#Find the Word

[mysticstarlightduck]

Word Find Tag!

Thanks for the tag, @writingrosesonneptune (here)!

My words were: Glass, Teeth, Red, and Sky

I'll go with Song of Thorns and Supernova Initiative for this one!

Glass (Supernova Initiative)

The strange liquid swirled within the glass syringe with a menacing silver glow. Jack frowned. "What the hell is that?"

"Oh, this little thing? An advanced tracking system of my own creation. To ensure you and your crew complete your mission properly so that you can't slip between my fingers again - all of you will get one of these" The Director gestured to his assistant, who picked up the syringe and moved to stand beside Jack, who glared daggers "Injected into your bloodstream."

Teeth (Song of Thorns)

The sound of gnashing teeth echoed throughout the cavern, the creature's thundering footsteps somewhere above causing pieces of gravel to plummet from the rocky ceiling. Roselyn swallowed a whimper holding onto Renn's hand as they turned to the strange Lantern Keeper. "Okay, how do we get out of here?"

The other girl cocked her head to the side, gesturing somewhere further into the mountains. "It'll be fine, I know a way, but we'll have to be quick and very quiet. C'mon." She started to walk but stopped in her tracks holding out a hand as if expecting a handshake. "Name's Cyriel by the way. Though I think your vampiric friend here knew that."

Red (Song of Thorns)

As, giant mahogany doors of the castle hall swung open, a clacking of boots on the stone floor echoed fiercely. His guest had arrived. The king placed the gold-trimmed goblet on the table, carelessly, a drop of deep red wine staining the precious cloth upon it. He smirked. "Ah, yes, the famed Ghoulsbane. I see you found your way to my palace promptly. Good. I hope you enjoy your accommodations."

The young man shook his head, absentmindedly running a hand across his crossbow, studying the metal gears. "I won't be staying. You said you had a job for me?" Despite addressing the head of state, he doesn't bother with any honorifics.

This causes a hushed murmur to echo amidst the royalty scattered across the hall, until the the King leans forward on the table, silencing his peers with a single gesture of his hand. He didn't look away from the hunter as he spoke once more, his voice venomous as a serpent's tongue. "Yes, I do. Hunting down a certain thief of dhampir blood - one Renn Atrius of a rather considerable disrepute. I'll pay you accordingly, as your talents in dealing with such beasts speak for themselves. I assume you'll make short work of this... nuisance."

"Consider it done," Elveryn answered with a curt nod, twirling a silver arrow between his fingers, before nocking it to the crossbow.

King Larkin smirks, sitting back down on his gilded chair, the chalice of wine upon his hand once more. "Excellent answer, lad."

Sky (Supernova Initiative)

In her room on the spaceship, Cassie lay splayed out on the floor like a small starfish, a fluffy blanket between her and the cold metal of the room as she looked up at the murky, almost starless sky above. It was oddly familiar, the sight, reminiscent of the grimy moons they once called home a few years ago - and not in a comforting way.

The room's door opened with an almost hermetic whoosh of air, and she didn't need to look to recognize the familiar footsteps that followed. "Something on your mind?" Jack asked, sitting down on the floor beside her, leaning against the wall, and handing her a vanilla smoothie.

Cassie shrugs, taking the smoothie in one hand while battling with a stubborn strand of her own hair that insisted on falling into her eyes. "Eh, not really. Just thinking - this place stirs up memories, don't it?"

"I find it's best not to dwell on it." Jack agrees, gently pushing her hair away from her face. He smiles "But really, we'll be outta here soon enough. Artemis says he knows someone that'll fish the ship in no time."

"I hope he knows what he's doing this time" Cassiopeia chuckles.

"He always does - I think. In a weird, gremlin way, he kinda always has a backup plan for most scenarios."

Tagging (gently): @sleepy-night-child, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @smol-feralgremlin, @oh-no-another-idea, @littleladymab, @little-peril-stories

@the-ellia-west, @winterandwords, @cowboybrunch, @eccaiia, @sarahlizziewrites, @illarian-rambling

@leave-her-a-tome, @writernopal, @anyablackwood, @unstablewifiaccess, @forthesanityofstorytellers

@i-can-even-burn-salad, @cakeinthevoid

@lassiesandiego, @thepeculiarbird, @clairelsonao3, @memento-morri-writes, @starlit-hopes-and-dreams and OPEN TAG

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Find the Word tag

Thanks @jezifster for the tag! These are piling up I'm going through them!

My words: chill, lift, wreck, final

Your words: disappoint, raise, bland, flexible

Tagging @theeccentricraven @thepeculiarbird @awritingcaitlin @sleepywriter00 @mikathewriter @little-peril-stories @space-writes @unrepentantcheeseaddict @ohnomybreadsticks @blind-the-winds @andyswritings or anyone else who'd like to play!

Keep reading for:

Training session with dragon

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jumped....

Don't let this guy fool you he's an asshole

Robbie's infamous fight with Jason

Chill - from The Secret Portal Part One (Akash POV)

Custos roared and his fire broke through the pitch darkness, illuminating Tyler. He pitched the light toward Custos as Kelsey slammed into him. Tyler stumbled but held his stance, pushing against Kelsey as he tried to keep Custos in the light. “Medina! Go!” I could scarcely make out Noelle’s outline in the dim light, but the chill I felt down my spine as her silhouette moved was strong. I heard a surprised shout. “Gills! What happened?” “My rock stopped! I slipped off the ledge, but I’m okay.” My grip on the stick tightened. Tyler struggled to keep Kelsey from knocking him over. I looked at Custos. Gills told me I was defense. He’d understand. The real problem was Noelle. She grabbed Gills’ rock in pitch darkness. She could get me. I pulled harder on the stick. Noelle’s pull tightened, too. Smirking to myself, I let the stick go and flew upward—cutting through the air. Noelle grunted as the stick hit her with her own force. Once high enough, I shot toward the dragon, hoping to keep the momentum to pass through the dampening field and get the sphere. I knew it as soon as I passed. I lost my grip on the air and began to fall, but I latched onto the collar before doing so. Custos didn’t like that and tried to paw me off, but I managed to unclasp the sphere. “Haha!—oomph!” I celebrated until Custos did knock me off.

