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itotoroBEWARE. SPOILERS.
Listing down my favorite words from this fic plus examples that involve it. Doubles as a highlight reel.
Definition: / ˌpa-nə-ˈsē-ə/ - a remedy for all ills or difficulties
Example: Now, what provides some sort of panacea for the chaos of the apocalypse is the most ambitious space project mankind will ever attempt.
Word: asphalt
Definition: /ˈas-ˌfȯlt/ - an asphaltic composition used for pavements and as a waterproof cement
Example: There's just enough space for her to pull her travel luggage through, the wheels clacking as asphalt turns into tile, then into the cool metal of the building elevators. She presses the button for the top floor, waits for the doors to close.
Word: subdued
Definition: / səb-ˈdüd/ - lacking in vitality, intensity, or strength
Example: The woman with the strong nose, Heejin, turns to Jinsol and her awkward travel luggage. Her expression shifts from frustration to subdued anger as she bows in greeting. "Sorry for the noise."
Word: obtrusive
Definition: / əb-ˈtrü-siv/ - undesirably prominent
Example: With a practiced ease, Jinsol tips the chair back. It clatters, loud and obtrusive, silencing the room.
Word: upheaval
Definition: / ˌəp-ˈhē-vəl / - extreme agitation or disorder : radical change
Example: The rest of the day goes by faster than Jinsol expects it to: it's routine even as CNN reports civilian upheaval in various countries.
Word: inconspicuous
Definition: / ˌin-kən-ˈspi-kyə-wəs/ - not readily noticeable
Word: demarcating
Definition: / di-ˈmär-ˌkāt/ - a plot of land demarcated by a low stone wall
Example: Right outside the window is a view of the launch site. It's inconspicuous now, a grass clearing with an asphalt road demarcating it, but the view of a rocket launching into Mars has burned itself into the back of Jinsol's mind.
Word: sprawl
Definition: / ˈsprȯl/ - to lie or sit with arms and legs spread out
Example: Kim Hyunjin is a whole 1.6 meters of muscle that Jinsol collides with right outside her door. So this is what the asteroid will feel like, sprawled on the carpeted floor as the wide eyes of Mankind's Only Hope stare down at her.
Word: naïve
Definition: / nä-ˈēv / - deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
Example: The bright, naïve Jinsol from then would never have imagined flunking the space cadet program only to sign up for a one-way ticket to the stars.
Word: disheveled
Definition: / di-ˈshev-əld/ - marked by disorder or disarray
Example: She gets to seventy-three before the entrance doors of the hall swing open. Heejin, the woman with the strong nose, stands by the doorway with fists clenched, ponytail disheveled and expression fuming.
Word: rancid
Definition: / ˈran(t)-səd / - having an unpleasant smell or taste usually from chemical change or decomposition
Example: What fucking luck. Jinsol's hands shake, clenching into fists, rancid bile rising up her throat.
Word: glower
Definition: / ˈglau̇(-ə)r/ - to look or stare with sullen annoyance or anger
Example: Heejin is glowering at her. It's funny because Heejin is half a head shorter than her, round eyes squinting as menacingly as they can. Which is not much.
Word: hodgepodge
Definition: / ˈhäj-ˌpäj/ - a heterogeneous mixture
Example: The simulation cabin is half a wall of glass, the other half a hodgepodge of different ship compartments: the quarters, the cargo bay, the fuel room and related monitors, one half of the flight deck.
Word: somersault
Definition: / ˈsə-mər-ˌsȯlt/ - a movement (as in gymnastics) in which a person turns forward or backward in a complete revolution along the ground or in the air bringing the feet over the head
Word: wring
Definition: / ˈriŋ/ - to squeeze or twist especially so as to make dry or to extract moisture or liquid
Example: Heejin does well, though. She launches the ship without a hitch, does every form of somersault requested by the moderator, even completes the randomized ship tasks in record time. She catches Jinsol's staring, shoots her a smoldering look as she aggressively wrings the water droplets out of her hair.
