~ Word of the Day ~

Started by Blythe, March 21, 2017, 01:41:05 PM

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Shores

“Did you understand what he was saying?”

“No, he was being his usual ambiguous self again.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Forget about that. Tell me about your new job.”

“Well, it just sounds glamorous. It’s not as good as it sounds and the pay certainly isn’t enough for what I put up with.”

“Ooo, that sounds exciting. What is it?”

“It’s, erhm, well, it’s kind of like research, but maybe more medical in nature, but then again, maybe I should classify it as communications or public relations.”

“What is it? What’s the title?”

“I don’t really have a title actually. More like I’m just an intern running about. I wish I did have a title though. Makes it easier to describe it. But then…”

“Why not invent one?”

“What? Invent a title for my job?”

“Yes! So at least it makes it easier to tell people what it is you do. Hey, if it’s any good, you could even suggest it to your boss.”

She paused, leaning against the counter and swirling her wine glass, deep in thought. What exactly would she give herself as a title? She had just taken the paid-by-hour job when it came up without much negotiation, since the pay had been good.

“So, what’s your made-up job title?” Her friend prodded.

“Henchwoman. To a slightly deranged but well-meaning man.”

Sofia Grace

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

hummock
noun HUM-uk

Definition
1 : a rounded knoll or hillock
2 : a ridge of ice
3 : a fertile area in the southern United States and especially Florida that is usually higher than its surroundings and that is characterized by hardwood vegetation and deep humus-rich soil
i am a fire
gasoline, come pour yourself all over me
we'll let this place go down in flames
only one more time

[ O/O ] [ A/A ]

Shores

A picnic on a hummock was just what the doctor ordered. He unpacked his basket of goodies. A smorgasbord of cold cuts, hard cheeses, fruits, breads, and chocolates dominated the red blanket he had laid out. Ah, time to relax. He lay back down on the grassy rise and admired the blue sky, occasionally picking at the food.

It was around his fifth bite, when the salty salami was coating his tastebuds, when odd things started happening in the sky. A plane would have been normal, except it flew a lot lower than he was used to, his eardrums complaining. He chalked that up to being in the countryside and having more lax aviation laws here. Then a trio of hot air balloons floated overhead, all tied together, as if heading somehwere rather than enjoying the scenery. When a flock of birds including a pelican, seagull, and a crane flew together past him, he sat up with a frown and looked around. The countryside was starting to freak him out. Time to go home and play the latest sci-fi horror game instead.

Flower

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

upbraid
verb up-BRAYD

Definition
1 : to criticize severely : find fault with
2 : to reproach severely : scold vehemently

dead radio

Hello there! I'm a newbie and, well, this is my first shot (no pun intended!) at the "Word of the Day". So, there we go:

It already happened before. Bill, one of our colleagues at the supermarket, was the kind of guy who would mess up during the inventory or give the wrong amount of change to a customer. Minor accidents, though, that usually ended up with Joe, the store manager, scolding him in front of the rest of us. It was almost painful to watch this forty-something-man treated as a third-grader. Now, bear in mind that Bill was sensitive and shy. Father of two, divorced, he lived in a shack downtown and had his kids around once every two weeks or so. At lunch break, he would sit alone in our store room and eat his sandwich - the same one, with ham and mayo, every-single-day-of-work. He barely spoke to us, nor did we make any effort to actually break the ice. He lived in his world, surely a dysfunctional one, but he seemed to make things work, for better or worse. Except that this time - this time - Bill messed up big. None of us knew what actually happened, but when Joe's voice cracked through the speakers and summoned Bill to his office, we all knew this was serious. Maybe this time Joe would not just upbraid him. Maybe he would fire Bill, as he threatened to do for a while now. Bill closed the register and dragged himself through the store. I recall his smile as he walked by me. We heard him knocking at Joe's door. He opened it and disappeared inside. The next thing we heard was a gunshot.

Shores

As my mum upbraided my sister, I snuck past her. Up the spiral staircase I went, round and round. Today was the day. I ran over to the window at the topmost room, sitting down on the perch.

“Come on, come on.” I blew on my hands, trying to keep warm as the icy landscape greeted me with a chilly gust. “There you are!”

I ducked as the falcon flew in and landed on the tree stump in the center of the room. I jumped up and untied the container from his leg, breaking open the seal and pulling out the parchment within.

Reinforcements have failed. Escape.

I ran back down to my mum to give her the news, my heart beating faster than my footsteps.

