This is mostly a selfish idea, I think. There are times when I want to put a certain excerpt in the Teaser Game, and it would be better if it were longer, but I feel self-conscious about putting something so long. Have you also run into this problem? Never fear! Here, finally, is a Teaser Game featuring the long excerpts of your dreams! There’s a chance I’ll just use this all by myself for a few rounds, which anyone can do.
First word: long (ofc)
Good idea!
From The Princess And Her Servant (rough draft)
That actually was a good question. How to get out of there? There had to be a way, right? Devin tried to recall everything he could about the ravine and remembered that, a long time ago, one of the past rulers had ordered a staircase to be carved into one of its walls. As far as he knew, the staircase was still there. If there was any way to get out of that situation, it would be to go to it.
There was just one problem. The staircase was supposed to be located at the north end of the ravine. At the border of the kingdom. It would take a long time to get to it. A long and potentially dangerous trip… with Princess Spoiled Brat as a travel companion. And that was the last thing Devin wanted. He debated whether or not to tell her about the potential solution and whether or not she would even listen. In the end, he decided that, since he was stuck down there with her anyway, it wouldn’t hurt to at least suggest finding the staircase.
“Princess? Do you remember that history lesson? The one on your ancestor, King Atticus Sophron the second, and his failed attempt to build a vacation home down here?”
“He did not fail! He just didn’t live long enough for the project to continue past— the staircase! There’s a staircase! Thank the gods, I’m saved!”
“You’re welcome,” Devin muttered. He wasn’t expecting her to thank him or even give him credit for the idea. But, it sure would be nice if she did.
“It’s only a little ways south of here! I could get there before sunrise!” And then it was clear that Malarrea had not been paying much attention during that lesson.
New Word: Patience
(Thank you! [name_m]Devin[/name_m] seems lovely 
. Next word?)
Oops! Sorry!
[name_m]New[/name_m] Word: [name_f]Patience[/name_f]
“A new letter for you, sir,” said the floppy-haired messenger. Spyros had yet to learn the poor man’s name. He took the letter roughly and nodded to dismiss him, but the messenger paused for a moment, then took another piece of paper from his jacket pocket. “This one’s for you too.”
“Okay,” said Spyros, nonplussed. “You’re dismissed.” The messenger nodded, bowed, and left. Spyros took the small paper first and turned it over curiously. There are people among the court who worry for your health, it read in an unfamiliar handwriting. You have no heir, so if you are ill, it is advised that you seek medical attention immediately. Your enemies are only people who would take pleasure in a succession war. It was signed ‘Bram’, although Spyros didn’t know anyone by that name. He sighed. He didn’t have the patience for political machinations, not on top of everything else. Well, he could take care of that later, once he had learned what had happened to [name_m]Caleb[/name_m].
Next word: succession
This isn’t exactly a very long excerpt, but unfortunately I don’t have anything longer.
Currently Untitled
“The Succession War had been raging for five long years when [name_f]Brunhilda[/name_f] Boljesky was killed. Her siblings were convinced Roderick’s army was to blame.”
“Is that not the truth?”
“I once swore never to tell a soul about this. But you need to know.”
[name_m]New[/name_m] Word: [name_f]Soul[/name_f]
See, this is how long I mean. Indulgently long. [name_m]Can[/name_m] be as short as you want as well, of course. I just have so many words!
[name_m]Milo[/name_m] screamed again, and his fingernails drew blood across the back of Jem’s hand. He didn’t let go. No matter how much his betrayal had hurt, [name_m]Jem[/name_m] couldn’t bear to hear [name_m]Milo[/name_m] scream like that, like the pain was ripping his soul apart.
“It’s just a couple of broken bones,” [name_f]Saylor[/name_f] muttered at him. “You’ll live.” She held out her hand to [name_m]Jem[/name_m]. “Knife?”
He passed his to her. “Why don’t you have your own?”
“Threw it at a shadow beast,” she explained as she expertly cut away most of Milo’s shirt and the left leg of his pants. [name_m]Milo[/name_m] was going to hate that, once he knew it had happened. Then she removed a jar of black liquid from one of the pockets on her belt and poured it over Milo’s leg and shoulder. As the potion took affect, he released his death grip on Jem’s hand and his skin slowly turned black and translucent, revealing his bones. They didn’t look great, to say the least.
“Whoa,” said [name_m]Jem[/name_m] despite himself. “I’ve never seen human bones before.”
[name_f]Saylor[/name_f] smiled a bit, happy to talk about her weird potions even in the middle of a battlefield. “Technically, these aren’t human bones. But I’d be happy to show you your own also non-human bones sometime under less extreme circumstances. Finding an actual human might be more difficult. Now, Milo’s out of danger, and I’ve got other wounded to attend to. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think you can carry him back to the van?”