Word: fierce
Definition: / ˈfirs/ - violently hostile or aggressive in temperament
Example: Her name is called. A staff member leads Jinsol to the holding area, Heejin coming from the other side. Their eyes meet, and Heejin's face falls into a fierce quiet.
Word: nausea
Definition: / ˈnȯ-sē-ə/ - a stomach distress with distaste for food and an urge to vomit
Example: Jinsol knows the science, but it doesn't stop the sudden nausea that rises from her stomach
Word: botch
Definition: / ˈbäch/ - to foul up hopelessly
Example: Jinsol watches as the candidate, a South Asian, botches the series of buttons for the flight. She's sure it's on purpose.
Word: extensive
Definition: / ik-ˈsten(t)-siv/ - having wide or considerable extent
Example: "Honestly?" Jinsol leans back on her chair. "It's because I can. It’s safe to say that I’m the only candidate with an extensive background in aerospace Robotics, and prior to my accident and forced drop out of cadet Batch 2046, I had the highest GPA in decades.
Word: etch
Definition: / ˈech/ - to produce (something, such as a pattern or design) on a hard material by eating into the material's surface (as by acid or laser beam)
Example: There it is. Jinsol's name etched on a tombstone. Her lungs tighten for a fraction as she reads it again.
Word: eulogy
Definition: / ˈyü-lə-jē/ - a commendatory oration or writing especially in honor of one deceased
Example: "Jinsol," says Dr. Son, "congratulations." It sounds too much like a eulogy.
Word: finitude
Definition: /ˈfin-ə-tüd/ - the state of having limits or bounds
Example: Ah, the dread of human finitude.
Word: simmer
Definition: / ˈsi-mər / - to stew gently below or just at the boiling point
Example: At the front is Sooyoung, expression calm and composed. Jinsol takes the impact of her presence, breathes through it. Pushes down the simmering resentment.
Word: intonation
Definition: /ˌin-tə-ˈnā-shən/ - manner of utterance
Example: There's a clear distance in her intonation as she addresses them. "I am Captain Ha Sooyoung, the Astronaut Task Force’s flight instructor and your official supervisor for this mission.
Word: repercussion
Definition: / ˌre-pər-ˈkə-shən/ - an action or effect given or exerted in return : a reciprocal action or effect
Example: She fixes her gaze on Jinsol, neck tensing as she tilts her head slightly up. "This is your final opportunity to back out without facing any repercussions."
Word: vex
Definition: / ˈveks/ - to irritate or annoy by petty provocations :
Word: profuse
Definition: / prə-ˈfyüs / - exhibiting great abundance
Word: inordinate
Definition: / in-ˈȯr-də-nət/ - exceeding reasonable limits
Example: A quick evaluation of her emotions tells her that, once again, Sooyoung is vexing her. Profusely. Inordinately. Fuck.
Word: hoist
Definition: / ˈhȯist/ - an act of raising or lifting
Word: crude
Definition: / ˈkrüd/ - marked by the primitive, gross, or elemental or by uncultivated simplicity or vulgarity
Example: Jungeun is at her dormitory room in the evening with a box of pizza rolling through the doorway, hoisted by a crudely done Lego droid.
Word: doofus
Definition: / ˈdü-fəs/ - a stupid, incompetent, or foolish person
Example: Jinsol's hand climbs from her cheek to the base of her skull. "I got in an accident in my second year. Torn ACL. Pretty bad. Got worse because I was a doofus who tried to complete the program in spite of it."
Word: stint
Definition: / ˈstint/ - a period of time spent at a particular activity
Example: Before her stint as a space cadet failure, she pursued the stars with a one-track mind that had no room for much else, much less a romance. After Sooyoung—
Word: potent
Definition: / ˈpō-tᵊnt/ - achieving or bringing about a particular result
Word: rabid
Definition: / ˈra-bəd/ - extremely violent
Word: maul
Definition: / ˈmȯl/ - mangle
Example: She hadn't truly seen Sooyoung in the past three years, yet the resentment is there and just as potent. The lack of exposure is the only reason Jinsol hadn't gone rabid and mauled her on the spot.
