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Challenge #04583-L199: One Small Freedom

Writing is one of the best ways to heal a broken heart. Especially when finally allowing someone to see the break, and that someone holds you close and says "It's ok, we can rebuild together" and mean it. -- Anon Guest

[AN: The urge to write Murderbot is fucking strong with this one]

Sweet merciful Powers, this Deregger conglomerate had gone too far. They had achieved almost godlike prowess with their technology, to the point of making cyborg servants for every need the organic folk had. Yet also enslaving a majority of the organic folk. The people in charge did everything to keep the rest down, but since the cyborgs were lower, the entire organic population were vicious martinets whenever they had access to the right victim.

It might have been dubiously passable if the cyborgs weren't sentient. The CRC would have been on their collective tails anyway, but the instant a rogue Security Construct fell into Alliance hands? They were in for an apocalyptic level shitstorm.

The construct called itself Killstruct, and insisted on using the pronouns 'it' and 'its'. Currently, it was very much surprised with the relative freedom of a quarantine habitat. Killstruct had, upon regaining consciousness, inspected the three chambers necessary for minimum single accommodation. The 'public' facing chamber for interviews, the relatively private space for rest and ablutions, and the oxygenating algae farm in lieu of the legally-obligated garden space. It noted the presence of Therapist Lys'm sitting calmly outside the 'public' wall. Assessed its situation.

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Challenge #04582-L198: The Nature of Miracles

Priest Robert has found his salvation in the Church and now blesses old pagan shrines into the light of the true faith. Until one day, an innocent is chased by a beast into an abandoned temple, and all of his prayers and symbols fail. All except the icon of a heathen god he ought to think a wicked demon and a little rhyme his mother uttered while tucking him to bed. -- Anon Guest

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not

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Challenge #04581-L197: Attitudes Adjusted While You Wait

Wraithvine {who may or may not have a companion} has found Hirself contractually obligated with escorting a truly wretched individual to safety. A Lordling who pisses on the common folk, believes himself superior, and is guilty of a few actual crimes no one dares arrest him for.

No locals, anyway, and while Wraithvine needs to bring the Lordling to a certain location…there’s nothing that says the journey must end there. Why not continue on to a jurisdiction where the Lordling

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Challenge #04580-L196: The Best Kingdom in the World

Kind and wise and magnanimous King Nydon's daughter has run off with a bard. Obviously she was tricked, as his castle is a happy place.

“Wraithvine is the name? Yes, you’ll do. Take along anyone you need. Here’s the princess's picture. Ignore any of her pleas, they’ll be the man’s magic. Just drop her off with the gate guards when you bring her back…” -- Anon Guest

Something was rotten in the nation of Bevuran. The key was

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Challenge #04579-L195: Devoured Conflict

After having too many “brownies” Edward and flora stare at the starry sky above. “Hey Flo, if a vampire drink a fae’s blood, would the fae becomes it thrall? Or the vampire becomes the fae servant due to having fae food without permission?” Flora gaze at her undead friend. “That’s kinky… and how my parents got married…” -- Anon Guest

[AN: One of my favoured quandries.]

Every species of Alfarell and its planar systems has its rules and weaknesses. Some

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Challenge #04578-L194: When Prey Turns Around

The body lays beaten and bloody on the floor. They were breathing, they would not be killed, but they'd had plenty of chances to back out.

"I have to bring you in alive. I even offered you the chance to come peacefully. Why do you guys always insist on doing things the hard way? You want to kill, fine, but missiles like you need to be launched at the proper targets." -- Anon Guest

[AN: Offensensitivity warning for the perspective of a

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Challenge #04577-L193: Some Who Wander Are...

Wraithvine (and perhaps companions?) comes upon an inn near a foggy forest where a young knight and his half-wolf lady are struggling to return home. It seems that the hail from another world entirely, one with low and different sort of magic, which may make getting them home a real hassle... -- Anon Guest

[AN: Shoutout to Deathshead419, who I am certain gave me this prompt. I shall try my best with this one]

The thing about magic, the real thing about

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Challenge #04576-L192: Sacrifices For the Cargo Cult

The Machine towers over the city, a gargantuan maze of steel, cogs, and steam. Thousands slave away to feed the beast lumber, coal, and blood to build it bigger. No one knows anymore why it was made, who made it, or what it was meant to do. But if anyone is heard questioning The Machine, that individual can expect no mercy. Those who came before can't have dedicated their lives for nothing, they can't have! They cant! -- Anon Guest

[AN: Nonny

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Challenge #04575-L191: What Price a Wish?

All around the world have opened strange, white colonnaded buildings like banks or fancy law offices. Except these "Exchanges" are entirely empty save for shadows behind the frosted windows at the back who never speak. Here a lucky few can redeem gold lettered coupons for any wish the heart desires. Though the mouth had better word the request carefully, as those shadows listen carefully and there are no refunds... -- Anon Guest

They literally turned up overnight. On one day, it was

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Challenge #04574-L190: Tools of the Trade

Barber/Doctor Tynmalin has handled plenty of sicknesses, carefully studying the humors of her patients and applying sharp things when needed. However this BD comes upon a delicate case of separating two conjoined twins which will test her finesse and medical/cutting prowess to the limit. -- Anon Guest

Some things are healed with a spell or a prayer. For the outliers in which power cannot help, there is surgery. A job for Barbers once upon an era past. Thus, the League

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Challenge #04573-L189: Literate Legacy

Opening a box belonging to a great-great-grandparent, they smiled warmly. This was truly a treasure. An heirloom beyond any they could have desired as an inheritance. Their grandparent had always been an avid writer since they were young. And what was in the box? Diaries. From the time their grandparent had been a child, into adulthood, into old age, and even a few weeks before their serious decline made it impossible for them to do more than sleep, and write in their

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Challenge #04572-L188: Heroism From Hubris

They were addicted to going into dungeons and trying their luck. The harder, the better. Their skills improved incredibly since they had been doing this since they were young. Of course, immortality didn't hurt either. So what happened to all the loot? There were several temples, hospitals, and care places that didn't have to worry about money thanks to their addiction. -- Anon Guest

Once upon a time, the story goes, there was a soldier who was unbeatable on the field of

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Challenge #04571-L187: As You Sow...

A corporate lawyer has made his fortune fighting worker regulations in Boston, breaking up union strikes in Sri Lanka, and sending Pinkertons to crack tree hugger heads in the rain-forest.

One day though he steps through the wrong, ethereal door and finds himself in the body of one of those he had fought, facing down the corporate guns.

[Twilight Zone Music Plays] -- Anon Guest

Presented for your approval, James Worpyington-Smythe III, council for the corporate persons and their rights to pursue

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Challenge #04570-L186: Felt Idols

A toy shop proprietor sells plushie Cthulhu toys and cartoonish picture books, spreading joy to the children of his fair city in mockery of a century dead antiquarian.

Only, the toys begin whispering in the night, the picture books reveal quite starkly arcane hidden messages under moonlight, and one mother complains of a plushie leaking blood, the proprietor realizing too late what he's really been spreading... -- Anon Guest

The toys looked pretty cute. One of the selling points on the packaging

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Challenge #04569-L185: Unique Vision

They had a gift for seeing through disguises. The gentle dragon guised as a gnome traveling with that wizard. At night, they gently said. "I see you, and your soul is so beautiful." -- Anon Guest

[AN: Dragons shapeshift, but I'm going with a similar idea]

Technically speaking, Arwen was blind. Hir parents had been greatly upset by the lack and prayed to Lenus, the god of healing, for hir to have some vision given to hir. Gods grant prayers in peculiar

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