Tag Game Round-Up #2

Another roundup of the tag games I've participated in!

WIPful Beginnings

Rules: Give a brief description of the beginning of 3 of your WIPs or recent works, and tag 6 people.

The Falcon’s Claw:

Neska’s first day as a member of the King’s Court is unforgettable for all the wrong reasons: her dress causes a scandal, she’s shunned by the Court, and she narrowly avoids an argument with someone when it’s announced the King’s Advisor has been poisoned.

Apartment:

Angela Gibbons visits her apartment building’s gym - something she has only done three times in the years she has lived there. When regular gym-goer (and the only other inhabitant of the building) James Foreman arrives for his usual workout afterwards, he notices that someone has been there. He spends the rest of the day thinking about Angela, and begins to write down the numbers…

The Fall of the Black Masks:

Qays is on his way home from work when he finds the unconscious body of Ragnar on the streets near his house. With the help of his daughter, Mila, the two of them drag him back to their home and take care of him.

Find the Word #1

So, the words I’ve been challenged to find in my WIPs are: paper, language, scent and letter(s). I’ve decided to answer this for The Pirates of Sissa.

Paper:

Sahra, who had just poured herself a cool drink of water from the glazed clay jar on her small dining table (which was currently being invaded by papers and books from her tutors), froze and stared at him. “What?”

Language:

She seemed fluent in the signed language she sometimes used, often before realizing that she had to once again default to her notebooks.

Scent:

She closed her eyes and inhaled the damp, repugnant scent of the dungeon. She was ready. She didn’t know what awaited her after death, but she knew that if there was any sense of justice in the world, it wasn’t something good.

Letter(s):

The letter was scrawled upon a small slip of parchment. Fragile and easily destructible, it felt strange that this tiny, otherwise insignificant thing could cost so much - could mean so much - to so many people.

Find the Word #2

These are all for The Pirates of Sissa, though there was one that I couldn’t find and replaced with a closely related term.

Sapphire:

“The finest silk, dyed with a deep, sapphire blue, and the most exceptional golden embroidery for the details.”

Sail Travel:

“Perhaps it was his military training, but he preferred to travel light, ride quickly, and always have his wits about him. Even in home territory.”

Crown:

“‘I understand that taxes paid to the Sissan Crown are nothing compared to the amount of money generated from gold mining and trading.’”

Danger: 

“‘What happened?’ she echoed, her voice low and dangerous. ‘What happened?’ In one quick stride, she was toe to toe with him, glaring with such hostility and fury that it frightened him.”

Last Line

Rules: Share the last line you wrote for your WIP.

This one’s from The Falcon’s Claw:

He leaned over her, and Neska stepped back, finding him all too close – and all too hostile – for comfort. “I have a nose for traitors, and you reek. Though I have no solid evidence with which to accuse you yet, I will find it.”

This is… a very tense moment for Neska. It takes place in the second “episode” of the story, and it is at this moment that Neska realizes that she is one of the main suspects in the investigation into the murder of a very important palace official.

I hope you enjoyed reading these random little snippets from my works in progress!