“Doubtful,” [name_m]Jem[/name_m] admitted. “Maybe if he were an owl.”
“That’s a decent idea, actually, provided he can keep the wing immobile.” [name_f]Saylor[/name_f] poked [name_m]Milo[/name_m] very gently on his uninjured arm. “Hey, [name_m]Milo[/name_m]. You awake in there?”
[name_m]Milo[/name_m] groaned, and his glassy eyes refocused with some difficulty on Jem’s face. “Jem?” he mumbled. “What’s happening?”
“Don’t try to move,” [name_f]Saylor[/name_f] warned. “Turn into an owl.”
He nodded slowly. His form shivered, and a snowy owl lay on the ground, his wing folded over his chest. [name_m]Jem[/name_m] lifted him carefully.
“See you after,” [name_f]Saylor[/name_f] told [name_m]Jem[/name_m] as she turned away to help someone else, and he walked away through the dark field with the trembling owl in his arms.
Next word: bones
From The [name_m]Power[/name_m] Of [name_m]Four[/name_m]
“Thanks for helping us.”
“Don’t thank me. Please. That makes this whole thing worse.”
“Oh. We’re so sorry—”
“I’m not! There were bones in that place! So! Many! Bones!”
“Talon! I’m so sorry about him. He’s… interesting.” “Well, thanks to you three very odd creatures, I don’t have a home on [name_m]Gryphon[/name_m] [name_f]Island[/name_f] anymore. If Ashwing ever catches me, he’ll tear me wing from wing and burn my remains on a pyre. I’m dead. I’m a dead Griffin.”
“Can Griffins even start fires? I mean, do they have the ability or—”
“That doesn’t matter!”
“He can’t burn your remains without a fire.”
“Talon!”
“I think Griffins can start fires. I mean, they can hold things in their talons can’t they? So, they should be able to do stuff similar to people. Right?”
“Fine. To answer your question, we can.”
“Are you good at starting fires? 'Cause, you know, your name is Fireclaw?”
“Um… no! No, Shecanae, I’m not! Actually, I’m terrible at that! The utmost worst!”
“Then why’re you called Fireclaw instead of something normal like Bunnysnatcher or Falconface?”
“No [name_m]Griffin[/name_m] in history has been named Falconface! That’s not a [name_m]Griffin[/name_m] name! And Bunnysnatcher is always given to girls!”
[name_m]New[/name_m] Word: Remains (in any context)
“Zombies are terrified of fire!” the doctor shouted triumphantly, pouring gasoline over Edmund’s coat.
[name_f][/name_f]“Gross!” [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] shouted. “That’s my favorite coat, you monster!” Paranoid though he may be, the doctor was right about the innate fear of fire that the undead had. The gasoline was unnecessary–as soon as the lit matches touched Edmund’s skin, he would be obliterated. Not even bones would remain to mark the fact that he had ever existed. [name_m]Edmund[/name_m] began tapping out “burning at stake send help” in Morse code on his earpiece. He wasn’t sure what [name_f]Blue[/name_f] would do with that, but he hoped she’d take it seriously. It occurred to him that maybe garnering a reputation for playing pranks with his earpiece hadn’t been the best idea.
[name_f][/name_f]“Yeah!” shouted a nurse in a blue coat. “Burn him! That’s the way!”
[name_f][/name_f][name_m]Edmund[/name_m] sighed as theatrically as he dared. “You can’t even catch the plague! You’re alive!” He considered. “Or you’re a terrible hypocrite. One of those!”
[name_f][/name_f]The nurse booed at him, then began calling for a torch. Shit[name_f][/name_f], they were actually taking this seriously. There was actual fire heading towards him at an actual steady pace. He’d be incinerated within a minute. He started tapping “help” repeatedly as quickly as he could while still remaining legible. Come on, [name_f]Blue[/name_f][name_f][/name_f], he thought. If she gets me out of this, she gets a whole week free of theatrical sighs.[name_f][/name_f] He doubted he could actually make that happen, but he also doubted he was getting out of this.
Next word: incinerated (or, if you don’t have that, fire)
From the 7th Book In [name_f]My[/name_f] First Dragon Series (all character names are most likely temporary):
[name_f][/name_f]“He didn’t even ask my name.”
[name_f][/name_f]“Don’t take it personally. He’s just distracted, that’s all.”
[name_f][/name_f]“Why did you stop me from telling him the truth? Volcano would never hurt me.”
[name_f][/name_f]“The [name_m]Fire[/name_m] Dragon who raised you?”
