Challenge #02650-G093: Graduation Epiphany
https://alligator-sunglasses.com/post/40203065345/hobbes-winnie
“Even when it makes you feel lost and confused; every good soldier, officer, teacher, or parent dreams of seeing the day they aren’t needed anymore.” – SilverRey
Every little bird flies from its nest. – Elven saying.
Marvin hadn’t noticed when Lady Anthe and Wraithvine left. They didn’t bid him a farewell. He had just been busy with Steelfoot and improving the lives of the people in Lower Petraine. Marvin realised they were gone when he had finished making a home for himself and Steelfoot and some of the orphans they had both adopted in the process.
His friends weren’t there.
They hadn’t been there for some time. Months, perhaps. Lady Anthe and Wraithvine had essentially left him to his own devices and left a note in safekeeping for the day he missed them.
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Challenge #02649-G092: What Works For Some
A species that usually has mated groups of 3 or more, but never less, and upon meeting two bonded Humans and understanding there is no third is all prepared to be appropriately sympathetic for their Human’s loss of mate(s) – Anon Guest
[AN: Reminder to all readers that Polyamory between consenting parties is a legitimate relationship option for Humans as well as alien life]
“Marriage is a sacred bond between three to five people. No more, no less.” – Xyltarxian extremist attempting to reform their resident polity to a morally righteous set of laws.
The Xylethi ship had decided to be economical when introducing a Ships’ Human to their crew. The manuals all stated that Humans were pack-bonding creatures and therefore elected to hire a bonded set. They had not expected a pair.
For centuries, since the victory of a morally righteous polity group in their past, the Xylethi had held to a strict rule of marriage being a group of between three to five consenting adults. Seeing a mere couple had both the greeting Captain and the designated Companion in evident confusion.
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Challenge #02648-G091: United We…
It was played across the entire galactic alliance. On the emergency frequency on every ship it was picked up. For many it was a slight annoyance but for the humans they riled in pain an old memory of the collective mind. The med teams across the alliance didn’t know what to do since it affected the humans on the team as well. The frequency was picked up by a group of translators realizing it was an ancient language the humans spoke. Within a matter of minutes they got a message they can read, “Never gonna give you up”. – Anon Guest
It was Human music, and it somehow hurt Humans. A broadcast boosted by unknown technologies across all of Alliance space. Through every speaker, into every screen. A mixture of synthesizers and drum machine. A young Human in a ridiculous pompadour gyrates on the screens that show the transmission.’
All Humans know what it is, instantly. The reactions vary, but most of them center in outrage. Some scream. Some cry. Some flee. Many attempt to block their senses from the onslaught. Every Human, all across the Alliance, was incapacitated, but only for a moment.
Companions across the Alliance were baffled for the handful of minutes, running translators on the transmission, monitoring it, attempting to trace it to its source.
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Challenge #02647-G090: Re-inventing the Love
Love is gracious, love is kind, love is forgiving, love can turn you insane as easily it is made in a lab. – Anon Guest
Love. Love is strange. – Terran Folk Song, Pre-Shattering.
Too many people have attempted to define love. The problem, of course, is that there are many, many kinds. Familial, fraternal, passionate, platonic, friendly, true, unrequited… the list goes on and on. Love does many things to the mind, especially to Humans, who start out as borderline insane.
Humans kill for love. Humans will kill the one they purport to love. Humans will certainly die for love, with their culturally-ingrained virtue of self-sacrifice for the greater good. There isn’t a good Human parent who would not lay down their life for their child.
What many Humans fail to understand, however, is the difference between love and obsession. Love, in essence, wants the best things to happen to that which is loved. Obsession wishes only to possess that which is allegedly loved.
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Challenge #02646-G089: Nothing?
Vorax-Ambassador: “Alright. I’m all decked out; got my calming Medication, my Weapons, my Suit, my Everything. I’m ready for this and nothing can Stop me!”
—‘laughs in 4.5 Deathworld’— – Anon Guest
The Vorax are not mindless eating machines. Their metabolisms just happen to be set on 'rush’ and they actively need dense calories to make it through the day. Usually. The advent of calming medication to keep their rage/pillage instincts curbed had helped diplomatic relations intensely. Therefore, the new livesuits for Vorax included automedication for the calming drugs.
Weapons, in Alliance ships and stations, were stunners only. This was far less than any Vorax was used to, but it was also nothing greater than any other species in an Alliance ship or station had with them. Therefore, Xarq was ready for an Ambassadorial Encounter.
The calming meds laid a soft blanket over his mind, and slowed his hearts. Not enough to be dangerous, but enough to put the edge off of his needs. Enough to curb the fight-or-flight response to literally everything around him. Enough, in short, to make sure he would think about how his responses might be received before he actually responded.
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