From The Jungle Tamers:
The strange figure pulled down their hood. A tall lady with dark circles glowered at me with beady, unblinking eyes. I didn’t recognise her. Repulsed, she picked me up, looking absolutely disgusted to be holding such a small, squirming creature. I started to bawl as her sharp, painted fingernails dug into my tummy. I bit into her with my gums (I had no teeth yet), but all she did was grimace and wipe baby slobber from her hands with a pristine white tissue.
Gagging as she sniffed me, she dropped me onto my changing mat with a shudder. I screeched like a hungry baby bird as my head hit the hard surface, my eyes wide with confusion.
“Oh, shut it, baby!” the strange lady cried, raising a hand as if to smack me but stopping mid-air when her conscience got the better of her. I continued to wail profusely as she stalked out the door, desperately trying to awaken Marianette or one of the other nurses, but nobody moved from their slumber.
Sorry, I’ve only got one again!
Next word: recognise
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From The [name_m]Notorious[/name_m] Squirrel Chasers
“And, if you think—”
“Excuse me, but audience members aren’t allowed back here without an invite.” [name_u]Maxwell[/name_u], as if sensing that something was wrong, came over and told them.
[name_u]George[/name_u] smirked. “Oh, but I’m a friend of Lindsy’s. I don’t see what the harm is in me and my girlfriend stopping by to say hello.”
“Funny, I don’t remember her mentioning you.” [name_u]Maxwell[/name_u] knew full well who these two were, but he didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of being recognized right away. “And I have a very good memory.”
“I’m [name_u]George[/name_u] [name_u]Denver[/name_u]. Surely you’ve heard of me? [name_u]Lindsy[/name_u] and I used to be pretty close.”
“He’s a professional wrestler!” [name_f]Clarabella[/name_f] added. “And has won several tournaments! He’s a celebrity!”
“Oh, yes. I do think I’ve watched one or two of your matches. Didn’t you get crushed by a rottweiler once?”
From The [name_f]Princess[/name_f] And Her Servant
“Are you two new? I don’t recognize you."
“Us, Miss?”
“We’ve been working here almost two weeks.”
“And what are your names?”
“I’m [name_m]Frederick[/name_m] [name_m]Saunders[/name_m] and this is my brother, Edward.”
“But we usually go by [name_m]Fred[/name_m] and [name_m]Ed[/name_m]. Aren’t you the princess, though?”
“Why are you talking to us, Your [name_u]Majesty[/name_u]? We’ve heard… well, things about you. Not necessarily bad—”
“I was a spoiled brat. I used to care very little about how I treated anyone. I was terrible, awful, and any other words you’ve heard used to describe me. What you’ve heard was the truth. But not anymore.”
“We heard you don’t go near guards because…”
“I’m not afraid of you. Perhaps once I would have been. But I don’t have time to be anymore. I need your help.”
[name_u]New[/name_u] Word: Guard
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The Jungle Tamers:
Eventually, after weeks of stop-and-start driving, we arrived at a stout black building. It stood there like a guard, uninviting and to be avoided if at all possible.
For me, of course, that option wasn’t available. Shooting a glance at [name_u]Robin[/name_u], who nodded at me in reassurance, we started the hike up the steep hill and towards the gloomy institution.
From Sisterly Life:
“Oh, shut up, Mum,” [name_u]Jodie[/name_u] slurs, rolling over onto her side in order to guard her drunken expression. “I’m sixteen, not five, and I was only having a bit of fun.”
Next word: gloomy
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I could only find one excerpt containing this word. Sorry.
From The Twice-Cursed [name_f]Princess[/name_f]
“Don’t say it, Adeline!” [name_f]Lunette[/name_f] snapped. The only way, apparently, to break her curse was to find “true love”. But, of course, that was impossible. There was no such thing.