Word: shrivel
Definition: / ˈshri-vəl/ - to draw into wrinkles especially with a loss of moisture
Example: Hyunjin shrugs, tossing her bag on the bed beside Heejin's. "I didn't want to break up with her, but she said that you have to shrivel up and die so she can go to space with me."
Word: impassive
Definition: / (ˌ)im-ˈpa-siv/ - giving no sign of feeling or emotion
Example: Sooyoung's expression remains impassive. "These are not set in stone, Jung Jinsol. This orientation is an opportunity for you three to provide input as well."
Word: dilapidated
Definition: / də-ˈla-pə-ˌdā-təd/ - decayed, deteriorated, or fallen into partial ruin especially through neglect or misuse
Example: She pulls a rugby ball from a basket tucked behind a water dispenser. It's severely dilapidated, and upon further inspection it turns out to be the property of a familiar Son Jisung.
Word: camaraderie
Definition: / ˌkäm-ˈrä-d(ə-)rē/ - a spirit of friendly good-fellowship
Example: Jinsol approaches the ping pong table. It's light exercise, enough to get her heart racing and meet the daily requirement while leaving her enough energy for their conditioning. It's also an opportunity for camaraderie-building.
Word: twinge
Definition: / ˈtwinj/ - a sudden sharp stab of pain
Example: . It's easier to keep pace than during the HIIT training, with Sooyoung signaling when to stop and move on to the next station. Sometimes Jinsol's leg twinges when a kettlebell swing is out of sync or her jump rope spins too fast, but she is careful.
Word: tremble
Definition: / ˈtrem-bəl/ - to shake involuntarily (as with fear or cold)
Word: fatigue
Definition: / fə-ˈtēg/ - weariness or exhaustion from labor, exertion, or stress
Example: What is Sooyoung waiting for? What is she going to do? Jinsol's hands tremble; it's just the fatigue from exercise. She isn't going to screw up again.
Word: temper
Definition: / ˈtem-pər/ - (archaic) to cause to be well disposed
Example: The captain inhales, tempers herself. "This is not about you, this is not about what happened three years ago. So take this seriously, Jung Jinsol, or you take the whole planet with you to the grave."
Word: vie
Definition: / ˈvī/ - to strive for superiority
Example: Why did Sooyoung vie for the top spot all of a sudden? Why did Sooyoung push Jinsol to try so hard that she ripped her knee? Why did Sooyoung reject the Mars mission she tried so hard to snatch from Jinsol's hands?
Word: animosity
Definition: / ˌa-nə-ˈmä-sə-tē/ - ill will or resentment tending toward active hostility
Example: Jinsol waits for the animosity to flood her lungs, but it doesn't come. It's intensely sobering, the hollow feeling in her chest that used to hold so much anger.
Word: maudlin
Definition: /ˈ ˈmȯd-lən/ - weakly and effusively sentimental
Example: Wow, was this what Jinsol put Heejin and Hyunjin through yesterday? The ride to the SCT feels terribly long, with a maudlin Hyunjin on her left, a bitter Heejin on her right.
Word: stilted
Definition: / ˈstil-təd/ - formal, stiff
Example: Sooyoung's gaze is neutral. "I can drive us back instead." It's a good enough alternative, but the conversation feels stilted, ended prematurely.
Word: whiplash
Definition: / ˈ(h)wip-ˌlash/ - something resembling a blow from a whip
Example: It's concerning, the depth of experience that threatens to gush out of Jinsol like vomit. This is the severe whiplash of the past three days, where Sooyoung moved from nemesis to stranger to acquaintance.
Word: futility
Definition: / fyü-ˈti-lə-tē/ - pointlessness or uselessness
Example: Jinsol is about to contradict, point out the blatant futility of the plan. But she stops herself as Dr. Son emerges from the door of the Robotics lab, walks towards the screen.
