Word of the Day Challenge

[Daeva]

Today's Word of the Day is....

yooper
noun YOO-per


Definition

: a native or resident of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan — used as a nickname


Weekly Theme
Historical


Did You Know?

The word Yooper comes from the common nickname of Michigan's Upper Peninsula—the "U.P."—and the etymology requires the same follow-up question that a challenging joke does: "Get it?" If you're not there yet, try saying them both out loud: Yooper, U.P. Yoopers have been saying both out loud now for about 40 years, but it's only in recent years that those beyond the U.P. and its geographical neighbors have begun to encounter Yooper in use. Yoopers refer to people who live in the Lower Peninsula as trolls (they live "under" the Mackinac Bridge, after all), but that nickname is still at this point too much of a regionalism to qualify for entry in our dictionaries.

[Remec]

tallied! -Brit

Title: Once Again
Tags: [NA]
WotD: continual
Theme: None
Word count: 359
Notes: Story weaving mini-challenge
   

   So, you want to hear what it was like, do you?
   I’m sorry, I don’t really have an answer for that question. I’ve always wanted to know, to truly understand, that aspect of all of this myself; but you know how it goes, right? “If wishes were horses…” and all of that. I could tell you all about the loneliness that comes when things run the full gamut—how the pangs of loss, of health and friends and family, how all of that weighs upon me throughout each and every day of each and every life. But that’s always such a downer of a thing to talk about.
   No, I’d like to talk about how the slow building warmth of the coming fire covers me, bit by bit, in a comfort unlike anything else in the world. How that continual source of renewal and rebirth is a little different each time. Not completely different, mind you. I mean, how many different ways could there really be to spontaneously burst into an engulfing inferno that singes all the hairs from my body, roasts my internal organs as it sears my skin, melts the fat from my muscles and bones, and renders me down to nothing but ash and cinders.
   And how it feels to be nothing but a force of thought and spirit, if only momentarily, and then the flash of being rebuilt from nothingness to new life. That I might be able to talk to you about, but I’m not sure my words would really do it justice.
   How does one speak on what it feels like to be the human equivalent of a phoenix? I might as well mull on what it might be like to be a ray of sunlight, the gossamer of a freshly finished spider web glistening in the dew of a new morning, or the flame of a candle on a birthday cake as it is blown out to go on its way to fulfill a heart’s wish—these things are ephemeral, fleeting, but they linger on in the minds and hearts of anything that experiences them.
   So do I.

[Lilias]

tallied! -Brit

Sarah put down the record gingerly and let out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding. Anna was watching from the doorway, with a little amused smile on her face. ‘I told you she was awesome to start with,’ she said.

Sarah nodded, too overwhelmed for words. She had spent the last half hour going through Madame Vera’s recordings in the covenhouse library. The vinyls all dated from the tail end of the 1950s and most of the 1960s; they felt incredibly fragile in her hands, their sleeves worn and faded, the sound scratchy to modern ears, but through it all shone the voice that demanded attention, even from a secondary role. What a loss to the world that she had to stop, thought Sarah.

Out loud, she managed to say, ‘I had no idea her repertoire was so extensive. Baroque motets, classic dramatic coloratura, bel canto, even a foray into the 20th century!’ She held up Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress. I didn’t know that it was possible for the same voice to be Anne and Lady Macbeth and Queen of the Night.’

It was Anna’s turn to nod. ‘She’s said that her ambition was to perform more Russian opera in the west. To be someone with enough influence in the scene to decide what to stage. She was just getting there - that Stravinsky you’re holding - when life threw her the ultimate curve ball.’

‘What happened?’ whispered Sarah, not sure she wanted to hear that story. Fortunately, Anna was not going to go into gory details.

‘Awakening happened. She says details on such an event are not meant to be shared, so all I know is it involved a pretty serious accident. No near-death experience, that’s not how we do things, but enough of a shock. Her training years were also her recovery time. It was all about healing, inwards and out.’

‘But she didn’t heal completely, did she?’

