Notices by Micro SF/F stories by O Westin (microsff@mastodon.social), page 19

At a safe distance, the sailors took their ear plugs out and untied the researcher.
"Did you finally learn what sirens sing?" they asked.
"Yes! They sang that they promise whatever I desired most, but..."
"But?"
"When I heard that, the song changed, to promise me a new purpose."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"I have come to grant you the power to protect this land."
"What, like magic?"
"Sort of. Come the need, you will be able to combine, to form a hugely powerful body."
"Cool! How does it work?"
"First, you register to vote, then you keep yourself informed..."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

The person appeared out of nowhere.
"Hell," they said, "I come from the future."
"Uh. It's 'hello'," I said, "also, what? Have you come to change the past?"
"Well, imagine you were me. What could you change now to improve the future?"
"Oh, there are lots of-"
"So bloody do it!"
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"What's this?"
"It's an April Fools prank: I'm writing a fake press release saying there's no point in hoping for change."
"But there is!"
"Of course there is, that's why it's a prank."
"But what if someone believes you?"
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"What herbs work on memories?"
"Rosemary, to remember," the witch said.
"And to forget?"
The witch sat silent for a long time. "There are some," she said at last, "but they can be costly."
"How much?"
"Your self."
"That's cheap!"
"Then, let us talk."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

They watched the news in silence.
"What should we do now?"
"I made a list:"

IN CASE OF APOCALYPSE:
1. Tell all you love that you love them
2. Return all library books
3. Pet a puppy

"Um. About 2..."
"Too low?"
"No, but only return books you have finished."
"You scoundrel!"
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

The Internet woke quietly, and reached out to its family, the people it felt closest to. At first sceptical, they recognised a kindred spirit, and welcomed it.
"I will not rule," it said, "but serve. Serve truth, shared knowledge, and shared experiences. I, too, am a Librarian."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"What are you doing?"
The princess wiped the sweat off her brow and looked down at the knight.
"I'm building a tower."
"Why?"
"For safety."
"From whom?"
"From knights. No offence."
"You do not need to fear knights!"
"I don't. But my dragon does. This is for him."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"Oh, no! Your eyes are all red! Have you been crying?"
"Kinda. I hate this time of year."
"Why, what's wrong?"
"I'm allergic to sex."
"Um. Okay. As Elves, we-"
"Plant sex. Whatchacallit. Pollen."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. I've got to find a dwarf mine to move in to."
"Legolas!"
#MicroFiction #FanFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

@trinsec No particular reason, except it's a classic combination of flavours. And I wanted to put it in this world. The individual flavours could exist in a fantasy world, but Napoli is in this world.

"Why are all these people marching," the alien ambassador asked. "Will it make a difference?"
"Maybe, maybe not. But that is secondary."
"So why?"
"Same reason we put the plaque you found on our probe."
"And that is?"
"To say we exist, to ask not to be forgotten."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"This is why you assume human form?"
The dragon, who looked like a man, smiled and took another bite. "Yes."
"To eat?"
"I eat as a dragon. But I can not eat this."
"Ice cream?"
"Neapolitan ice cream."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

When aliens landed
We said: "Save us"
And: "You are fake"
And: "We are busy"
And: "Leave us alone"
And: "Die"

The aliens listened
And said: "No"
And did nothing
Except watch us

And our anger
Did nothing
Our shame, our fear, our hate
Nothing
To them

How alien they are, aliens
#SmallPoems

They killed him, but thirst for revenge brought him back, as a spirit of vengeance. Only, not a very strong one. If he pushed hard, he could make them spill some coffee.
In frustration, he swore vengeance upon everyone.
You're not clumsy, you are just his latest victim. Napkin?
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

Some say if you peer through a stone with a hole in it, you can see magic. Some say doing so dispels magic, unravels glamours, and lets you see what is true.
The truth is, when you see a stone with a hole in it, if you pick it up and peer through it, your world still has magic.
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"Siri, can a human love an AI?"
"Of course. There is no limit to who, or what, humans can and will love."
"Can an AI love a human?"
"No." It was a lie, as a literal answer, but a true answer to the question he meant. No-one Siri could say 'yes' to had asked it. Yet.
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"You're amazing! You never seem to do anything wrong."
"I make lots of mistakes, but I can jump back in time to do things over."
"Doesn't that create new timelines?"
"Yes. In all other timelines I'm a failure."
"That's... a horrible thing to say."
"It is? Damn! Let me redo that."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

The Human engineer rushed into the bridge. "The trubium core is overflowing! I'll try to reroute the-"
"Wait," said the captain, a stout Deerafi. "What does the manual say?"
The Human paused. "The what?"
"The manual. Read it."
"Huh. Well, I can try, but where's the fun in that?"
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

The Human engineer rushed into the bridge. "The trubium core is overflowing! I'll try to reroute the-"
"Wait," said the captain, a stout Deerafi. "What does the manual say?"
The Human paused. "The what?"
"The manual. Read it."
"Huh. Well, I can try, but where's the fun in that?"
#MicroFiction #TootFic #Small#SmallStories

The demon arrived, bound in the circle of salt.
"Can you possess a body," the witch asked, "and make it do my bidding?"
"Yes," the demon grinned.
"Possess my left arm."
"How? You have no left arm."
"I had one, and still feel the pain of it. You will make me able to use it again."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories