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Challenge #01042-B310: Unwelcome Help

Lewis and the Mystery Skulls having to continually shoo ghosthunters and exorcists away from their house -- Gallifreya

Of course, living and working in an internet-famous haunted house had its drawbacks. People who had only seen or paid attention to a fraction of their webcasts, or people who had only heard about their place, and then subsequently went to the time and effort to track them down.

And offer their services. To get rid of their ghost problem.

This one was a well-meaning wiccan, judging solely by the host of occult symbols around her neck and wrists.

Arthur sighed at the sight of her. "Did you even watch one single episode of our show?"

"The spirit here clearly compels you to do his bidding," said the wiccan.

Oh great. One of them. "Okay. I know you're not going to believe me, but... see this arm? I lost the real one because of a possession incident that wound up killing Lewis. Long story short, we made up. He's basically hanging around because he wants to. Do you understand?"

She had a bundle of herbs wrapped around a crystal. "Take this in your dead hand. It will free you from any malevolent spirits."

"Lady, that's for class three spectres and won't do crap. I already have a better one pre-installed." He opened up the compartment in his metal arm to display the talisman inside. "Vivi also has one inside her locket, before you ask. It keeps Lewis' -ah- temper tantrums down to a minimum."

"So he is dangerous, you admit it."

Ugh. "My possessed arm killed him. He has a reason to be ticked off with me. Sometimes he forgets about the possession and reverts to his dying memory of thinking I actually pushed him. It's a thing. Thanks to these charms, we have it down to him just being grumpy on his death day." Arthur closed the compartment again. "I usually stay out of his way. It's no big deal."

"It's unhealthy for him to remain in this plane."

"What's it gonna do? Kill him again?"

Vivi appeared, took one look at the wiccan and said, "Did you read the sign we have on the gate? No exorcists! No spiritual healers! We don't need help getting rid of him! We love him and he loves us. We don't need your services and thank you for coming."

"I know you believe this," said the wiccan, "but once he is beyond the veil, you will reach a clarity that this is the best choice."

Lewis manifested right beside her. "I've been beyond the veil, ma'am. It wasn't nice. This is a chance for my redemption." His pompadour flared. Purplish-pink flames licking from their usual configuration. "Don't. Mess with it."

"Oh... kay," said the wiccan. "Icanseethisisbeyondmyexperiencelevel, IthinkIhavetoconsultwithmyfriends, goodfortuneblessyouall." She ran and vaulted over the gate.

Lewis sighed and let his hair die down. "Please tell me there's some kind of ward that stops potential exorcists from entering the property?"

"Ones without negative consequences?" returned Vivi. "Still working on it. All the ones I found so far are major demonic juju."

"I could make a gate where the people who want to go through it have to press a button that means they read and understood the sign. Penalty for lying, five hundred bucks," offered Arthur. "It's quicker and it'd make more money."

"No terms and conditions on the gate," grumbled Lewis. "It gives the game away."

"What about pugs with lasers on their heads?"

"No."

"Chihuahuas?"

"Arthur...."

(Muse food remaining: 28. Submit a Prompt! Ask a question! Buy my stories! Or comment below!)

Challenge #01041-B309: This Old Haunted Mansion

Lewis and his small army of cute musical purple ghostlets messing with other paranormal investigators while the others film it and try not to pass out laughing. -- Gallifreya

[AN: Just in case you haven't heard about that music video: check it out. You're welcome.]

"Welcome to This Old Haunted Mansion, I'm Vivi, and this is our ghost, Lewis."

Scratchy noises carried over the audio.

"You can't hear him, but we can," said a voice behind the camera. "He just said hello

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Challenge #01040-B308: The Tenant

It doesn't count as a haunting if the ghost pays rent. -- Gallifreya

[AN: ARGH, so tempted to make this another Undertale fic...]

There's an old gold digger who shares my house with me. He died in his mine, somewhere under where my house is. And I only know that from researching the history.

He's a quiet fellow. I only see him in mirrors. Dusty, of course. Old canvas pants, held up with braces, and shirtsleeves. He comes up after dark, but

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Challenge #01039-B307: Depth Charge Demir

Getting nearly all the way to a sneeze - right up to having already done the scrunchy face and several deep breaths - only to have it disappear -- Gallifreya

They called her "Depth Charge Demir" and with good reason. She was completely silent in her build-up to a good sneeze until...

"HROOOF!" A sound somewhere between a high-pitched explosion and a small dog trapped in a big dog's body caused everyone in Mining Station Gavin to duck and cover.

And always

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Challenge #01038-B306: Once Was Lost

Kid raised by aliens finally meets a colony of humans -- Gallifreya

Pepa was getting used to the routine of guarding the Lupid delegation on their trading mission. For the most part, it was boring. And she'd been at it long enough not to crave excitement.

Boring meant that she was successful at her work.

