InterNutter

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.

Burpengary East http://www.cmweller.com 12167 posts

Challenge #01199-C104: Statuesque

1) http://nonasuch.tumblr.com/post/141566220050/having-grown-up-in-dc-statues-of-various-dead The statues that come to life

2) Pick another statue, ideally in a different country -- Gallifreya

[AN: This takes the overlap down to 15]

1)

Everyone had agreed that it was the right wings' turn. Well. Everyone in power agreed that it was the right wings' turn. Nobody had listened to the common throng since the last revolution. And since then, those in power had successfully made certain that they would remain in power with a well-paid, well-armed, private militia.

What happened next, though, gave them pause.

The statues of Justice, blindfolded and wielding her two-edged sword, usually found in front of every courthouse, vanished from her plinths. The stone lions outside of libraries and government buildings vanished with her.

One by one, statues of great men and women disappeared. All of them were idols for ideals that all should aspire to.

And finally, the grandest of them all, the guardian and gatekeeper of the nation, the one that was so immense that it could theoretically house hundreds... stepped off her base.

She was too huge to ignore. Striding slowly and carefully between the traces of the civilisation that made her. After it was clear that she was headed to the capital, the other statues came out of hiding. A trotting cavalry of bronze horses and their mounts. Flanked by infantry regiments of Justice. Joined on foot by an assortment of great men and women. Writers, poets, lawmakers and lawbreakers alike.

Those in power had forgotten that they could do this. They certainly remembered, now.

The capital came to a standstill. Statues from all over the nation clogged the streets. Many of them were armed. They ringed the leader's residence like battalions. Silent. Staring. Angry.

He was the first leader in that century to resign. And when the one that the people elected took his place... the statues all saluted him, and returned to their places.

2)

Meanwhile, in Australia...

The Prime Minister looked out at the parliament lawn. "Ogleby... why the hell did we have to have so bloody many Queen Victorias?"

"Ancient patriotism?"

She sighed. "Anyway, they are not amused. Again. Who's the best florid speaker we've got?"

"Um. Papalovakis managed to win them over, last time. Oh, and Davies has some experience with Shakespeare."

"Shakespeare's too old. Tudor era. Way before Victoria. Think Sense and Sensibility, will you?"

Ogleby gawped in realisation. "Oooooohhh... Riiiiiight. Yeah. Um. Yeah, I'll look up the ones who're into Steampunk."

"On our side, please. I'm trying to give every Aussie citizen a fair deal, here."

Ogleby sucked his teeth. "Oooh, that's gonna be a hard sell. She's a racist old cow."

"Well, maybe, but we don't wanna tell her that. Tell Papalovakis to give the bitch the old Razzle Dazzle. Good of the empire, blah blah blah. All that rot."

"Right-oh." Ogleby left on his mission.

And, once alone, the Prime Minister had another Tim Tam. It was that kind of day.

(Muse food remaining: 50. Submit a Prompt! Ask a question! Buy my stories! Or comment below!)

What a week

Today's a relatively quiet day. In that I get to spend a majority of it at home and writing.

BUT, I'm also taking the family to get stuck in the arm this afternoon.

Not something to look forward too, really, but it's something that must be done.

On the scrattle news, thirteen of my nineteen separate parcels are on their way from Asia to me. I should be able to track them, come next week. Alas, since it is free postage, I

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Challenge #01198-C103: Pax Haptis

There was more added to the petting post from earlier

“we were going to blow them up, but they engaged in an oddly pleasing patting ritual and, well, it was nice.” -- Gallifreya

They had charged into a human nest that had already been abandoned. Some fired at stationary vehicles. Some fired at mannequins. Some fired because they feared for their lives. But when nothing fired back, the troup took their fingers off their triggers and looked around.

Somehow, the humans had

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Round Round, Run Around...

I haven't had much time for my usual slack-a-thon, lately. My activities on Tuesday consisted of (a) writing and (b) finally purchasing the scrattle necessary to build up a stock for EGDB. The process for which included some last-instant additions and two hours of Beloved not getting back to me about the sureness of the expense.

Beloved forgot, once again, that I am very nervous about spending three figures on myself. Especially when it's something that can backfire so very spectacularly like

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Challenge #01197-C102: The Eternal Soldier

http://jewliesparks.tumblr.com/post/131527892833/wwii-era-vampires -- Gallifreya

He should have been 4F because he was 'allergic to sunlight' on his forms. But he told them that if he coated his exposed skin in zinc oxide, and wore sunglasses, he could deal. They gave him gloves to wear. And the fellows in the 40th Foot called him Warpaint. The enemy came to know him as The Ghost, owing to the fact that most of his sunscreen was white-only.