Flower

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

junket
noun JUNK-ut

Definition
1 : a dessert of sweetened flavored milk set with rennet
2 a : a festive social affair
b : trip, journey: such as (1) : a trip made by an official at public expense (2) : a promotional trip made at another's expense

Shores

“Are you sure we have enough in the budget for this junket?” I look at the senator sceptically.

“Of course, of course.” He waved his hand while reading the newspapers about the party yesterday.

“Don’t you think we should cut down on all the festivities and focus on work?”

“Don’t be a spoilsport. Christmas only comes once a year!”

“Christmas is in three months times!”

“It’s an early celebration. Can’t fault people for wanting to have fun!”

“But still, travelling all the way to Finland?”

“I want to meet Santa Claus.”

“Santa Claus is at the mall.”

“It’s establishing diplomatic ties overseas.”

“Santa Claus is not an ambassador.”

“I could make him one. Santa Claus could become our ambassador.”

“No, please stop. We'll make the trip.”

Flower

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

slough
verb SLUFF

Definition
1 : to cast off or become cast off
2 : to crumble slowly and fall away
3 : to get rid of or discard as irksome, objectionable, or disadvantageous

mioyumyum

The snake was more powerful than it had been before; because it was magic, the elvish tribe that attempted to ban it from their forest only made the problem worse. Not better. She would be a formidable opponent now that she was provoked; she had been transported from The Serpent Isle from a cargo boat, where she was resting.

Having now hitched a ride to the mainland of Carpania, and having traveled long to find a source of food and sustenance, the mystical snake had decided to make its home among the ruin elves of the forest. For a little while, the only thing the serpent needed were the occasional rodents or mice that scattered about. Soon, though, her appetite grew. Soon fairies became part of the meal and perhaps medium sized animals such as wolves ... such as wolves that ruled the forest along with the elves.

Having captured and killed the chief elfin's wolf, the snake was suddenly seized upon by the tribe. While the battle was glorious and the elves felt they took the victory after seeing the dead body of the snake, little did they know that magical snakes regenerated and *sloughed* the old skin and the old nature, recreating their outer shell with the components of whatever was around it (in this case, the debris of the forest).

Whereas the chief's wolf was a fine meal, the serpent was now planning on how to get the rest of them. Perhaps she would eventually grow big enough to begin eating the elves themselves. 

Shores

Her right hand ran along her left arm, sloughing off the herbal mud. She watched it fall in clumps on the shower floor. A rose-scented shampoo and soap later, and she finally felt refreshed. Having to fight so hard for so long was taking a toll not just on her muscles, but also on her mind. She could feel her mind singing in enjoyment at her physical body being pampered. What she wouldn’t give to have this every day.

Autumn52

As Virginia wound her way through the massive caverns she sloughed off the decaying skin which was once so beautiful. She knew she no longer needed such trivial things. The place which she was going had no use for beauty or even the physical body that she had once clung to. Once Virginia knew where her journey would end, she knew she had no more choices, no more mistakes. All that was left for her to do was slough off all the things that tied her to the physical world, including leaving behind the man she had spent the better part of 40 years training. Virginia had groomed Steven to take her place once she had been called to the Master. She had looked forward to this day but now that it had arrived she had regrets and questions about why she could not bring her beautiful physical body? Why did she have to leave so much behind? Why did she have so many questions about what was ahead? Had she pleased the Master? Was her apprehension wrong?

Virginia rounded the last curve in the cavern to see the Master waiting at the end. Her fear melted away. Her soul felt reunited with something that had been missing, something she had never found in her 600 plus years as a humanoid. Her search was over as she merged with her higher self. She was home and there were no more questions, no more doubts. For the first time in a long time she felt at peace. At long last.....Peace.
May light guide you through your turmoil and may darkness never cross your path.

White Light be upon you if that is your wish

Beautiful Mystery

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

lethargic
adjective luh-THAHR-jik

Definition
1 : of, relating to, or characterized by laziness or lack of energy : feeling or affected by lethargy : sluggish
2 : indifferent, apathetic
Check A/A
The devil doesn't come dressed in a red cape and pointy horns.
He comes dressed as everything you have wished for.
O2//A2//Request//Boudoir

Autumn52

#88
Sofia began her drive to the school with a lethargic attitude. It seemed that she spent her days just doing the day in and day out, same things over and over. Upon her arrival at the school she noticed most of the staff had already arrived which put her into a panic. Had she forgotten another staff meeting? She had walked the same hallways for over 5 years. As she entered the building there was an eerie silence that almost cut like a knife. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand up and a chill crawled down her spine. With all the staff vehicles in the parking lot Sofia couldn't understand why things were so quite. The normal routine was that by this time of morning Mr. Baskin was testing the PA system and doing the morning bell checks. Students weren't allowed into the building until all checks had been made. Which is why Sofia could not understand the silence of the building. No teachers in the hallways, no noise of any kind. The silence made her so uneasy that she checked her watch just to make sure of the date and time.