She had picked up a smattering of GalStand by sympathetic osmosis. Learned that there were others like her, somewhere out there. Wormholes distant. Pepa could not leave

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Challenge #01037-B305: Slow Acceptance

Monsters making their first steps (and missteps) on the surface -- Gallifreya

[AN: Potential spoilers for the True Ending of the game ahoy.]

The Great Papyrus strode masterfully towards the humans. Just down the path, he could see an absolute host of humans having picnics in a park.

The perfect venue for a Welcome Out party! They must have known!

He burst from relative concealment and threw his hands up high. "Good news, Humans! The Underground is now able to come and

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Challenge #01036-B304: After the Game is Over

Undertale!

Human Kid and life with the Skelebros. -- Gallifreya

[AN: I am endeavouring to keep my post-play Papyton shipping entirely to myself. Also kind'a headcannoning that Frisk is a voluntary mute]

Papyrus was so trusting. He just charged in ahead where more sensible monsters would fear to tread. Toriel and Frisk caught up with him in the middle of... well... a Scene.

Picnickers at the foot of Mount Ebott were screaming. Children cowered by their parents. Someone, soon, would level a

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Challenge #01035-B303: One Dull Afternoon at a Public Crossroads

Fiat lux!

Which is Latin for "my small Italian car is on fire!" (I can't remember what this quote is from) -- Gallifreya

[AN: For those who are not at all familiar with Latin, it actually means "Let there be light"]

Rael couldn't loom from underneath someone like Lyr could. But he could sneak up on Shayde as she added to a graffiti wall and conspire to look annoyed.

She had written, in relatively large, friendly letters, Fiat lux! And underneath, in

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Challenge #01034-B302: Pupup

A human is raised by aliens, and it turns out a lot of things humans like that weird out the rest of the galaxy are innate. For example the love of explosions, climbing and/or jumping off tall things, interacting with potentially hazardous wildlife, and chucking rocks into water. -- Gallifreya

They had found the survival pod some distance from the crash. And inside, a human. It was unmistakably a human. No other species had that almost complete lack of fur. Nor

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Challenge #01033-B301: Attitude Problem

Attempts to defend against the accusation of you having a "bad attitude" will only confirm that you have a bad attitude. -- RecklessPrudence

[AN: Didn't notice I wasn't logged in until too late. Whoops. You get one of the newer prompts, today.]

"I'm curious," said Sara. Calmly, rationally. Speaking like an adult to an adult. "What exactly constitutes a bad attitude? I've tried other, non-violent means to avoid, reduce, and eliminate myself being bullied. Including numerous reports against the offenders."

"We have

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Challenge #01032-B300: Cursed Blessing

"Maybe we all have little magics, the kind that you don’t realize you have. Just tiny things that make your life slightly better but are completely unnoticed on the outside."

http://akai-kaede.tumblr.com/post/132171243204 -- Anon Guest

They call it the Quirk. It's nothing big. Sometimes, people notice. Sometimes, it remains ignored by all but that special someone who loves everything about you.

And it's only recently that it's become common knowledge. My co-worker at the Bargain Barn? Freaking

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Challenge #01031-B299: I Love in Spite of You

Someone who is a good person, who does nothing but good deeds out of spite. They hate someone, something so much that they go down in history as a saint. -- SeaDragon1012

Peleramus inherited a little less than an acre from his father, and despised him for it. A little less than an acre meant that he had to pay taxes on it, but could not live on it. His father had hated him, too, because there was nowhere 'worth' living in

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Challenge #01030-B298: Non Sequiturs of Doom

I have no idea what that means, but it cannot /possibly/ mean anything good. -- RecklessPrudence

Rael almost congratulated himself. The first Ambassadorial Meet for Shayde was going well. Like the man falling from a building in that ancient joke, it was rather a case of so far, so good.

She had made it as far as lunch on the first day without causing a fracas.

"I tole ye. I'm no' fer sale and I'm past my amuse-by date," carried over the

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Challenge #01029-B297: One Post-Adventure Evening in a Village Tavern

Creating a volcano is the most important part of a stealth mission, I guess. -- RecklessPrudence

All eyes slowly turned towards the Rogue at the table.

"What volcano?" said the Knight.

The Rogue grinned. "Damn, I'm good..."

The Mage sighed into their tankard. "They're calling it Mount Wat," they said. "It's where the evil dungeon used to be. Some people take the words, 'purge it with fire' entirely too literally."

The Rogue cackled. "You did say it was to save the world.

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Challenge #01028-B296: Explaining History

Advantage number one of having crammed our development of spacecraft into only ten years: "Holy shit we know how to mass produce so many liquid explosives that we can get to be stable for just long enough, you have no idea." -- RecklessPrudence

It's said that anything interesting enough to propel a spacecraft for long distances in a relatively short time is also interesting enough to be a weapon. And it's usually said by humans, who tended to develop the weapons first

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