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Challenge #00665 - A300: PDA PSA

“A peck on the cheek” means something completely different when dealing with avioids.

[AN: I now have 66 instant stories to go before I start working on the next anthology. Yay. Also I’ve been awake since Ofuck in the morning and my wrists are hurting and I’ve had an asthma attack and it’s not even dawn yet. My life is one huge roller coaster. Anyway - story time!]

Human habits were fascinating. And when one of the human keets pressed hir rubbery lips to the side of T'reka’s face, she discovered a new sensation.

She’d observed the humans lip-pressing before, but until now, she didn’t realise that they were creating a slight suction as they did so.

The child departed with the familiar squeaky-suction noise of the human lip-press. Now it made sense. “What is greeting mean?” she asked Su-syn.

“The kiss? That was mere peck on cheek. Ze likes you. As friend.”

“Peck… on cheek…” T'reka considered. The words translated, but the meaning? “My folk is make-for hostile action.”

“Well… yes. You face much sharper than ours.”

Humans. They could understand the strangest things, and find others to be immense obstacles.

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Challenge #00664 - A299: Perilous Ornithology

The difference between a goose and a swan: A goose will chase at the drop of a hat and proceed to peck and bruise if it gets you. A swan will only attack if threatened, but can break bones.

“That’s ridiculous,” said a student in the middle of Allegedly Quiet Reading Time.

“Do you need assistance?” asked Mr Myss, Learning Advocate.

“This is an objectionable description of avians,” protested Yokk. “It assumes the

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Challenge #00663 - A298: Brawk?

T’reka meets a chicken

Her heart was already pounding as she scuttled from hiding place to hiding place in the human settlement. Their buildings were partially subterranean. Though some sat above the ground. Far above the ground. On a pole.

T’reka almost had a coronary when one of the residents of the strange little house said, “Cake?”

She remembered her breathing, and watched as her vital signs returned from red-lines. Only then, did she investigate.

“Cake… cake… sweet-sweet-sweet.”

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Challenge #00662 - A297: Bad Instincts

The most ridiculously evolved trait of a human: The itchiness of newly healed skin.

“This area is almost finished repairing. I now have the unbearable urge to claw at it.”

The human in the next bay was rubbing at her bandages. She was rubbing with her knuckles and grimacing.

“Most people use talon for scratch,” said Pu'rii, edging a little further away from the human. Well. As far as she could get on a not-so-spacious hospital bed.

“

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Challenge #00661 - A296: Strange Encounters

Pre-Amity, a human and other cogniscient get stuck in some relatively small space together, say a room that both find out the hard way only opens from the outside. Rescue is on its way, but until then…

They tell some pretty wild tales in Scavenger Bars. This is just one of them…

Hor'tik had been stripping wire. It had been a long trip already and it was that or mass credit. If he stayed out any longer, he’d have

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Not necessarily needing to go Night Vale on this one...

To truly understand, you must look inside yourself, look deep into your heart… no, no, you’re too far down, that’s your liver, try a bit more up and to the left… ah, there you go.

(#00660 - A295)

[An: But it’s so very very Night Vale…]

“Excuse me, but my species is not transparent.”

“You’re transparent to my eyes.”

“Eugh… Sorry. Uhm… We find our internals to be

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Challenge #00659 - A294: Warning - Humour

Breaking bones is a death sentence for other cogniscients, so how unlikely is it that anyone has encountered someone missing a digit or limb, unless they were born missing it?

Jokes using one’s prosthetics (probably more advanced in the group that lives long enough to need them) optional.

[AN: Some species are more fragile than others. Havenworlders are particularly delicate. And it’s notably the Birds for whom broken bones are fatal]

The cogniscent trapped with her in the stalled

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Challenge #00658 - A293: Politically Correct

“I wouldn’t say *we’ve* made that much progress. Our euphemisms have, though.”

“It’s ‘Avian Catastrophan’.”

“No, it’s simply Avian. Or Avian Citizen.”

“But some of them aren’t citizens. They still have resident status in Kal'rike.”

“Only because Kal'rike’s run by the most anal bureaucrats since time began…”

“Ladies,” said the Numidid of contention. “I am fine

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Challenge #00657 - A292: Fascinating in Retrospect

T’reka meets an amorous cassowary. Hilarity ensues.

Boo boo boo…

T'reka looked up from her lunch to discover a giant in the clearing. Were it not for his solidly blue-black plumage, he could easily be mistaken for a male of her own species. But he was clearly more dinosaur than Bird.

The cranial capacity was a dead give-away.

He was puffing himself up. Engorging his wattle and showing off his plumage whilst saying, Boo boo boo.

Lonely she may be,

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Challenge #00656 - A291: Do You Have Time...?

The stars are right, R’yleh is about to rise…and Cthulhu’s Witnesses are out in force, ringing everyone’s doorbells.

Bing bonnnng…

Sally peeked. People in suits with clipboards. On a Saturday. This was never good. She risked opening the door.

There was a dark-stained knife at his hip.

“Oh, don’t worry. It’s ceremonial,” smiled the clean-shaven man with the sunken eyes and a desperate smile. “Much like you’d wear

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Next Challanger

How does competitive combat (boxing, martial arts, etc.) fare in the new environment of the Amity universe?

(#00655 - A290)

The humans inside the roped-off square wore heavy padding on their hands, heads, and torsos. They faced off in formal postures that a number of them called Markisuvkwinsbree.

T'reka lit on Calico’s saddle and regarded the match.

“What this happening?”

Su-syn, leaning on her horse, chirped, “Testosterone-poisoning-related posturing. Two male here have rivalry over same female. They

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Challenge #00654 - A289: But Why?

Curiosity in humans vs. numidids, how the adults handle it in children

Before the attitudes changed, it went like this:

Humans…

“Momma? Why is the sky blue?”

“Some say it’s a reflection of the ocean. Some say it’s dust particles. Others sat it’s the air refracting the suns’ light. I think it’s a little of all of the above.”

“Oh. Okay. Can I have a cookie?”

“After dinner.”

“Aaaaaawwww…

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Children of the Night...

I thought I was alone as I silently entered the house, but a voice caught my ear, making me freeze.
“Funny thing about gaining immortality, it can happen to anyone, at any time, whether it is wanted or not…”
I turned, seeing nobody around at first, then I spotted a small girl sitting in the corner, facing away from where I stood, seemingly oblivious to me as she played with her dolls. Had she been here the whole time?
“

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The Spine's ex-Hats

According to Jennifer’s Beret, the Spine once owned many hats. It is rumored that behind closed doors, these hats fought over who got to wear him because he made them all look good. Now, only Fedora remains.

(So is that the right idea?)

[AN: Yes it is]

(#00652 - A287)

There used to be a Hall of Hats, just like there is a Hall of Faces in Walter Manor. It isn’t there, any more. It got re-absorbed owing to it’

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Challenge #00651 - A286: It Works on Everyone

The universal phenomenon of chasing the laser pointer dot.

“Stay there. When I say ‘run’ you leg it.”

Barstaw boggled at the human. Their colourful phrases had no discernible end… and yet they were instantly understandable. For all her deathworlder status, she was extremely helpful to have around for this escape.

She hunkered down, ready to run at the door that was currently being supervised by one very bored guard. Barstaw half expected the human to happen

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