Lift - from School of the Legends Year One

Jill seemed mildly confused, but she shrugged, and the three of them began to sneak back to the edge of the mantle. Jack fell a bit behind, struggling to carry the harp. The logical side of him told him to just leave the harp, but his gut told him otherwise. He couldn’t explain it, but he needed to take this harp. Ahead, Jill and Beau had already reached the end of the mantle. Jack gestured for them to go on, but too late he realized that was a mistake, as the harp began to slip from his fingers. He moved quickly, gaining a firm grip on the harp before it hit the mantle, but as he did so, one of his fingers brushed against the harp’s strings. Jack froze as both giants turned toward the sound. Instantly, the male was up and crossing the room. Jack bolted toward the end of the mantle, suddenly finding an adrenaline-fueled strength to lift the harp. “Go!” he shouted at Jill and Beau. “I’ll catch up!” They both hesitated, but they soon disappeared from Jack’s view. Jack continued to run, but was soon stopped by the crashing of a gigantic fist crashing onto the mantle in front of him, the force of which sent Jack off his feet, and crashing on his back. The giant loomed over Jack, eyes that were larger than Jack blazing in fury. “Who do you think you are?” he asked in a mountain-shattering voice--in English, Jack was barely able to process. “Breaking into my home and stealing my things?” “It’s not like you’re gonna do anything with them!” Jack shouted--though his voice came out a lot weaker than he expected. “I’m keeping them safe until they are needed!” The giant raised his fist--probably planning to smash Jack--but Jack took the opportunity to bolt toward the end of the mantle. The giant’s size was now a hindrance--too slow, and his fist crashed into the mantle, cracking it, just next to where Jack was. But the crack bent the mantle, and Jack now found himself on a sloped surface--slight enough to where he could still run, but steep enough for him to lose balance and almost fall to his feet. He peered over the side. Jill and Beau were now on the ground, pressed against the wall. They’d left the plants for Jack, though with the force of the crack, the stalk connecting the mantle with the side table had snapped. Jack was now at the edge of the mantle, looking down at the long fall to the table. He whipped his head back to the giant, who was now recoiling from breaking his mantle. He looked back at his options. He could stay here and get crushed, or he could jump. Then his eyes drifted past the table and to the recliner--the back of it. It was a soft surface. It wasn't too much farther. Though directly in the path of the jump he would have to make was the candlestick, the flame on the wick now threateningly large and sparking. A quick glance back was enough to tell Jack that he had no option. As soon as the giant slammed his hand down beside Jack, he jumped, hoping the force from the giant’s slam was enough to propel him over the candlestick.

Wreck - from The Secret Portal Part Three (OLD DRAFT because this word doesn't appear in any current drafts....this was back when telepathy and empathy were separate oh my God whyyyyyyy)

Doctor David Pinchên took a seat on his sofa, reclining into its soft cushions, his coffee warming his hands. Just three days ago, he had published his textbook on Telepathic Theory. It had taken him years of research, but finally, his work was complete. He hoped that the school curriculum would soon offer Telepathic Theory as a course. It was fascinating to think about, and he himself hoped that one day more and more of the youth would be as swept away as he was. He, of course, was not a telepath. He was, however, a Level-1 empath. The two were often confused, and he took umbrage at the ignorance of others when he had spent nearly the entirety of his life being asked, “What am I thinking?!” Though, being an empath, he did understand that not everyone was familiar with the Levels and Classes and abilities of their race. The database was long and complicated, and he wouldn’t be surprised if the one who put it together a millenia ago didn’t have it memorized by the time he or she died, even though when the database was first published, most of the subpowers, and even full umbrella powers, didn’t even exist yet. In fact, it hadn’t been too terribly long since a fourth Class of powers had been discovered, with the arrival of chronokinesis, energy conversion, and dimensiokinesis. With empaths being closely related to telepaths, David found himself sympathizing rather seamlessly with the psychics. Even as a Level-1, he still experienced the common headaches and emotional breakdowns that had formed into a sad-but-true stereotype for empaths to be unstable. He had been what some would call “a wreck” as a boy, and it didn’t help that he skipped two grades of elementary school, so being a physically smaller emotional mess did nothing to stop nasty kids taking advantage of him once his powers kicked in. Though he usually used his abilities to discover if anything else was bothering the bullies, which there usually was, and reported his findings to the school’s counselor, also an empath, all of which were, and usually that kid’s issue was resolved, which led to that kid being nice to him in gratitude. David didn’t want to brag about this accomplishment. He was just using his powers for a good reason. Because of these actions, he’d had mixed reception from adults. Some wished him to continue to use his powers and become a counselor or therapist, while others pushed him to appeal to his science side. He had no interest in therapy, as he had been simply stating his findings to someone much more qualified. So he did go toward the direction of a more theoretical science, which those adults that pushed him to pursue a more scientific path were convinced was “a waste of a great mind.” Oh, how he hoped he could see them once Telepathic Theory became a college major.

Final - from The Secret Portal Part One (Robbie POV)

I stopped in my tracks and turned to my right. Jason Sturges stood down the hall, clicking his stupid sticks against the lockers. A rush of fury overtook me as I remembered this morning. I didn’t know what I was doing until I was right beside Jason, punching him in the face. Jason stood up straighter, rubbing his jaw, his steely blue eyes locked on me with a look that could kill. Still, I didn’t regret the action. Yeah, I shouldn’t have done it, but who gave a shit? I may not have been a hero, but justice was justice. “Alright, heartthrob.” Jason tucked his drumsticks into the back pocket of his jeans. “This is how you want to play?” My right hand was on fire from the punch. Jason cracked his knuckles. I wanted to run, catch up with Akash, but I stood my ground. Jason took a swing at me; I threw up my hands to block my face—actually, my glasses—and Jason’s fist collided with my arm with enough force to cause me to stagger backward. Before I could regain my balance, Jason charged at me, and with full force, slammed me against the nearest locker. The impact caused my entire nervous system to light up, and though it hurt, I felt powerful. The force filled me with new-found energy. The lights flickered, warmth flooded through my body. Jason stepped back, though kept me in place. A scarlet light began to glow from somewhere. Jason looked at the light, then the ceiling. Then me. “What the….” I gave Jason a final push to get off of me, but what I meant to be a good shove sent Jason through the air and crashing into the lockers on the other side of the hall, then falling to the ground. The scarlet light dimmed until it disappeared. The lights stopped flickering. “Stay away from him,” I growled.