Word: discern
Definition: / di-ˈsərn - to come to know or recognize mentally
Example: “Jinsol," Sooyoung's tone is exasperated as she cards a hand through her hair. Her face is hard to discern with the lack of light. "It's past curfew."
Word: relent
Definition: / ri-ˈlent/ - to cease resistance
Example: “Sooyoung's eyes widen for a moment before she relents, sinking further into the cushions. "Just for tonight."
Word: tarnish
Definition: / ˈtär-nish/ - to detract from the good quality of
Example: Yes, and Jinsol had once found the stars in Sooyoung's twinkling almond eyes, felt warmth in Sooyoung's laughter. But these are thoughts tarnished by the tearing of her knee.
Word: dissonance
Definition: / ˈdi-sə-nən(t)s/ - an instance of such inconsistency or disagreement
Example: It's quiet again as Jinsol steels herself, shifts her footing. Words can’t capture the dissonance in her chest.
Word: mottle
Definition: / ˈmä-tᵊl/ - to mark with spots or blotches of different color or shades of color as if stained
Example: Jinsol knows why. It's because, despite everything that happened, Sooyoung still matters to her. Why deny it? It's exactly why the hole in her heart is mottled with gangrene, why after so many years she's still so fucking affected when Sooyoung almost calls her name like before.
Word: preposterous
Definition: / pri-ˈpä-st(ə-)rəs/ - contrary to nature, reason, or common sense
Example: Sooyoung is still a drill sergeant on Fridays, adding a preposterous amount of oblique muscle training to their core exercises.
Word: dislodge
Definition: / (ˌ)dis-ˈläj/ - to force out of a secure or settled position
Example: Sooyoung's hand ghosts over her own, burning like fire. Because for a split second Jinsol is an overeager cadet vying for the 2046 Mars Mission and Sooyoung is younger, dislodging that dream from her chest with the softness of a touch.
Word: scathing
Definition: / ˈskā-ṯẖiŋ/ - bitterly severe
Example: The last time Jinsol sat here she was nursing a throbbing knee, reeling from scathing words and eyes as cold as ice. The hollow in her chest is haunting her again, stronger than ever, but this time she can't even be mad.
Word: jostle
Definition: / ˈjä-səl/ - to force by pushing
Example: "Unnie!" It's Heejin's voice accompanied by a heavy bang of the restroom door. "Unnie!" There's a knock on each of the toilet stall doors until it reaches Jinsol's stall. Then the knock becomes a jostling of the lock.
Word: recalibrate
Definition: / (ˌ)rē-ˈka-lə-ˌbrāt/ - to calibrate (something) again
Example: Jinsol's hands stop over her laptop keyboard. "I don't get it either. All of a sudden she became competitive, mean, cold. And she was pushing me—" She stops, recalibrates. "Pushing bumpkin away.
Word: goad
Definition: / ˈgōd/ - to incite or rouse as if with a goad
Example: "Bitch was goading her into a fight." Jinsol's vision is shifting, drawing from a hollow in her chest. "And bumpkin fell for it."
Word: waltz
Definition: / ˈwȯl(t)s/ - to advance easily and successfully
Example: She slams her laptop closed. "Look, bumpkin thought she was fine. But then stuff happens and bitch comes waltzing back into her life, and it turns out that bumpkin can't get over what happened to her. "
Word: dregs
Definition: / ˈdreg/ - the last remaining part
Word: despondency
Definition: / di-ˈspän-dən-sē/ - a state of low spirits caused by loss of hope or courage
Example: It stirs a lost memory. Sooyoung, younger, so much closer, eyes twinkling with warm fondness. There used to be bitterness at the final dregs of her recollection, harsh, twisting, stabbing in her chest. But the blades of Jinsol's familiar hurt are dulled by the despondency of Sooyoung's gaze.
