Submission

A 900-post collection

Challenge #00228: Ancient Terran Tradition

TOGA TIME!

Of course it happened during Silly Season, the quasi-annual event where all humans just spontaneously went more crazy than normal. Or what passed for normal amongst humans.

Rael, of course, expected some blame. Somehow, being attached as chief translator to a being like Shayde on a strictly working basis meant that he was also capable of controlling her actions.

Sherlock, at least, understood that someone like Shayde was not in the least bit controllable and should have been registered as a cogniscent force of nature. But he still wanted explanations.

For all of his research and fascination with humans and their conflicting histories of conflict… Rael still had no idea how to explain a human or anything they did.

Especially during Silly Season.

But nevertheless, Sherlock persisted.

He pointed to the images on one of the larger monitors. “What the flying hells are they doing?”

Rael stared. Humans, of course. Surrounded at a respectful and safe distance by tourists taking images. The difference between this and an average Silly Season gathering was that this time, the humans were wearing bedsheets and very little else.

“I… think they’re recreating a bacchanal…” Wait. No. There went Hwell barrow swinging on a liana. He was almost naked, but for a pair of what Shayde insisted were ‘tighty whities’. A faint yodel carried through the muted audio.

And there she was. Her bedsheet managed to fit better, and there were glimpses of a bikini underneath, but she, too, was involved. And dancing. And apparently inebriated without imbibing.

“My records show that she started it,” supplied Sherlock. “With a chant of, 'toe-gah, toe-gah, toe-gah’… Do you have any idea what that means?”

“Not in context,” Rael allowed. “A toga is a garment worn by the ancient Terran greek or roman factions, though judging by the head foliage, I would guess this might be roman-influenced. What it has to do with Silly Season, I can only guess.”

Finally, Sherlock got to the meat of the problem. “Are we going to expect property damage?”

“I wouldn’t know, sir.”

“…damn…”

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Challenge #00227: On the Disposal of Sex Aids

“I don’t know why you thought this was such a good idea!”

They sat in Hwell’s personal space like the ancient mariner’s albatross. Everywhere they went, everyone knew what they were for. And renting a kitchen to experiment was not in his budget.

He managed to sell a few, anyway. Mostly for their original purpose by shy creatures who spoke in low voices and urgently shoved money in his hands before running away with

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Challenge #00226: Wonderlust

The pier at the end of the world

There was no more east left. Somewhere, beyond the sunrise, past an invisible line known only to cartographers, it circled round to being west again.

El stood on the easternmost edge of the easternmost pier, whenever she could do so. She watched the gulls and the ships and the ocean that went all the way around the world while she was stuck in place.

Trapped in Portsmouth Bay. A crowded town huddled in the

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It's not easy being us...

Mystique has a chance encounter with (a somewhat older than Evo-time, say 17-21) Wolfsbane, while both are enjoying a day “off duty” from their respective roles of villain and hero - idle conversation takes a turn toward venting about teammates, and an odd sort of mutual respect comes about, due to their shared connection; namely, both of them understanding the frustrations and aggravations and perks and benefits that are unique to being a shapeshifter (even if one’s forms

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Challenge #00224: Tea and Scales

Ever read the Patricia Wrede’s Enchanted Forest books, starring Princess Cimorene and Kazul the Dragon?

Cimorene and Sara seem very similar people, I bet they’d get along like a house on fire. *hint hint*

[AN: more books on my to-read list. I still have yet to get through The Ocean at the End of the Lane]

“Ah, hello,” said a wall. “Would I be in trouble if I came out of hiding?”

Cimorene paused

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Challenge #00223: Wedding Jitters

Medieval AU!

Sara’s mother is thrilled to have finally arranged a marriage contract for her daughter to prestigious House Toynbee, accepted without even having the two intended meet each other. At last, her girl is going to have to behave like a proper young lady, and if not, well, she’s their problem now.

And then comes the wedding day, when the two heirs finally meet…

[AN: If you start humming the GoT theme during this, I’

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More of Danny's World!

Silver is superstition- but garlic holds power.

(#00222)

It was a very bad haze season, this year. Her neighbours were prone to blame her, owing to her ‘unnatural’ status as the boy who was a girl.

The haze knew, though. They knew when her body didn’t match her soul. It was proof enough for some, but others… Well, there was a reason she was headed to an Aunt’s house.

The sun was going down and

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Challenge #00221: Relics

Easy come, easy go-go.

The name of the vessel was the Remembrance Maru, and according to her registry, she was a pleasure vessel. All passengers and crew had evacuated after a micro-meteor shower had pierced both her defenses and the hull. Now, after a slow cruise from eternity, she’d turned up again in Amalgam’s local space.

Shayde was instantly interested, of course. She all but carried Rael down the long and winding route to Dry Dock’s

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Challenge #00220: Tempus Flakkit

Time as currency and the dreadful issue of small talk while handing your life away and being 30 seconds short whilst on your commute.

Nomadic life was fine, so long as one was healthy. However, there were still illnesses that forced a stay. Stays cost. Hot-rack hotel beds were fine for sleeping, and you could harvest any food you wanted in the working gardens, but if you didn’t know an apprentice Gyik chef, the odds of getting it cooked for

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Challenge #00219: Drained

The worst way for Rogue to gain her sense of touch. Heavy angst.

She only knew him as Leech. Since he turned up as the Acolyte’s secret weapon, turning off powers just by standing around, he fascinated her. It was his job to be in their way. And it forced them all to hone the skills that did not require their powers.

He always worked alone. No backup. Just clever trick after clever trick until she found the cleverest trick

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Challenge #00218: Goodbye, Good Boy

The last good year. Make me weep.

Every day, since she adopted Boy, had been the same. Etta got woken up by his slobbering kisses and his eternally cheerful, “Good morning, Boss.” and some vestigial orders he used to give his old master. Even after all this time, Boy obeyed his programming/training and looked after his owner.

This morning, the alarm went off before Boy’s cold nose pressed against her skin and his tongue lavished her with

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"How Super Are We All, Really?"

An FOH sympathizer and Scott have a civil debate on the issue of human supremacy vs. coexistence after she recognizes him during the reception preceding his third artistic experience post song. Common ground is tripped upon due to the relative naivete of both to the concept of creative expression.

(#00217)

He had bought a suit for this exhibition, and still waited for someone to call him out as a fraud. Scott still called his works ‘inspired by’ ikebana rather than

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Challenge #00216: Icky-what?

Scott, inspired by watching Sara at the harp, is day 17 in his surprising new hobby, marked by his acumen and desire for a greater range of expression and development. Jean comments.

It was not an art usually appreciated in the making, it was something appreciated after it was finished. And even after seventeen days of practice, he was still too shy to show anyone but the Adriens.

He knew Ororo saw it, because she left encouraging little post-its on his desk.

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More of Danny's World!

The song ‘Purple Haze’ has an entirely different meaning here….

(#00215)

Danny didn’t notice while her skin was growing back, nor during her recovery from the operation she insisted on to make certain her outside matched her inside.

Intensive care and many post-op wards were in the hospital shelter as a matter of standard protocol.

It was when she was getting the hormone implant, when the team came and hurried her back down into the shelter, that

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Challenge #00214: Typhoon

“…and that’s why I built an extra arm for it, just for high-fives.”

There was a reason the Mark-4 was a short-lived model. It was designed by a madman who happened to lead a character cult of engineers and builders. Only one team could pilot the beast that resulted.

“It’s unbeatable. Weapons everywhere we could fit them and a few places we couldn’t,” Jeung grinned. “The real trick will be

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