Notices by Micro SF/F stories by O Westin (microsff@mastodon.social), page 6

A spaceship landed. A door dilated. An alien emerged, carrying a rectangular item.
They walked a little ways out, placed the item on the ground, then returned to the ship.
They observed the item.
Soon, a cat came and sat down on it.
The alien thumped the ship.
"Myth confirmed!"
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"You know," one siren said, "how exhausting it is to read someone's soul?"
"To see their deepest desires?" said the other. "Always gives me a headache."
"We can outsource."
"Eh?"
"Meet Alexa! Alexa, what does the captain of yonder ship desire?"
"He bought a bed, so... A bed?"
#MicroFiction #SmallStories #TootFic

Some... thing made a noise under his reading chair. A slithery, snarling sound.
"Is there," he asked, "a monster under my chair?"
"Your daughter," a monster growled, "she hissed at us."
"I'm sorry. She's had a really bad day."
"We live there, under her bed. She's scary."
"Sorry."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

He never told people about his ability anymore. They got excited to hear he could see the future; less so when he said it only worked on trees.
He'd seen books and boats, furniture and fire, and quiet rot.
And, once, a letter that would change his life. He looked forward to it.
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

In most worlds I am dead.
No, sorry, in most worlds I am not even born.
But in those that I am, I'm usually dead.
It's depressing, but the same is true for most people, and it's made me appreciate the worlds in which I live all the more.
But you?
There is no world without you.
#MicroFiction #SmallStories #TootFic

@monsoonrains
It's not going to be any different content from here, so you won't miss anything if you don't. :-)

** I have had an Instagram for years, but never used it because I make text, not images. But I keep seeing screen shots of my stories being shared, so I reckon I might as well get in on that game, to ensure the text is in the image comment.
So you can follow me there, too, if you like.
https://www.instagram.com/microsff/
**

She gathered courage, looked into those deep brown eyes.
"I love you."
It was met with a shrug.
The next day she tried again, and the next, and the next.
Met with a sigh, a frown, a hesitant smile; at last the person in the mirror mouthed the words with her, and she was whole.
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

On the stone upon which the anvil stood were carved letters, filled in with gold:
"Whosoever leaves their sword in this anvil and this stone, they are the rightful ruler of this land."
The assembled knights shook their heads.
"Give up my sword? Never!"
#MicroFiction #SmallStories #TootFic

"I wish I had a superpower."
"You have. You can communicate, make other people understand your thoughts and feelings."
"No, a real one."
"You can make things, transform wood, fibre, clay or metal into something new."
"No, I want..."
"You can have all that and still ask for more."
#TypoCorrected #SmallStories #MicroFiction #TootFic

"I wish I had a superpower."
"You have. You can communicate, make other people understand you thoughts and feelings."
"No, a real one."
"You can make things, transform wood, fibres, clay or metal into something new."
"No, I want..."
"You can have all that and still ask for more."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

The sigil was drawn in ash, salt, and blood. The candles, carefully placed at the cardinal points, flared up, as a tired figure appeared.
"You have misspelled Azth'luh."
"I didn't," the summoner said.
"There, you have written Azth'loh. Summons an editor, not a demon."
"I know."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"I struggle to understand how humans can communicate," the alien said.
"Yet you phrased that perfectly."
"Your words have no intrinsic meaning?"
"Correct. It's all by consensus."
"So if enough people are 'wrong', they become right?"
"For better or worse, that's human history."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

@Cornellbox
It's a lovely image, but if I do this, I'll commission illustrations (at pro rates, of course) from illustrators and artists I know and their friends.

@ArnimRanthoron
Nowhere, yet. If I do put a collection together it will be some time in the autumn at the earliest.

** Stray thought: I must have written well over a hundred dragon/princess/knight stories, sometimes with only two of them, sometimes with all three. Would probably feel samey and stale to read a compilation all at once, but might be a fun illustration of how to vary an idea? **

"You will only leave this tower, princess," the knight said, "as my wife."
"Never!"
The knight laughed and left.
The princess heard a yell, a crunch, then heavy steps.
A dragon opened the door.
"You are free."
The princess hesitated.
"We all choose who we are," the dragon said.
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"Excuse me, is the charger free?"
"I'm afraid I am still using it," the robot said. "I apologise."
The man sat down. "Don't worry, my legs can wait."
"For some reason, it seems to take me longer to recharge."
"Happens to us all. No need to apologise. We are worth waiting for."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

A spaceship landed. An alien emerged.
"Greetings Earthlings," they said. "We have come to negotiate the purchase of your technology."
"Wait, you want our technology?"
"We have nothing so expressive, so versatile."
"What are you taking about?"
"You call it 'Lego'."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"We have to move with the times," the king said.
"We cannot be stuck in the past," said the queen.
"You are free to choose," they said to their child, "whether to be a princess or a prince."
Their child thought about this, then smiled.
"I want to be a farmer!"
"Absolutely not!"
#MicroFiction #SmallStories #TootFic