~ Word of the Day ~

[persephone325]

The adventurers were known to depredate all the alcohol in the tavern after they returned from an adventure. Much to the dismay of the tavern owner.

[Autumn52]

As Kendal sat behind the closed and locked door she waited. She waited for the man she had loved since she was nothing but a girl. The woman she had become was cynical and in some ways depraved. She sat with a sawed off shot gun in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Her glass of bourbon was not far away but it was the half empty bottle that sat on the floor which told more of a story. Kendal had been on the receiving end of a beating earlier in the night. She decided, after the last blow, that she couldn't or perhaps wouldn't, take it anymore. Steven had left for the evening and she knew where he was headed. After a beating he always headed over to his mistress. She knew why but at this point she didn't even care anymore. He had been cheating on her for so long that she wanted him to go to his mistress. When he was there, it meant he was not at home finding fault with all she did and said.


As Kendal heard the car door slam shut, she imagined him walking up the lighted path to the door. She heard the key enter the lock after several attempts. The clicking sound was so loud that in her ears it sounded like breaking glass. She threw her cigarette butt on the tile floor and cocked the gun. Then she waited for what seemed like several minutes. In reality it was only a few seconds before Steven walked into the door. The sound of the shot gun was so loud that it depredated all other sounds.


Kendal stood over Steven as the buck shot had not completely killed him. She watched as he bled and cried for help. She smiled and reloaded. "Oh Steven, of course I will help you my love." Her voice was raspy and her lip so swollen that the words she spoke were hard to understand, even in her own ears. She cocked the gun again and smiled looking down at him, "Does it hurt? Does it just sting or does it truly hurt?" He looked at her as if her words had no meaning. She shrugged and pulled the trigger on her fathers beautifully polished gun. This time she knew the blast would totally depredate his entire head. In fact, at this close range she doubted he would even have a face and that thought gave her a little more pleasure than it should have.

[Shores]

The large boulder flew through the air and depredated the castle walls, much to the consternation of the King. There was only one thing he could do now, and he hurried down to the dungeons, releasing the celestial monster from it's slumber.

[Dys Astyr]

Today's word of the day is....

hebetude
noun HEB-uh-tood
Definition
1 : lethargy, dullness

[corvusul86]

As the moon blocked the sun a great sense of hebetude filled me.  My powers faded, and for just a few minutes I wasn't Solaria, defender of Truth and Justice.  I was just Karyn again, college dropout and amateur artist.  I spent those minutes staring up at the daytime stars, tears streaming down my face as a rictus of smile split my lips, until finally, with a flash my powers returned as I saw at the sun once again.

[Autumn52]

The painting was nothing but an expression of her sorrow and hope. As she studied the smallest details of the beautiful mountains a sense of hebetude settled into her soul. Before she could stop herself the hebetude overtook her and she began slashing at the mountain scape she had just minutes before so meticulously painted. Diane knew her situation was one of her own making. The solution was simple enough but could she do it? Without thinking the muscles through her entire body tightened. She walked away with a sense of purpose leaving the marred bits of the painting strewn across her studio floor.

[ZephyrInk]

The hug was a perfunctory gesture for him to cling onto her, to fill the emptiness he had felt earlier in the night and in that moment he didn’t know whether she would hug him back or pull away. He just needed her to be there, in order for him to stay sane after all of tonight, yes he needed her. The hebetude of all that they had faced in that week came rushing back to him as he sat there.

He had only hoped he could somehow alleviate their problems, but as of late even that had become difficult. With his job on the line, a possible war and his mounting frustration how were they to curb the situation now? It scared him even more that he was helpless and he tightened his embrace.

[Dys Astyr]

Today's word of the day is....

nobby
adjective NAH-bee

Definition
1 : cleverly stylish : chic, smart

[corvusul86]

From the outside it didn't look like much, but Meredith knew that appearances could be deceiving.  Before she got out of her car she took a moment to inspect her own appearance one last time.  Her makeup was perfect, and a few moments with her hairbrush ensured that her hair was just the way that she wanted it.  She couldn't see it in the reflection, but her little black dress wasn't ostentatious, although it was extremely expensive, a fact that was pretty obvious to anyone with an eye for quality.

