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Challenge #04461-L077: Where it's Safe

From those printed source books that helped Afro American's to safely travel to those real or mental lists of 'I know someone who has'. They are priceless and often weird. -- Anon Guest

[AN: I'm pretty sure the polite term was African American... back in the 1990's]

Resources are more than the base materials used to create something... or many somethings. More often than not, resources are sources of information. Secrets to relative success. Passed along by word of mouth, by sigils scrawled where those who need them will see. Meaning known only to those who need them.

Here there is food. This way to safe shelter. These people not tolerated here.

Sometimes, there's books. Maps. Lists of places where certain people can stay in safety. Or, more often, maps marked with places certain people were safer to avoid. Passed from Unwelcome Person to another. Copied carefully by hand or by magic. Passed on away from the prying eyes of the law, with the implication being very clear - don't get caught with this.

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Challenge #04460-L076: Protecting Dreams

Those that came enmasse were all known as the "unwelcome peoples." Didn't matter the race. They were given warm beds, or rather, sleeping rolls so thick and soft that one did not feel the hard floor, and special blankets enchanted with a magic that chased away bad dreams, and gave gentle ones. And if any came to harm those gathered here, they soon learned where those nightmares went. -- Anon Guest

The sign could be read even by those who did not

Challenge #04459-L075: The Strength of Hope

Does it really matter what you pick? You sensed it haven’t you, the other choices you made runs parallel to your actions. You haven’t realized you already decided, you already tipped the domino of cause and effect. The multiverse is filled with the corpuses of your failures. -- Anon Guest

It doesn't matter, whispered the voice in the back of the Hellkin's mind. You can try your heart out in proving yourself a hero... they'll still call you a monster.

Challenge #04458-L074: Methuselah Engineering

A: this is… a hydro-electric plant?

B: yep this brick steel concrete is built to last a century.

A: how old is it?

B: I say 100 years give or take a few decades.

A: wha- so in case of a fire…

B: the only steps I’m taking are [flipping] big ones. -- Anon Guest

It's generally a safe idea to run when one sees a Human running. The only exception being on an approved jogging track. Such cautions definitely hold

Challenge #04457-L073: They Heal Slowly Too

Humans. Everyone thinks they're indestructible. But most don't see what I've seen. Like the ones here in this hospital recovering. Sure they saved their crews, but their bodies need a lot of repair, and rest. -- Anon Guest

The warning had gone out years ago, that Humans die slowly. When something causes their demise, it is either swift and messy - or clean, slow, and agonising. When the human is too hurt to complain about the pain, they're really in danger.

The

Challenge #04456-L072: Arms Race

They played with toy drones, buzzing them through the air. But beware kids with little RC toys, and you're trying to be intimidating. -- Anon Guest

Fun for the whole family! Cosmetic shells sold separately, battery packs and chargers not included. The drones were cheap, easy to use, and could carry weights up to five kilograms as long as they were also aerodynamic. For yet another separate purchase, one could acquire a cargo pod that attached to your unit.

The reason why

Challenge #04455-L071: A Cure For a Cad

Behold this beautiful little flower. So unassuming, so innocent, soft and purple. I wouldn't touch this foxglove if I were you, not unless you wear gloves. You may not like what the sap can do to skin that may have cuts, or otherwise be permeable. -- Anon Guest

Beautiful to look at, wonderful to behold. But if you touch... your end is foretold.

Consider a field of flowers. Pink, white, or purple. The soft petal bells bear little spots, and multitudes of

Challenge #04454-L070: Statistical Outliers

Their planet was tidally locked. They'd never heard of life forming on a world that spun despite the gravity of their sun. Then they learned of worlds like the Earth, and a whole new perspective opened for them. -- Anon Guest

[AN: I have seen SO much speculative biology based on eyeball worlds. They for sure wouldn't be Havenworlders though]

Nobody from a Deathworld believes they're on a Deathworld until they see the alternatives. This holds true for worlds that should definitely

Challenge #04453-L069: Celebrate Life

Festivals in the part of the city where the Unwelcome welcome all -- Anon Guest

There's places like this in every city. Usually, it's a tightly packed alley or two that has denizens rather than residents. You can feel every eye watching you warily, and there's a pervading miasma of suspicion and fear.

