Instant Story

Challenge #01593-D132: Understanding on the Brink of a Fall

"The stars died so that you could be here today." —Lawrence M. Krauss -- RecklessPrudence

Shayde found Ambassador Gunther on one of the uppermost balconies of the Elemeno, looking down at the bottom in a way she knew too well. There was a time when the word "Jump!" was a cruel joke, and a time when it would be taken as a serious suggestion. This was one of the latter cases.

Much though she'd love to see all the Greater Deregulations and their accumulated isms go take a long walk... She leaned on the railing beside him and said, "Don't do it."

"How do you know what I'm thinking of doing?" he snarled. He, too, would much prefer Shayde to take a hike. Preferably into uncharted territory, never to return. To say that he and she would never get along is an understatement comparable to stating that the Big Bang was an impressive firework.

Prompts remaining: 12 Submit a Prompt! Ask a question! Buy my stories!

Challenge #01592-D131: Takes Me WABAC

“The universe is change; life is your perception of it.” — Marcus Aurelius -- RecklessPrudence

What alarmed Rael the most about Ambassador Shayde was how quickly she adapted to the latest in technology. Only B'Nari tech confounded her, but then, it confounded everyone but the B'Nari, who were made to merge with it. Shayde had the annoying habit of treating anything knew as if it should have existed some years prior to its actual invention.

When given something from her own past, it

Challenge #01591-D130: A Drain on Evil

"I mean, I mostly just want to have fun and help people in the process. And if sometimes that means I have to open a literal portal to Hell and drag its powers shrieking into the light of day, well, that's just how the cookie crumbles, y'know? That doesn't make me scary." -- RecklessPrudence

"You see," said Francine. "When I invented the empathetic energy extractor, the prototype ran on what I thought was an infinite resource. Love. It turned out that human

Challenge #01590-D129: Concerned Citizens

This is like watching a train-wreck and the 1812 Overture happening simultaneously. -- RecklessPrudence

The Good Gastronomy Association had been trying to ban Unsuitable Food for decades. They protested that too many people were indulging too often in imbalanced, improper, and unscientific nutrition. The people opposing them protested that that was kind of the point. While it was possible to live forever on Nutri-Food, with all its variations in taste, flavour, and presentation, it was also a very dull life.

There is

Challenge #01589-D128: Hazardous Playthings

Yo Yo See what you can do with this prompt. it would have been just yo yo but they wanted a longer sentence. -- Anon Guest

There is a uniquely human term, 'toy'. Though the concept of play is nothing new to many species in the Galactic Alliance, the Terran concept of things designed for play alone is strange to many. The fact that many of these objects used to be used as weapons just goes to show that Deathworlders are creatures

Challenge #01588-D127: Culture Clash

how to be a good (Insert name here) Citizen. Let's hear it from one of the Lizard cultures. --Knitnan

"And who's your daddy, little one?"

Preek didn't understand the human's question. She had never known the word before this moment. "I have a Pripa and a Seppa[1]."

"I have trouble with all these new words," confessed the human. "It's so confusing. What's wrong with 'he' and 'she' and 'mommy' and 'daddy'?"

Prompts remaining: 13 Submit a Prompt! Ask

Challenge #01587-D126: Care Worn

it's made by hand, piece by piece, often with the recipient in mind, and often prayed over. -- Knitnan

Rael took some cumulative Standard months to realise that Shayde was winding him up. Apparently, in her version of reality, true friendship meant that there was a certain volume of light-hearted teasing between... alleged allies. Humans still did this. Hostile speech in a friendly manner between allies that knew that it was friendly. Slurs used freely between those who used to be slurred.

Challenge #01586-D125: Not the Best Intentions

The "nanny" in "nanny state" isn't for you. They're to keep the oligarchs from trashing every toy in the nursery and peeing on the ceiling. -- RecklessPrudence

"What this new world needs is the elimination of this Nanny State!"

Those who the government selected to start this world in their own image... reacted exactly as they should. They cheered and hooted and eventually overthrew the people who stood for reason and regulation. Those who stood to gain the most did indeed gain.