It had been almost a year since her fiance had been killed in a car jacking. Her lethargic attitude towards her students and the faculty had not gone unnoticed. All of her coworkers tried to be understanding, but her work had suffered, and in turn her students suffered. She had been talked to by the school counselor but it had not done any good. Sofia did not give any credence to all that mumbo jumbo that those psychologist put so much stock into. She knew her life ended when her soul mate had been killed, she was just waiting for the shell that she had become to stop breathing. Lethargy, when left unchecked, had a way of sucking the soul out of a living corpse. That is what Sofia had become, a corpse.

She walked up and down the hallways calling out to the other staff members. Finally she heard the slightest sound coming from Mr. Porters room. She reached for the door knob and had to try twice before she was brave enough to turn the knob. Her jaw dropped as she tried to make sense out of what her eyes could not fully understand. The scene before her was something from a horror movie not a ninth grade class room. She covered her mouth and screamed silently into her arm. Her apathy had been replaced with something far worse........Spine chilling FEAR.
May light guide you through your turmoil and may darkness never cross your path.

White Light be upon you if that is your wish

Arianna

"Wake up, momma, we will be late to school!" the curly, blonde angel kept moaning while jumping on the bed. She waved in response and started getting up, slowly.
"Okay, Kara, I hear you, sweetie. Have you brushed your teeth?" she barely managed as she looked at the clock showing 7:42 am. The little girl jumped on the floor and ran towards the bathroom. She looked at Andrew who was leaning on the door frame, observing her while holding a coffee mug, along with a sweet, gentle smile.
Her last chemo treatment left her feeling lethargic every morning, and her nausea was increasingly bad. She leaned towards his strong chest and his arms welcomed her, like they did every time she did not feel like she was strong enough to go through this.
"You can stay home, Ava, you know I can drop her off on my way to work..." he gently whispered in her ear while kissing her warm skin.
"You are my rock." she pulled a few inches back, and looked into his eyes. "...we are strong, and we'll do this together. You know I will ask for help whenever I need it, right?"
"I trust you to..." he exhaled, crushing her to his chest, never wanting to let her go.
"Look, all sparkly!" Kara jumped behind them, showing them her shiny little baby teeth, grinning from ear to ear. As long as she had Kara and Andrew, she felt hope.

Shores

She was feeling so lethargic today. The heavy humid air hung over her head like an anchor. Even the curative powers of the air-conditioner wasn’t enough to override how hot it was outside. Urgh, why did it have to rain for such a short time, causing the sun to heat up the air water dense air? She wished she lived in a place where it was cold. Far better to walk around in layers than to be covered in a sheen of sweat all the time. Two showers a day wasn’t enough sometimes. Her mood was worsened when she saw what they would be doing today. Injecting lab rats with their latest experimental drug. Great, just what she needed on a day like today.

Theta Sigma

The name you choose is the one that defines you. Shapes you. The Doctor - A man who slaps plasters on situations to 'fix' them, with a ridiculous ego. The Master - A man with an absurd sense of power control and a ridiculous ego.
Not everybody took a name. It wasn't imperative. Some, they kept their original name. Most, rather.

Narvin. Braxiatel. Kotris.

Countless others.

The choice was rather nice.

The Cartographer was an obvious one. Fearful of TARDIS flight (who in Rassilon's name would want to take to a ship with an ever burning, ever dying star in the heart of it? The danger!), he remained here. On Gallifrey. Drawing star maps. Charts. Charting the past. The future. The potential future. The old, distant, possible past. Things that happened. Things that would never happen. Documenting time that had happened, time that would never happen. Places he would never go, never visit, he knew them by name. Co-ordinate. Date. Location.
(A personal favourite was 3.xA94Comegaalpha9C, D.1876epsilonDCzetaY3 because it contained a joke)
Alone.
Away from the politics, the thinly veiled drama of Time Lord life and society. Presidents came, went, their ego outstaying their welcome. Some lasted seconds. Others, well, they ran...