“Very well, then. I won’t.” [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] sighed and muttered “It would take a miracle for her curse to be broken, anyway. She can’t feel love, so it would be entirely up to someone to fall for her. With her attitude, that won’t happen in a million years. A billion. Probably even a trillion.”
[name_f]Lunette[/name_f] heard her, but pretended not to have. [name_f]Adeline[/name_f] spoke the truth. No one would ever love a person who was always gloomy. It was a fact so true that it might as well be in a book. “Even if true love does exist, I probably don’t have anyone. Sometimes, I wonder if my own parents even love me.”
[name_u]New[/name_u] Word: [name_u]Love[/name_u]
Dont worry!
From [name_f]Fallen[/name_f] Angels:
We go every year, and stay in her old-fashioned manor from Boxing [name_u]Day[/name_u] until the day after [name_u]New[/name_u] Year’s. It’s a family tradition, and although my sisters whine and whinge, I love it. On [name_u]Christmas[/name_u] [name_u]Day[/name_u] I’m not bothered about the presents I’ve received but am instead thinking about seeing my grandparents and visiting their whimsical mansion yet again.
From The Jungle Tamers
I’m sitting at the breakfast table, swinging my legs and waiting impatiently for my cornflakes, when a fist hammers loudly at our front door.
“Answer it, will you, love?” asks Mum. Glancing at her anxiously, I see that, as per usual, her face is pale and she has dark bags under her eyes. I try to ignore how ill she’s getting, and rush to the front door, swinging it open. A petite woman with half-moon spectacles and mousy-brown hair slicked into a bun stares at me blankly on the doorstep, a clipboard in her hand. The first thought I have is that she looks like she uses far too much hair gel.
Next word: swinging
From Beware Of Dog 4
It took her a moment to realize that a few of the names were familiar. “Sadie [name_m]Wells[/name_m], 1982? Mother lived here? I never— wait! [name_u]Liam[/name_u] [name_m]Sanford[/name_m], 1973?! Father too! Cool! I never even knew this was here!” She scanned the wall, searching for more familiar names. “Let’s see, my kindergarten teacher lived here in 1979. And [name_m]Pluto[/name_m] Vandersnoot— I still think that’s a funny name— lived here in 1965. Surprised that that Dog would write his name on a wall, considering how he values neatness, but okay.” It was then that she noticed a familiar surname accompanied not by a date, but by a message. “Layne? ‘C. M. [name_u]Layne[/name_u], always, forever, and till the end of time. While I’ve been forcefully removed from home, my heart belongs to the Hound [name_f]Street[/name_f] Neighborhood and nothing will ever change that.’ Wow, that guy really liked it here. I wonder if he’s related to— oh right!”
The wall had distracted [name_f]Emma[/name_f] from what was really important. Finding [name_m]Cassius[/name_m]. Giving the sorrowful message one last glance, she kept walking. At the end of the street was a park. Well, sort of a park. It was basically just a swing set and a slide. But it had a baseball field where some Pups were playing a game. A bunch of adults sat on bleachers nearby, cheering.
From The [name_f]Princess[/name_f] And Her Servant
The prince swung the sword again, but [name_u]Devin[/name_u] managed to parry the blow with his dagger. And the next one, too. He had meant what he said about not being killed easily. He would fight for as long as he could, staying defensive. There was no way he would manage to win. There was no point in attacking his opponent.
Several more swings of the sword were parried successfully. [name_u]Prince[/name_u] [name_u]Daniel[/name_u] seemed to always swing a certain way. He was clearly getting frustrated. But, no one ever said he wasn’t good at sword fighting. [name_u]Or[/name_u] that he didn’t know what he was doing. He must have realized that his fighting pattern was kind of predictable.
