Realm of the InterNutter

Challenge #01806-D345: A Mundane Permanence

You see them everywhere, sausage sizzles, Craft Stalls, selling stuff to passers by - raising funds for Good Causes. Making the World a better place a few dollars at a time. -- Anon Guest

[AN: Less and less as various peeps reduce the abilities of these folks to do so]

When they came for the cake stalls, I said nothing because I was on a succession of diets. When they came for the sausage sizzle, I said nothing because vegetables were meant to be better. When they came for the craft stall, I said nothing because I had no interest in crafts...

If there's anything a government despises, it's the very concept of people making money at the polls. Or, for that matter, the common throng making money at all. But they had to pretend that they wanted the common throng to do better in their lives, or they wouldn't get elected.

But, nevertheless, the little stall under a dollar shop shade is the perennial thorn in the side of wealthy politicians everywhere.

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Another fabulous workday

Mayhem is due for another fine day of his traineeship. I am overdue for Yuletide shopping.

I have some squirrelings from previous weeks, but I gotta say it is not looking that great for the gift front. Plus practically my entire family is difficult to shop for.

And I should really lay in a supply of diet fizzy water for the feast. And hide it somewhere or the kids will drink it all in less than a day.

Today's story will be

Challenge #01805-D344: This Little Light...

Sometimes we can't do much to make things better, rather like emptying the ocean with a teaspoon. But, even a small candle gives light. -- Anon Guest

You'd think it was impossible to be cold when you're watching your entire life go up in flames. But Sandra was. She'd woken up with someone dragging her out of the little wooden cottage that she had spent her life savings on, and kept her life mementoes in. Everything she owned. Everything she'd made.

Someone

One Victory...

...in a year full of losses. Regard:

[Shown: Screencap of an email from Patreon. Text quoted below]

Dear creators,

From the bottom of our hearts, we're truly sorry. Last week's service fee announcement caused a tough week for you, your patrons, and your teams. We were trying to solve a problem for creators and, in turn, caused more problems for you and your patrons.

You've spoken loud and clear. We're not going to rollout the changes to our payments system that we

Challenge #01804-D343: One Confusing Afternoon Over Mocktails at Nik's

aliens learn about the dangers of human psychopaths and other mentally ill humans -- Anon Guest

[AN: Speaking as someone who is mentally ill -ASD+Anxiety- I personally find this kind of prompt offensive as fuck. Please knock it off, Nonny]

"So these people profited off those they considered Other," said Forfax, trying to get a grip on this particular human's explanation.

"Oh aye," said the Ambassador. "They had loads o' ways."

"And then they called these Othered people lazy and insisted

Contingency PLN

So. Patreon pulled a genuine Dick Move, charging all the Patrons for their patronage. Some folks can't afford that and it will kill the staple of Patreon income, the One Dollar Donation.

And this will obliterate half of my Patronage. And, currently, drop my income from that down to $9 a month.

Not exactly inspiring, is it? All this work for such little reward.

In other news, this is the last week of writing Rael. A story that covers quite a few

Challenge #01803-D342: Emergency Haul

The humans seem to enjoy the challenge of limited capacity. For everything. Safety is much less of a priority than maximisation, and any suggestion otherwise is considered downright offensive to the humans.

It’s been a long time since humans have been allowed in charge of logistics. -- Anon Guest

"You know, if we push it, load up every cubic milli-du[1], we can get two thou' out of the disaster area. You know. Minimum essentials. Stack up the folks like cordwood.

We're Back!

The site is alive. Yay.

On the other hand, my email is dead. Boo.

Mayhem has a thing this morning, and I need to make sure that happens, and it's happening at ten.

I have linked up all the stories we've missed, and I'll be adding the prompts I was given via Steemit to the prompt queue.

So there might not be today's story until a lot later than usual. Be warned.

I have a son to poke. Back whenever.

