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Amalgam Universe

A 2347-post collection

Challenge #05047-M298: Rough Landing

"Why are your eyes watering like that?" Oh, it's nothing, just my allergies. -- BKF

[AN/PSA: Denial of emotional expression is a toxic social enforcement and needs to die]

"Mama? Are you crying?" My sensitive little darling, Xin, had found me. I couldn't tell them. Not yet.

I startled, rushing to soak up the leakage from my eyes. "It's pollen," I lied. "Got my face going funny."

Xin was four and cried when they couldn't find their favourite soft toy. Or when they were out of their favourite fruit for dessert. Or when their world was slightly out of its normal routine. Xin had been out of sorts for a month after the move to this planet. They were not prepared for that which had just landed on me. "Maintenance gotta change the filters," they decided.

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Challenge #05042-M293: Distracting Allure

A little lost havenworlder child runs up to Sensei Twii and flitters up to his shoulder to ask for help. They're scared and don't know where their parentals are. -- BKF

The fledgeling was able to lift off for short bursts. Almost typical for Avian Havenworlders. They lit from bench to benchtop to passing maintenance wagon before landing, panting, on Master Twii's shoulder. "Riri said... if I gotted lost," they managed, "I gotta find a Human. you look... human. Are you a

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Challenge #05041-M292: Vulnerability

The human over-ate on their favorite foods, and sequestered themselves in their habitat refusing to see anyone. When the companion comes in to see what's going on, their nose is assailed by the REASON the human asked to have a full day to themselves. -- BKF

Humans, amongst many other things, are prone to act unwisely when presented with a treat. They are also aware of this and have unique linguistics about them. Each Human has their own term for such things,

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Challenge #05040-M291: Now Get Them to Leave

You really want to see a human party? Fine, it's your funeral pal, proverbially speaking. I know you guys have a tropical world of a planet that is utterly harmless to them, I think it's what, only a level 1 deathworld at most? And you've expansive, warm, oceans. Tell them you'll foot the bill, and they'll throw a party like you've never seen before. Though they'll at least make it fun for you, too. They're nice like that. -- BKF

There's traditionally

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Challenge #05039-M290: Improvements Are Impossible

Beware the furballs of orange, for they are the most cunning. Oh who am I kidding? They're all sweethearts, just the orange furballs are usually the ones most apt to start mischief. -- BKF

[AN: Have you not heard of the mythical Orange Cat Braincell? All orange cats share one braincell. Who has it is a total mystery. Then again, they may start mischief because action and consequence refuse to be linked]

Earth's pets made it into Galactic Alliance space decades before

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Challenge #05038-M289: Mending Melancholy Moggy

They were sitting and softly crying. No real reason other than being overtired and homesick, first time traveling so far, even for work. Then a skitty crawled in their lap and began to purr, and they began to feel a little better. -- BKF

First-time Spacers are fine until they're suddenly not. It's all fun and games until the homesickness hits like an apophis-class asteroid. As Trainee Engineer Nauf just found out while staring at the stars.

Ze had just found the

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Challenge #05037-M288: Toxin Replacement Scheme

The Havenworlder-safe confectionary competition! Complete with legumes that taste just like peanuts but are not, in fact, peanuts, and havenworlder-safe chocolate! -- BKF

[AN: Was prompted in relation to yesterday's story, but has wound up being in relation to Pistil-Packing Researcher ]

There are many Humans who are psychologically incapable of keeping a treat for themselves. They find joy in sharing. And it is a regrettable fact that some things are just too dangerous for Havenworlders to enjoy. Which, once Humanity realised that,

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Challenge #05036-M287: The Extra Mile

"I need Chocolate!" -- Knitnan

"Attempted security breach detected in junction B-9," intoned the computer. Security Operator Vic stumbled out of his bunk. Why did this shit always happen on his rest cycle? He scrubbed the grit out of his eyes and attempted to focus on the screens. Which were needlessly tiny, lowest-bid, grainy-as-flakk monitors from the absolute dawn of screen technology. The only thing stopping the corp from using Cathode Ray Tubes was the radiation restrictions for the fluffiest Havenworlders on

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Challenge #05035-M286: Pistil-Packing Researcher

The human had a warning sign on their quarters: "Do not enter without mask". They had sealed their air vent and brought in their own supply. When one of the crew came in, they understood. The human was hand-pollinating a hybrid plant they were trying to develop, and was taking all precautions. -- BKF

Humans know they're dangerous when they're bored. Those knowing they were destined for long-haul travel got involved in long-term hobbies. Alternately, Humans who have long-term hobbies are destined

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Challenge #05030-M281: Surprise Family

The marines had picked up an escape pod with a young deathworlder child. They looked up how to care for them, how to help ensure their scales were kept clean, taught them to read and write. The child was one of the best protected kids in their sector, and had a whole bunch of unties. -- BKF

They were supposed to be in the middle of nowhere. A part of the spaceways that existed solely as a transit point. Yet they also

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Challenge #05029-M280: Pest Control System Volunteer Maintenance

The young humans, carrying fur-brushes, began hunting all of the skitties in the small station. Their mission? Give them all a full brush-out. Needless to say, the skitties enjoyed the attention. -- BKF

There's a very Human saying - the devil finds work for idle hands. Translated from their ancient superstitions, it boils down to: "Don't let your Humans get bored." Humans have a knack for finding trouble before it gets lost.

Especially the younger Humans.

This particular band were allegedly part

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Challenge #05028-M279: Mistaken Protection

They leapt in front of an attacker to save a deathworlder. The attacker fled in terror at a giant snake striking at them. -- BKF

[AN: Cogniscent species must have tool use to get into space, so interestingly snake-like sneople it is]

The Edge Territories have been likened to a box of chocolates. First, you never know what you're going to get. Secondly - it's highly dangerous for a lot of people who exist in there.

Shissothi didn't think of Trading Station

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Challenge #05024-M275: Clinic Sub Rosa

I was asked by a person wearing red, yellow, and black what I wanted for patching them up. I stated that all I wanted was to run my clinic, and no longer be afraid to help those who truly needed my help. To no longer be punished for giving the care I trained years to perfect, to those too poor to go anywhere else. -- BKF

The words, First and foremost, do no harm, are written above my clinic door. Very few

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Challenge #05022-M273: Persistence Predators

Several Alliance members, and other species not in the Rim, challenge the humans to a 20 k race. The humans show why they survived to become the apex predators on earth. -- BKF

[AN: Alliance space is more than the galactic rim. Thanks to wormholes, parts of the Alliance linked by Hyperspace could be ANYWHERE]

The funny thing about Humans is - they don't look like Deathworlders. No horns, claws, fangs, or venom are on their side. They look like lanky awkward,

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Challenge #05021-M272: Honing All Weapons

Mr Sunshine teaches a person to defend themselves in a very dangerous polity. -- BKF

The hunter surveys what should be his prey. Timid and twitchy. Hunched as if to hide. Keeping close to the walls and the shadows, much like a mouse hoping to remain unobserved and thereby unattacked.

That sort of behaviour drew in predators like honey drew in flies.

Mr. Sunshine could tell that his host, Raf, knew that Sunshine was a dangerous man. It was all in the

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