[name_u]New[/name_u] Word: Realize
From a currently untitled book:
I begin to take in my surroundings. I see that I am strapped up to a weird machine, with a squiggly line with sharp edges on the screen. That must be where the beeping was coming from, I realise. I’m in a bed with a white duvet and white pillows - this isn’t my bed. [name_f]My[/name_f] bed had golden striped pillows, and the duvet always had biscuits crumbs from where my sister had been munching my secret stash. [name_f]My[/name_f] sister… What was her name again? I can’t remember. I rack my memory, but it seems to have disappeared.
“Hello? Stephanie?” A lady in a blue t-shirt with matching trousers appears by my bed. I open my mouth to tell her that I’m not [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f], and I don’t know who [name_f]Stephanie[/name_f] is, but I can’t seem to remember how to speak. The lady starts to talk again, noticing the pause. “Hi, we need to ask you a few questions about the crash.”
From The Jungle Tamers:
“Harmony, move!” I scream, the terror clear in my wobbling voice. The howls are loudening and the hoofbeats are nearer. “Quickly, go!”
In desperation, I give up on her and bolt into the trees, my heart hammering against my chest. When the noise has finally died down, I peek out of the corner of my eye and see that the clearing’s empty. Hopefully she’s realised the danger and cantered into the forest, but I can’t be certain. A guilty ache fills my chest… what’s [name_u]Robin[/name_u] going to think?
Next word: guilty
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From The [name_u]Hero[/name_u], The [name_f]Queen[/name_f], And The Prisoner
“My queen? I believe I’m owed an explanation about why you let our latest prisoner live.”
“Because he’s not guilty of anything. He’s a victim of Osmund’s rule too. You saw him. You can surely understand what they’ve done.”
“And yet he’s loyal to them.”
“That’s why I’m going to call him Puppy. At least until I learn his real name. He reminds me so much of a dog that is beaten for every mistake and yet continues to return to its master. [name_f]Fear[/name_f] and blind loyalty win out over wanting to escape. Perhaps, with time and a lot of kindness from us, he’ll realize that there’s a better way to live.”
From A Tale Of Sorrow And Woe
“You didn’t destroy my life. In fact, you gave your own life to save mine. [name_m]Even[/name_m] though you knew I likely wouldn’t have done the same for you. And I’m so sorry that’s what it took for me to understand what I need you to understand now. That you never have been, never will be, and have no desire to be the villain of this story.”
“Only the last one is true. And I don’t know if it always was. How do I really know if I’m your friend or—”
“Look at me. You are my ally, my friend, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’ve forgiven you. Now you need to try and forgive yourself.”
“How can I? The guilt feels like it’s—”
“Crushing you. I know. You told me that not long after I met you. And many times afterwards. And I just made it worse. But I won’t do that again. I’m here for you now. I want to help you.”
“But why didn’t you tell me?”
[name_u]New[/name_u] Word: Tell
House of Cards
“You don’t tell me anything, you know,” [name_u]Eden[/name_u] says suddenly, which feels like the start of a conversation that shouldn’t be taking place in a McDonald’s queue. [name_u]Or[/name_u] in McDonald’s. [name_u]Or[/name_u] anywhere.
I reread the receipt like it’s the most interesting thing in the world and ignore them. It feels like the safe thing to do.
Darkling
“So… when exactly were you planning to tell us about this, [name_m]Al[/name_m]? Because it looks like the answer is never by the look on your face.”
He’s not wrong either.
Next: safe
From City Of Goblins
“I have no intention of betraying you. I literally just want to survive my stay in Vora.”
“Who says you’re going to survive?”
“But, you just said I’m under your protection?”
“That doesn’t mean you won’t eventually get killed by something. If I catch you conspiring with the enemy, that something may very well be me. So, don’t think you’re safe. Because, you’re not.”
“Then why should I trust you?”
“You shouldn’t. But, if you want a chance to survive, you have to.”
“Well, I believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt. So, I’ll trust you.”
“Do you know who I am?”
“I have my guesses.”
“Then you’ve heard nothing good.”
“You’re [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] [name_u]Lenox[/name_u]. Right?”