Anna’s smile turned crooked. ‘I’m not convinced she needs that cane as much as it appears. Still, she has decided that doing away with it is not what she aims at. That’s how she heals others as well - not trying to fix everything, just giving little nudges in the right direction. There have been people who attended her masterclasses and went on to write voice works because of her, if not for her. My dad wouldn’t be where he is without her, and neither would I.’

‘I just wish there was more of her work on record,’ shrugged Sarah.

‘Me too, and it’s not even my scene normally. But you may hear her sing a spell before this business is over. Now that would be an experience and a half.’

[Lovely Complex]

tallied! -Brit

Title: The Frontline Men.
Tags: [NA]
Word of the Day: Continual
Theme: Historical
Word Count: 174

There they stood in utter silence as they waited for something, anything to happen. A few steps forward were taken by the men on the frontline but soon, those steps seized because of the rustles that could be heard in the distance. It seemed like everything was back to the way they had begun, which was at a standstill. More men continued to fill in the lines behind them, just in case they weren’t able to fulfill their duties on the frontline or if things took a drastic turn. The air around them was just like their stance that they were currently in, still. A command was shouted but before they proceeded with an attack, a white flag could be seen waving high in the sky. The frontline men turned to those behind them and cheered before firing a continual round of shots in the air. This was finally over after five months of fighting and the soldiers could go back to their original lives as husbands, sons, and fathers to their loved ones.

[Daeva]

Today's Word of the Day is....

labile
adjective LAY-byle


Definition

1 : readily or continually undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown : unstable
2 : readily open to change


Weekly Theme
Historical


Did You Know?

We are confident that you won't slip up or err in learning today's word, despite its etymology. Labile was borrowed into English from French and can be traced back (by way of Middle French labile, meaning "prone to err") to the Latin verb labi, meaning "to slip or fall." Indeed, the first sense of labile in English was "prone to slip, err, or lapse," but that usage is now obsolete. Other labi descendants in English include collapse, elapse, and prolapse, as well as lapse itself.

[FreyaValentine]

>.> <.< Can I join in? I hope it's alright... Here's one for Labile. A little historical war thing.

The sun rose into the sky, the birds began to chirp and the sounds of boots upon dirt stomped throughout the early morning. Soldiers one after another began to dress and march into formation. It was the year nineteen forty-four, the second world war was in full swing. The soldiers assembled for what was another rousing speech by their commander.

The speech began to rouse the spirits of those training under the General's command. His speech struck a chord with each of them, their hearts and pride in their country soared to extreme levels. Further, the troops found the speech incredibly familiar as the General spoke on their terms using the language of the barracks. The General reminded them of the nature of this war, it would bloody, their friends alongside them will die but, they will prevail, they would know what to do to win!

Still, War was a bloody business. It was a series of harsh battles in rough conditions. Soldiers were labile upon the battlefront. Their minds could be easily scarred and broken, the speeches would not help the traumatized. They knew what they had to do at the moment but, after the battles. Battles that never seemed to end, they would find no solace in the words. They would be broken, like so many before them. They may die on the battlefield and perhaps that was mercy for them, for when those that did return home, they found themselves without hope of leaving the battlefield. They would always be soldiers to the core, their minds tuned and wired to fight and to kill and such things would be impossible to forget. Few ever fully recover after such a war.

[Remec]

tallied! -Brit

Title: Get it Right
Tags: [NA]
WotD: yooper
Theme: Hitorical (a little)
Word count: 435
Notes: None   

