Word of the Day Challenge

Started by Britwitch, December 26, 2024, 12:42:15 PM

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Britwitch



Yes, Word of the Day, where we present you with a word that has been pulled from Merriam-Webster.com and challenge YOU (yes, you, the person reading this) to write something up using that word. Sounds simple enough, eh? Just a little something for you to do while waiting to see if you're approved (although approved members are encouraged to play along, too!!)

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!

Each week, there'll be a little random theme added on: horror, romance, poems, fantasy, slice of life, etcetera... If you feel like having an extra element to your piece, you can try to make sure that whatever you write is focused on that weekly theme! When you have posted a submission three times, you get a shiny new badge that you can put in your signature line, post in your Ons & Offs thread as a trophy, or completely ignore! Whatever you'd like! (Pending approval if you're not already approved, of course.)

HOLD ON... WHAT'S A BADGE??

Ah, an excellent question! You see, here at Elliquiy, there are a number of challenges and contests scattered all throughout the various boards. Some are run by the staff, some by members that are already approved. Often (but not always), if you complete a challenge, you will be awarded a small badge or icon. You can then post this badge somewhere to let others know of your prowess with the written word as well as your interests. Badges are optional treats, if you will. Some folks like to collect them, some don't. But if you're just starting off and looking for partners, it's a good way to let potential partners know that you are an involved and active writer!

Badges are awarded at 3 Posts; 25 Posts; 50 Posts; 100 Posts and 365 Posts - All post counts will reset at the first of each year!

PATRONS OF THE STORYTELLER'S CAFÉ...

I can announce that you'll earn 5 points for every piece you post over here in the WotD thread.
All you need to do is mention somewhere in your post that you're a café patron (by adding this badge at the bottom of your post perhaps) and I will make sure the points are tallied. ;D



[url=https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?board=398.0][img]https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/9/94/Cafeicon.png[/img][/url]

NOW, ON TO THE RULES!

Yes, there are rules, although they are mercifully few.

~ All content must be PG-13. Sorry, no exceptions.
~ No plagiarizing: any submissions have to be original.
~ No posting the Word of the Day definition posts on your own. Staff only, please (and yes, there are reasons for this.)
~ Submissions are to be posted in this thread.
~ Discussion and general chatter should be in the appropriately titled discussion thread.
~ Participation is open to all, approved or otherwise.
~ Words must be used from this Word of the Day thread and from the current year only. At the moment, you can write for any words at any time posted between 1st January and 31st December 2025.



WHO DO YOU TALK TO IF SOMETHING SEEMS AMISS???

Just leave a message in the discussion thread or message Britwitch, or any of the other Staff members involved in sharing words. This challenge's purpose is for everyone to have fun and enjoy themselves, and as such, it is bound to the general rules of Elliquiy for the safety and entertainment of everyone!

Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

Britwitch

#1
2025 Word List


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February

1. disputatious
2. presage
3. sarcophagus
4. zaftig
5. canard
6. ad-lib
7. malapropism
8. finesse
9.
10.
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12.
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17.
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22.
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28.
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March

To be added...
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April

To be added...
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May

To be added...
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June

To be added...
July

To be added...
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August

To be added...
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September

To be added...
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October

To be added...
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November

To be added...
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December

To be added...


Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

Britwitch

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


rejuvenate
verb | rih-JOO-vuh-nayt


Definition

: To rejuvenate a person, parts of the body, etc., is to make them feel young, healthy, or energetic again. To rejuvenate something abstract, such as an economy or career, is to give it new strength or energy.


Weekly Theme
 
Historical
 

Did You Know?