“Aka the third evil, the traitor, so on and so on.”
From The [name_f]Princess[/name_f] And Her Servant
“I understand that we’re friends. I understand that you don’t like executions. I hope you don’t have to watch tomorrow. It’s bound to be painful and bloody and just overall horrible. I’d rather you not be there.”
“But, I—”
“You shouldn’t even be here, in this dungeon, talking to me. [name_f]Remember[/name_f] when I said that if I was the one in danger instead of you, the smarter move for you would be to leave me behind? It’s the same now.”
“No, it isn’t! Now I—”
“If something happens to you, your father will give the throne to your fiance. Look at it this way, [name_f]Princess[/name_f]. You can try to save me, one person of millions, who can easily be replaced. [name_u]Or[/name_u] you could keep yourself safe and save millions of people by being a good queen. And you should choose to save millions over one any day.”
[name_u]New[/name_u] Word: Choose
From The [name_u]Hero[/name_u], The [name_f]Queen[/name_f], And The Prisoner
“What’s your motive for letting me live?”
“What’s your name?”
“Like I would tell you.”
“Fair, but I have to call you something. If you won’t give me a name, I’ll have to choose one for you. And I once named a rabbit Hoppington. Also, I’ve named a cat [name_m]Fish[/name_m] Eater and a fawn [name_u]Baby[/name_u] Spots.”
“I don’t want a name from you. I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Oh, and don’t forget the time I called my older brother [name_m]Sir[/name_m] Basilisk during a game of Knights and Dragons. That was because he had to pretend to be a knight turned into a Dragon, but he could only turn into a giant snake. [name_f]My[/name_f] little brother was called [name_f]Scarlet[/name_f] Eyes in the same game. Anyway, let’s see, maybe I’ll call you—”
“Nothing.”
“I’ll call you Puppy, because you remind me of one.”
From The Guard Of Dosta
[name_f]Kaylee[/name_f] rolled her eyes. “Says the guy who throws temper tantrums when things don’t go his way.” She had been dealing with Weylin’s taunts for most of her life. At this point, they were more annoying than anything else. “And where’s your Guardian?”
Now it was Weylin’s turn to choose whether or not to be angry. And it was clear from the outraged look in his green eyes which he would choose. “I’ll have one by the end of today!”
“That’s what you said last year, remember?” Because [name_f]Kaylee[/name_f] sure remembered. The whole village probably remembered.
[name_u]New[/name_u] Word: [name_f]Remember[/name_f]
[name_u]Basil[/name_u] gasped. “Yeah! Wait, I remember you now! You’re Craig-With-The-Red-Truck!”
“I suppose so,” said the man, [name_m]Craig[/name_m], clearly as started as [name_u]Basil[/name_u]. “You’re. . . fifteen now?” [name_u]Basil[/name_u] nodded. It had never occurred to him that he might see Craig-With-The-Red-Truck again.
“You ruined my life!” [name_u]Basil[/name_u] snarled. “Do you even remember? [name_f]Do[/name_f] you even know who I am?”
Liliani’s eyes were wide, scared. “Um. . . no?”
“Well, let me enlighten you.” Heat was pouring off his skin in waves. “My name is [name_u]Basil[/name_u] [name_m]Anders[/name_m]. [name_f]My[/name_f] parent’s names were [name_m]Frederick[/name_m] and [name_f]Vera[/name_f] [name_m]Anders[/name_m]. Ringing a bell now?”
“Anders. . .” Liliani muttered, frantically trying to remember. Then she gasped and swore.
Basil’s voice was unrecognizable, clotted with rage. “Yeah. You remember now.”
These are some of the most emotional clips I’ve got–I guess people only remember things when crazy emotional stuff is happening? Plus, do I get points for having it three times in the second quote? IDK lol
Next word: gasp
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From The Twice-Cursed [name_f]Princess[/name_f]
“Who is this sorceress? What makes her so important that I have to go all the way to Valdenius just to meet her?” There was no way [name_f]Lunette[/name_f] was going all the way across the sea to meet a random sorceress that she knew nothing about.