   Riley Kirk wasn’t sure what had started it this time around; sometimes, it seemed to never really end. All siblings tend to squabble from time to time, and there was probably something to be said for more frequent and/or more intense squabbling when it came to blended families of people having children from previous marriages or relationships. They say you don’t get to pick your family, and that pretty much was extra true when half or more of said family wasn’t even related to you. But that wasn’t really how Riley saw it.
   Family was a sort of more rarified version of friendship. Riley had, and had had, lots of friends through the years. Preschool, kindergarten, all the dozen years of grade school, and, now, two years of college—full of cliques, clubs, social organizations of all sorts. But their family was really just a small handful of people, one that included an actual sibling, Chris, and a step-sibling, Chase.
   And now, the pair of them could be heard throughout the whole house slinging charges of dereliction of household chores…of violating the rules set down by their parents for all sorts of indiscretions, mostly minor ones—major ones would have been asking the parents to step into the middle of things…and Riley felt like getting out of the house before getting roped into choosing sides, as well.
   Although, maybe things were settling down. Riley could hear that the banter had digressed to name calling and each was having a hard time with actually finding things to cite as points against the other. Then came a quite dramatic stomping up the stairs, and the sounds of a bedroom door being swung wide in preparation for being slammed and Riley heard Chase shout, “You’re, you’re, you’re such a Yooper!”
   Until after Riley’s and Chris’ dad had met Chase’s mother while at a business conference somewhere in Michigan, neither of them knew what that word even meant. But it seemed like noun just chockful of so many different shades of meaning, that it was perfect as a totally generic putdown when you couldn’t come up with anything else to use.
   But it didn’t really work on anyone actually from Michigan.
   Chase’s return shout was totally full of indignation. “Hey, now! Me and mom are from Green Bay, we’re not Yoopers.”
   Riley smirked, knowing what was coming. “We’re, like, totally Cheeseheads. Sheesh.” Laughter from down the hall and downstairs signaled the end of that particular squabble. Riley thought it just as well since it was high time to go down and get some lunch.

[Lilias]

tallied! -Brit

The three younger women were settled in the cozy corner of the common room, where there were only piles of cushions instead of seats, and their discussion was animated enough that they didn’t immediately notice Sophia and Madame Vera come in. Faith was the first to look across the room over Anna’s shoulder, and got to her feet at once. ‘You two look absolutely shattered,’ she commented.

‘Testimonies under truth-ward are really draining,’ said Sophia, leaning slightly into Faith, as she came up to her side for support. ‘It’s part of the ward’s purpose - wearing you down so you don’t dig in your heels too long.’

‘That’s borderline torture,’ said Sarah. ‘How is it even legal with the Council?’

‘Hardly anyone who matters to the Council is ever found on the receiving end of such,’ replied Sophia with a faint smile. ‘They were a bit shamefaced to put us through it. Mareleau looked properly abashed when I asked if they were aware of the deleterious effect such treatment can have on the Avatar.’

Madame Vera snorted a laugh. ‘Mareleau is a lightweight, but no more manipulable than the others. Any claim we swayed them somehow will fall flat. Relax, girls, it went as well as it could possibly have, all things considered.’

‘And on this note, if you don’t mind, I’m going to abscond with my apprentice to the Chantry, for a well-earned rest,’ said Sophia. Faith was already reaching for her coat.

‘Is it safe for you to go?’ asked Sarah, rather nervously. The two previous nights, both master and apprentice had stayed in the covenhouse; she had assumed it had been for security reasons, rather than convenience, even though their research and planning sessions had extended rather late into the night.

‘Their car is a bloody bunker on wheels,’ said Anna, then chuckled at Faith’s glare. ‘Well, it’s true - it puts a tank to shame, both mundanely and otherwise. It’s going to be okay. I could always send my familiar along, for some added oomph--’

‘You will do no such thing,’ Madame Vera cut her off. ‘Unless you want to void your contract. Good night Sophia, Faith; give us a call when you arrive.’

Once they were gone, Anna turned to her mentor. ‘Your turn. Bed. We’ll need you refreshed tomorrow.’

‘That you will,’ chuckled Madame Vera. ‘Don’t pull an all-nighter, you two. We all still have a lot of work ahead of us.’

[Nymphadora]

The panic was obvious. The little mouse freshly trapped and contained in the shoe box scurried about pell-mell as if still being chased. The skittering sounds of its tiny nails on the smooth cardboard were surprisingly loud even with the lid on.

"Poke holes! It can't breathe!" The child squeaked as she held the wriggling cat.