[ladytauria]

find the word game

tagged by @kieran-granola! thank you <333

i found all but one of these in 'the sweetness of honey' draft but i decided to check other wips too dfghk

cat (JayTim)

from an alternate draft of 'another night'

Jason enters the Nest looking like something the cat dragged in. He’s dripping wet, hair plastered to his head. A bruise blooms high on his cheek, a fresh cut mars the corner of his mouth. He’s limping slightly and his boots squelch with every step. He looks exhausted. Tim’s heart pangs in sympathy. “Rough night?” he asks, closing his tabs. His report will keep. Jason snorts. “You can say that again.” He drops his helmet on his workstation far rougher than normal before peeling off his gloves and tossing them down too. He kneels. His fingers shake as he undoes the laces of his boots, and he curses under his breath. Tim approaches. “Let me help,” he offers.

sleep (JayTim)

from the sequel to 'empty promises'

Then Jason swallows, and says, “You—uh. You asked about the job?” He almost takes it back—asks Jason how he’s been sleeping, instead; if he reaches for Tim in his sleep the same way Tim has been reaching for Jason. He almost tells him to forget the job, forget the argument. Just come home. Almost.

wet (JayTim)

from chapter 6 of 'the sweetness of honey'

Jason smooths the glob of cream over his skin. Tim shivers; his skin pebbling. Jason watches his nipples pucker, harden, wetting his lips before glancing at Tim’s face again, where Tim watches him through half-lidded eyes. Jason’s flush spreads. Down his neck, over his collarbones. His pussy throbs in time with his pulse—it’s tempting, so tempting, to grind down on Tim’s bulge. He doesn’t. Jason’s arousal isn’t important. What’s important is taking care of Tim, of caring for him even as half as well as he’s cared for Jason.

magic (JayTim)

from 'teenage fantasies side a' in which tim talks jason through one of the fantasies he had about robin ;) it's finished, but i'm waiting to post until i have side b, one of jason's teen fantasies, finished~

Jason can picture it. Being fifteen again, when Robin was losing its magic. When he looked around Gotham, seeing not the people they’d saved—but the one’s they hadn’t. The ones they failed. He’s fighting with Bruce more and more, questioning everything. Even school doesn’t offer an escape. And Dick—well. Dick is great, but busy. Distant. And always fighting with Bruce. He’s lonely. He doesn’t think he’d realized how much, then. And then— There’s Tim, looking at him with bright eyes and flushed cheeks, faintly awestruck and painfully earnest. In Jason’s mind, he’s not 12, 13 as he would have been, but 14. 15, even. Younger than him, but not young.

no-pressure tagging -> @thesandsofelsweyr ; @n1ightw1ng ; @deepwithintheabyss ; & @zeroducks-2

your words are -> glow, dusk, purple, and bright

[ahordeofwasps]

Find the Word Tag

I've been tagged by the terrific @autumnalwalker! Thanks for the tag! My words are even, perhaps, body, & shatter. I'll be sharing excerpts from Crying Wolf.

But first, the no pressure tags! I'll be tagging @cat-esper, @talesofsorrowandofruin, @sarandipitywrites, @notwritinganyflufftoday, and open tag! Your words are cold, bold, fold, and mold!

Now, onto Crying Wolf!

Even

So, Justine kept protecting the bad man, feeling like a toy soldier marching into oblivion. She told herself that unlike the Capital, blood wasn’t being shed. But that was a lie. Even though it was not being shed in back-alley knife fights, it was shed by empty stomachs and overworked bodies, on deathbeds occupied by the too-young.

Perhaps

Ogwut knelt down beside the one-eyed man, wondering once more if he was dying. “What’s wrong?” he asked, reaching towards the one-eyed man’s arm. Perhaps it had something to do with the missing eye? He gently grabbed his wrist, intending to pull it back so he could assess the damage. The one-eyed man stiffened and stopped convulsing as soon as Ogwut gripped his wrist. He scrambled to his feet, trying to yank himself away. “DON’T KILL ME!” he screamed. He was no longer making the strangled choking noises. In the torchlight, Ogwut could see that his face glistened with both tears and blood. His eyes widened as he realized the one-eyed man wasn’t dying at all: he was crying. He let go of his wrist. The one-eyed man fell to the ground and scrambled backwards.

Body

Standing in the doorway was not a Thing. It was a boy. He was not a normal boy. He had skin like most adolescents, but it looked like it belong to a corpse and didn’t cover his entire body, leaving his left arm and left half of his torso bare to the elements. What was bare had the familiar gleam of metal. The boy’s eyes were much like Ogwut’s: cold and glassy. From a circular wound in his right arm, strange molasses-like blood oozed.

Shatter

Jack marched into the room. The governor wrenched the drawer open, shoving his hand inside. “WHERE IS SHE?” he roared. The windows in the room shattered.

[cherrybombfangirlwrites]

Find the Word Tag

tagged by: @winterandwords ! My words: more, less, enough, and none!

tagging: Open Tag and soft tagging (only if you want to play of course <3) @kaylinalexanderbooks | @thewritingsofevbrowne | @writing-sigh | @unhingednovelist | @the-mindless | @arctic-oceans | @rosebury-archives | Your words: cut, hope, luck, and glass!