“Ever heard of [name_f]Chloe[/name_f] Stanton?”
[name_f]Lunette[/name_f] gasped. “The royal sorceress? There’s no way you know the royal sorceress of Valdenius!”
“Actually, we’re good friends. I’m rather popular over there.”
From The Adventures Of [name_f]Delyth[/name_f] [name_f]Elixyvett[/name_f]
“What happened?!” [name_f]Delyth[/name_f] could tell that something was very wrong. [name_u]Huxley[/name_u] was trembling. She had only seen him this scared a few times.
“Ragnar is back! He’s coming here!”
[name_f]Every[/name_f] creature nearby gasped. And then, chaos broke loose.
[name_u]New[/name_u] Word: Wrong
From The Currently Untitled Sequel To Reprogrammed:
“I hate to interrupt you two, but—”
“Interrupt what, Steve?!” [name_m]Eiro[/name_m] snapped. “You aren’t interrupting anything! Is he?!”
“Then perhaps I was wrong. That look, though…” [name_f]Galatea[/name_f] made a mental note to return to the topic later. “No. He isn’t.”
“Oh… okay. Well, we should keep going. The answer to our problems lies ahead. And—”
“Right. We have to get you back where you came from, restore my people to life, and… figure out what happened to her. No matter what.”
From The [name_f]Princess[/name_f] And Her Servant:
“Stop! [name_m]Just[/name_m] stop! If I hear another word out of you, I’m going to go berserk! You have no right to say most of the things that have come out of your mouth recently!”
“I am the king!”
“Being royalty does not mean you can treat anyone however you please! You’re wrong to think that it does! I was wrong to think that it does! The people of this kingdom are people! [name_m]Just[/name_m] like you and me! Now get out of here! I don’t want to see you again until you decide to act like a decent human being!”
“Malarrea—”
“Goodnight, Father!”
[name_u]New[/name_u] Word: Path
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Selenite’s eyes shimmered as she pulled Glitter behind an ice statue, the path forgotten. Three moons, Glitter wanted to kiss her. But Selenite put her talons against her chest before she could. She could probably feel Glitter’s heartbeat, wildly out of control.
“Glitter,” Selenite asked softly, “can I trust you?”
Glitter paused. She hadn’t been expecting that. “It depends,” she said playfully. “You can trust me to always say something witty and clever. You can trust me to have your back during a polar bear hunt.” Then she added, almost unintentionally, “You can trust me to save my own scales when push comes to shove.” Glitter knew as soon as she said it that if she’d been thinking straight, she wouldn’t have. But she couldn’t take it back now.
“This is your path to greatness!” the General’s voice rang out. “Join the [name_u]Army[/name_u] today!”
[name_u]Loren[/name_u] threw a fountain pen through the screen. As if he needed more of that. Loren’s path to greatness was right here, thanks, scribbling out passes and scheming about the exact definition of the word ‘door’.
Next word: trust
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From The Guard Of Dosta Series:
“Did he get mad?”
“Furious. His face turned almost as red as his hair.”
“I’d love to see that.”
“Trust me, it was hilarious.”
“So, um, you think I’m noble?”
“You are.”
“Wow. That’s a change. Normally, when I stop some bully from bothering people—”
“Someone adds a new insult to your dictionary?”
“Or tells me to mind my own business. [name_u]Or[/name_u] both.”
“Hypocrites.”
“I know.”
From City Of Goblins:
[name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] looked back at her. “We protect Vora from the three evils, mostly.”
“The three evils,” [name_f]Gretel[/name_f] added. “Are the goblins, the dire wolves, and [name_m]Apollo[/name_m] Lenox.”
“Is that the guy who blew up your goblin trap?”
