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Information on the Black Berry Bush:

They are perennial plants which typically bear biennial stems ("canes") from the perennial root system. In its first year, a new stem grows vigorously to its full length of 3-6 m, arching or trailing along the ground and bearing large palmately compound leaves with five or seven leaflets; it does not produce any flowers. In its second year, the stem does not grow longer, but the flower buds break to produce flowering laterals, which bear smaller leaves with three or five leaflets. First and second year shoots are usually spiny, usually with numerous short curved very sharp spines (spineless plants also occur). The flowers are produced in late spring and early summer on short racemes on the tips of the flowering laterals. Each flower is about 2-3 cm in diameter with five white or pale pink petals. The newly developed primocane fruiting blackberries flower and fruit on the new growth. The fruit, in botanical terminology, is not a berry, but an aggregate fruit of numerous drupelets ripening to a black or dark purple fruit, the "blackberry". Unmanaged mature plants form a tangle of dense arching stems, the branches rooting from the node tip when they reach the ground. They are very vigorous, growing at fast rates in woods, scrub, hillsides and hedgerows, covering large areas in a relatively short time. It will tolerate poor soil, and is an early colonist of wasteland and building sites.

The leaf that refused to be ignored:

Jayoku had been raking the small yard, a few of the leaves and blossoms off the trees had fallen. The weather had been abnormal rain, hail snow and then perfectly sunny spring like weather. There were mostly blossoms off trees and the occasionally a green leaf that was blown off the trees in her backyard.

Wiping the sweat from her brow she decided it was time to put the plant refuse into a bag and head inside. She was tired and there were some pretty nasty dark clouds coming her way. Unbekwonst to her a leaf had attached itself to her hair and as she entered her home she only noticed until she checked in the mirror that she became aware of its presence.

Lifting a hand she made a squeak of pain as her fingers touching the small spikes on the leaf branch. Thorns...small ones. Well..that was strange. Bramble type plants don't normally just...loose their leaves. Moving she went to throw the leaf into the garbage. Taking little notice as the leaf seemed to catch some from of breeze and flip up and snag onto her pants .

Moving she went to undress and squeaked in pain as something pricked her leg. Lifting her pants up she noticed the leaf again and frowned wondering how on earth it managed to get there. Plucking it off quickly and carefully she looked it over carefully. It wiggeled slightly she assumed it was from her breath and shrugged. Placing it on the bathroom sink she finally slipped into the shower and turned on the water.

***

As she slipped out of the shower she had forgotten about the leaf completely, and as she dried her hair and wrapped the towel around her body. As she stood she stumbeled having caught the glimps of green under her foot. Catching her balance on the counter she stood poised and watched the leaf wondering how on earth it got there.

..Well there was steam...it must of made the air circulate around the room. And blew it onto the floor? Bending over the plucked the leaf back into her fingers and then examined it again. Persistant bugger...

Standing she finally moved to her bed room wondering just what she should do with this...strange leaf.

Laying on her bed she examined it turning it over carefully over and over. It looked...like a regular leaf. Well...with prickle bits. SHe couldn't identify the leaf, though it seemed familar. Maybe she should look it up in a gardening book. She flipped it over and over wondering what to do with it. One part urged her to throw it out and leave it be. THe other...felt something tug at her heart, she really wanted to know more about it....even if it was just a leaf.

With a yawn she sat up and slid off her bed she hesitated before placing it delicately on he bedside mantal. IN the morning she would see if she could look it up.. Though one part of her heart felt sad, for the leaf would probbaly be all wilted by morning. Ah well. Only time would tell.

The heat of approaching summer made lugging around around soil and a pot a bit more of a chore than it had been in the past. Still, Shouko had gotten word of another Eden leaf and she needed to to make this delivery to it's guardian. As she walked the girl wondered as she often did what sort of child would appear from this leaf.

A little while lady the pink haired girl reached her destination and quickly left behind her heavy load as well as a note.

Patience was the last thing on the leaf's mind back then and the same held true today. Although it wasn't trying to escape it's pot at the moment it had developed a new attention grabbing behavior, namely turning black and puffing up like a balloon.

Despite the several pokes it had endured the former leaf was none the worse for the wear. Although a very small pinprick sized hole had appeared and begun to leak a sweet smelling juice. Still, aside from that the plant was fine and continuing to grow threatening to spill out of it's pot.