Apropos of Nothing

Context is not always forthcoming. Click here to inbox me. Click here for tarot readings. Click here for dreams, visions, and magic. Click here to buy me a coffee. Click here to read a story about tarot. Context is not always clarifying.

[thegodthief]

Melissa has everything she could possibly want, so why does she feel like she only needs one more thing to make her life complete? Surely she is adult enough to discover what is missing and what she needs to do to attain it, right?

3,508 words

[thegodthief]

Nothing Matched

A 1,000 word fiction inspired by @flashfictionfridayofficial's prompt:

[#FFF 359 The Wrong Sign]

I really thought I would struggle to make the word minimum and then the story took over forcing me into struggling to keep the word maximum.

~~~

I looked up at the cluster of signs and arrows. I looked down at the note in my hand. I looked up at the cluster of acronyms and directions. I looked down at the uneven scrawl on the note. Nothing matched.

“Fuck me,” I whispered to myself in frustration.

“That could be arranged, sweetheart.” The responding voice slithered in one ear and out the other. I was too stunned by the gentleness of the offer to even think about jumping in surprise. Instead, I stood still as I could not determine which direction the voice started or ended at.

A chuckle tickled my left ear even as a hand softly pulled my note to the right. Too late I realized that there really was someone with me. I clutched my hand on nothing.

“Well, you’re in the right spot, but in the wrong mind, duvie. Whomever sent you didn’t properly prepare you for this, but that’s okay, we can fix that on the way.” A white-painted face with black lips blew a kiss at me before flashing a strangely toothed grin. They held my note in their left hand as they stood on my left side. I glanced back to see who took the note from me on my right, but there was no one there.

“How can I be in the right spot when none of these signs match what I’m supposed to be looking for?” How could I hold a conversation with this… person… when I’m not even sure what was supposed to happen in the first place? Who was this person, anyway?

They handed my note back to me. The paper was now all crumpled in a way that made the scrawl appear to be completed by the addition of wrinkles. It suddenly made sense. I looked up at the cluster of signs. Individually, the signs all pointed to something expected, something real. But collectively, the way the signs were mounted in relation to each other matched the way the wrinkles in the paper gave the scrawl definition. Somehow, the combination of signs created a new sign that I suddenly saw superimposed over them all. A sign that couldn’t exist.

“This is wrong.” I thought that was an inside thought that not even I could hear. My thought was as wrong as the sign.

“That’s why it’s right, sweetheart!” They pushed and pulled on my left arm even as I heard them chuckle to my right. I followed the sound of their voice and turned to face them. “Oh, you learn fast, dear duvie. Good.” They blew a kiss to me again before flashing their very sharp teeth. “So, why are you here if not to get fucked?”

I should have turned around and fled. I should have thrown the note into the drain at my feet. I should have declined to run this errand. I should have known better than to trust an artist, even if that artist is a good friend. Most of the time, anyway.”

I should definitely know better than to tell the truth.

I did it anyway.

“My friend, she, uh …” I swallowed hard to remedy a suddenly dry mouth. “She’s on a project and sent me here to pick up some supplies for her."

I looked down in sudden embarrassment. It took me far too long to realize that the person … that is to say … the … something … that I was talking to … was floating off the ground with their legs slightly bent under them and their feet twisting around each other like so much animated smoke.

“Oh, she did, did she, sweetheart?” Another chuckle that sounded like it came from behind me. I did not turn to look. “How sweet of you, duvie, to fetch her supplies for her. Yes, how endearing, and nice. So nice.”

The voice, despite being only sound, somehow licked my cheek. “And how are you going to pay for her supplies, sweetheart? The supplies that she sent you for, duvie?”

“Pay?” My cheek tingled where they had touched it. I was suddenly very tired, suddenly very wired, suddenly very giddy, suddenly very worried, suddenly every emotion that I had been denying myself on the precipice of overwhelming me.

I felt their teeth at my unlicked cheek, at my throat, at my ear, at my hands, at every inch of bare skin.

I felt their sight roving over me like soft touches of incense and smoke. I suddenly wanted to know what they felt like in return. I suddenly knew that all I had to do was to consent, and I would do more than get fucked. I would have everything I ever wanted.

The idea of that fulfillment snapped me back to the task at hand. All I ever wanted was for my friends to be happy. I was here to pick up some supplies that would make one friend in particular very happy. If I were to indulge these alien desires, then I would not bring the supplies back to her in time. That awareness smothered the strange heat that was crawling under my skin.

“Oh! Pay! She said that the supplies had already been paid in full and that I just needed to present her note to show proof that she had sent me! So, where do I go to pick them up? I was supposed to come here to this sign post and wait for delivery but is this the wrong sign?”

