his kill from the other male.  

In fact the stranger Boa, seemed to almost invite him in, which wasn't extremely typical for their kind's antisocial ways, especially between two males.  The scarred man couldn't help but feel a bit bad for his own rudeness and assumptions when Boa had been so laid back.  "You sure?", asked the local cat, unsure if he was reading the sign correctly.   

Kuhn had eaten in the morning already, while not ravenous, he had to admit that fresh kill smelled pretty good.
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 Kuhn, the man revealed, and Boa twitched his tail in acknowledgment. As the other tiger queried his offer, all he did was nod and flicking a single paw towards the meal. Go ahead, it signalled.

 He lifted his head back upwards, looking back towards the sea. Mei mei mei, his heart sung, and the tiger squinted, trying to keep his eyes dry. “What do you know about wolves?” He asked, tilting his head back towards Kuhn.

 Boa didn’t want to admit it, but he was partially looking for advise from the other feline. Perhaps, if Kuhn did have wolf friends, maybe… maybe he could learn from the other feline.
 If asked about Mei, the man would gladly answer.

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Circling around to an area where Boa was not feeding, Kuhn gingerly licked at a set of puncture wounds left by the other tiger.  Obviously the cat didn't exactly feel comfortable with feeding from another's kill, at this point it would be rude not to oblige though.  

Suddenly, the conversation circled back around to the topic of wolves, causing the scarred man's ears to cup towards Boa the stranger.  Kuhn figured that they had something in common here knowing that he divulged a lot without saying much with his earlier threat.  "Well... I", stammered the striped cat as he gathered his mixed thoughts.  

"Most seem to be good company, though most also become atrocious in groups...  For me, there is a few I hold very dear. ", he answered frankly his own thoughts drifting to Valmua,  Tiberius, Olive.  "I have a lot to say..." 

Looking at the man, Kuhn returned a soft look aimed at the stranger's blood soaked face.  "Uh... earlier you said...", he gently prodded, wanting to hear the man expand on what he meant earlier about having wolves that where important to him.
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 Being prompted by Kuhn, the man had to fully register what the other tiger had said. Right, yes, he had been talking about how he had many — nope, just one in particular, actually… wolves that were important to him. It was a partial truth, to say the least…

 “Yes, um,” He had to gather his own thoughts first. Stay guarded, don’t reveal too much. “There is one, one who is most important to me,” The man begun, a small smile creeping up his features; “She’s…” Perfect, amazing, a gift that never stops giving. “Very, very important to me.”

 That’s all he would say for now, or… so he thought. It seemed he couldn’t stop himself from going on about the wolf.
 “@Mei , her name is Mei. She’s the first one I ever met in Canis,” Boa hummed for a few moments, savouring the memory of their first interaction. “She’s.. beautiful, and kind, and… amazing, in general. There’s so many things I can say about her…”

 Did the other tiger feel the same way about a certain wolf? Maybe this would be an opportunity to be friends.. Or maybe they could introduce one another to their lupine companions? Boa mulled over the thought for a second, before continuing.

 “I was scared, when I came to Canis. I had done terrible things, but she was there to comfort me… I did not get that sort of affection back at home. No chance,” It was a sad statement, though his tone turned to a chuckle as he finished: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder, I suppose.”

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It had been a long time since a conversation had held the cat's attention so intently. Kuhn hung on Boa's every word, frankly shocked by what he was hearing. The shared meal below him may as well not have existed.

The stranger with only a little prompting confessed what sounded like and looked like love for a lupine companion. It was obvious by the strangers glow and the long description. As the stranger went on, Kuhn felt lighter and lighter. Not typically one to care much about the opinions of others, Kuhn was fluttering with joy to know he wasn't alone.

It wasn't often where the cat had a breakthrough moment with anyone like this, but Boa's bravery to risk talking about something like this, instantly won the big cat over.

He couldn't help but light up, giving off a warm chuffing chuckle, "Sounds like you love her." , Smiling and shuffling his paws.