Finally catching up on tag games lol. Some are from TCIO and some are from FSF. Enjoy!

More

(from The City is Ours)

While Chase ate the bread, his eyes drifted to the two pictures that sat in the middle of the kitchen island next to the cutting board where the bread sat.  In the first frame, there was a faded color photograph of a couple, both with dark skin, curly dark hair, and large sloped noses like Chase’s. The couple was smiling with their hands on the shoulders of a teenage girl, with similar features and smiling brightly. The photo next to it was a woman, an older version of the teenage girl in the previous picture, not more than twenty years old here. She was sitting next to a window with sunlight streaming in, and had a neutral but content and comfortable expression on her face. She looked down at a baby in her arms, bundled in a white blanket that contrasted her golden brown skin and dark curly hair. 

Less

(from Fractured Stars Falling)

Cassandra came back just before dark, with a dagger of sea glass in her hand. She held it out to Raven, eyebrow raised. He blinked, trying to process. He didn’t have a clue where one of those could even be found. Then again, it was one less ingredient for the spell they needed to worry about.

Enough

(from Fractured Stars Falling)

Sapphire managed a small, barely audible, “Thank you.” and stared into empty space as she chewed on one of her nails. Raven gently pulled her hand away from her mouth before she chewed until it bled. “Hey, just try the tea, alright Love? It might help.” Sapphire came out of her trance enough to start sipping the tea.

None

(from The City is Ours)

Chase checked for the sender of the live stream link, and found none. “No… That’s weird…” He typed a few commands, and inspected the link, also not finding much. Kylee lightly hit his shoulder and signed, “What’s weird?” “This should have a sender but it has none, and I know nothing about this thing other than it’s a live stream link.”

Taglists under the cut:

FSF Taglist: @rose-bookblood @chalcid @evethenovicewriter @writing-is-a-martial-art @mjjune @fiercely-raging-writer @wildswrites @corishadowfang @surroundedbypearls @serenanymph (send me a message to be +/- from the taglist <3)

TCIO Taglist: @friendlyneighborhood-writer @jessica-writes22 @rose-bookblood @yejidoesthings @space-writes @cljordan-imperium (send me a message to be +/- from the taglist <3)

General Taglist: @enchanted-lightning-aes @thatprolificauthor @wip-nook @writeblrsupport @outpost51 @dustylovelyrun @thelaughingstag @jacqueswriteblrlibrary (send me a message to be +/- from the taglist <3)

[mjjune]

Find The Word Game

thanks so much to @space-writes for tagging me in my fav game

my words: fate, breathe, alive and leave

tagging (no pressure): @isabellebissonrouthier @sarandipitywrites @kaylinalexanderbooks @winterandwords

your words: destiny, dead, dry, door, dang

fate

“You know it’s true,” she said. “Either you would have to become a shaman here, or you would have to leave Mutani to escape that fate.”

breathe

A few kids in the crowd beside me breathed oohs and ahhs as she greeted the locals and walked to the market square’s podium. She only had one visible earned mark, triangular and pointing down from her lips to her chin. I remembered being like the kids beside me, in awe of visitors from the capital. Now, though, it just made me wary.

alive

I rotated so my face went under the surface, opening my eyes to see through the crystal clear water. Beneath the dirt floor, I could see glimpses of red, heat rising. The heat here, the last of the extinct volcano, was as ancient as this temple. The shamans and monks used their connection to water to keep it alive, to keep it warm and clean and clear.

leave

When she spoke again, her breath hitched in her throat so it came out as only a whisper. “You’re really going to leave me, aren’t you?” I reached out and took her hand against the table, shaking my head. “Never.”

DS TAGLIST: (message or comment below to be +/-) @artbyeloquent @bebewrites @careful-fear @cherrybombfangirlwrites @cljordan-imperium @cocomerocollection @elijahrichardwrites @eventideintrigue @faithfire-writes @flowerprose @garthcelyn @hope-hopefully-writes @isabellebissonrouthier @jamieanovels @kingkendrick7 @lexiklecksi @little-mouse-gardens @marrowwife @mr-writes @saintedseraph @saphoblin @thyroidhormones @treesandwords @wildswrites

[space-writes]

find the word

tagged by @ahordeofwasps, thank you! my words are kind, kill, know, and kneel

I’m in the home stretch for A Question of Trust now, so here’s some snippets from there!

no-pressure tagging @winterandwords @viscerawrites and @talesfromaurea with the words nothing, no-one, nowhere and never

[ID - a purple decorative divider]

kind

“He’s over there, dancing until he collapses like it’s some kind of penance, while you sit here on your high fucking horse ignoring him. Same tactics as always, right? Give him the silent treatment until he comes crawling back, begging you to forgive him, even though he’s done nothing wrong—”

kill

At the bottom of the stairs, River was pacing back and forth, one hand beating a rapid tattoo against his leg. “You didn’t run into Cain up there, did you?” he asked, and the fact that he neglected Cain’s title, here of all places, immediately set a knot of worry in Ashenivir’s stomach. “He was meant to be here an over an hour ago. He’s never this late.” Ashenivir shook his head. “Do you want me to cast a sending? I know him well enough to reach him, I think.” A look of almost pained Relief crossed River’s face. “Please. Aghairon’s balls, if he’s not dead I’m going to kill him myself.”

know

She huffed, seeming neither convinced nor impressed, and plucked a flower from her hair to twirl between her fingers. “You know what I like the most about the surface, Ashenivir? The fact that up here there’s nothing to trap you. No cavern to cage you in, no inescapable shadows.” She pressed her fingers together, crushing the daisy. “Nothing to threaten harm if you step out of line.”

kneel

“Master,” Ashenivir said, shifting to kneel with his chin resting on Rizeth’s thigh, arms twined around his calf, “do you have any of the ice you used to punish me back at the Arcanum?” “I have the enchantment in my spellbook, yes.” “Could we use it?” “You are not in any trouble.” Ashenivir bit his knee lightly. “There. Now freeze me, Master, all over.”