Challenge #01585-D124: What if--?

:Upon being told the superhero they're looking at is at some point going to go on a rampage and destroy the world:

"Well, what's your reasoning then? Because I'm having a hard time reconciling the guy currently pulling a kitten out of a tree with the Death Star." -- RecklessPrudence

He'd just extinguished the fire in a burning high-rise, prevented a multi-car pile-up, and was now making cootchie-coo noises at a small kitten that was stuck up a tree. He could have

Challenge #01584-D123: Ancient Wisdom?

:Said in a tone of imparting great wisdom, to someone who does not speak Norwegian:

Aldri skal gi deg opp. Aldri skal la deg ned, gonna aldri løpe rundt og svikte deg. Aldri skal gjøre deg gråte. ĺ aldri si farvel. Aldri skal fortelle en løgn og skade deg

(https://translate.google.com.au/) -- RecklessPrudence

"Please?" they said. "Give us some words of wisdom from Ancient Earth?" They had a handful of Hours as an offering.

Maybe it was their adoring

Challenge #01583-D122: The Word Escapes

English is also a loose cannon cop-on-the-edge who doesn't play by the rules and will do horrible, horrible things if it solves the short-term problem in front of him. -- RecklessPrudence

There are moments when words escape the speaker. Rational thought, too, takes a temporary holiday and necessity mothers a great deal of illogical invention.

"I need a new..." the next word fled to the furthest reaches of Kathmandu. "...um..." What was the dang word for it? People were staring. She needed

Challenge #01582-D121: A Very Bad Idea

Never judge a Baby Show. One, only one mother likes you. The rest are deeply offended. -- Knitnan

London's East End, 1950-something.

The nurses of Nonnatus House were run off their feet with their work. As were most of the nuns. Babies and anxious parents were flocking the hall, and the resultant rabble was almost deafening.

"And whose idea was it to use a baby show as a fund-raiser?" complained Trixie.

Prompts remaining: 12 Submit a Prompt! Ask a question

Challenge #01581-D120: Something For Everyone

There are some entertainments that have a guaranteed audience. If you can find the cast you will have an audience. Which explains why Swan Lake is such a regular item in ballet companies and why people dress up for Tristan and Isolde when they stage Wagner's ring cycle. -- Anon Guest

The more things change, they say, the more they remain the same. In five hundred years, one thing had stayed true. Soap opera. Some were so popular that one episode ran

Challenge #01580-D119: Alto-nate Talent

Alto. Never to sing those high intricate vocal solos beloved of Opera fans. Altos get stuck in the choir. -- Knitnan

Keep the tune. Keep the rhythm. Let the sopranos, the tenors and the basso profundos drown you out. That's all the Altos are good for, they say. That and pop music, which is famously lacking in melody[1], and famously full of atonal yelling down the microphones. Which was all too bad, because Gail loved to sing, and she was an

Challenge #01579-D118: Care and Attention to Detail

Something made for the buyer/giftee only, made to fit Them. -- Anon Guest

Getting used to a new Anywhere was an emotional task. Different customs. Different standards. Different ways of making clothing. Different standards of decency. And very different ways to treat people. This place... this new home of hers, was so very different from the home she still sickened for.

It started with the medical treatment. Waking up inside a medical coffin is no great for a claustrophobe. But... for

Menu

Flash fiction fresh from my fingers to your mind!

Challenge #01593-D132: Understanding on the Brink of a Fall

Challenge #01592-D131: Takes Me WABAC

Challenge #01591-D130: A Drain on Evil

Challenge #01590-D129: Concerned Citizens

Challenge #01589-D128: Hazardous Playthings

Challenge #01588-D127: Culture Clash

Challenge #01587-D126: Care Worn

Challenge #01586-D125: Not the Best Intentions

Challenge #01585-D124: What if--?

Challenge #01584-D123: Ancient Wisdom?

Challenge #01583-D122: The Word Escapes

Challenge #01582-D121: A Very Bad Idea

Challenge #01581-D120: Something For Everyone

Challenge #01580-D119: Alto-nate Talent

Challenge #01579-D118: Care and Attention to Detail