Inspired by the man's openness: the tiger added with a purr, "I could say the same for one I call @Valmúa ", chuckling a bit with a shake of the head, picturing some less wholesome parts of their relationship.
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 Sounds like you love her, Yes, yes love sounded like the right word. His face felt hot with embarrassment that could've been worse if Kuhn hadn't been so accepting of his relationship with the lupine. One thing that plagued all his nightmares, though; What if she didn't feel the same? It was something he felt like asking the other man about, so, shuffling his paws awkwardly, he parted his jaw and avoided eye contact;

 “Um, how would I tell if.. if Mei feels the same way?” He couldn't, no way could he say if Mei loves me back. Boa felt like a young cub with but a small crush on one of his friends, but deep down he knew... this was more than that. So, so much more. “Sorry if it's an odd question,” The man added hastily.
 “It's something I've been...” Sigh. “Anxious about...”

 And.. how did you ask someone – who wasn't even of the same species, by the way – to be your girlfriend? 'Hey Mei, I know you're a wolf but wanna be my partner? Yeah? Great! Let's get married and have eight kids!' His face was red by this point; He doubted that children could even be possible between them, but he quickly pushed that thought away. 

 Mei probably didn't feel anything for him, anyway. Boa didn't need to be thinking about that of all things.

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Boa seemed to become more of an open book after Kuhn had shared his own proclamation of love.  Earlier in the day their interaction had been somewhat odd. But now, the other male was asking for relationship advice.  

Sniffing at the kill for a moment, the cats neck stiffened at attention, once again focusing all back to the other tiger.  "You are worried she doesn't like you?", he asked with a cock of the head.  A twinge of nervousness could be seen in the big cat, shifting his hind legs.  @Valmúa was his first and only, at least as far as he could remember, and now here he was expected to give advice.  

It wasn't to difficult to see the stranger blush as he thought of his own special someone.    "I...  don't really know your relationship... ", he disclaimed with a small shrug. "But I think, if she is finding reasons to be around you?  Then she probably likes you."    

"Have you guys..." , he lingered.  "Uh... Touched?", added the tiger trying not to assume anything.  In his own experience the sensual side of things was easier to explain and came more naturally than he would have expected, but the whole love thing was even newer to him.
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Just went through his first thread with Mei and realised they haven't touched, like, at all, but in the reunion thread they are all over each other it is so cute (dont mind me promoting my own threads)

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 “Yes..” He sighed. The feline was very worried, to the point where he could recall nightmares about the feeling: 

 One day, he'd returned to the sea, and he'd meet Mei there and she'd say 'Boa, I do not want to be around you anymore', and leave. 
 Boa was all too scared that his worries would come true, and he flicked his tail anxiously. What if she'd found someone else while he was gone? The man shivered at the thought.

 Kuhn was right, he barely knew either of them, Boa suddenly felt stupid for asking for relationship advice, when the only thing they had in common was their species and their companions — he wouldn't allow himself to think of Mei as anything more, for the fear of being rejected by the woman he loved.

 “Sorry, sorry, you're right,” Until Kuhn continued; But I think, if she is finding reasons to be around you? Then she probably likes you. It felt like he and the canine were on opposite sides of the world right now, his heart lingered at the pasture where they had met, and he ached for her company again.
 “...Maybe..” He couldn't help but feel.. hopeless in this situation, so, with a shake of his mandarin-and-striped fur, he attempted to pump himself up and not be so sad.

 Uh oh, uh oh, touched? “Um, in what way?” As friends? Yes. As lovers? No no no no, no, not at all. 
 Mei probably wouldn't like that thing; I probably wouldn't like that thought of thing! He tried to convince himself, tail twitching. “No, no not really.” They hadn't even known each other for long, all he knew was that she gave very good compliments, loved the sea, missed her sisters...

 Now that he thought about it, that seemed like very personal information. Maybe.. maybe he could try (big emphasis on try) to 'cuddle' her once he reunited with her.

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