“Oh.” The voice was suddenly behind me and their personage was nowhere to be seen. “It’s right here, sweetheart. Get it and get out. We’re done, duvie.”

I turned around and there was a cloth bag just sitting there. I looked for the voice I had heard but saw no one. I looked at the signs on the post and saw nothing. I looked at the scrawl on the note.

Nothing matched, just like she said it would.

I picked up the bag and left.

[wiisagi-maiingan]

If you make goth clothing, decor, accessories, etc

please

please please please

please stop putting crosses on literally everything.

I know that they're a staple of goth fashion. I know. But not everyone is Christian. Not everyone wants to wear or surround themselves with Christian symbols. There are a lot of goths who would die happy if we they never had to see a cross again. Please.

[wiisagi-maiingan]

This really resonated with folks, huh.

[kaylmao]

you love fat people outside of sexual contexts too, right?

[dilfdyke]

love love love when a particularly manipulative character is lying off their ass about something and then throws in one hauntingly genuine line

[pinfire]

Opalized wood Author: Peter C. Huber, Wien / Austria

[fatartappreciation]

Beautiful actress, model, and influencer Angelina Duplisea photographed by Allan Amato

[saxifraga-x-urbium]

Dandelion

Dandelion DIY is a HRT drug harm reduction service that provides support for transgender trans queer LGBTQ people who self-medicate with hor

[creatingblackcharacters]

Remember when Lil Nas X beautifully explored his sexuality, seduced and killed the devil to the banger of all time, and instead of cheering on this openly gay and proud Black artist for his artistry and fighting back against respectability politics, suddenly said respectability politics was all the Queerest Place on the Internet cared about? Hm. Wonder what happened there.

Anyway I miss him and hope he's doing better with his mental health 🙏🏾

[creatingblackcharacters]

Like say what you want about "bad queer representation", but this was the song that made me openly and happily accept that I was bisexual. To see him up there Black and beautiful, making music that I love, absolutely killing it? Yeah. You couldn't tell me shit. This man made me proud to be out. "This will make them think we're evil for being gay" hey newsflash dawg-

[odyver]

alright I've got to do some quick math to explain attitudes towards AI to my boss.

we're looking to create an AI policy, and when we were talking about this, my boss (older millennial) was genuinely shocked to hear that younger people do not (seem) to view AI positively (a la the recent commencement speakers being booed)

please rb for larger sample size!

Question 1/3

What is your age, and do you feel AI is a net positive or net negative in our lives today?

under 18, AI is a net positive

under 18, AI is a net negative

18-29, AI is a net positive

18-29, AI is a net negative

30-45, AI is a net positive

30-45, AI is a net negative

46-60, AI is a net positive

46-60, AI is a net negative

over 60, AI is a net postive

over 60, AI is a net negative

Remaining time: 4 days 20 hours

[odyver]

Question 2/3

How often do you visit or interact with museums/archives (whether in person or online)?

Frequently (multiple times per month)

Often (multiple times per year)

Occasionally (a couple times per year)

Rarely (once every couple of years)

Never :(

Remaining time: 4 days 20 hours

[odyver]

Question 3/3

If you saw a museum was using AI in exhibits, marketing, research, etc., would you be more or less inclined to visit that museum?

under 18, more inclined

under 18, less inclined

18-29, more inclined

18-29, less inclined

30-45, more inclined

30-45, less inclined

46-60, more inclined

46-60, less inclined

over 60, more inclined

over 60, less inclined

Remaining time: 4 days 20 hours

Thank you for helping with this data collection. Please rb for as big a sample as possible!

🫶

[seabeck]

Larkspur

[interestingmistakes]

Reblogging this manually. Op doesn't want credit for fear of being terminated.

[movementnudge]

Movement nudge, coach John makes the period stretches more accessible

X

[beardedmrbean]

[nights-at-crystarium]

I'm currently facing a homophobic harassment campaign which illustrates it why there are fewer and fewer gay shippers. It's easier to give up and disappear than keep putting up with the hate. I'm not going to give those people the satisfaction of having bullied yet another marginalized creator out of existence, but now more than ever I need your support. Reading and sharing Fragments is free, and my patreon's only $1.

[thegodthief]

Don't judge me for my hack, praise me for my ingenuity.

[manuciruja]

awww the like button turns into a rainbow when you press it! that's so cute...hey staff what's with all the trans women you keep nuking?

[manuciruja]

i think we should be ridiculing them more for this. you don't get to try and go all "queer website" when your staff likes to go on nuking sprees targeting the trans fem users

[smadsel]

would be remiss not to mention that the rainbow notably straight up just removed the trans flag colors from it. like they’re gone. it’s the progress flag minus the trans flag colors.

[smadsel]

that’s not the whole flag, now is it

[manuciruja]

hey staff what the fuck

[villainessbian]

hey staff don't you think you're being too on-the-nose

[shrodingers-catgirl]

HEY STAFF DONT YOU THINK YOU'RE BEING TOO ON-THE-NOSE