The word rejuvenate is intended for mature audiences—that is, it applies to people and things that are no longer green to this world. While there is no true Fountain of Youth that can turn back the clock, rejuvenation can at least restore a bit of youthful appearance, health, or vigor. Rejuvenate originated as a combination of the prefix re-, which means "again," and the Latin juvenis, meaning "young." (It will come as no surprise that juvenis is also an ancestor of juvenile and junior). Its first-known use in the mid-18th century was in reference to "certain Potions" rejuvenating "the noble Parts" of those suffering prolonged ailments, but it didn't take long for the word to see life outside of medical contexts. Today one might rejuvenate an old car with a fresh coat of paint, a losing football team with a new quarterback, or depleted soil with some nitrogen-fixing legumes, to name just a few examples.

Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

Britwitch

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


potpourri
noun | poh-pur-REE


Definition

: Potpourri is a mixture of dried flower petals, leaves, and spices that is used to make a room smell pleasant. When used figuratively potpourri refers to a collection of various different things.


Weekly Theme

Historical


Did You Know?

Some people delight in the scent of potpourri, and others find it cloying. Happily, this word manages to contain elements which will make each of these groups feel that their preferences are linguistically supported. Potpourri is used today to refer literally to a fragrant mixture of flowers, herbs, etc., and figuratively to a miscellaneous collection, or medley, of things. But potpourri first referred to a kind of stew of meat and vegetables, usually including sausage and chickpeas. It was borrowed from French, where pot pourri translates directly as “putrid pot”; the French word was a translation of the Spanish olla podrida, which likewise means “rotten pot.” We don't know why both the Spanish and the French gave their stews such unappetizing names, although it has been suggested that the Spanish method of slowly cooking this dish over a fire may have had something to do with it. Regardless, after referring solely to stew for its first hundred and some-odd years, potpourri began to be used for an aromatic blend of dried flowers in the middle of the 18th century, and within the next hundred years was being applied to mixtures and collections of all kinds of things.


Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

Britwitch

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


addlepated
adjective | AD-ul-pay-tud


Definition

: Someone described as addlepated is mixed-up or confused. Addlepated can also be used as synonym of eccentric.


Weekly Theme

Historical


Did You Know?

In this hectic, often confusing world of ours, it’s probably safe to say that even the sharpest thinkers—the wonks and eggheads among us—get a little addlepated from time to time. In fact, the idea of an addlepated egghead makes some etymological sense. Addlepated combines the words addle and pate. While the meaning of the somewhat rare noun pate (“head”) is straightforward, cracking open the adjective addle is where things get interesting. In Old English, the noun adela referred to filth, or to a filthy or foul-smelling place. In Middle English, adela came to be used as an adjective in the term adel eye, meaning “putrid egg.” For its first few centuries of adjectival use, and with various spellings, addle was used strictly for eggs, but in the 16th century it gained a figurative sense that, when applied disparagingly to people’s heads or brains, suggested the diminished or rotten condition of an addle (or addled) egg. Today, addle is often found in combination with words referring to one’s noggin, addlebrained, and addle-headed, and most common of all, addlepated.

Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

Britwitch

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


fulminate
verb | FULL-muh-nayt


Definition

: To fulminate is to complain loudly or angrily about something.


Weekly Theme

Historical


Did You Know?

Lightning strikes more than once in the history of fulminate. The word comes from the Late Latin fulmināre, meaning “to strike down or confound (an opponent),” which in turn traces back to the Latin verb (same spelling) meaning “to strike” (used of lightning) or simply “to strike like lightning”; that word's source is the noun fulmen, meaning “lightning.” When fulminate was taken up by English speakers in the 15th century, it lost much of its ancestral thunder and was used largely as a technical term for the issuing of formal denunciations by church authorities. In time, its original lightning spark returned, and it’s now used when someone issues verbal “lightning strikes” in the midst of a brouhaha, tirade, or tweetstorm.

Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

Britwitch

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


cerulean
adjective | suh-ROO-lee-un


Definition

: Cerulean describes things whose blue color resembles the blue of a clear sky.


Weekly Theme

Historical


Did You Know?