Still, the Cartographer remained.

O&Os
 
A&As/Tracker
They/Them pronouns



Beautiful Mystery

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

orientate
verb OR-ee-un-tayt

Definition
1 : to set or arrange in a definite position especially in relation to the points of the compass
2 : to acquaint with the existing situation or environment
3 : to direct (as a book or film) toward the interests of a particular group
Check A/A
The devil doesn't come dressed in a red cape and pointy horns.
He comes dressed as everything you have wished for.
O2//A2//Request//Boudoir

Shores

“Where is it? Where’s the snake?” He yelled down the communications link.

“I don’t know. I’m not getting visuals on camera three. I think it’s broken. He might be there.”

He pushed the joystick and orientated Erendiz towards where camera three should have been pointing at.

“Found him.”

The giant metallic snake was poised to strike. With a push of a button, Erendiz charged forward, its meaty paws landing down hard on the snake’s neck. But Erendiz’s skin and flesh was no match for the snake’s armour plates. Erendiz howled as the snake hissed.

Sofia Grace

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

fey
adjective FAY

Definition

1 : marked by a foreboding of death or calamity
2 a : marked by an otherworldly air or attitude
b : crazy, touched
3 a : excessively refined : precious
b : quaintly unconventional : campy
i am a fire
gasoline, come pour yourself all over me
we'll let this place go down in flames
only one more time

[ O/O ] [ A/A ]

Flower

The icy rain welcomed her with a deathlike embrace, errant droplets caressing down her slender neck, as it played a familiar lullaby against the rolling waves. She did not tremble nor lift her hand to fight against the cold threatening to engulf her skin. Instead, she closed her eyelids, thick lashes resting on her cheeks, as she felt the call of thunder as much as heard it against her ears.

Somewhere, in the distance, the wind carried his voice, a desperate and pleading sound. She did not glance over her shoulder, for fear that her frail strength might crumble at the sight of his searching silhouette. It was too late for them. Her path was one which could not be trifled with. The cost of her defiance was entirely too great. She could no longer hide nor run from what she was.

Brown tendrils matted to her cheeks, she toed off her Mary Janes and sloughed aside the navy blue umbrella. A deep exhale escaped her mouth as she pulled the heavy leather hood atop her head. The slow trek began towards the ocean until the waves lapped at her thighs.

“Iris!”

Salty tears slipped from her face as tears trickled down her face. And yet, even as sadness caused a pang in her chest,  she experienced a faint twinge of gratefulness to finally be home. Lightning shattered the sky into pieces as the woman vanished into the black waves.

Shores

The puttering car pulled up in front of the speakeasy. She exited with a fey look to her face and fashion. A floaty dress and a feathered hat with a diamante pouch. Revealing fashion for a cold day. It was flamboyant yet felt right with the way she used her hip to push open the wooden door, not wanting to dirty her gloved hands.

“I’m looking for the proprietor of this establishment.” She announced her presence.

“Bartender’s in the back, lady.” He swung around in his chair and thumbed over his shoulder towards the kitchen.

Her heels clicked across the polished floor and his chair swung back as he watched her go.

Nico

Virtuosity

"The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude." - Friedrich Nietzsche

It is said that excellence is a point of view. But - isn't everything a point of view, in the end? Maybe even a means to an end? Some people likely would be tempted to claim that excellence was fey. Whatever it is, there was beauty in excellence, in virtuosity. Or maybe beauty was virtuosity as well.

In the course of centuries past, excellence was created by mankind, much like ugliness and terror was created. That was how things always had been. Beauty and ugliness, passion and pain. Good and evil. Just a heartbeat after mankind had god, they also had the devil. Something to conquer the good, like day and night.

All a matter of standards. Points of views. Impressions.

Did he believe himself to be beautiful? As beautiful as people claimed he was? Might as well be, but he probably wasn't jaded enough to let it dominate him. He also wasn't naive enough to believe that he could control it. Or the opinion people had. It was like a branding right on his forehead, invisible but there for all the world to see. Manipulated opinions, jaded by other peoples perceptions. It was like the plague, was it not? So contagious, those claims. Some of those people were influential enough to destroy a person with a mere word, with the only intention to lift another person onto the throne in a matter of seconds. But for what means? Theirs? The person they lifted there? Hard to tell, that.