[ID - a purple decorative divider]

Obedience taglist: @foxboyclit @belovedviolence @thegreatobsesso (ask to be +/-)

[fortunatetragedy]

it's find the word time!

Thank you @bookish-karina for the tag <3

You guys know what's up: ctrl+f your wip for the word, post a snippet, pick new words and tag other people.

My words: gentle, pretend, stars, secret Your words: mouth, pace, pit, cell

I'm snipping all of my examples from Doom Metal Love Story Book 1. Skip "stars" if you don't want vague spoilers. Read "secret" if you want to see an example of someone crazy enough to only use pronouns in a homosexual love scene.

gentle: September 1872

With the same efficiency with which she had divested the bed of its clothes, so too did Gott strip Royston. In a matter of seconds she had him barefoot and down to his shirt and trousers, his shirt cuffs unbuttoned. She sought a pulse at his wrist, then again at the neck. Nodded when she found it, that time. Dropped his suspenders and unhooked his belt. "What can I do?" Sullivan asked. "Stay. He is more heavy than he looks." They hoisted him into bed, Gott directing Sullivan to keep him upright while she removed the last of his clothing, leaving him in his undervest and drawers. The man's head tipped forward, chin hitting his chest. A deluge of drool left his mouth. Gott was gentle as she took him by the temples and guided his head back onto Sullivan's shoulder. Her eyes traveled his body, found the sheath. Three knives he saw now, not one. "Lay him on his side," Gott said, then: "Help me disarm him."

pretend: Chapter 5, 1874 timeline

Royston took the satchel after a long moment of appraisal, and Sullivan snatched his hand away. If Mitchell walked in and saw Royston trying to grope him through the bars, the rumor mill would catch fire. "It's just past twenty-three hundred hours now. I will be in to get you at oh-three-thirty. I recognize you normally retire at dawn. Please try to sleep anyway." "When do you intend to sleep?" "After I check our equipment and confirm the route we're going to take. Don't worry about what I'm doing. You get some rest so you can at least pretend to be capable of listening to me when I ask you to do something tomorrow." The door banged open again, and Sullivan said silent thanks for Private Mitchell's renewed sense of urgency.

Throwing midpoint sort-of spoilers and the tag list under a cut.

stars: Chapter 16, 1874 timeline

Ah, it watches one time and thinks itself free to make demands! He is the same he we have always known. It, we do not know, Nameless One. Perhaps we meet never. I'm not making demands, I want to negotiate terms for his release! How many times has he watched the surgeon die? Or himself? How many more times are you going to make him do this? We don't even know what you want! The City considered this. Probed deeper. He saw stars. Saw the star he would become, if he proved a weak man. Inevitable light, consuming the Sun. What will it offer as sacrifice? Hah! It knows what is required. He deserves— Of course Cole deserved everything. But Cole didn't want a man who would turn himself inside out to appease a threat, who would spend the rest of their lives fighting because he did not know how to put away his knives.

secret: December 1872

This has never happened before. This will never happen again. Silent, the trooper wound his arms around the gambler and held him like a secret, like something the rest of the world could not know existed. Made a cloak of his own body to hide him as he seized his ear between his teeth, exhaled sweet and hot. Until he grabbed him by the gun-belt and walked him back into his room, where the rest of the world would not know they existed. Where the gambler could slide his palms up between their chests, and touch noses, and question without questioning. In the gambler's eyes, the trooper found what he sought. He most certainly did not see the nothing other men purported to see. Never had. He saw creation and destruction and he saw the same yearning as he felt in his own chest but he did not see nothing. Breath flowed from one to the next as the gambler's hands began to tremble, as he realized this was where he should have been all this time.

It's Friday, I'm tagging everyone I know.

@autism-purgatory @aalinaaaaaa @astramachina @ashfordlabs @ashirisu

@cssnder @cowboybrunch @deanwax @dyrewrites @elsie-writes

@finickyfelix @frostedlemonwriter @gioiaalbanoart @hagscribes @lychhiker-writes

@luchadorbard @maypearlss @mjjune @noturprobiem @noblebs

@scribble-dee-vee @sentfromwolves @sapphicwizards @the-golden-comet

@sunset-a-story @taranorma @touloserlautrec @wolgerrswraith @words-after-midnight

[tabswrites]

Find the Word

Tagged by @ahordeofwasps here and here!

Tagging: @writingrosesonneptune @bee-barnes-author @jgmartin @adventures-in-a-world-of-fiction @sleepy-night-child

Your words will be: Lock, catch, break, leak

Dangle

Danger

“Our elders demand innovation to drive us further from the Old World and ignore the fact that there were once people that walked this earth, who could shape the world with a snap of their fingers. If my curiosity was ever dangerous, it was because they made it so. I sought that knowledge for Rothar.”

Doom

Dear

Pack

“Where is Adrin? I assume he is the reason your rotting corpse is not feeding a pack of wolves right now.”

He scratched his chin with a lazy yawn and gave her a reproachful look. “You couldn’t have stopped at ‘Where is Adrin?’”

Sack

“You must be freezing in that dress,” he observed. “It’s been torn to shreds.” He reached around his back and a leather sack appeared. He tugged on the drawstrings and turned out the contents.

Wool socks, leather breeches, a long-sleeved tunic, and…

“It’s my fault your other one was taken,” he said with an apologetic grin, seeing her fingers caress the long, black wool cloak.

Lack

“I was bored, and you were adrift, easily manipulated. When I knew you, your father was begging you to join the Guard. Your lack of interest enraged him. Tell me, Oliver. Did my drive for knowledge finally stir something within you?”

His name in her husky voice brought back memories of their bodies entwined, twisting her curls around his finger as he listened to her rave about her research, the subjects varying from medicinal herbs to inventions that used water as a source of a power. She had been right about his lack of passion for his family legacy, but he was not passionless. His soul rang only for her.

Crack

A scowl dragged his lips downwards. “No, no. I’m not sticking a priceless magical artifact into a crack in the wall.”

