"It is not customary to speak of what happens when a new leader gains their lives, but there is no such taboo on what one does in their own head before that.

StarClan is just dead cats.  I often find myself irritated with them, because so many living cats look up to them as a source of infallible guidance when really they are just normal but dead cats with access to some abilities that we lack.  But when I went to share dreams with them, I focused on a different aspect of that, which is that - it's actually very good that they're just dead cats.  It means that when I die, I will not be transformed into a completely different cat with unlimited wisdom or patience, and despite that I'll still be able to help those who are still living.  StarClan is a Clan; it's cats coexisting and together being something more than any of them could be alone, which is all the more impressive for the fact that what some cats can do on their own is not very much.

I'm not sure you have any similar concepts to draw on."

"Mythological ones. Dead folks in my world are still just themselves but they don't do the - dream thing or anything."

"I meant more in the sense of Clans in general."

"Twolegs have politics. I live in a place that has very little politics and don't involve myself in what there is of it, but there's probably a structure like a cat Clan somewhere among Twolegs, it isn't that weird."

"Well, if you can muster some respect and admiration for the spirit of cooperation I expect you to have better chances than otherwise, although still almost none."

"I guess we'll find out."

"Mm.

What is your purpose here, by the by."

"Oh, I want to end material scarcity but things are different here so I'm trying to orient to local conditions before I do anything big."

"For whom?  And why."

"For everybody so they'll have nicer lives."

"How noble.  Do you have any implementation plans yet?"

"Well, I don't think there's any reason I can't just make large amounts of stuff once I have a distribution plan, but I keep being surprised so I think I'll wait to go a day or two without being surprised before I try even something that straightforward."

"And what sort of stuff is it that you intend to distribute?"

"Mostly Twoleg stuff, honestly. You guys seem both to care a lot about catching your own food and being independent; Twolegs are different that way. Also there are more of them."

"I see.  What do Twolegs do all day, for the most part, if they aren't responsible for their own food?"

"You know how you guys bring food to cats who can't do their own hunting? Some Twolegs handle food for lots of Twolegs, and the ones who aren't handling food are doing stuff they can trade - for food, and also for clothes, and cars, and houses, and stuff. And then when they aren't busy doing stuff for trading, they have hobbies like music and reading and playing games."

"What are the things they trade?  And what is music."

"Different Twolegs specialize in different things! Some of them move stuff around and make sure it gets to whoever wants it - Twoleg civilization is very big - some of them invent new things, or make clothes, or teach younger Twolegs things, or do medicine, there are hundreds of things but going into much detail would take a lot of explaining. Music is sounds that we think sound nice, would you like to hear some?"

"Clothes are your smoother pelts, yes?  I could hear some music."

Cam's violin appears and he plays some Vivaldi.

Tigerstar cocks his head back and forth as Cam plays, and he watches the fingering closely.  "Interesting," is his verdict.

"I'm glad you think so." He makes a case for the violin and puts it over his shoulder.

"Is that your magic or can any Twoleg - may I see that - "

"I made these with magic but they can be made without." He sets the case down and unzips it.

"But the music itself," asks Tigerstar, sniffing at the fingerboard.  His fur abruptly stands on end (which is quite a sight, with the amount of fluff) when his whiskers brush against the strings.