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Challenge #05033-M284: Guidance of the Gods

Ereshkygal herself talked a young teen out of self-harm. -- BKF

It was a long way down. They said a lot of things about the heights of Pinnacle Peak's tallest towers. Some said that a copper coin tossed from the top could kill an innocent civilian below if it hit. Some said that if you jumped from the topmost parapet, you would be dead before you finished falling.

Tevan leaned on that parapet and stared down at the streets below. Further below than the street by which ze entered the tower, because it stood at the edge of a cliff.

From here, anyone could see the curve of the world.

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Challenge #05032-M283: Small Moments

Small joys, the little things that lift your heart when all the world seems grey. -- Knitnan

Some people have all the luck. This is just as true as when that luck is only bad. A very unfortunate few get the kind of luck that is never enough. Enough bad luck would allow Hope to gain help. Enough good luck would mean that she would be managing well enough to not have a need.

Well, not many needs that could easily be

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Challenge #05031-M282: The Day of Laughs

The laughing game. The point of the game was to get people to laugh. BUT, it had to be laughter that was in good taste and kindness, not cruelty. For each person to gain an honest laugh was one point. Insults and hurt feelings meant losing points. Winner got a very nice prize, but most important was the fun! -- BKF

People assume that the followers of Loki are as evil as they think the god is. People assume wrong. Loki is

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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 #05027-M278: Little Devilborn, Lost

The human child was young, lost, and scared. Then a raven alighted upon their shoulder and gently, through soft pecks and the occasional hopping on the ground to lead, helped the child back to the Inn where their parents had taken up residence until hir mother gives birth to their sibling. -- BKF

The city was big and pretty and smelly and very, very distracting. Bug had slipped from Mama's hand, just for a moment, to look at something bright and shiny.

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Challenge #05026-M277: Wait, They're What?

A large band of rowdy adventurers came across a large village of those normally viewed as 'unwelcome ones'. They drop their swords, shields, and armor, seeing the village's main bridge was washed out in the last storm, and get to work helping clear debris and cutting wood so the village can have its bridge back. Others of the large band go to help the fields until the main group of villagers can get back out there, safely. -- BKF

They say that

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Challenge #05025-M276: Greater Treasure

"I'm too Fat" You're healthy. "I'm too old." You're mature. "I'm ugly" You're beautiful. "Why are you being like this?" Being like what? "So nice to me." Because you are the kindest, most wonderful person I have ever met. -- BKF

No matter what kind of Unwelcome People there may be, there's always somewhere where they may be welcome. The trick is finding where that is. There's the city ghettos, of course, where the Unwelcome are at least permitted. Sometimes, they're even

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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 #05023-M274: A Needed Repetition

The Goddess of Death came to claim me. Her hands were gentle as she lifted me from my bed and carried me to the door. I was old, tired, and in pain. Then when my eyes opened again, I was young, in a cradle, and I remember her words whispered. "You died a person who believed in kindness. Hold that in your heart, for I wish you to teach it to others." -- BKF

Grace had spent a life doing little things

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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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Challenge #05020-M271: Support Animal

A small havenworlder has a highly trained Saint Bernard as their mount, their protection, and their friend. -- BKF

Humanity had the same joke for large dogs for centuries: "Put a saddle on that thing," they would say, or, "Have you tried riding it yet?" And for centuries it got at least a sympathy chuckle. Until Humanity met species that actually could ride those things.

Tiny Havenworlders using enormous dog breeds as mounts and personal security became commonplace almost overnight. Often the

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Challenge #05019-M270: Exploited Loophole

It is tradition that for Boxing Day, the masters of the house trade jobs with the servants. For one day, the servant gives the orders and the master obeys. Unfortunately for the king, his servants are very pissed off this year, and feel like this is an excellent excuse for a coup. -- Tergon

[AN: Gonna change the holiday so it fits in one of my worlds]

Trickster's Day. The day after Midwinterfeast. The time of year that the authority of the

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