“Not with that attitude,” she replied casually. “Why else would a sword appear out of thin air if not to aid us in some way? Either you do it, or I will have Cloud strangle you while I take it from you myself.”

“Ah, Mara–what would Hettie think?” He met her withering stare with a cheeky grin. After a pause, he threw his head back with a sigh and reached for the twisted silver hilt at his side. “Fine.”

[bebewrites]

find the word tag

tagged by @coarsely! words are require, fasten, debris, humid and points for archaic (which i don't have lol). thanks for the tag! 💕

require

“Well, that’s one way to divert attention from yourself,” Zandros says once they’ve slipped into the hallway. “I thought you’d be used to my methods after all this time,” Asher says. “All I require is attention, and then I can shift it anywhere I please.”

fasten

All the air leaves her lungs. “People? There are people coming here?” Everly asks. She looks at each of them. “How did they get this far? How is that possible?”  “I don’t know,” Vega says, shaking her head. “But they’re Anverians.” “If we can’t leave castle grounds—” Everly starts. She moves toward the doors, fastening the cloak around her shoulders.

debris

A cracked dragon statue is staring at her, mere inches from her face, when she wakes from the Clearing. It’s toppled on its side much like Everly is when she comes to her senses. Others wake around her, dotted throughout the gardens and castle grounds like fallen stars and otherworldly debris.

humid 🤭

Among the mountains and the steamy, humid air, among all the morning light. Asher couldn’t get her name off his lips. He felt it all coming apart—everything he thought he knew about love, about adventure, about the rest of his life.

tagging (no pressure!): @flowerprose @samplewriting @pinespittinink @authoralexharvey @legiomiam

@garthcelyn @kaatiba @00pbz @galactic-mystics-writes @thoughpoppiesblow

your words are: fresh, risk, survive, and delight.

[tildeathiwillwrite]

Tag Game: Find the Word (Round 2!)

I've been tagged by @faytelumos (thanks!) so here's more snippets of my various WIPS.

My words are: hungry, messy, laugh, stomp, and blue.

Hungry - Trials of the Six, Scene 41

“Those questions are also on my mind, yes. But I haven’t met very many Ilunians, and it surprised me how similar you look to a friend of mine.” His captor regarded him with an expression on the verge of amusement. “Huh. Might hail from the same fleet. Hungry?”

Messy - An Immortal Thief

‘Blessed’ by the goddess, just like I was, those knives have the ability to inflict wounds that resist the average methods of healing, and they can incapacitate a guard with only a slice to the shoulder rather than the throat. They make stealth missions a lot easier and less messy. If I lose them, the goddess wouldn’t be too pleased with me.

Laugh - Trials of the Six, Scene 7

“What are you two even talking about?” Korfel demanded from near the sail, clearly exasperated.  Jarsali stuck her tongue out at him. “You’re just bitter. Laugh once in a while.” “I laugh!” “Not when I’m around you don’t!”

Stomp - The Legend of Orian Goldeneye

Jas laughed and stomped on the smooth, glass-like rock. Killian expected it to crack like ice, but it held firm. “Come on,” she said, “let’s look inside.”

Blue - The Hunter, the Myth and the Cure, Chapter 19

“This place is a curse,” he hissed, a small plume of blue flame escaping his lips, “you wouldn’t believe the amount of souls roaming unclaimed upon these grounds. Don’t let me add yours to the number.” “Are you done?” The one on the left, an elf, asked impatiently. “Because you’re just embarrassing yourself.”

Gently tagging @gamerkats @chronicallydragons @smudgedredink @themswritinwords @late-to-the-fandom (also open as usual)

Your words are: side, scatter, listen and study.

Happy searching!

[awritingcaitlin]

💥Find the Word Tag Game

@sentfromwolves tagged me for the words Crack, Creak, Crunch, Crave, and Click.

Tagging: @turnips-creates, @runeseaks, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @circa-specturgia, and @juls-writes

Your words are: dread, night, energy, hope, trap

I'll do snippets from Siege under the cut, since it's the first WIP I found that had all the words. (Crave is apparently not one I use often??)

💤CRAVE(D)

It was the most dreadful fog. Rinnie would wake up for what seemed like microseconds before drifting back into a terrible abyss of nothing. She thought about how nice it was to sleep and her body craved it.

She fought it. She wasn’t supposed to be sleeping.

When she was at last able to throw it off, she heard the Priestess swear something. Rinnie elbowed the man carrying her in the temple and they both dropped to the ground. He tried to subdue her, but she shimmied away quicker. She noted exactly how close they were to the edge of the docks. She fearfully realized she was trapped.

There was a gunshot. Rinnie covered her head, already on the ground.

The shot wasn’t meant for her anyway.

.

🌕CRUNCH

Perhaps it was only the night, but the place seemed so temporary. The oldness of the buildings inside the Wall was not present here. Everything was made of wood, brick, and cheap metals. It smelled of fish and sewer. If it were daytime, Rinnie supposed she could imagine the place bustling with workers—fishermen, traders, merchants, the like.

But right now, everything was so lonely and empty.

She came across a water bucket sitting against a building. There was enough light from the moons to provide Rinnie the ability to see her reflection. Her face was bruised and scratched. Her nose was crooked, and her eyes both blackened. The sea had washed the blood away. Also her hair was significantly shorter in spots, like it had been burned off.

Gritting her teeth, she reached up and braced her nose between her fingertips, then wrenched. With a crunch, her nose went back to where it was supposed to be. Rinnie gasped in pain, despite having known it was coming.

She put her face in her hands and willed the bones to re-fuse and the blood vessels to do likewise. It was hard, not being able to see the work. But she could feel, more or less, what needed to be done.

.

🌊CRACK(ING)

“Sheesh, we don’t get tomorrow off, do we?” Rinnie asked, wiping sweat from her brow.

“I can give everyone stamina shots!” Mica exclaimed, sounding excited by the prospect.