In a city as big and old as Deepwater, it's an entire district. Minor Perdition was the Hellkin Ghetto, and a place where the Unwelcome, Unwanted, and largely unwashed

Challenge #04452-L068: Way of the Dragon

This is a strange place where students are taught to fight. Not the ways of the shadow, but how to fight like the dragon-born. The teachers do not care that most of the students here are not, and were never dragons. Or that there are all races. All they care is that these youngsters, and some adults, are their students. And they will help others who are mistreated stand on their feet once more. -- The New Guy

Places like this are

Challenge #04451-L067: An Oft Repeated Mistake

They looked thin, wiry, but something in that hard expression said that the body's looks were deceiving. When the pirates tried to cause trouble for the colony, she only gave them ONE warning "I am a Marine". They learned the hard way what that meant. -- Fighting Fit

The pirate ship cruised in to the small colonial spaceport like they owned the place. For all anyone knew, they intended to own it shortly. They were arrogant in general and presumptive of their

Challenge #04450-L066: Enrichment Activities

The goods in your favourite Big Store get fewer and fewer, so those vital but rarely brought items disappear. -- She Who Knits

If variety was the spice of life, the local branch of MegaGloboCorpoMart was slowly turning into gruel. The variety of options and products, that which drew them all in, was getting spare.

It had taken Jaime months to notice, but after that, the limits were growing clear.

More complaints about clothing not available in someone's size. Counting the thousand

Challenge #04449-L065: City of Lights in the Dark

In this village, there were no such thing as "low born" and "high born". There were no such thing as "dark" and "light' except for "Were the candles lit so we can read?" In this place, dark elves, kobolds, and hellkin lived peacefully along with humans and other "light" races. Needless to say, adventuring parties learn quickly that discrimination, here, is absolutely forbidden. -- Lessons

[AN: The ability to see in the dark has its limits in Alfarell. People who have it

Challenge #04448-L064: Completely Unsupervised Chaos

You can't control chaos, don't even try. So what makes you think you can control the humans? -- Anon Guest

The Humans, as always, have a song that fits... even if it only fits slightly. There's a hold-up in the Bronx/ Brooklyn's broken out in fights/ There's a traffic jam in Harlem that's backed up to Jackson Heights/ There's a scout troop short a child/ Khrushchev's due in Idlewild... The meaning's been lost to the centuries, but it does contain the moral

Challenge #04447-L063: Almost a Nursery Tale

They thought they were nothing, a nobody, just another face in the crowd. Then they ran and grabbed the reigns of the horses of a runaway carriage before it could end up tipping into the ravine, and their whole life changed. -- Anon Guest

They call the town Cliffbridge, after its most noticeable feature, the D'varuv-made bridge across the ravine that divided the mountains in twain. Legend said that it was the result of a giant's sword, or some demon attempting to

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Flash fiction fresh from my fingers to your mind!

Challenge #04461-L077: Where it's Safe

Challenge #04460-L076: Protecting Dreams

Challenge #04459-L075: The Strength of Hope

Challenge #04458-L074: Methuselah Engineering

Challenge #04457-L073: They Heal Slowly Too

Challenge #04456-L072: Arms Race

Challenge #04455-L071: A Cure For a Cad

Challenge #04454-L070: Statistical Outliers

Challenge #04453-L069: Celebrate Life

Challenge #04452-L068: Way of the Dragon

Challenge #04451-L067: An Oft Repeated Mistake

Challenge #04450-L066: Enrichment Activities

Challenge #04449-L065: City of Lights in the Dark

Challenge #04448-L064: Completely Unsupervised Chaos

Challenge #04447-L063: Almost a Nursery Tale