Strange Customs

A 5-post collection

Challenge #04213-K195: Cordially Invited

A Deregger family with very few funds secretly sends a message to a Gyiik they met once while out on a job for their polity. They ask them to please cater a wedding for their only daughter. -- Anon Guest

Understanding in these situations is key. After all, there is no point in rescuing anyone who doesn't want to be rescued. As far as Deregger polities were concerned, this one was startlingly mild. Most residents within were relatively happy to live there. It only held firm to traditional values held exclusively in the 1950's era United States.

By which they meant: white men were real men, white women were a protected species, and anyone darker than Pantone 727 was lower than dirt.

Surprisingly, none of the original colonists were that dark. None were willing to sign on to a world made in that image. Nevertheless, the bold pioneers soldiered on without anyone to sneer and and built themselves their ideal lives from the ground up. As bold individualists who nevertheless managed to re-invent classical capitalism in an integrated system where everyone depended on everyone else as well as the systems they established along the way.

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Challenge #03257-H348: You and Your Weird Customs

Societies have ways of signaling preferences, or status. From the all black "Widow's Weeds", that said "do not approach" to the earring in the left ear and red shirt that said "I'm gay and approachable", with so many varieties of possible interaction. How about a story of a "Meet and Chat" for All comers. Keep it "G" rated, Kudos for humorous.

With open minds what happens when two completely not interactive just chat about Life, and they don't even have to be

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Challenge #01445-C350: Instruments of Entertainment

Dedicated to the Steam Calliope. -- Anon Guest

Rael was glad that the Archivaas who were going through the Vault of the 20th Century had finally decided to ship confusing items to Amalgam for analysis, rather than making Shayde, and himself, go all the way to it.

This one... seemed to be an unholy mess of pipes on wheels. There was an unseemly grin buttons and platforms that, on a smaller device, might have been piano keys. It had ornate works of

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Challenge #01433-C338: Pressing Suit

Courting gifts given in hope of acceptance, they vary from culture to species. -- Knitnan

On the mating rituals of Galactic Species...

As a whole, the mating habits of Galactic Society are so wide and varied that one may be excused for missing the signals of another. For example, most species gift food to their desired mate, but the solitary and territorial B'la'b'lankh sing[1] for their mates.

To the Vigin, a food-gift of meat is the deadliest of insults, while to

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Challenge #01143-C046: Can it, Carol!

"Hmph. I'll have you know, that whole thing is just a horrid example of misinformation."

"You're basically a two-meter-tall mantis from our perspective. Humans assuming you devoured your mate was kinda to be expected... namely since, uh, you did."

"Well, yes... but not before he was dead! We do have laws, you know. Such is our way for those who are gone. Your kind just throws them in a dirty hole to rot or burns them to ash. How wasteful." -- Gallifreya

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