“No thanks, Mica,” Riela said flatly. “I’d rather get my energy the normal way.”

“I find a good morning swim wakes me right up,” Killian said, cracking his knuckles.

“Hmm,” Rinnie mused. “I might just join you.”  The thought of swimming was invigorating on its own.

.

💼CLICK(ED)

“We’d made a good life here,” Thea said. “Hopefully we can come back soon.”

“It wouldn’t be the first home we’ve left.”

Thea shrugged. “I know. But I can dream a little.”

Behind her, her trunk clicked shut. Cael stood up straighter. Thea closed her eyes and straightened her own spine as well. It was time to move.

“Let’s ward the house,” she said.

.

🏫CREAK(ED)

Still, he couldn’t help but think about traps. He’d grown up as an academic, not a hunter. But many of his friends had grown up that way and a phrase they liked to use kept popping into his mind: driving prey.

Killian led the squads to the center of the school complex. They stuck to the walls, not wanting to expose themselves in the open courtyard. The swings on the swing set creaked eerily in between the sounds of gunfire. It became unfortunately clear the maps on the wall had been drawn to be easy to look at, not to scale. If they’d been to scale, they’d’ve reached the stairs sooner.

The crack of a rifle bullet as it struck the wall less than an inch from Adler’s nose and peppered his face with plaster flakes reminded him that no plan, no matter how well or hastily conceived, ever survived contact with the enemy. Adler’s body threw itself backwards of its own accord and out of the line of fire of a Nid who’d fired at point-blank range with a sniper rifle.

The Nids already had control over the courtyard.

“We can’t turn back,” Killian said. “They’ll have us surrounded.”

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

Find the word

Thanks to @elsie-writes here and here!

My words: behind, yell, couch, bird, away, eyes, stretch, moon, worm

Your words: present, just, unaware always

Tagging @whatwewrotepodcast @talesofsorrowandofruin @leahnardo-da-veggie @pluppsauthor @sunset-a-story

@eccaiia @buffythevampirelover @space-writes @alinacapellabooks @rickie-the-storyteller

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

@nebula--nix @literarynecromancy

Keep reading for:

Kelsey's first appearance

Noelle's grilled cheese opinion

Meet George

I'm using a different definition of bird

Gwen and Akash meet

This is based on a true story

Scary telepathy facts with Carla

Gwen and Akash are dating now <3

Gross Halloween Party games

Behind - from The Secret Portal Part One (Maddie POV)

I snuck up behind her before tackling her in a hug. Kelsey yelped, but laughed, giving me a semi-hug back; the best she could give from the awkward angle. “Hey, Maddie,” Kelsey greeted, taking her backpack off the chair she saved for me and moving it to the floor. She removed the pods from her ears and shook her head to knock her short, choppy hair out of her eyes, but her bangs just fell back in her face. I took the now-empty seat next to her. “Your glasses are smudged.” Kelsey removed them and rubbed them on what I hoped, for the safety of her lenses, was a cotton shirt.

Yell(ing) - from The Secret Portal Part One (Ash POV)

“Best grilled cheese sandwich?” Noelle stopped, thinking. “Sourdough, Cheddar and Muenster, sliced tomatoes, sauteed greens, sliced pear, ham, and cut into two diagonal pieces.” Silence. I peeked into her mind. “Could you by any chance make that sandwich sometime?” Noelle smiled slightly. “Sure.” “Told you Muenster was the best,” Liam said. “Which means, I win.” This ensued more overlapping yelling.

Couch - from The Secret Portal Part One (Lexi POV)

Carla and a taller, older boy were sitting on the larger couch. The boy—or maybe young man—held what appeared to be a granola bar in his hand, out of a wrapper. A world of dragons and portals and they still have regular food? On the table in front of him sat a plate with other unwrapped granola bars set on top of it. Jeez. He wore earrings and a red beanie-like hat with a green fringed jacket over an orange crewneck. His bright blue eyes against his skin tone reminded me of Maddie. Based on the state of the room, I couldn’t help but wonder if these two lived alone.

Bird - from The Secret Portal Part Two (Ash POV)

“The rules of this exercise are simple,” said Wade from the other side of the room. “The goal is to remove the other team’s necklace. If your necklace gets taken, you cannot get it back—you are out. You can attempt to incompacitate your opponent, but the ground rules is that you can’t knock them unconscious. We don’t want any serious injuries.” “Boooo!” Jazlyn and Parker said from next to me. Wade gave them the bird from across the room. They just returned it.

Away - from The Secret Portal Part One (Gwen POV)

I realized I was staring when Akash smiled. “You’re new around here, aren’t you?” When I didn’t answer, he added, “You want me to help you down?” I nodded, and Akash wrapped his arm around me. I flinched slightly—a cute boy was touching me!—but allowed him to do so. I let go of the vent and let him fly me to the floor. I suddenly realized I had wrapped my arms around him. I quickly pushed away from him. “Thanks,” I muttered. I glanced off to the side and panic ran through me when I noticed a bed. I could feel my cheeks turning red. I just fell into a cute boy’s room! As if I wasn’t embarrassed enough.

Eyes - from The Secret Portal Part One (Ash POV)

Shelby giggled as she reached for a cookie in the center of the table. “And what happened next?” I sniggered, trying to hold my laughter in so I could tell the story. “So—” I burst out laughing. Shelby rolled her eyes, but while smiling. “So, Mr. Taylor got mad at Jasmine for not playing soft enough and?” “And—” I took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. “And Jasmine said, ‘Mr. Taylor, I wasn't even playing!’” Shelby burst into a fit of laughter as her dad walked into the dining area.

Stretch - from The Secret Portal Part One (Ash POV)

Carla fiddled with the ring hanging from the chain around her neck. “The mind can only stretch so far. If advanced telepaths did—or even do—exist, there would be no way they could function. Their minds aren’t able to communicate the information that they can comprehend. They end up lost in their own thoughts, unable to reach out to another being.” I fell silent.