She strutted up to the front of the building, enjoying the appreciative look the bouncer gave her behind his dark sunglasses.  "Can I help you, ma'am?" he rumbled when she came close enough to hear.

Meredith made a subtle gesture, using her body to block any outsiders from seeing.  Her fingertip began to glow, and she drew a complex rune in the air, giving him several long seconds to read it before letting it fade away.  He gave her a nod and opened the door, and she swept past him quickly, eager to be inside.

For what was effectively a nightclub The Cauldron was surprisingly classy.  People danced and gyrated wildly on the main floor, but they were all dressed in formal attire rather than clubbing clothing, and it made them look far more refined than they likely were.  Surrounding the dance floor were leather booths and tables with perfect white cloths, and sitting at these locations were people in nobby clothing discussing business or simply relaxing.

The focal point of the room was the stage where the entertainment was performing.  Meredith had never seen a real siren before, but the scaly, shark toothed woman crooning into the microphone could be little else, and she took a moment to ensure that her magical defenses were fully intact before examining the band, not wanting to be enraptured by the magical music.  The rest of the performers looked more normal, with the exception of several men and women with pointed ears, and one man with horns.

With a smirk Meredith allowed the illusion hiding her wolf ears to fade away, brushing her hair into place with her fingers for a moment before strutting into the room, eager to introduce herself to her new home's magical community.

[Shores]

She adjusted her nobby hat, applied a fresh coat of lipstick and then went out to conquer the world. Like the blue hat with white trim, she was in a similarly coloured dress and that made all the difference in the world.

[persephone325]

The man knew he would easily get the job as he looked at the other applicants. None of them were dressed in such a nobby style as he was.

[Autumn52]

As Terri cut the pattern for her newest creation, she knew that this nobby dress would get her noticed. The man and woman that she had secretly desired for almost 2 years would have to notice her style and class. Three and a half hours later she sported this low cut, no back red dress. She was confident that she would be picked tonight.

[ZephyrInk]

Many critics would have argued that the fedora hat that he had donned with the casual shorts and t-shirt seemed to be an out of place accessory but the minute the runway walk had been completed, everyone in the hall agreed that it had been a nobby addition and a bold one at that.

"I think I'll remember this piece just because of that little surprise there, don't you think?" One of them had chortled over to the stranger sitting next to them and they nodded fervently. "Definitely" came the reply. 

[Dys Astyr]

Today's word of the day is....

flagrant
adjective FLAY-grunt

Definition
1 : conspicuously offensive; especially : so obviously inconsistent with what is right or proper as to appear to be a flouting of law or morality

[corvusul86]

"And that's another goal!" Bill shouted into his mic.  "That puts the Marganath Throatslitters up 4-2 over the American Patriots!"

"I have never seen such a flagrant disregard for the rules of Death Ball," Andwina said, shaking her head sadly, her tiara glinting in the light of the announcer's booth.  "The last game I called that even came close was when the Celestials used their daylight auras to turn the entire team from Transylvania to dust right on the pitch."

"It has been a bloody one, folks," Bill agreed.  "For those of you keeping track, Garbick One Eye just used his infamous Death Pogo to leap over the entire American defense in order to set up that shot, taking advantage of the distraction caused by the pack of worgs the goblin cheerleaders released earlier.  And... uh oh, it looks like the Americans aren't going to put up with this for much longer..."

"What is that Bill?" Andwina asked.  "I'm not too familiar with the changes in human technology since I last visited their world in 1022."

"That, Andy, is an M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank," Bill said.  "And... oh... look at what that cannon did to poor Falgus the Goutful.  All I can see is gouts of blood after he got hit with that hypersonic 105mm round."

"And here come the referees," Andwina said.  "That's going to be at least a yellow card for the Americans."

"Uh oh, they don't look very happy about it," Bill said.  "I don't know about you, but I think it's pretty brave of that Ref to wave that card around right in front of the tank's main gun."

"Stupid, I'd say," Andwina said with a wince.  "It's going to take the janitors weeks to clean him up."

"But the Americans are making good use of the distraction!" Bill shouted.  "And... they've done it!  They're now down just one goal!"

"What will the Dark Lord of Marganath do to even things up after that little display, Bill?"