[name_f][/name_f]“Yes.”
[name_f][/name_f]“You don’t know what really happened, do you?”
[name_f][/name_f]“What really happened?”
[name_f][/name_f]“The day you were taken, our mother, Icicle, took you for a flight. She never returned. Father found her two days later, half buried in the snow. Dead. Her wing was badly charred and her neck was broken. A [name_m]Fire[/name_m] Dragon had killed her.”
[name_f][/name_f]“No. Volcano would never.”
[name_f][/name_f]“I don’t know. But it’s best not to speak fondly of the [name_m]Fire[/name_m] Dragons around Father. He loathes them for taking her from him.”
[name_m]New[/name_m] Word: Flight or Distracted
Warning: I’m still heavily workshopping this scene, so, if anyone has feedback I’d appreciate it
[name_f][/name_f]“We’re going to infiltrate a party!”
[name_f][/name_f]“A. [name_f][/name_f]. [name_f][/name_f]. party?” [name_f]Vesper[/name_f] asked.
[name_f][/name_f]Sel nodded. “Through a complicated series of events, there’s a second copy of the schematics for my cape on a yacht called [name_f]Cassiopeia[/name_f][name_f][/name_f] belonging to a very rich fellow who’s having a party tonight. We need to get onto that yacht, so we need to go to the party.”
[name_f][/name_f]“That kinda makes sense,” [name_f]Vesper[/name_f] agreed. “How are we going to get invitations?”
[name_f][/name_f]“I’ve got one–no, you don’t want to know how–addressed to one [name_m]Sir[/name_m] [name_m]Leonidas[/name_m] [name_m]Horatio[/name_m] du Pont, plus one.”
[name_f][/name_f]“That’s a pretentious name,” [name_f]Vesper[/name_f] said.
[name_f][/name_f]Sel shrugged. “These are pretentious people.” He leaned in, suddenly closer to [name_f]Vesper[/name_f] than seemed entirely appropriate. “So, who do you want to be? What’s our relationship?”
[name_f][/name_f]“Relationship?” [name_f]Vesper[/name_f] asked, mouth inexplicably dry. “Um. [name_f][/name_f]. [name_f][/name_f]. I can be your bodyguard? Since I’m big and strong?”
[name_f][/name_f]“I mean, you are[name_f][/name_f] pretty strong,” Sel said, “but you’re more than that. Anyone else you want to be?”
[name_f][/name_f][name_f]Vesper[/name_f] thought about it, or tried to. What was Sel going for? “Secret. [name_f][/name_f]. [name_f][/name_f]. bodyguard. [name_f][/name_f]. .?”
[name_f][/name_f]“Better, but this is a yacht party!” Sel’s hand rested on Vesper’s leg briefly before slipping away. “I’m pretty sure bodyguards get in automatically, so what use would my plus-one invitation be?” He waggled the thin red paper.
[name_f][/name_f]“I’m not sure what you’re suggesting,” [name_f]Vesper[/name_f] said carefully. He really was very confused. “Why would you, or [name_m]Sir[/name_m] Whatever, bring me, if it’s not because I can protect you?”
[name_f][/name_f]Sel sighed. “You’re asking me why guys bring each other to parties? Dear [name_m]God[/name_m], you need to be brought to more parties. They do it because they want to spend time together, have some fun, take interesting risks involving champagne and whatnot. [name_m]Or[/name_m], you know, to retrieve important life-or-death schematics, but that could be secondary. [name_m]Sir[/name_m] [name_m]Leonidas[/name_m] is inviting whoever you want to be to this fancy, frivolous party because it’s fun, and he wants to have fun with you.”
[name_f][/name_f]People weren’t typically foaming at the mouth to have fun with [name_f]Vesper[/name_f], that was for sure. And he’d never been to a proper party before. But. [name_f][/name_f]. [name_f][/name_f]. “Fun sounds distracting. Without the schematics, you’ll die. [name_m]Can[/name_m] I please just be your bodyguard?”
[name_f][/name_f]“I’ll die having lived!” said Sel. He blew out a huff of air. “But, yes, if that’s what you want. Let’s go 3D-print some clothes. And pick out a name for you!”
[name_f][/name_f]“Steve,” [name_f]Vesper[/name_f] said immediately. “Classic thug name.”
[name_f][/name_f]“You’re not a thug,” Sel reminded him.
[name_f][/name_f]“I’ve spent the past two years basically just breaking down doors with an axe,” [name_f]Vesper[/name_f] countered. “I think I’m a little bit of a thug.”
[name_f][/name_f]Sel just shrugged. “Leo and [name_m]Steve[/name_m]. Why not?”
Next word: party or appropriate