There comes a moment in every young crayon user’s life when they graduate from the 8-count (or 16-count, perhaps) box to the treasure trove of 64 glorious sticks of differently colored wax, when they discover that there isn’t just one brown or orange or blue, that when it comes to colors, the sky’s the limit! Such a moment is often the first encounter people have with the word cerulean, a word that slips sibilantly off the tongue like a balmy ocean breeze. Like azure, cerulean describes things whose blue color resembles that of a clear sky; it’s often used in literature (especially travel writing) to paint an enticing image of an even more enticing vista, as in “the cerulean waters of a tropical lagoon.” While azure is thought to hail from the Persian word lāzhuward, with the same meaning, cerulean comes from the Latin adjective caeruleus, meaning “dark blue.” That word most likely comes from caelum, meaning “sky.”

Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

Britwitch

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


tome
noun | TOHM


Definition

: Tome is a formal word for a book, and especially a very large, thick, often scholarly book.


Weekly Theme

Good vs. Evil


Did You Know?

When is a book not a book? When it’s a tome—tome being a word that has always suggested something less or more than the word book. When tome was first used in English, it referred to a book that was part of a larger, multi-volume work, which makes sense given that it comes from tomos, a Greek noun meaning “section” or “roll of papyrus” that comes in turn from the verb temnein, meaning “to cut” (in ancient times, long scrolls of papyrus were often divided into sections). While tome retains this meaning today, it usually refers instead to a book that is larger and more scholarly than average, as evidenced by some of the most common adjectives that precede it, including weighty, lengthy, massive, heavy, hefty, and academic.


Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

Britwitch

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


beleaguer
verb | bih-LEE-gur


Definition

: To beleaguer a person, business, etc. is to cause them constant or repeated trouble. Beleaguer is also sometimes used as a synonym of besiege.


Weekly Theme

Good vs. Evil


Did You Know?

There's no getting around it: beleaguer is a "troubling" word. It comes from the Dutch verb belegeren, which in turn combines leger, meaning "camp," and the prefix be- (a relative of the English be- meaning "about" or "around"). While the Dutch word, meaning "to camp around," is neutral, its descendent beleaguer implies a whole heap of fuss and bother. Beleaguer was first used in the late 16th century, and is still used today, as a synonym of besiege; indeed, an army beleaguering or besieging a castle may also be said to be "camping around" it, albeit with nefarious rather than recreational purposes. This sense of beleaguer was almost immediately joined, however, by its now more common—and less martial—meaning of "to cause constant or repeated trouble for."

Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

Britwitch

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


gelid
adjective | JELL-id


Definition

: Something described as gelid, such as the weather or a person’s demeanor, is literally or figuratively extremely cold or icy.


Weekly Theme

Good vs. Evil


Did You Know?

Alright stop, collaborate and listen: the history of gelid is all about ice, ice, baby. Gelid entered English late in the 16th century from the Latin adjective gelidus, which ultimately comes from the noun gelu, meaning “frost” or “cold.” (The noun gelatin, which can refer to an edible jelly that undergoes a cooling process as part of its formation, comes from the related Latin word, gelare, meaning “to freeze.”) Gelid is used to describe anything of extremely cold temperature (as in “the gelid waters of the Arctic Ocean”), but the word can also be used figuratively to describe a person with a cold demeanor (as in “the prizefighter’s gelid stare”).

Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

Britwitch

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


excursion
noun | ik-SKER-zhun


Definition

: Excursion refers to a trip, and especially to a short one made for pleasure. Excursion is also often used figuratively to refer to a deviation from a direct, definite, or proper course, and often in particular to a digression.


Weekly Theme

Good vs. Evil


Did You Know?

A Tribe Called Quest’s 1991 album The Low End Theory is not only widely regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, but one of the genre’s most successful early excursions into jazz, utilizing samples and even featuring legendary bassist Ron Carter on one song. Excursion refers to a usually brief, pleasurable trip, and is often used figuratively—as in the previous sentence—for metaphorical trips outside of one’s usual territory, be they artistic or otherwise. The word comes from the Latin verb excurrere (“to run out” or “to extend”), which combines the prefix ex- meaning “out of” and the verb currere meaning “to run.” Although it is sometimes used to refer to attacks or raids made against an enemy, as in “military excursions,” excursion is mostly used today for much more enjoyable jaunts, junkets, and rambles. Accordingly, on your next excursion, whether to the park, beach, or elsewhere, you could do worse than to queue up The Low End Theory on your playlist. The album’s first track, after all, is titled “Excursions.”

Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

Wolfling72

word: tome
theme:  Good vs Evil
Darkness crept along the walls and across the floor of Nikki's room, wreathing the furniture in shadows and drawing attention to the thick, dusty tome on a battered podium.  A young woman stood with one hand touching the cover, guttural words dripping from her lips as an eldritch glow flickered into being. She was well aware that what she was attempting would not be considered healthy or morally upright but, to her, the end justified the means. After all, if death was a given without action, couldn't that be considered moral bankruptcy?  Nikki didn't know and didn't want to leave a life in balance.

Evil could be good if used for the right reasons, right?
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Keep it vampirated and melanated.

LaCroix

word: excursion
theme:  Good vs Evil


The moonlight filtered through the jagged canopy of ancient pines as the excursion took an unexpected turn. What was meant to be a simple hike to clear the mind had led Nathaniel to a clearing that seemed untouched by time, where silver mist danced like spirits in the stillness. The air buzzed faintly, not with insects, but with something alive and waiting. He felt a pull, as if invisible hands urged him forward, the sensation a strange mix of invitation and warning. The compass in his hand spun aimlessly, its needle useless in this otherworldly place.
Mickey Mouse's birthday being announced on the television news as if it were an actual event! I don't give a shit! If I cared about Mickey Mouse's birthday I would have memorized it years ago! And I'd send him a card, 'Dear Mickey, Happy Birthday, Love George'. I don't do that, why, don't give a shit! Fuck Mickey Mouse! Fuck him in the ass with a big rubber dick! Then break it off and beat him with it!

Britwitch

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


untenable
adjective | un-TEN-uh-bul


Definition

: Something, such as a position, excuse, or situation, that is described as untenable cannot be defended against attack or criticism


Weekly Theme

Good vs. Evil


Did You Know?

Untenable and its opposite tenable come to us from the Old French verb tenir ("to hold, have possession of"), and ultimately from the Latin verb tenēre ("to hold, occupy, possess"). We tend to use untenable in situations where an idea or position is so off base that holding onto it is unjustified or inexcusable. One way to hold onto the meaning of untenable is to associate it with other tenēre descendants whose meanings are associated with "holding" or "holding onto." Tenacious ("holding fast") is one example. Others are contain, detain, sustain, maintain, and retain. Spanish speakers may also recognize tenēre as a predecessor of the commonplace verb tener, which retains the meaning of "to hold or possess."

Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

Britwitch

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


cozen
verb | KUZ-un


Definition

: To cozen someone is to deceive, win over, or induce them to do something by coaxing or trickery.


Weekly Theme

Good vs. Evil


Did You Know?

Despite its resemblance to the adjective cozy, the verb cozen has nothing to do with being comfortable. Used in contexts relating to deception or inducement by clever coaxing or trickery, the word is believed to come ultimately from the Italian word for a horse trader, cozzone. Horse-trading, as in the actual swapping of horses, often involves bargaining and compromise—and, in fact, the term horse trade has come to refer to any shrewd negotiation, whether it involves equines or no. Horse traders have historically had a reputation for being less than completely transparent in negotiations, which explains the likely connection between cozzone and cozen’s use in deceiving or winning someone to one’s cause through trickery.

Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

Wolfling72

word: cozen
theme: good vs evil
There is never a correct time for falsity, except when one needs something that can not be garnered in any other way. To take by force is a schlub's game and the true virtuoso understands that gaining through trickery is the only fair game. After all, one only has to cozen, spread cheer, make promises, and offer blandishments for such a small portion of time. If your mark-nay newly acquired friend- feels lied to or taken advantage of after the fact? Well, that is not your fault or your issue. It is theirs.  We all know that a fool and his money (or soul) are soon parted. That's the game. I win.
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Wolfi Recommends- changes weekly
Keep it vampirated and melanated.