Just.. a simple line on Instagram, more often than not. More was not necessary to destroy someone these days.

Of course, the young man was aware of it, and he was quite intent to not let himself be made into a victim of their plans, a toy for those people. In an industry were only beauty mattered, traits such as intelligence, a beautiful mind and compassion often were overlooked. Too many fell prey to stupor, ending up lethargic, sometimes even out of choice. Strolling along in shallow junkets made of spotlight and illusions, just to conquer the loneliness in their hearts. For shame, though. Beauty in an empty shell withered fast, crushed and broken under the next best stone and just as quickly forgotten. Like a butterfly in the wind. It was like an instrument played by unskilled hands.

Talk about instruments and unskilled hands.

"It is beyond a doubt that all our knowledge begins with experience." - Immanuel Kant

The young man certainly didn't believe himself to be a master when it came to the violin. Not yet at least and maybe never. Even this was a point of view, yes? But in this regard, he was probably as jaded as the people calling him 'the measure of all things' when it came to beauty. However, it was something that helped him escape now and then, orientate his mind and let the notes carry him into a beautiful place. Each stroke of the bow was like a step, each note flowing from the violin opening a new door, even if he couldn't let go of the thought that he was not good enough. It was, more than likely, his determination driving him, his inherent desire to put effort into anything he did. And thus, the young man tried to educe lovely tunes from his violin, trying to at least give some honour to Vivaldi's Autumn. A difficult task, indeed. This particular composition was a masterpiece. True virtuosity.

This one composition was his favourite. Ever since he first heard his aunt play it, when he was a young boy. Maybe it made itself home in his unconsciousness, leaving quite the impression for the years to come. It still carried the warmth of summer, colourful and vivid like autumn colours and not leaving out the stark reminder of the coming winter, merciless in its own way, chilly and unforgiving. A lovely composition, indeed. When he closed his eyes and when he let the bow caress the strings he could lose himself in the moment. This was freedom, no doubt. It was intimate, intense and maybe even erotic in the way the bow caressed the strings, enticing them to bring forth wonderful tunes. Even better when he was doing it alone in a room, just the moonlight, the candles baptizing the room in a warm, flickering light. He never played for an audience, or anyone but himself in the last years. A measure to escape, no doubt - not once the thought of enticing another human being had crossed his mind, yet. Maybe he should. One day. There was virtuosity in how he handled the instrument, in the way he poured effort into his play.  Even though - an expert would say that the young man was in dire need of some more guidance, focus, maybe encouragement. But neither was out of reach nor in the realm of the impossible.

Not bad at all, for someone most people wouldn't give credit for more than being a beautiful face, posing for the cameras, inspiring others. Shallow, jaded and vain. Just a means to an end. A commodity. Then again, he couldn't care less about what people thought about him, especially those that were convinced of the aforementioned. The young man was confident enough to know who he was, what he was capable of, who he wanted to be one distant day. The whole world was at his feet at the tender age of twenty. So much to explore, so much to learn and discover. He was hungry for knowledge, for experiences. The door was wide open - and it might as well be considered virtuosity to make that first step forward - into a new world.

There was much beauty in the unknown. And as much danger.

Caedy

#98
May 2nd's word of the day is...


Majordomo
noun may-jer-DOH-moh

Definition
1 : a head steward of a large household (such as a palace)
2 : butler, steward
3 : a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another; broadly : the person who runs an enterprise




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


refurbish
verb rih-FER-bish

Definition
1. to brighten or freshen up : renovate
No New Games At This Time
A/A updated Important: 6/2/17
Caedy's Pretty Things (SFW&NSFW)
Blog: My Bullet Journal Journey
Word of the Day
~...still like air, I'll Rise...~ Maya Angelou

ZephyrInk

Jessa walked down the steps into the dimly lit passage, one hand holding onto the coffee mug that threatened spillage at any moment. The trail of her robes cleaned the floor as she weaved her way from one space to another but she didn’t seem to mind.

Poking her head inside the study, she noticed her husband hacking away on the keyboard and smiled ever so slightly, “should we refurbish the attic too, dear?”

She couldn’t help but smile at his reaction, a huff and a crease of the forehead told her he wasn’t too keen on the idea but she knew what to do. Slipping inside the room, she placed the overfilled mug onto the corner of the dusty desk and walked over to him, her arms slung around his shoulders and eyes locked with his.

“We’ll get through this together. Don’t worry” she coaxed and then shifted to hand him the coffee before leaving the room.