He could pass

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The ball is rolling...

Perilously close to $200AUS worth of findings and assorted shiny things have now been purchased, and according to my inbox, they're coming in 19 separate orders.

I'm not kidding. Check this shit out:
[There's one more that didn't fit on my screen]

So between five business days and nine business days, all of the assorted crap I've purchased will be winging its way from factories in China all the way to my sunny shores.

Which will give me plenty of time to

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Challenge #01196-C101: I'll Tell You a Tale

Wander Over Yonder, anything inspired by the latest episode - "The Legend" (latest at time of prompting anyway) -- Gallifreya

"...and the second-cousin twice removed is none other than his very own faithful steed!"

"Nuh-uh," said Angela.

"Stop interrupting," said Melodie. "You're ruining my storytelling."

"...gettin' it wrong," murmured Angela.

Melodie vented a growl of frustration. "Seriously? Of course I have everything right. I worked it out."

"'S wrong," insisted Angela.

"Mo-o-o-o-o-o-om! Angela won't let me tell her a story!"

Their mother

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Moving right along

I did a little composing in Garageband, and I learned a few things. If I want to make a new tune, I have to record it and then tweak it in the piano roll later.

Beloved also told me how to import instruments. Possibly again. I have a shocking memory.

But there is now a loop-able jingle for my eventual e-store that uses the note progression E, G, D, B as a cheerful background to two other loops from Garageband. And since

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Challenge #01195-C100: Revenge on Holiday

Nemesis, the Goddess of Retribution is having a 'Human Day off' sort of. what happens next? -- KnitNan.

She was discovering many things. First among them was that Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain were to be enjoyed separately. Second was that Pina Coladas weren't all that enjoyable for deities. Third... the world loved a generous tipper.

But without her working on her job, there was an interesting change in humanity.

She watched, idly sipping something rainbow-coloured and highly alcoholic.

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Getting committed

No, the men in the nice white shirts with the interesting coat for me to wear have not turned up to take me away. I made myself sit down and actually line up the things I am going to get for my blossoming jewellery shop.

Yes, dear readers, Every Girl Deserves Beautiful is going to become a thing!

My primary focus will be pride earrings1, but I can also do steampunky charm earrings or just intricate shiny things that are not

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Challenge #01194-C099: Close Encounter of the Petting Kind

http://iopele.tumblr.com/post/141217786307/cosmictuesdays-trynottodrown-zooophagous -- Gallifreya

The problem was that there were humans on this planet, too. The bigger problem was that there were more of them than there were charges in Braxxyx's stunner.

The only plus side was that the humans didn't know this. Or that the stunner was non-lethal. Humans were dangerous to begin with. They were aggressive if they thought you were deadly.

Do not shoot at humans, they are dangerous when offended.

Braxxyx pointed her

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Passing for normal

My health is back up to baseline. Yay. I can finally stop procrastinating on the things I really should have done days ago.

For instance, I booked my little darlings and I an appointment to get stuck in the arm with a sharp stick. And since it's vaccinate or die when it comes to the flu shots, for me, I choose vaccinate.

Please vaccinate yourself, your little darlings, and push everyone you know to get jabs. It helps protect people like me

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Challenge #01193-C098: Never Hurts to Help

http://mareliini.tumblr.com/post/141201232172/lolshtus-how-i-joined-a-gang-by-accident -- Gallifreya

Sylvia had, once again, made the mistake of looking away from Wander for more than five consecutive seconds. Which meant that he was now missing without a trace.

How had that fuzzy orange weirdo survived before she'd met him?

Meanwhile, Wander was making friends. It didn't matter that they were mean-looking, or in a rough-around-the-edges neighbourhood. All that mattered was that strangers were friends that he'd not yet had the pleasure of meeting.

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I feel... not yet fantastic

Throwing off lurgi is easier with ginger and rest. It's day three of feeling awful, and I'm almost back up to my base levels.

At least I have an appetite, now.

Which means that I can go ahead with booking the flu jabs for the family. Which means the dreaded phone call because the health app won't let you do multiple bookings.

On the downside, there is something wrong with the rig I had thought was recharging my laptop and investigation needs

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Challenge #01192-C097: She Looks Up to Him

http://ectoimp.tumblr.com/post/141134922979/smallangrybean-shitsquiettime-i-think-its

Little and Large is a great dynamic. -- Gallifreya

[AN: I really had enough of Lewis and Vivi for now, so... ROBOTS!And for the sake of clarity, I am emphasising some height differences]

She was small, for a robot. The first one in Walter Manor who Hatchy had to look down at in order to meet her eyes. Not that there was much of a chance at that. She was painfully shy. And equally

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