"Yes yes... just get Wallace out of here!"

The cat was summarily shoved out of the kitchen door and the child gathered close to peek into the box.

"She doesn't know she's safe yet," the soft voice squeaked again.

"No, we'll have to let her go in the field out back. She'll have a better chance at making it out there." The decisive nod and big smile told of agreement and soon enough the tiny mouse was free and gone into the long grass, safer than in the kitchen, in any case.

[Peripherie]

Title: Weird Science
Word of the Day: labile: readily or continually undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown : unstable
Word Count: 162
Theme: none
Storyteller: yes!
tallied! -Brit



She checked the list of aggregates and started to read aloud in a pattern that had been done over and over for the last ten minutes. Her voice was a low mumble with syllables uttered in a dulled tone with bits of words rising and falling in her throat as if in a trance. There were fire and smoke and she stood in a defensive stance, ready to extinguish the entire endeavor at a moment's notice. Small vessels of liquid and powder scattered the room - some now void of their contents and others waiting.

It was now or never, the exact moment of action upon her. Using tongs and a long-held breath, she set the mass of flesh into the labile brew that bubbled on her stove. It bubbled. It sizzled. And then a not quite un-pleasant smell wafted from the kitchen.

"Dinner's ready!", her voice was heard reverberating around the small apartment. May all that is good help them now.

[Lovely Complex]

tallied! -Brit

Title: Welcome to the Show.
Tags: [NA] [Musical]
Word of the Day: Repertoire
Theme: Historical
Word Count: 211

Nerves.

That’s exactly what was felt by the performers as they readied themselves behind the thick curtain. The mutters of the audience could be heard and that just made the performers more nervous because they were unsure as to how many were in attendance for their performance. The stage director came up behind them with a big smile, giving the performers one last pep talk before the show. The stage director also reminded them to smile and that no matter what, the show must go on.

The main stars of the show were warming up their vocals, hitting the notes that were apart of their repertoire. Once they were done warming up, the stage director told them to get to their places as the mutters had seized. One performer peeked through the curtain and squealed before turning heel to face the other performers.

“The King and Queen are here!” She shrieked, the other performers gasped at her announcement and now, more nerves began to set in. The stage director clapped their hands together to calm them down before waving them to their places once more. The performers were in place, the curtain slowly rose up to the sound of the orchestra below them and the show was definitely about to begin.

[Daeva]

Today's Word of the Day is....

bivouac
verb BIV-uh-wak


Definition

1 : to make a usually temporary encampment under little or no shelter : camp
2 : to take shelter often temporarily
3 : to provide temporary quarters for


Weekly Theme
Historical


Did You Know?

In the 1841 edition of An American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster observed bivouac to be a French borrowing having military origins. He defined the noun bivouac as "the guard or watch of a whole army, as in cases of great danger of surprise or attack" and the verb as "to watch or be on guard, as a whole army." The French word is derived from the Low German word biwacht, a combination of bi ("by") and wacht ("guard"). In some German dialects, the word was used specifically for a patrol of citizens who assisted the town watch at night. Today, bivouac has less to do with guarding and patrolling and more about having shelter.

[Remec]

tallied! -Brit

Title: Staying the Night
Tags: [NA]
WotD: bivouac
Theme: None
Word count: 350
Notes: None   