LaCroix

word: untenable
theme:  Good vs Evil


On the rooftop, rain poured down in unrelenting sheets, washing away everything but their hatred. Sarah’s hands trembled, her knuckles white with the strain of gripping the gun she clutched tightly while her arms trembled with the strain of keeping it raised before her. A short distance across from her Marcus stood steady, the knife he held up glinting in the dim light of dawn. The idea of saving him felt untenable now, as she stared into his eyes that were now filled with betrayal instead of the love she had once known. But, to pull the trigger now would mean killing a part of herself, as much as it would killing him.
Mickey Mouse's birthday being announced on the television news as if it were an actual event! I don't give a shit! If I cared about Mickey Mouse's birthday I would have memorized it years ago! And I'd send him a card, 'Dear Mickey, Happy Birthday, Love George'. I don't do that, why, don't give a shit! Fuck Mickey Mouse! Fuck him in the ass with a big rubber dick! Then break it off and beat him with it!

Britwitch

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


leitmotif
noun | LYTE-moh-teef


Definition

: A leitmotif is a dominant recurring theme—something (such as a melody, an idea, or a phrase) repeated many times throughout a book, story, opera, etc.


Weekly Theme

Good vs. Evil


Did You Know?

The English word leitmotif (or leitmotiv, as it is also spelled) comes from the German Leitmotiv, meaning “leading motive,” and is formed from the verb leiten (“to lead”) and the noun Motiv (“motive”). In its original sense, the word applies to opera music; it was first used by writers interpreting the works of composer Richard Wagner, who was famous for associating a melody with a character or important dramatic element. Leitmotif is still commonly used with reference to music and musical drama but it is now also used more broadly to refer to any recurring theme in the arts—“The Imperial March,” heard in the Star Wars film franchise whenever Darth Vader appears on screen, for example—or in everyday life.

Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

LaCroix

word: leitmotif
theme:  Good vs Evil


The scent of roses clung to the air, a leitmotif of her presence long after she was gone. Everywhere he went, it found him—woven into the perfume of passing strangers, hidden in the fresh bloom of a florist’s window. It whispered of love lost, a memory that refused to fade, haunting him with its bittersweet melody.
Mickey Mouse's birthday being announced on the television news as if it were an actual event! I don't give a shit! If I cared about Mickey Mouse's birthday I would have memorized it years ago! And I'd send him a card, 'Dear Mickey, Happy Birthday, Love George'. I don't do that, why, don't give a shit! Fuck Mickey Mouse! Fuck him in the ass with a big rubber dick! Then break it off and beat him with it!

Britwitch

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


secular
adjective | SEK-yuh-ler


Definition

: Secular describes things that are not spiritual; that is, they relate more to the physical world than the spiritual world. The word also carries the closely related meaning of "not religious."


Weekly Theme

Good vs. Evil


Did You Know?

You don't need to be a material girl to know that we are living in a material world, but if you're lacking ways to describe our earthly existence, the adjective secular just might be your lucky star. Secular, which comes from the Latin noun saeculum (meaning, variously, "generation," "age," "century," and "world"), has been in vogue since at least the 13th century, at least when there has been a need to distinguish between the sacred and the profane. In some of its earliest uses, secular described clergy who lived "in the world" rather than in seclusion within a monastery. It wasn't that the papas didn't preach, so to speak, but that they did so in churches among the hoi polloi. From there, it took little time for people to express themselves using today's meanings, using secular to describe something related to worldly matters (as in "secular music" or "secular society") rather than something spiritual, or overtly and specifically religious, like a prayer.

Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

LaCroix

word: secular
theme:  Good vs Evil


The library stood as a temple to knowledge, its secular walls meant to welcome all. Yet, in the quiet morning hours, the silence made it feel more like a tomb. In these hallowed halls, an invisible war raged—holy texts whispered of divine truths, while forbidden tomes murmured of dark, ancient power. Knowledge ruled here, for good or for ill, and between the shelves, a scholar hesitated, caught between enlightenment and damnation, wondering which path truly led to good.
Mickey Mouse's birthday being announced on the television news as if it were an actual event! I don't give a shit! If I cared about Mickey Mouse's birthday I would have memorized it years ago! And I'd send him a card, 'Dear Mickey, Happy Birthday, Love George'. I don't do that, why, don't give a shit! Fuck Mickey Mouse! Fuck him in the ass with a big rubber dick! Then break it off and beat him with it!

LaCroix

word: cozen
theme:  Good vs Evil


Under the dim glow of the tavern lanterns, the stranger cozened his way into the villagers' trust with tales of salvation. He spoke of a power beyond good and evil, a force that could free them from their suffering. Yet as coins and promises passed between them, the truth settled like a shadow—he offered no salvation, only chains disguised as hope.
Mickey Mouse's birthday being announced on the television news as if it were an actual event! I don't give a shit! If I cared about Mickey Mouse's birthday I would have memorized it years ago! And I'd send him a card, 'Dear Mickey, Happy Birthday, Love George'. I don't do that, why, don't give a shit! Fuck Mickey Mouse! Fuck him in the ass with a big rubber dick! Then break it off and beat him with it!

Britwitch

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


deus ex machina
noun | DAY-us-eks-MAH-kih-nuh


Definition

: A deus ex machina is a character or thing that suddenly enters the story in a novel, play, movie, etc., and solves a problem that had previously seemed impossible to solve.


Weekly Theme

Comedy


Did You Know?

The New Latin term deus ex machina is a translation of a Greek phrase and means literally "a god from a machine." Machine, in this case, refers to the crane (yes, crane) that held a god over the stage in ancient Greek and Roman drama. The practice of introducing a god at the end of a play to unravel and resolve the plot dates from at least the 5th century B.C.; Euripides (circa 484-406 B.C.) was one playwright who made frequent use of the device. Since the late 1600s, deus ex machina has been applied in English to unlikely saviors and improbable events in fiction or drama that bring order out of chaos in sudden and surprising ways.

Current status : Selectively seeking new stories

LaCroix

word: deus ex machina
theme: Comedy


The battle between hero and villain reached its chaotic crescendo atop the crumbling skyscraper. Just as the villain unleashed his doomsday device, a sudden roar drowned out the chaos. A freight helicopter, seemingly out of nowhere, descended from the clouds. Its cargo—a shipping container marked "Extremely Heavy" swung on the cable before snapping loose, plummeting straight onto the villain and his infernal machine, flattening both.

For a moment, the hero simply stood there, dumbfounded, as the villain’s master plan lay buried under steel and bureaucracy. Sometimes the universe had its own peculiar way of solving problems—a literal deus ex machina delivered straight from the heavens.
Mickey Mouse's birthday being announced on the television news as if it were an actual event! I don't give a shit! If I cared about Mickey Mouse's birthday I would have memorized it years ago! And I'd send him a card, 'Dear Mickey, Happy Birthday, Love George'. I don't do that, why, don't give a shit! Fuck Mickey Mouse! Fuck him in the ass with a big rubber dick! Then break it off and beat him with it!

Wolfling72

#24
word: leitmotif
no theme
Sunflowers tended to spring into existence no matter where she roamed. There had been a solitary one she'd stumbled across in an abandoned backyard. A pattern of them on faded wallpaper in an apartment she was looking to rent. Hell, even a set of dishes had bright faces painted onto the ceramic. It felt like a message, something from the great beyond, a theme for the life she now led. What was that word again? Leitmotif? She was sure that if her existence had one theme then the sunflowers were it.

Maybe one day, she'd find out what they stood for.
O/O's
Snippets
A/A's
Wolfi Recommends- changes weekly
Keep it vampirated and melanated.