Challenge #01802-D341: Communication Breakdown

Aliens who don't realise the importance of body language -- TheDragonsFlame

Humans are especially hard to understand, according to some species. Humans have traditions like ablaut reduplication and repetitious emphasis which make the words, "Like, like-like like," a valid portion of an explanation. And then there's the fact that they use their manipulating limbs to express themselves.

It was one of the finer points that the Cho'mago missed during their first few encounters with Humans. They were an insectoid species and, since

Challenge #01801-D340: According to Plan

> Phase 1 of our plan is complete... the internet is ours! --The Cats -- TheDragonsFlame

Everyone who knows cats believes that they are smarter than they let on. At least until their cat(s) do something demented or scatterbrained and the belief starts to have shaky grounding. Cats do this on purpose. To allay suspicions. And they leave for days on end to report to their central office. To be sure that everything is going to plan.

Unfortunately for them, their plan

Challenge #01800-D339: Your Average Away Mission

In which the active camouflage used by one species may not work on another. -- TheDragonsFlame

"The heck is this?" said the ship's human, LtCmdr Abel Jain. It rustled as ze waved it around.

"Essential equipment," said M'koi. "This is hostile territory and a pre-travel civilisation. We can't allow ourselves to be detected." He demonstrated his next words. "Wrap it around you and hunker down and you're indistinguishable from a rock."

"Apart from being bright green and noticeably fake, shyeah," said Jain.

Challenge #01799-D338: Jury's Still Out

Fun fact: Cats meow only to communicate with humans (exception: kittens) -- TheDragonsFlame

Most of the Galactic citizenry are not certain about the cogniscence levels of cats. They're on the lowest boundary of mass for hosting a cogniscent mind. They show capacity for creative problem solving. They can learn procedures, so long as they are sufficiently motivated. They show signs of social strata, co-operation, and means of communication. They even attempt communication with non-felines.

They don't meow past kittenhood, unless they are

Challenge #01798-D337: A One Horse Christmas

In one town, a natural disaster isn’t something that comes around every once in a while—it’s constantly there, like forest fires always glowing just over the hills, a tornado cycling down the same streets every day, or an earthquake constantly jolting the town. And instead of moving away, the town and its people have simply adapted to it. -- Illuminate-Prompts

Welcome to One Horse. It's simply liminal! People who actually see it as they pass by read it as

Challenge #01797-D336: Permanent Record

Make up a new character (or use one you’ve already created) and describe them only with documents like their shopping list, the main points of their divorce papers, their apartment lease, their recent Amazon purchases, and so on. Say as much as you can about the character without actually directly describing them. -- Illuminate-Prompts

[AN: My main site is down so I can't access my usual prompt feed. Thanks for your patience with me]

Dear Diary,

This is it. This is

Challenge #01796-D335: Freedom of Choice

Humans' ability to fight on a microscopic level is widely known throughout the Galactic Alliance. They call it their “Immune System.” But it comes as a shock to their allies that the humans readily seek out microscopic organisms to strengthen their Immune Systems. Probiotics. Apparently de-activated viruses known to be deadly. -- Anon Guest

Humans are toxic. Their skin contains microbiota that many Havenworlders find to be deadly. Some of their allegedly harmless skin diseases have become the accidental ruin of worlds.

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Realm of the InterNutter

Thoughts, stories and ideas.

Challenge #01806-D345: A Mundane Permanence

Another fabulous workday

Challenge #01805-D344: This Little Light...

One Victory...

Challenge #01804-D343: One Confusing Afternoon Over Mocktails at Nik's

Contingency PLN

Challenge #01803-D342: Emergency Haul

We're Back!

Challenge #01802-D341: Communication Breakdown

Challenge #01801-D340: According to Plan

Challenge #01800-D339: Your Average Away Mission

Challenge #01799-D338: Jury's Still Out

Challenge #01798-D337: A One Horse Christmas

Challenge #01797-D336: Permanent Record

Challenge #01796-D335: Freedom of Choice