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Challenge #03230-H321: One Close Call in a Tourist Destination

The humans were laughing about something. That was, by itself, potential cause for alarm. The contents of their conversation, heard between bouts of laughter, was even more alarming.

"And then, he looked up into my eyes and froze."

"And then?"

"Then he turned, realized that he had to look UP into your eyes, and looked like he was about to mess his pants!"

"And he said something, right? I didn't catch it."

"He apologized for the inconvenience, said he didn't mean anything by it, and then turned and ran."

"We're not THAT scary, are we?"

"We were both blankface, and I don't know about you, but I was about ready to rip one of his ears off for going for my bags like that."

"Oh. I was going to bounce his head off the pavement to knock him out real quick so we could walk away."

"Aw, you're sweet."

"Why his ear?"

"To hold him still so you could get to him, of course."

"Makes sense."

"Haha! This vacation is WAY more fun than I expected it to be!" -- Escla

On the plus side, the visiting Humans were happy. On the minus side, a close encounter with Attempted Robbery was not on the usual visitor's itinerary. Security Officer Thane caught up with the group. "My pardons, cogniscents. Is there something you would like to report? A crime?"

"It's only a crime if they do it, right? Attempted whatever only counts if its damaging to life or lifestyle[1]?"

"Poor little thing was only trying to lift my dummy wallet." The almost-victim showed Thane his wallet. It was full of food and medicine coupons[2]. "Even if they had stolen it, it was no big deal."

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Challenge #03229-H320: Prepared For Anything

They found a planet that was, at most, a level 1 to level 2 deathworld. It was a cooler planet still within its sun goldilocks zone, but barely. They'd never seen snow, or dealt with cold temperatures. But the humans enjoyed the exploration, seeing all the animals adapted to semi-mild, yet still arctic, conditions, the conifer like trees, and having the occasional snowball fight for laughs. -- Anon Guest

Tundra, taiga, arctic ice. Whilst technically a tolerable Deathworld, the crew of the

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Challenge #03228-H319: So Sharp...

A human sets up a shop on board a particularly large station within Alliance space. Before too long, the person has a lot of other humans visiting their shop, especially chefs. What is their profession? Sharpening blades. And instead of using anything electronic, they have a large whetstone, a strop, and some pieces of material to test the sharpness of the blades. He's one of the best in his profession, though his alliance friends sometimes see all the blades, and get a

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Challenge #03227-H318: Should Have Listened

Capturing any member of Pax Humanis is no small feat, but capturing a Pax Humanis leader and not knowing who they are is a mistake you won’t live long enough to regret

https://www.britannica.com/story/the-time-julius-caesar-was-captured-by-pirates -- LatinoThor45

Pax Humanis don't form teams. They make packs. They don't plan to eliminate a large problem for the CRC. They hunt. They are, at their core, the Humans that all the stories warn you about. They are the very rare few

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Challenge #03226-H317: Those Who Cut It

A new cooking school opens up that is considered one of the hardest schools of that type to be in. Where almost all classes were like competitions and the instructors were very strict. Even to become a student, one had to sign a waiver stating that they knew they could be dropped from the program at any moment if their scores in the classes got too low. Still, for those that graduated, they were considered among some of the best chefs in

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Challenge #03225-H316: A Different Cause For Tears

A human was crying, their friend asked what was wrong. They'd heard all their lives of all the wild cruelties humans had done to each other, then found an ancient, archived, video of humans in the past acting in kindness. The video really made them smile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmcSh0GdPlc -- Anon Guest

Humans don't always have good angles. The stories of them having murderous rampages against species that wronged them abound. Other stories... not so much. The stories

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Challenge #03224-H315: Like the Softly Falling Snow

Dan builds a larger home for himself, with plenty of room for all his adopted sons and daughters, with plenty of extra room for more kids to come and have someone to help and care for them. Melody helps where she can, when she can, and the kids start to learn what it's like to have a home, and a family that loves them no matter what.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03063-h155-handcrafted-hearth -- Fighting Fit

After the fifth morning of waking

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Challenge #03223-H314: Schoolyard Encounter

Marvins beloved daughter, Vee, is a little older now and is a child that's apprenticing for her magic and her ability to heal using magic is becoming all the more impressive. Thanks to her dad's influence, greed, or ego, has never touched her, and compassion has become the solid core of who she is. Many still seek the youngster's aid, and as she gets older, she's getting more dragon-like in appearance, though retaining her human form, and she lives a happy life

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Challenge #03222-H313: Necessary Adjustments

Master Twii was taking a class on programming, taking time away from the Dojo, on a station when a lifepod, or what was left of it, docked heavily. The smoking maw of the airlock opening up to disgorge disheveled, frightened, and wounded kids, the accident had killed the very few adults that had been there. The most scared of the kids hid behind the first adult human they saw, never having seen any other species before.

From this prompt - https://peakd.

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Challenge #03221-H312: Sunshine - Guide and Guardian

I wonder... what would Mr. Sunshine do / think if Jay decided to ask the gentle Lilicoon on a date?

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03030-h107-tea-and-socialisation -- Anon Guest

Mr Sunshine was calmly painting as Jay was attempting to calmly wait for Miss Lilicoon to show up. Jay had done their best to scrub up, and was now in the middle of Choice Anxiety. Otherwise known as Maybe I should have...

"Deep breaths, apprentice," said Sunshine, carefully adding gloss to the coat of

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Challenge #03220-H311: Pieces of a New Life

"You've been up for nearly 72 hours, again! Are you finally going to tell me what's going on?"

"Sorry, I'll get some sleep soon, I promise."

"Isn't your insomnia medicine helping?"

"I've not been taking it."

"Why not?"

Hesitation... a deep breath... slowly they turn around and present a beautifully carved statue of stone with small gemstones inlaid and the etchings reading "To my first true friend."

"Because I wanted to celebrate the anniversary of the day you took me from that

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Challenge #03219-H310: On the Road to Destiny

Though it was reluctantly, he followed Wraithvine and Pondermoore, he convinced his mother and the rest of his family to remain behind to care for their farm, and they decided to follow the map provided, and to turn over the criminal in the cage to the proper authorities. In the meantime, he was trying to find a way to keep his bell from knocking Wraithvine to the ground like that.

From this prompt https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03138-h229-the-opening-volley -- Anon Guest

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Challenge #03216-H309: Any Excuse to Party

Some townsfolk lie to Wraithvine and hir friends saying there's a meeting in the big town hall. Managing to get Wraithvine and the rest into the dark hall, suddenly the torches flare and everyone jumps out and shouts "Surprise! Happy Birthday!" With gifts, food, and decorations!

No one actually knew what the real birthday was, but it was decided, because the being was so kind, to throw a birthday party anyway! -- Anon Guest

Wraithvine knew something was up in a cold

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Challenge #03217-H308: The Future You Want

They had supplies for when the waste material hit the proverbial fan blades. Their neighbors knew they had stockpiled for a long, long time just in case. Then things went south. The neighbors did not raid them but, instead, came to ask to work with them, as they, themselves, were mildly disabled and could not do everything alone anymore due to their age. This came in handy when others decided to try to raid them, however, and the neighbors let people know,

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Challenge #03216-H307: Just Sort it Out

A good friend of mine invited me over for a drink, didn’t think it would be relationship advice. “More than friends, less than lovers? More than anything it sounds like you two are too f[FORNICATION] tsundere over your emotions.” -- Anon Guest

[AN: Edited the prompt because too many asterisks in a row messes with things]

"Tsundere? Me? Really?"

"You did just say you wanted to punch hir pretty little face in. And then kiss it. That's pretty tsundere." Tuz

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