Word: churn
Definition: / ˈchərn/ - to stir or agitate violently
Example: Listening to it though, Jinsol's stomach churns with the realization that the barrier plan is as good as a lost cause, as it’s impossible to procure enough of the specialized technology to respond to the new timeline.
Word: mumble
Definition: / ˈməm-bəl / - to utter words in a low confused indistinct manner
Example: Heejin purses her lips, then hides her face on the table. Her mumble is barely audible. "Now that the whole calendar got moved up, I—I've decided. About the mission, I don't—"
Word: iteration
Definition: / ˌi-tə-ˈrā-shən/ - version, incarnation
Example: Jinsol can't tear her eyes from this iteration of Sooyoung, one that isn't her supervisor or her cadet batchmate. She should leave, keep walking, but she's rooted to her spot by a botanist.
Word: catalyst
Definition: / ˈka-tə-ləst/ - an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action
Example: There's a beep on Jinsol's watch, a conference meeting with Dr. Son. That's enough of a catalyst for her to leave Sooyoung alone, make her way back inside the Faculty Quarters.
Word: clarity
Definition: / ˈkler-ə-tē/ - the quality or state of being clear
Example: But she's buzzing with ideas, thoughts flowing with a clarity that failed her for the nanotech barrier. There's a gut sense that this is exactly what she needs to do.
Word: glean
Definition: / ˈglēn/ - to gather information or material bit by bit
Example: Instead Jinsol fills the silent air of the simulation cabin with her gleaned observations, random tidbits of information that Hyunjin holds on to like a lifeline.
Word: retort
Definition: / ri-ˈtȯrt/ - to answer back usually sharply
Example: Jinsol opens her mouth to retort, then closes it. Reevaluates her answer. "It's not bad if you focus on what you can do now instead of what you can't do." Like her plan to alter the ship. "And I don't have any girlfriends to leave behind, Hyunjin. So what's there to be afraid of?
Word: gibberish
Definition: / ˈji-b(ə-)rish/ - pretentious or needlessly obscure language
Example: "She has someone to leave behind," says Jinsol. Her fingers shy away from the keyboard, tap on the conference room table. Morse code gibberish. "And that's freaking her out."
Word: unperturbed
Definition: /ˌən-pər-ˈtərbd/ - not worried, upset, or disquieted
Example: "Yeah. So?" Jungeun's tone is unperturbed. "What makes you any different?"
Word: scowl
Definition: / ˈskau̇(-ə)l/ - a facial expression of displeasure
Example: Jinsol scowls. "Sooyoung isn't—" Ah shit. She slaps a hand on her face. "Shit. Jungeun. Forget I said that."
Word: lurch
Definition: / ˈlərch/ - make an abrupt, unsteady, uncontrolled movement
Example: Fuck. Jinsol said it out loud. It's real, the lurching in her chest that should have long died when she ripped her knee.
Word: ineptitude
Definition: / (ˌ)i-ˈnep-tə-ˌtüd/ - the quality or state of being inept
Word: intricate
Definition: / ˈin-tri-kət/ - having many complexly interrelating parts or elements
Example: Technical Skills is a lot more demanding now, the Engineering Department making up for the first day of ineptitude. Harder drills, more intricate pair work, and the consecutive days of Zero-G is wearing down on her both mentally and physically.
Word: warrant
Definition: / ˈwȯr-ənt / - to serve as or give adequate ground or reason for
Word: threadbare
Definition: / ˈthred-ˌber/ - having the nap worn off so that the thread shows
Word: sentinel
Definition: / ˈsen-tə-nəl/ - station a soldier or guard by (a place) to keep watch
Example: Jinsol pulls the sock off the door, inspecting it with more care than warranted. Because she has nothing better to do and she has never seen Heejin's sock up close. It's threadbare, too thin for the winter weather, which is probably why Heejin has surrendered it to sentinel duty.
Word: translucent
Definition: / tran(t)s-ˈlü-sᵊnt / - permitting the passage of light
Example: The time is passing faster than expected; her long bangs can be pulled back now, when in the past she'd have them trimmed every month. In the window-wall's translucent reflection, she looks a lot like the Jinsol from five years ago.
