AUTHORS NOTE:- This is one of the many writing exercises I do when, feeling exceedingly guilty, I attempt to get myself back into the right frame of mind to write. This is incredibly short, and the only word I can use to describe it is 'fluff' but that's what you get after sitting and playing on The Sims for your Christmas Holidays. I decided to use Bella and Edward as characters simply because I love them. My writing style isn't the same, and this is third person as opposed to first, but I hope you enjoy anyway! I'd be interested to see what you thought, in case it's worth posting any more of my exercises up for you, or whether I should just cyber burn them…. (: Anyone who gets which book the quote (towards the end) is from gets karma. :D
Her books were piled on her lap, almost eclipsing her face. To her right, a lit lamp, illuminating the pages of the uppermost book enough to allow the words to become legible. To her left, a small basin, filled with an assortment of chocolates. Her hand dipped into the basin, bringing the chocolate to her mouth, where she set about tearing the wrapper off, not looking away from her book, which her other hand was holding steady atop the precarious pile between her legs.
Her mouth full of chocolate, she sighed as she came across an unfamiliar word. Lifting up the book, she set it down – its spine bent through years of such neglect, and rummaged through the remaining pile, until she surfaced with what she'd been looking for. Her dictionary.
"Mien," she muttered to herself, riffling through the pages until she hit M, and then further, until she found the word itself. "A persons look or manner." A voice startled her from her reverie.
"Go on then Bella. What's my mien?"
"Wha- oh." She paused, the oh having been contracted due to laying eyes upon the owner of the voice. She allowed herself a moment to take in the sight, before shaking her head, and, avoiding the knowing, playful look on Edward's face, thought about it.
"Er…Your mien?"
"My mien," he confirmed.
She bit her lip. "Well…your manner mien would be…" she stopped, looking around her legs. Something tapped her arm.
"Is this what you're looking for?" He was holding a small notebook, grinning. She took it off him, smiling, turned the pages until she found the most recent one.
Definitions.
C a p r i c e – a sudden + unaccountable mood change.
S o l a c e – comfort + consolation
C i r c u m s p e c t – cautious, prudent
S y n o n y m o u s – having the same meaning as another word or phrase in the same language. Ex:- his name was synonymous with victory
F e l i c i t y – complete happiness
D i s c o m p o s e – disturb or agitate
I n d u c e m e n t – a thing that persuades or leads someone to do something (a bribe)
I n s i p i d – lacking vigour or interest
I n t r e p i d – fearless, adventurous
"From this list?"
Edward leant back on the sofa, his arms behind his head, twisting around so that his feet rested on the books.
"It would be good practice."
"I have to use them all?"
"It would be a challenge.." His tone was patient, spurring Bella into it.
"Okay, er… your mien as in manner is intrepid and…synonymous with the most selfless being that ever walked the planet?"
"Nice try. We're still getting married."
Bella groaned, glancing down at her list.
"You just changed my…felicity into…discomposure."
"Discomposure wasn't on there Bella."
"It still counts."
"No it doesn't."
"Discompose is derived from discomposure, of course it counts!" she snapped exasperatedly. Edward raised an eyebrow, and she sighed.
"Fine."
"You can have it if you tell me the definition of 'derived'. Without looking it up," he added, watching her hand stray to the dictionary. He swooped, and it was in his hands. She sighed, and repeated her last sentence with more emphasis.
"Fine."
"If you're not up to the challenge Bella…"
"I think you just made me have an insipid mien."
"Does that even make sense?"
"If you don't know, and you can't tell me without looking it up, then yes, it does, and yes, it counts."
"If it doesn't make sense then you can't have it."
"You never said that to begin with!"
It was Edward's turn to be outwitted. He was silent, pondering this
matter, when Bella spoke again.
"I think you have a case of caprice."
"That's not how you're supposed to use that word, and you know it." He flipped through the book she had been reading until he found the appropriate sentence.
"-was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty yea-"
So ensued a battle of the book, which Edward eventually let Bella win. She repeated the entire sentence, and then seized her pen and scrawled it out on the sheet.
Definitions.
C a p r i c e – a sudden + unaccountable mood change. Ha Edward!
S o l a c e – comfort + consolation
C i r c u m s p e c t – cautious, prudent
S y n o n y m o u s – having the same meaning as another word or phrase in the same language. Ex:- his name was synonymous .
D i s c o m p o s e – disturb or agitate Used it
I n d u c e m e n t – a thing that persuades or leads someone to do
something (a bribe)
I n s i p i d – lacking vigour or interest Beat that.
I n t r e p i d – fearless, adventurous I'll win, you know.
"If I win this-"
"You won't win," ascertained Edward emphatically, "because you're cheating."
"I am trying to be more circumspect in the hope that this will be inducement enough for you to seek solace in my company," Bella finished triumphantly.
"Shut up."
"You didn't think I could do it, did you?"
"No. And you didn't because you cheated."
"That's not cheating!"
Edward leaned closer. "Oh? Well what is it then?" His breath mingled with hers, and she shivered.
"I-, er, well…"
"You cheated, didn't you?" His eyes widened appealingly, and he looked at her in a way she could only describe as alluring.
"Well, er…"
He nodded slowly, prompting her to continue. She broke the spell.
"Stop seducing me!"
"I did that long ago, my dear." His lips crashed down on hers, ending the game with one swoop.