I disagree. It isn’t pointless for them to reveal themselves even if I’m not looking for online romance. Revealing themselves is just a step toward a bigger conversation.

The understanding I speak of is why exactly they are flirting with me. At this juncture, they are nameless, faceless entities with (not entirely) hollow words. When they give substance to themselves, it will give substance to what they have said. I can understand why a person would flirt, but a ghost doesn’t have that same sense of closure you’d get from a compliment from a person. It’s haunting because there are these words that were floating around with a source you can only guess. That’s not settling. But when the person materializes… it becomes a magic trick. They were invisible and have now willed themselves to appear making the gesture that much more grand.