Moon - from The Secret Portal Part One

“You’re right. But… tomorrow?” “Sure. It’s a—” Gwen stopped herself. “It’s a what?” “It’s a...n event. That I will mark. On my calendar. My mental calendar. In my head.” “Oh. Okay.” Akash took a deep breath. “I… just thought you were gonna say date.” Gwen felt her cheeks burn up. “Only if you want it to be.” “I would want that,” Akash said, smiling shyer than usual. “Cool.” Gwen wasn't sure if she was nervous or over the moon, but she looked around, trying to find a distraction. “Hey, look, is that Gills under that sheet?” “Yo, Gills!” Akash shouted. The person in the sheet turned. “Yes, it’s Gills.” He raised his voice again. “So lemme guess: you’re a ghost!” “No, I’m a high schooler in a sheet!” Gabriel replied. “Ah, that’s a unique costume!” “Says the person dressed as the most recognizable character in the world.” “Not this world!”

Worm - from The Secret Portal Part One

“Ooh!” Lexi gasped, pointing at a table with a bag of Skittles and cups. “Is that the Skittles game?” “Skittles game?” Robbie asked. Lexi smiled deviously. “It’s disgustingly fun.” “You use your mouth to put the Skittles in the cup,” said Parker. “Whoever has the most wins.” Robbie scrunched up his face but smiled. “Aw, that’s nasty. I love it.” “Gummy worm spit!” Maddie gasped. “Yes!” “You’re welcome,” said Tyler from the punch table. “Oh, by the way, in the center table there’s a jar of candy corn. Write down how many you think are in there. Whoever gets it closest gets the entire jar.” “Time to write down 5 million,” said Akash, floating over. “I hate candy corn.”

[tracle0]

find word

Tagged by @ace-malarky wahoo to find tea, storm and cling. Tis from The Crows Death :)!

I do not have tea :(

Storm

Entirely unaware of Atlas’s pleading, Olly smiled back at their imposter. “So you’ll need a good tracker, will you?” “A good one,” their imposter agreed. How had they related to this monster earlier, allowed themselves to help them? “Shame we only have you.” “Maybe you should be asking nicer.” Their imposter grinned. “You want to come?” “He’ll die!” Atlas nearly screamed, storming to the back of the room, an overwhelming want to grasp their imposter and shake them until they snapped. They settled for grasping the edge of the sink instead. “Do you not remember, not know, what I went through?! The vines, that fog, that twisted healer? The Foxes? He’ll die out there, you can’t - I can’t - go if you want, but don’t… leave him here. Please. Please!”

Cling

The corpse clawed itself closer.  All of its details sang at Andy, eager to sear themselves into his mind. He could see the final mouldy strands of fur, clinging to yellowing bone. He could see the little curved teeth, jutting out of the front of the skull. He could see ragged muscles contract and clench as it pulled itself closer, closer, closer… Something yanked him from behind, pulling him abruptly upright by his collar – and away from the remains of the rodent.

Ew yucky yucky yuck

Tagging @albatris @kaatiba @polyaubergine nd uh @loopyhoopywrites to find snarl, whimper and brick

[ahordeofwasps]

Find the Word Tag

I've been tagged by the spectacular @sarandipitywrites! Thanks for the tag! My words are consume, cliff, cry, and consider. I'll be sharing excerpts from Crying Wolf.

But first, the no pressure tags! I'll be tagging @chauceryfairytales, @the-down-upside-finch, @talesofsorrowandofruin, @tabswrites, and open tag! Your words are blood, mud, flood, and dud!

Now, onto Crying Wolf!

Consume

Lady Boots liked to style her hair in an intricate manner as a testament to her wealth and power. That night, her hair had been styled to look like an exotic fish. But to Lux, her hair looked like a bird. After having consumed countless pints of cream ale, he voiced that thought. Loudly. To mistake the creature Lady Boots had styled hair to look like was insulting enough. To accuse her of styling her hair to look like a bird, a creature which everyone considered sinful, was unforgivable. Faster than you can say “blasphemy,” she had her entourage pin Lux to the bar so she could unleash her fury upon him.

Cliff

Not found! I'll share a fun fact instead! The Order of Grav believe that the dead live in the sky, with good souls living on the Moon and bad souls burning on Sun.

Cry

“I need to punish them!” was the boy’s muffled cry. Ogwut felt a pang in his heart. The boy’s urges were wrong, but he knew where they came from. He had felt them once, when all he knew was barren desert and angry cries. He found them more trouble than they were worth. Why bother to hurt others when he couldn’t be hurt in turn? He was lucky to have never acted upon them. He was lucky he was able to see the world beyond the angry cries

Consider

Jack considered doing what the mercenaries commanded. It was only a brief moment of consideration however and he decided to completely ignore them. The worst they could do was kill him and he had already died before.

[amaiguri]

Find the Word... Also pretty late..

@maskedemerald, you tagged me FOREVER ago to celebrate your. And now, I shall deliver :D

My words are: ring, whine, struck

Ring

When Eris first presented her ring finger to Kalliopeia, — the green Ysse crystal that could very well end the world — Kalliopeia made me promise to stop her if she ever lost her mind and sought to concentrate her own people into an infinitesimally dense point — as she had with Togen Oyer. -- Diacaius, "The Heart"

Whine

For a moment, it wobbled. Whined. Smoking. But it regrouped even faster than before — new hands clawing from the charred remains. Bigger ones. Clawed ones. -- Arlasaire, "Lightless"

Struck

Her body went limp beneath me. I struck her again for good measure. And again. She didn’t move. -- Arlasaire, "The Raid"

And now... we must pass on new words to our dear friends @maiemorrae, @winterandwords, @reaperofcrows, @zebee-nyx, @cee-grice, @moonfeatherblue and (since it's been months) BACK to @maskedemerald ;)

YOUR WORDS ARE: Ghost, Lantern, Echo, Blade, Shadow AND I have a bonus request: Please display your FAVORITE unusual word that you have in your wip :D