InterNutter

Challenge #02298-F108: Bowls of Fresh Air

And that was the day that they found a "havenworld" that was actually deadly to anyone not born there. -- Anon Guest

The Havenworld/Deathworld scale judges only how hazardous an origin planet is for its inhabitants. How many factors are in their favour or, in the case of Deathworlds, actively trying to kill them. For the Phyltrathi of Planet Fluff, their planetary abode was paradise. All they had to do was take a deep breath and the spores and threads in their air sustained them more than adequately.

It was quite a shock to them to discover that not all intelligent life were filter-feeders. It was an even bigger shock that other cogniscents didn't derive the same amount of nutrition out of their spores or threads that they did. Worse... it could have easily be taken as a poisoning attempt. Fortunately, more rational minds prevailed.

First, scans revealed a lot. They helped both sides solve a lot of problems before they became problems, let alone ambassadorial incidents. Necessity, the primary parental of invention, created the Spore Fogger, a means to limit the exposure of the toxic Phyltrathi foodstuffs to the Phyltrathi enjoying them. Once they dissipated to less than five parts per million, they were relatively harmless.

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ANZAC Day

Public holiday, broken week, do the hustle.

I'm more or less focussed on writing and not bothering with very much else outside of the mandatory minute of silence in remembrance.

Here's to all those who have fallen. For those who fought for ideals, who fought for their homelands, who fought for their way of life. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn...

Here's to all those still serving. For those who are still fighting. Some for ideals, some for rich

Challenge #02297-F107: Wait for the Sanitation Cycle

I imagine the first few times Humans encountered other species there where a few, biological problems. I mean, at least one person must have touched something without testing it first. -- Anon Guest

There is a general rule for space: never enter an untrusted area without your livesuit. The corollary, of course, is: don't trust anywhere. Even the cleansing booths have to be checked thoroughly for compatibility before you should try bathing in them.

Some species can't go near the solid form

SIIIIIGGGGHHHH...

Mayhem was sick, yesterday. Pointing finger aimed at a whole load of sugar over the holidays. We both decided that he would be better off going without sugar for a bit and seeing if that improved things for him.

Three guesses what Mayhem decided to do in the middle of the night?

He made the supremely "wise" decision to raid someone else's Erastide gift, and break it in the process. Without even bothering to ask if it was anyones.

WHILE THERE WAS

Challenge #02296-F106: Some Improvements

You are a therapist who insists that all are welcome. This is why you now know the identities of both heroes and villains. -- Anon Guest

Y'know, for a therapist, I'm... kind of unobservant. I mean, sure, I know I can't help everyone, but I listen well and I try my best, so it kind of works out. That, and I take doctor-patient confidentiality very seriously. I'm one of the few people who knows who Captain Magnificent is when he's not in

Up and Down, Up and Down...

This week promises to suck. Not because anything else has mucked up my life, don't fret. Nope. This week sucks because...

The firkin school calendar is messy!

Some repressed lump of cartilage in the education department decided that the school year had to consist of four terms made up of ten weeks, interspersed with two-week-maximum holidays [december-january doesn't count] that are artfully arranged to match up with Xtian holiday periods despite separation of church and state...

Ev'rybody do th' hypocrisy ra-a-a-ag... Ahem.

Challenge #02295-F105: A Morbid Fascination

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Huo3CtZaYMY is a Good example.

Humans are (at least in comparison to other species) obsessed with End-of-the-World-Scenarios.

Aliens find this strange/bizarre and question a human. -- Anon Guest

Human Raz was taking personal time to de-stress themselves. In this case, the relaxing activity involved yelling at a screen whilst their hands spasmed along the surface of a small, plastic interface. The Human's dialogue was not coherent or relaxed. It mostly consisted of things like, "Come

Returning to the Wagon

So I didn't make myself sick on sugar, but I came pretty close. Amazingly, I stayed at a steady weight despite eating two entire bars of Lindt milk chocolate, bowls of assorted small eggs, and one each from the large Whitman's Sampler. I did actually have protein, in the form of some fried chicken.