"I don't know, Andy, but I suspect we'll find out shortly," he answered.  "It's hard to see, given that he's an amorphous entity of pure hatred rather than having corporeal form, but if I'm not mistaken he's casting a spell... and he is!  Wow, that's some crater.  I guess the goblins won't have to worry about the tank any longer!"

"And now it's time for a commercial break," Andwina said.  "This years Death Ball championship was brought you by Shambhala brand Crystal Balls.  Spy on your enemies, peep on your neighbors, if you want a clear picture buy Shambhala."

[Autumn52]

Jenny flagrantly disregarded her mom's instructions. She was sure that she could make the leap without falling. As soon as her mother's back was turned she jumped from the mantle to the beautifully decorated tree. Her mom turned around just in time to see Jenny so proudly take her Christmas tree to the floor. Jenny brought her mother the star that had once sat at the top of the now toppled Christmas tree.

[Shores]

His breaking of the law was so flagrant that the passing policeman had to arrest him for it. He was selling his hamburgers right in front of the train station, and had gotten into a food fight with the hot dog seller on the opposite platform.

[Dys Astyr]

Today's word of the day is....

opine
verb oh-PYNE

Definition
1 : to express opinions
2 : to state as an opinion

[corvusul86]

"Alright, so that's the script," the producer said after everyone had a chance to look it over.  "Any notes?"

"Do you want our honest opinions?" the director asked.

"Of course," the producer said, nodding firmly.

"Well, just for starters, this is the worst script I've ever seen in my life," he said.

"I'm pretty sure dying from cancer would be less excruciating than reading that," the lead actress opined.

"Whoever provided the script should be fired, and they should be blacklisted," the lead actor added.

"Honestly, just for bringing it forward, I've got severe doubts about this entire industry," another woman said, still flipping through the script with a horrified expression on her face.

The producer flushed, clearing his throat.  "Yes, well... I thought my son wrote a very nice script..."

[Jail Rose]

Bryson was scrolling through his friends' Facebook posts. He had been doing this for about ten hours already. His mother was starting to get worried, and he got a reprimanding from his mom because of it.

He could still remember her scolding him from earlier.

"You should stop for a while and rest, Bry," She scolded. "You've been surfing the internet for the last ten hours already! Seriously, get some sleep!"

"Oh, come on, Mom! I'm fine!" He retorted back, his eyes still on the screen of the laptop. "Why don't you just leave me alone and be on your own business?"

His mother groaned in annoyance, rolling her eyes and cocking her head to the side. "Urgh, children!"

He rolled his eyes at the memory. Huh, your typical mom... He thought, chuckling to himself.

Once he got to Amethyst's post, his eyes widened in horror.

"Seriously, I hate Harry Potter very much! You know why?! He's an overrated little ass with nothing but magic sprawled all over him! I can take flames, people! If you ever see this post, go ahead and shout at me! I was just opining!"

His eye twitched. Bryson is a fan of Harry Potter, you know. In fact, he's such a fanboy of the fictional character that he could flame Amethyst for being such a hater.

With furrowed eyebrows, he began to comment down her post. There were quite a few people, mostly their friends, who commented and questioned the blonde about why she hated him so much that she had to post something about it.

"Uh, you do know that what you just opined about him can cause you serious trouble with the fans, right? Why don't you keep these kinds of opinions to yourself?"

A few minutes later, he saw a reply from Amethyst.

"Oh, so you're flaming on me now because I know you're a fanboy of Harry Potter, eh? Fat chance, glass boy."

Bryson flicked his eyeglasses in annoyance that it might fall and break in a minute.

"I thought you can handle flames?"

"Of course I can! Nothing is going to stop me from talking about it!"

"Well, I have an opinion. Why don't you keep yourself from opining about these things? You don't want to mess with Harry Potter fans. Not to mention, there are too many of them, Amy.

"So I suggest you hide these opinions to yourself. Do it in an appropriate way.

"Do remember that it's just me opining about your behavior."

[Shores]

"This pizza has too little cheese!" The chef opined.

"There!" He grabbed a handful and tossed it on the pizza. He didn't stop tossing until the whole container of cheese had been emptied. "Is this enough for you?"

[Dys Astyr]

Today's word of the day is....

picaresque
adjective pik-uh-RESK

Definition
1 : of or relating to rogues or rascals; also : of, relating to, suggesting, or being a type of fiction dealing with the episodic adventures of a usually roguish protagonist

[corvusul86]

"Come on, think about it," John said, leaning against his motorcycle.  "They'd never be able to catch us.  It'd just be us against the world!"