“The one and only,” [name_f]Tabitha[/name_f] confirmed. “But, you’ll hear all about him later. [name_u]Trust[/name_u] me, we talk a lot about the guy.”
[name_u]New[/name_u] Word: Work
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“This is not going to work,” said [name_m]Dev[/name_m].
“I agree,” [name_u]Loren[/name_u] agreed.
Aleesa waved her hands in a ‘nuh-uh!’ sort of way. “Hey now! I think it’s a great plan!”
[name_m]Dev[/name_m] scoffed. “Well, of course you do. You’re fireproof. The rest of us, on the other hand, are not.”
[name_u]Loren[/name_u] nodded emphatically. “Only about half of extraplanar entities have any sort of elemental resistance, and I’m not one of them!”
[name_u]Saylor[/name_u] poked him. “I have to go to work.”
“No you don’t,” [name_u]Ash[/name_u] argued. “You’re hanging out with me, and that’s basically the same thing.”
“That’s only a valid argument when you’re horribly wounded. Which you’re not, so shut up.”
Next word: argument
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This is from a very old draft, so please forgive any punctuation mistakes:
“But they are not the main source of the problem.” Replied Alpana. She glared at Preyfinder.
“Don’t look at me!” He growled in return. “The Hyena Clans are behaving. They usually are. You just love to blame us because you all think you’re better than we are!”
“Now, Preyfinder. Nobody said that.” [name_f]Aziza[/name_f] tried to reassure him.
“Yeah, but you all think it.” Preyfinder muttered. “We’ll show you, someday. I’ve got my eye on a certain young Hyena. When all of your chosen ones are running around whimpering because a challenge is too hard, mine will persevere and succeed.”
“That’ll be the day.” Snorted Alpana. “When a Hyena out does a [name_m]Lion[/name_m], Cheetah, or Painted Dog!”
“Can we just stop arguing!” Roared [name_m]Kenzo[/name_m]. “We may never know who is to blame!”
From a scene taking place near the end of The [name_f]Princess[/name_f] And Her Servant:
The king looked shocked. Perhaps she had actually gotten through to him. “When did you become so… so…” Then again, maybe not.
“I don’t have time for this right now!” Malarrea shouted. She would have other chances to argue with her father. But, if the healer didn’t show up, if it was too late… she would never get another chance to speak with [name_u]Devin[/name_u]. And there was far too much left unsaid. No, Malarrea wasn’t going to waste her time yelling at the king. “I only have one concern right this moment! And you aren’t it!”
[name_u]New[/name_u] Word: Blame
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“Don’t blame me if I, like, explode your face or something, okay?”
[name_m]Arnold[/name_m] patted his arm reassuringly. “I highly doubt that anyone’s face is getting exploded today. It’s much more likely that you set me on fire and kill us both.”
“You can’t blame me for that!” [name_u]Ash[/name_u] tried. “I’m legally a child, I don’t have to pay you.”
[name_u]Saylor[/name_u] smirked. “By that logic, I’m legally a child, I don’t have to heal you. And yet, you’re alive.”
Next word: logic
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I try not to do this but I want to keep the thread moving
“Logically,” Glitter pointed out, “I could kill you where you stand in an instant.”
Shadeprowler was unfazed. “If you did that, you wouldn’t get your silver.”
Glitter shrugged. “You’re not the only criminal looking for a quick deal.”
“Maybe not,” he said, “but my team is the only one good enough to break into [name_u]Gull[/name_u] the SeaWing’s mansion.”
Selenite traced her tail down Glitter’s back sleepily. “The unfettered logic of your mind astounds me.”
Glitter gave a short burst of laughter, dry and surprising. “My logic is anything but unfettered. It’s anything emotional that really sets me free.”
“Well, aren’t you lucky you have me, then?” Selenite’s tone brokered no argument. She was Glitter’s and Glitter was hers. It was remarkable how warm it made the IceWing feel.
Next word: laughter