Word: apparition
Definition: / ˌa-pə-ˈri-shən/ - a ghostly figure
Example: Like an apparition, Sooyoung's reflection shows up behind her own. Her winter jacket is tucked in her elbow, pockets bulging with what is probably gloves and garden clippers. Even through the reflection Jinsol sees the amusement in her cheeks. "Did you see the pink sock?"
Word: volition
Definition: /və-ˈli-shən/ - the power of choosing or determining
Example: Jinsol's lips curl of their own volition. "Of course! That's why I'm here, staring wistfully at the ship instead of taking my post-workout nap.
Word: palpable
Definition: / ˈpal-pə-bəl/ - easily perceptible
Example: Ah shit. Where is this weird palpable tension in the air coming from? Maybe Hyunjin and Heejin need to stop having sex—
Word: longevity
Definition: / län-ˈje-və-tē/ - length of life
Example: Dr. Son had asked, off-hand, about the theoretical longevity of a small-scale nanotech barrier. If only a portion of the ship will be given that capability, what’s the longest it can last in space.
Word: cahoot
Definition: / kə-ˈhüt/ - partnership, league
Example: Why assault? Because there's a clause in the contract that will give Hyunjin a lifetime in jail if she's found to be in cahoots with the escape plan. Jinsol too, actually, but she would be too far away in space to face the repercussions of her highly illegal actions.
Word: flinch
Definition: / ˈflinch/ - to withdraw or shrink from or as if from pain
Example: What is Sooyoung doing? "I don't get it—" Jinsol stops herself when Sooyoung flinches. Shit. "I mean, wait, fuck—"
Word: frigid
Definition: / ˈfri-jəd/ - lacking warmth or ardor
Example: Sooyoung's mask clicks back on, the frigid neutral that's too much like before. Jinsol's vision tunnels.
Word: ruddy
Definition: / ˈrə-dē/ - having a healthy reddish color
Example: There's a whoosh overhead as a snowball lands smack on Hyunjin's forehead. It's Sooyoung, cheeks already ruddy from the cold, nose bridge wrinkling from her own smile.
Word: stutter
Definition: / ˈstə-tər/ - to speak with involuntary disruption or blocking of speech
Example: Something stutters in Jinsol's chest. Sooyoung used to do this, didn't she? Fix her hair out of nowhere, close the distance without warning.
Word: falter
Definition: / ˈfȯl-tər/ - to hesitate in purpose or action
Example: "You touched me for the first time in years." Sooyoung's expression falters. Hurt? "This is important to you."
Word: flint
Definition: / ˈflint/ - a massive hard dark quartz that produces a spark when struck by steel
Example: The words strike like flint. Jinsol’s vision shifts, Sooyoung changing before her. Younger, warmer, with something in her eyes that Jinsol had forgotten the meaning of.
Word: myriad
Definition: /ˈmir-ē-əd/ - a great number
Example: Sooyoung's eyes widen, a myriad of expressions coloring her face as she struggles to find an answer. There it is, regret, apprehension, guilt. Jinsol names them as they come and go, and it drives home the point that Sooyoung still can't tell her anything.
Word: soar
Definition: / ˈsȯr / - to ascend to a higher or more exalted level
Example: There's no space to think when Sooyoung kisses her. Thoughts melt at the press of Sooyoung's lips, and Jinsol is a cadet again, heart soaring with elation.
Word: avert
Definition: / ə-ˈvərt / - to turn away or aside (the eyes, one's gaze, etc.) in avoidance
Example: Ah shit, Jinsol needs to disengage. But the way Sooyoung averts her gaze jabs at a wound she thought had already scabbed over.
Word: stifle
Definition: /ˈstī-fəl/ - to withhold from circulation or expression
Example: It tastes like a mistake, burns electric, brimming with years of stifled yearning that's every much Sooyoung as it is Jinsol. And holy shit, it clicks: Sooyoung wants this just as much as she does.