   The rain had finally settled enough that the Martin family had gotten back on the road. Bob sighed to himself as he sat in the back seat, head resting against the glass as he looked out the window at the muddy mess of the side road his Dad had taken in an effort to “cut time” in getting to today’s camp site. The family used to joke that no where was the weather any worse than places where the Martin family was going for vacation. When it had been announced that they were going to spend the summer break travelling about the state—visiting various parks and campgrounds in an effort to roll things back and get more Nature in their lives—everyon, including Mom, had groaned and tried to convince Dad that better ideas were to be had.
   Nothing had worked.
   This last weekend had been the last straw as far as Bob’s mother had been concerned. When it was clear that their plans for where to stop tonight was in the process of being drowned out, she had insisted they go back to the state highway and head over to the last string of motels that they had passed. The family managed to get several rooms in a block together, and they were all on edge wondering how Dad was taking it all since he’d been suspiciously quiet for the last half hour, or so.
   Bob and his siblings knocked on their parents’ door and Mom let them in. “Look like a family meeting,” she said, “You may as well come in and get comfy, your father is finishing changing clothes and we’ll figure out what we’ll do next.”
   Just then, the bathroom door opened and a haze of steam from the shower slipped into the room. Following right behind it, Bill Martin emerged in his usual, albeit a fresh set of, travelling shorts and touristy t-shirt. “Well, that’s one good thing. You never find showers like that while camping. Good call on a choice of bivouac, Mary,” he said. “Now, what shall we do for dinner tonight?”

[Nymphadora]

For so many people being up at 3:30 in the morning would be hell. It's well before the sun is up on even the longest days. It means going to bed at some silly hour before primetime shows really get going. But for Sophie, it was the magic hour.

Shaking off sleep and pouring a cup of coffee, her olfactory senses waking to the first whiff of the rich, too strong (as many would say) blend that she preferred. It's what drove her to her kitchen. The chugging of the coffee maker, timed to finish the pot pretty much as she walked in and grabbed her mug before her routine began. It was far from the last amazing scent to tickle her nose in a morning. When you worked as a baker and supplied three small coffee houses with scones and muffins freshly baked by hand, you had to be up and ready to deliver before the early morning commuters beat you to the door. It was the coffee houses that fed her caffeine addiction and she, in turn, fed their need for fresh-baked treats. It was a good relationship in her mind and she loved every minute of working the batter along with the smells that soon wafted through her cottage kitchen.

[Peripherie]

Title: Pillows, don't fail me now.
Word of the Day: bivouac: to take shelter often temporarily
Word Count: 98
Theme: none
Storyteller: yes!
tallied! -Brit



It was far too rainy and cold outside, so what did he do? He bivouacked with the best of them between the living-room couch and coffee table. He envisioned that even hardened explorers would appreciate the sturdy cushion walls, the sloping sides of a handmade quilt and the curious eyes of a unicorn pillow staring down anyone who dare enter before the rightful owner of the very pink and paisley pillow fort. She would be there soon to inspect her lodgings for the evening. But first, she had to finish brushing her teeth and reading a bedtime story.

[Lovely Complex]

tallied! -Brit

Title: We've Got Tonight.
Tags: [NA]
Word of the Day: Bivouac
Theme: Historical
Word Count: 224

It wasn't likely for them to come in contact with one another but yet, here they were. The current prince of the realm, canoodling with a commoner in their secret hideaway, which was nestled deep into the woods away from the kingdom. The sky above turned into an orange color that signified that the sun was setting off in the distance. Alexandra, the commoner, hiked her skirt up and carefully made her way to the little shelter that the prince, Elijah, had told her to meet him at. There she stood, waiting and waiting until finally, she heard leaves rustle in the distance, which caused her to gasp and turn around quickly. Luckily, it was Elijah and she sighed with relief before she ran into his arms, her head pressed against his chest.

"Come." He muttered while directing to the inside of their bivouac for the tonight. She walked inside, eyes took in every single piece of the place. She had never been in something such as this but now that she was, she just had to take it all in. Alexandra turned to face the prince who was walking closer to her and placed his hands upon her shoulder. "We've got tonight," Elijah muttered as Alexandra nodded her head in understanding before she leaned up and gave him a kiss on the lips.

[Daeva]

Today's Word of the Day is....

issuable
adjective ISH-oo-uh-bul


Definition

1 : open to contest, debate, or litigation
2 : authorized for issue
3 : possible as a result or consequence


Weekly Theme
Historical


Did You Know?

