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Challenge #04367-K349: Too Cold to Hurt

The one thing about being too cold is that, when you're badly hurt, and your crewmates are trying hard to get you to safety, and get you help, it's not so bad. One the cold numbs the pain a bit and two, it slows down your system, giving them more time. At least you know... you may just make it this time. -- Anon Guest

Cold... hurts. It aches the muscles and creeps into bones. Grinding joints along the way. Thing is... that doesn't quite hurt as much as -say- a close to fatal wound.

Humans can survive a lot of things that would kill a lot of cogniscents. Babies and children can survive drowning in icy water so long as they're resuscitated while they're still being warmed up. Adult Humans... have better odds if they're just cold. Not frozen. Just... too cold to shiver.

Which is, in itself, pretty close to dying.

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Challenge #04366-K348: Communications Breakthrough

SPOENS are considered a mostly harmless nuisance until one of them teaches all the cogniscents who communicate with light, Morse Code and it caught on. -- Anon Guest

[AN: There's a few things to consider here. First - SPOEns are the Society for the Preservation of Original English and permanently in argument about what Original English is. Second - Morse Code is only a means of codification of language. It's right there on the tin. Third... there's more than a few cogniscents

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Challenge #04365-K347: Defying the Inevitable

They bring the child, a 5 yr old who was also a chosen hero, though she was scared, to the edge of the place where she once called home. But getting in was the problem, there was an evil wizard who kept this place trapped and out of time. And it was time to let everyone into the more peaceful era.

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-04307-k289-ancient-nightmares -- Anon Guest

Four heroes stood on misty mountain's rise. Five if you counted the

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Challenge #04364-K346: Repurposed Unwanted

More baskets of unwanted children, of all species, not just the unwanted races. Why do they keep putting them at my cave? We're not going to eat them. Oh well, I guess our army will just have to keep growing. What does my army do? We were founded by masters of the way of shadows. What we do is gently spread the teachings of the first sensei, and keep gathering more baskets. -- Anon Guest

They call the cave The Unwanted Mouth

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Challenge #04363-K345: Song Without Voice

Illness had robbed them of the ability to speak, their kind brauniin friend that gently nursed them through it helped them learn to sing. Though it took time, patience, and though it hurt some, the kindness of loved ones. -- Anon Guest

Brauniin pride themselves on being unnoticed. Kind deeds done without reward nor praise. Help where it's needed, for those who toil but fail regardless. They only take that which is offered, or that which will not be noticed.

People know

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Challenge #04362-K344: Matthew 25:35-40

You're about to face the Judge. The spirit can see your heart. Read your thoughts and feelings. And they will tell you what you do NOT want to hear. The truth. You sure holding your rank and throne is worth this? -- Anon Guest

You live your life, and then it ends. Many, many chapters have been written about what happens next. But for a great majority, they agree. After the spirit leaves the mortal realm, there is judgement. Judgement, and peril.

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Challenge #04361-K343: Executive Three Card Monte

The CEO was as evil as they came, so it would seem. They called the ones in the factories, "machines". But when Pax Humanis found them, they were caring for their children lovingly, and the young children also called the ones in the factories machines. Didn't the CEO, or the kids actually know the ones there were people? -- Anon Guest

[AN: Considering recent events... I will be trying to remain in the positive vibe zone]

Deregger polities generally have a light

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Challenge #04359-K341: Not Touched by Human Hands

This restaurant had the reputation of being one of the best, and the most adaptive, places around. The fact it was owned, and ran, by kobolds surprised many that didn't know them. The head chef is quite an interesting kobold indeed. -- Anon Guest

Food, everyone agrees, is the foundation of life. What everyone disagrees with is how preparation and preservation should be done. Everyone points at other peoples and declares that they're doing it wrong. Cultural cross-contamination has spread many methods

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Challenge #04360-K342: Flight of the Unwelcome

Moving day for such a huge household is SO much easier when you're friends with a wizard, and a dragon is willing to play with the littlest ones while everyone else is packing. -- The New Guy

[AN: following on from this tale ]

It's never easy to be a surprise parent. Bliss appointed himself as suprise parent to a dozen pitiful lives on one harsh stormy night. He managed to pick up five more in the process of seeing to the needs

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Challenge #04358-K340: The Love Delusion

Never get between a team of rough and tumble space marines and the kids they are caring for. You WILL lose, and it WILL hurt. -- Anon Guest

[AN: Content warning for the perspective of the exact kind of person who'd kidnap a literal child as 'breeding stock'. Spoilers - he doesn't prosper]

It's a dangerous mission, to save my princess. It's a risk well worth the reward. She was promised to me, and I will have her. I will crawl if

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Challenge #04357-K339: Lost in Multiple Ways

Mr Sunshine and Jay were at the shopping center when a very elderly human was looking lost and confused. But when touched gently and asked if they were okay, they lashed out violently with terror in their eyes. Dementia is a terrible thing. -- Anon Guest

[AN: I would like to think that my future has eliminated most of the causes of Dementia, and identified patients prone to suffering so that the Mediks can be prepared. Therefore, this kind of thing would

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Challenge #04356-K338: To Change...

Oh great wizard, my one dream was to have children. But this illness has robbed me of the chance. My home is large, as is my land, what do I do now? I just want a family. Please help me? -- Anon Guest

"There's nothing that can be done to reverse catching swellneck as an adult," sighed Wraithvine. "Short of praying for a miracle, there's only one option."

"Which is?" prompted the Lady Derisdranya.

"Either adopt one of your husband's by-blows... or

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Challenge #04355-K337: Only Looks Harmless

Never underestimate a little girl with a dolly, and a grudge. -- Anon Guest

The trick, as one great philosopher once wrote, was to skip everywhere. It fooled everyone completely. Ribbons and ringlets may help with that, but so too does frilly clothing. And pink. Lots and lots of pink.

And it really did work.

Nobody saw her coming. It was easy to be overlooked. Who could suspect a little girl with a violently pink dress and an equally pink dolly? Not

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Challenge #04354-K336: Proof of Might

Why do you keep insisting on picking on these havenworlders? Do my students need to kick your tail a second time? -- Anon Guest

Master Twii tended to keep their dojos in the Edge Territories. It was where they were needed most. It was where one could easily find cogniscents 'proving' their strength by beating up smaller and weaker ones.

To Master Twii, it only proved that they wasted their strength on bullying. To Master Twii, people like that needed some kharmic

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Challenge #04353-K335: Health, Wealth, and Happiness

I asked them to bless my newborn. Their reply was "I bless thee with great richness of spirit, abundance of life, and a beautiful heart."

That was the most wonderful blessing I could ever imagine. -- Anon Guest

Blessings can be curses, and vice versa. It's all about the heart and intention involved. And whether or not some malicious entities want to take things literally. Fortunately, there are those whose intent trumps malice in all its forms.

Well. At least one.

The

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