Word: shudder
Definition: / ˈshə-dər/ - to tremble convulsively
Example: “No,” Sooyoung shakes her head, shuddering as she breathes in. “I can't.”
Word: sparse
Definition: / ˈspärs/ - of few and scattered elements
Example: It should be fine, right? Sooyoung has been sleeping like this for two weeks already, so Jinsol can afford to indulge herself once in a while. She tucks the Doraemon quilt in between her shoulder and her chin, eyes tracing the sparse light glinting off of Sooyoung's hair.
Word: inevitable
Definition: / i-ˈne-və-tə-bəl/ - incapable of being avoided or evaded
Example: Hyunjin enters, closes the door behind her. Leans on it. Her movements are slower than before, as if dragging out the inevitable end of things. "We're doing the right thing, right?"
Word: unprovoked
Definition: / ˌən-prə-ˈvōkt/ - occurring without any identifiable cause or justification
Word: unfounded
Definition: / ˌən-ˈfau̇n-dəd/ - lacking a sound basis
Example: Unprovoked! "Hey, that's completely unfounded." Jinsol scowls when Hyunjin shoots her a stubborn look. "And Sooyoung is fine, I'm fine, we're fine. I don't even know why I'm explaining myself to you—"
Word: distort
Definition: / di-ˈstȯrt/ - to twist out of a natural, normal, or original shape or condition
Example: Jinsol feels like she's swimming inside the suit, the glass of the helmet thick enough to distort her vision, the air inside heating up as she activates the different systems.
Word: deplete
Definition: / di-ˈplēt/ - to empty of a principal substance
Example: But Hyunjin is hyperventilating. Jinsol pulls her closer by the arm, checks her monitor. Hyunjin's oxygen is still healthy, but already at 90%, depleting faster than her own.
Word: threshold
Definition: / ˈthresh-ˌhōld/ - the point at which a physiological or psychological effect begins to be produced
Example: The chamber's oxygen drops by another percent, officially passing the threshold for breathable air. Jinsol activates her communicator. "Can you hold on a little more?"
Word: contemplative
Definition: / kən-ˈtem-plə-tiv/ - expressing or involving prolonged thought
Example: "I love loving her." Heejin's smile falls, expression contemplative. "Even with the asteroid, the inevitable pain of having to let her go.
Word: respite
Definition: / ˈre-spət/ - an interval of rest or relief
Example: The darkness of the sleeping quarters feels a little too much like space. Jinsol shifts to her side, towards Sooyoung. It's a respite from the dissonance in her chest, this view of Sooyoung asleep, facing her, breathing slowly.
Word: tendril
Definition: / ˈten-drəl/ - a slender threadlike appendage of a climbing plant, often growing in a spiral form, that stretches out and twines around any suitable support.
Example: Jinsol knows this feeling, recognizes it from three years before. The tendrils of Sooyoung's gravity wrapping around her once again, anchoring her to Earth.
Word: gnaw
Definition: / ˈnȯ/ - to affect like gnawing
Word: entrench
Definition: /en-ˈtrench / - to establish solidly
Example: It's 2049, and Sooyoung still has a hold on her heart. Jinsol's feelings spool themselves into neat bundles: regret, despair, resignation. Sooyoung isn't hers to lose, but the gnawing is heavy and deeply entrenched in Jinsol's chest.
Word: cusp
Definition: / ˈkəsp/ - a point of transition (as from one historical period to the next)
Example: But this time Jinsol isn’t a cadet at the cusp of her astronaut career. She’s a living, breathing tombstone, indulging herself for the night.
Word: disengage
Definition: / ˌdis-in-ˈgāj/ - to release or detach oneself
Word: captivate
Definition: / ˈkap-tə-ˌvāt/ - to influence and dominate by some special charm, art, or trait and with an irresistible appeal
Word: rubble
Definition: / ˈrə-bəl/ - broken fragments (as of rock) resulting from the decay or destruction of a building
Example: Fuck. Jinsol needs to disengage. But Sooyoung's eyes are brimming with tears, shining like stars. The sight captivates her, reduces her thoughts to rubble.