Although issuable now tends to appear in financial contexts (such as in reference to shares that are eligible to be issued, or made available, according to a company's articles of incorporation), it was originally used in the late 16th century as a legal term: an issuable matter was one that was open to contest, debate, or litigation. Within a century, though, the word had taken on the "authorized for issue" meaning that it most commonly has today. In making its home in the world of finance, issuable is carrying on a family tradition. In the early 14th century, its predecessor issue began being used in plural to refer to proceeds from a source of revenue, such as an estate. Issue itself traces back to Latin exire, meaning "to go out."

[Lovely Complex]

tallied! -Brit

Title: Pop Goes The Kernel.
Tags: [NA]
Word of the Day: Labile
Theme: None.
Word Count: 108

The owner of the house grabbed a single bag of popcorn from their cabinet, torn the protective wrapping off then tossed the bag in the microwave. After hitting the appropriate button, the microwave started to hum and the heatwaves began to transition through the bag, causing the kernels inside to labile from their hardened state to a much fluffy, crunchy state. The kernels continually popped until the bag was puffed out and the microwave dinged to signal it was done. The owner of the house came back after hearing the ding and grabbed the bag from the microwave to enjoy the salty, buttery deliciousness that was inside.

[Mellific]

tallied! -Brit

Title: To Ash
Word of the Day: Pell-mell
Theme: Modern
Storyteller: Yes



As these things often do, everything went sideways in the wake of disastrous news. There had been a fire at the edge of the woods, which quickly turned into a catastrophic inferno. All because of one cigarette flicked too close to brush, the animals went pell-mell out of the woods and into the streets or the pond.

Roads and bridges were closed, firefighters had to stay there round the clock attempting to put out the blistering flames. People who lived nearby were forced to evacuate their homes. Smoke constantly billowed from the tops of thousand year old trees, the smell of burning permanently stuck to the woods.

[Daeva]

Today's Word of the Day is....

misprision
noun mis-PRIZH-un


Definition

1 a : neglect or wrong performance of official duty
b : concealment of treason or felony by one who is not a participant in the treason or felony
c : seditious conduct against the government or the courts
2 : misunderstanding, misinterpretation



Weekly Theme
Historical


Did You Know?

All but one of the following words traces back to Latin prehendere, meaning "to seize." Which word doesn't belong?

apprehend - comprehend - misprision - misprize - prison - surprise

It's easy to see the prehendere connection in apprehend and comprehend, whereas you may be surprised that surprise is from prehendere (via Anglo-French susprendre, meaning "to capture" or "to take by surprise"). Prison, too, is from prehendere by way of Anglo-French. And misprision comes to us by way of Anglo-French mesprisun ("error, wrongdoing"), from mesprendre ("to take by mistake"), itself from prehendere. The only word that's out of place is misprize, meaning "to despise" or "to undervalue." It's ultimately from Latin pretium, meaning "value," but—in a trick move that perhaps only English could pull off—misprize has also given us a related noun meaning "contempt, scorn," in the form of an etymologically distinct misprision.

[Lovely Complex]

tallied! -Brit

Title: Not The Files You're Looking For.
Tags: [NA]
Word of the Day: Misprison
Theme: Historical.
Word Count: 305

The consult sat behind his desk and readied himself to sign off the official documents of the case that he just did. A knock came over his door as he yelled for the person behind the door to come in. Shockingly enough, it was a well-dressed female, who heels clicked against the floor because she walked with purpose. She stood in front of the desk, leaned forward and grasped the sides of the desk. "You lied." She muttered toward the male, who looked up from his documents up at her. "You imprisoned the wrong person." She slapped her hand against the desk then stood upright, eyes focused on the male that sat before her.

"You dare to come in here and accuse me?" The consult said before the female scoffed and headed towards the door but paused just over the threshold. "You mark my words because you will pay." She spoke then continued onward to walk away. The consult got up to close the door then stood back first against it, breathing heavily because he knew what he had just done. Of course, he did. The consult scurried over to find the files relating to the recent imprisonment of the wronged suspect then stored them away. What he did was considered a misprision by himself and the courts but mostly himself.