"And how do you think that would end, John?" Cindy demanded.  "How would the two of us against the world go?"

John snorted.  "They'd never catch us.  Between my skill and your abilities-"

"Damn it, John!" Cindy interrupted.  "This is real life!  This isn't just some damn picaresque novel!  We can't just do crimes and ride off into the sunset!  The police talk to each other, the feds would get involved... we'd end up dead or in jail in no time at all!"

"Cindy, honey, we're better than them," John said.  "They'd never catch us."

"No, John," Cindy said, turning her back on him.  "They really would.  I'd hoped... I thought maybe we could be something.  That you'd grow up... I actually thought when you called me out here you were going to ask me to marry you."

"I am!" he objected, pulling out a ring box.  "I was just talking about what we'd do after!"

"And it's not enough," Cindy said.  "Life's not a game.  I'm ready to be an adult, but you aren't.  Goodbye, John."

[Shores]

I never set out to write a picaresque novel, but this is what my work and my life has become. And so you shall inherit a legacy that was never yours to begin with, but has been pushed into your hands. In order to complete my life's work, you must continue with my journey, encounter even more adventures than I could, so that you can amass enough wealth and one day get revenge for your grandfather. The governor will try to stop you but I think you will be able to hold your own with the tools I am about to gift you.

[Majere Dreavan]

A loud crash sounded, ringing in the ears of anyone close enough. A metal folding chair struck against the red brick wall beside a side stepping young woman. She had skirted the large projectile, causing her long black hair to flare. Rage burned in her bright, cyan eyes. Matching the fury of her sudden opponent, she launched toward him. Her bright white dress did little to hinder her, as her strength tore through that fabric as needed. As she appeared to fly past a table, her hand wrapped around the handle of a long knife. Seeing her close the distance, the tall man she oppugned knelt under her thrust. The picaresque waif of a woman moved past him. She landed easily and lunged backward with the knife, aiming for his neck, under his short cut red hair.

When his hand caught her wrist, He pulled her up by it. Lifting the roguish woman off her feet and staring into those azurite eyes with his own scarlet orbs. Spit hit his face, moments before a knee hit his crotch. He buckled and dropped his prize but not gently. Her shock from a hard fall froze her for a precious few seconds. That gave her enemy a chance to gaze with a little bit of wonder at the tattered dress and fierce demeanor of the woman. He remembered the contract, and how he had thought it was easy. 'Never underestimate a creature enraged'. He had been warned, but how could a simple human bride put up such a fight. He now understood how she listed as a dangerous thief. But no one stole from SolaTech, without meeting him at some point. She reminded him of his misstep again, leaping back out of his range. From her hand flew the knife with an accuracy that was surely trained. Her aim was for his heart, and he hadn't the speed or time to evade the point. He stuck his hand out, letting the blade push into his palm. He ripped the bleeding knife out of his hand and squeezed a fist. He looked up only in time to see a veritable torrent of knives flying toward him. He back flipped atop a table, kicking the rear of it down and sliding behind it. He lifted it with difficulty, using the heavy wooden table as a shield against the knives.

He looked at the blood exuding from the wound in his hand. His vision shifted red. He reached out and licked a drop of it, causing his eyes to darken even more. His body began to quake, his skin paling. He tossed aside the table with more ease than he had lifted it. The berserk nature causing that familiar poison, adrenaline, to fill his blood stream. He would finally catch the upper hand in his short fight. He ran at her, slapping aside knives and plates and even spoons. Her desperation seemed to increase as he drew near. His fist slammed into the brick wall, beside where the chair had struck earlier. It found purchase, and depredated the bricks under his knuckles.  He spun , as the ebonhaired rogue gave his attack the slip a second time here. His eyes went wide, he had forgotten about her armed guards after taking them down. The pain of bullet wounds burned in his chest and stomach. He should have never been so careless. She stared into his eyes as his pain rose, eliciting a primal yell and one last, desperate lunge. She took a simple step back and with one of the guns she grabbed from a guard took a few more shots. She ended his pain, and his mission. "Boss is going to be so mad at me.." were his last words.