Today, though, I will probably stick to the broth. If I go near solids, then it'll either be steak or grilled chicken. I may even make a jelly.

Challenge #02294-F104: Some Came Along

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxLa6QgqM2w -- Anon Guest

Terrans believe in ghosts. Well. Most of them do. There's some phenomena amongst those sensitive to infrasound, magnetic radiation from electronica, and liminal spaces. There's also the growing Esper population who are unaware of their native abilities and prescribe activities or voices to spirits.

However, there are more than a few... incidents... that defy the explanations of science. Echoes in dark corridors from feet that aren't there. Whispers just out of understanding.

Happy Erastide!

It's chocolate day here in ~~sunny~~ rain-soaked Queensland. We have, for the little darlings and ourselves:

A big bucket full of small mixed chocolates
TWO firkin huge assortments which will be for sharesies later on
A mind-boggling amount of sweeties.

So yeah. Today counts as a carb feast.

Tomorrow, it shall be a supreme effort for me to ration out anything that's left over. It will be a herculean effort of will to avoid whatever's lying around, too.

Today, though, my herculean

Challenge #02293-F103: Not Easily Broken

“Everyone has a point where they snap. Question is, human, where’s yours?” -- Anon Guest

"Depends on what you mean by 'snap'," said Human Liss. They were already three-quarters broken. A thousand small injuries adding up to more than a few big ones. They had been caught without their livesuit during this particular raid and over half of those minor injuries were accidentally self-inflicted. The rest were acquired in a way that had "the other guy" in a whimpering ball of

Five Weeks!

I just looked at my little self-memo this morning and realised... I have FIVE WEEKS left of writing this dang book.

Five weeks until I take a week (or more) off from novel writing before doing the deep dive into a trilogy. There will be world-building. There will be tears. There will be desperate attempts to get someone to consult on things I might be accidentally insensitive to.

Multiple someones would be better. The more people to let me know about unnecessary

Challenge #02292-F102: Dem Deathworlder Bones

'What do you mean, "Earth was more dangerous before humans arrived"?'

'One word of you bro; "Dinosaurs".' -- AmberFox

Here's the thing about Deathworlds - numerous extinction events make the surviving branches of the evolutionary scrublands stronger and more terrifying than the ones that got wiped out. Sometimes, that isn't always that obvious.

So when Havenworlders see the reconstructed skeletons of saurian life from the increasingly aptly-named Terra, it's understandable that they freak out more than a little. There's nothing

Nothing PLN'd

Today's a public holiday, so after the mandatory Instant, I may well disappear. Beloved may whisk me off to parts unknown and adventures unpredictable.

About all I can rely on is a piscine type dinner.

I've procrastinated a lot already. I should get a wriggle on so y'all get content, today.

Challenge #02291-F101: Kitchen Parley

"Let's see how strong this little 'rebellion' is." I walked to my son's door and knocked. "I know you don't feel like talking to me, but I wanted to let you know there's pie in the kitchen." I set up the plates and took out the pie, and was very happy to hear the creak of his door. -- Anon Guest

Teenagers had to be the most misunderstood age grouping in the world. They were given all the responsibilities of adulthood but

Menu

Indie writer seeks audience with an audience. Paying customers welcome. [pronouns: ze/hir] Daily free stories happen because it is an excellent counter to Writers' Block.

Challenge #02298-F108: Bowls of Fresh Air

ANZAC Day

Challenge #02297-F107: Wait for the Sanitation Cycle

SIIIIIGGGGHHHH...

Challenge #02296-F106: Some Improvements

Up and Down, Up and Down...

Challenge #02295-F105: A Morbid Fascination

Returning to the Wagon

Challenge #02294-F104: Some Came Along

Happy Erastide!

Challenge #02293-F103: Not Easily Broken

Five Weeks!

Challenge #02292-F102: Dem Deathworlder Bones

Nothing PLN'd

Challenge #02291-F101: Kitchen Parley