Once he stored the documents away, he sat back down as if nothing happened then heard another knock. It was that female with another representative of the court, who stormed inside of his office to rummage for the files. The representative opened up the drawer where he stored the files away and the consult gasped before he collapsed onto the floor beneath them. The female gasped dramatically before the representative closed the drawer, which he did not check to check on the collapsed fellow.

[Peripherie]

Title: A heavy burden
Word of the Day: travail: work especially of a painful or laborious nature : toil
Word Count: 198
Theme: none
Storyteller: yes!
tallied! -Brit



The drive was long but that wasn't really a bad thing. In fact, she had made sure to take the day long trip and stretch it out over a very long weekend. Multiple pit spots, a few overnights at motels, lots of refueling and eating along the way. To say she wasn't looking forward to this little reunion was a massive understatement. The travails of demigods seemed more feasible than what she was about to do; certainly much less painful. Pulling into the long, familiar driveway sent the butterflies in her stomach surging up to lodge in her throat. Everything was loud. The crunch of her tiles on the gravel path and the loud hum of her engine seemed to make the world vibrate. Once parked and out she tried to shut her car door as softly as possible but even that trumpeted her arrival.

They didn't know she was coming. She hadn't called. It had been on purpose? Was she worried that they would tell her not to come? Or was it more her fear of someone actually picking up the phone and saying hello? Perhaps both.

The screened door creaked and welcomed her home.

"Hi, mom."

[Peripherie]

Title: Don't argue with me.
Word of the Day: issuable: authorized for issue
Word Count: 226
Theme: none
Storyteller: yes!
tallied! -Brit



"It's final." The moments the words were out of his mouth he knew he had baited an unintentional trap.

"That's odd that you say that about something that quite literally means 'a claim to be disputed'." He rolled his eyes at his very smart and far too comfortable assistant.

"I wasn't talking about the lawsuit, Darcy." He stood up and walked over the blue piece of paper, handing it to her.

"And so, then, what is this?" She was being intentionally obtuse and droll to pull him into a conversation meant to change his mind. Who was the attorney here? "Your lunch order for tomorrow?"

He scooped up his coat and hat. He knew it was unfair to her, to give her this burden on a Friday afternoon without warning. But it couldn't be helped.

"You know exactly what a subpoena is." He started to dress for the cold weather that mid-Autumn brought around these parts.

When she started to protest, he raised a gloved hand. "It's issuable, time-sensitive, and not up for your discussion. You will take it up to Richmond for me and drop it off before the concert."

"No, I won.... wait, what concert?" Her eyes shifted to the folded blue packet in her hands that concealed something below it.

He smiled as he shut his office door and heard happy curses inside.

Happy Birthday, Darcy.

[Daeva]

Today's Word of the Day is....

redoubtable
adjective rih-DOUT-uh-bul


Definition

1 : causing fear or alarm : formidable
2 : illustrious, eminent; broadly : worthy of respect



Weekly Theme
Historical


Did You Know?

The word redoubtable is worthy of respect itself, if only for its longevity. It has been used in English for things that cause fear, dread, and apprehension since at least the 15th century and comes to us through Middle English from the Anglo-French verb reduter, meaning "to dread." That word comes ultimately from Latin dubitare, "to be in doubt" (by way of Anglo-French duter, douter, meaning "to doubt," also the source of English doubt). Things or people that are formidable and alarming can also inspire awe and even admiration, and it wasn't long before the meaning of redoubtable was extended from "formidable" to "illustrious" and "worthy of respect."

[Mellific]

tallied! -Brit

Title: Magic Hands
Word of the Day: Repertoire
Theme: Modern
Storyteller: Yes



Simon had more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Quite literally, too, considering he was actually a magician. He started by performing birthday parties for the younger kids in the neighborhood where he grew up. Through word of mouth, his business grew. Eventually he went from parties to events and the occasional table magic at a restaurant.

While most people didn’t enjoy being bothered during their meals, Simon had more than magic in his repertoire. He also knew how to turn up his charm, especially when it came to speaking with the ladies. Tables filled with women and their alcoholic beverages were his favorite.