Word: restraint
Definition: / ri-ˈstrānt/ - a control over the expression of one's emotions or thoughts
Word: dictate
Definition: /dik-ˈtāt/ - to require or determine necessarily
Example: It's gone, restraint. Sooyoung draws Jinsol on top of her, pulls her into an embrace. Jinsol sinks down, as the law of gravity dictates, tucks her face into the crook of Sooyoung's neck.
Word: dilate
Definition: / dī-ˈlāt/ - to enlarge or expand in bulk or extent
Word: dwindle
Definition: / ˈdwin-dᵊl/ - to become steadily less
Example: Time dilates. The darkness hides the way Jinsol's hands scoop under Sooyoung's shoulders, masks the weight of Sooyoung's hand on the small of Jinsol's back. They press close, the space between their bodies dwindling with each breath.
Word: linger
Definition: / ˈliŋ-gər/ - to remain existent although often waning in strength, importance, or influenc
Example: Sooyoung's hair smells of lavender; Jinsol breathes it in. It sings of distant memory, lingers with regret. Still it fills her lungs, and she holds it in for as long as she can before she lets it go.
Word: paraphernalia
Definition: /ˌper-ə-fər-ˈnāl-yə/ - personal belongings
Example: But the mattress has a different wear, the bed frame above her bare of paraphernalia. She smells it, traces of lavender and something else.
Word: blatant
Definition: /ˈblā-tᵊnt/ - completely obvious, conspicuous, or obtrusive especially in a crass or offensive manner
Example: Jinsol takes a deep breath. There's futile longing, gnawing in her chest, so blatant and recognizable.
Word: fallout
Definition: / ˈfȯl-ˌau̇t/ - a secondary and often lingering effect, result, or set of consequences
Example: "You're awake." Sooyoung drops her gaze to the foot of the bed. There's a mask over her expression, impossible to read, and Jinsol feels the fallout before she even knows what it's about.
Word: foreboding
Definition: / (ˌ)fȯr-ˈbō-diŋ/ - an omen, prediction, or presentiment especially of coming evi
Example: She shakes off the foreboding. "Of course I'm awake. It's," she checks her smart watch, "it's half past eight, of course I'm—"
Word: vehement
Definition: / ˈvē-ə-mənt/ - intensely emotional
Example: Hyunjin is way too perceptive to buy half-hearted excuses, way too stubborn to back down from vehement denial.
Word: diminish
Definition: / də-ˈmi-nish/ - to become gradually less (as in size or importance)
Example: She feels it, the symptoms: erratic heartbeat, clammy palms, tunnel vision. Her mental capacity diminishes with every second that passes, because holy shit Sooyoung needs to talk to her.
Word: inflection
Definition: / in-ˈflek-shən/ - change in pitch or loudness of the voice
Example: "No—yes, but not—" Sooyoung cuts herself off, kicks her head back on the headrest. There's a rare inflection in her voice. Frustration. "God, I can't think."
Word: strain
Definition: / ˈstrān/ - to draw tight : cause to fit firmly
Example: "No." Sooyoung screws her eyes shut, gripping the steering wheel so tightly her gloves strain against her knuckles. "I can't—Jinsol, I don't deserve your affection. Not after what I put you through. But God, having you in my arms last night—I never wanted it to end."
Word: brim
Definition: / ˈbrim/ - to be or become full often to overflowing
Example: “Shit, Sooyoung.” Tears are brimming, blurring her vision. “How could I hate you for that?”
Word: anguish
Definition: / ˈaŋ-gwish/ - extreme pain, distress, or anxiety
Example: "I thought you hated me," Jinsol cries, “I thought you wanted to hurt me.” There’s anguish swirling in the hollow of her chest, dark and menacing, threatening to swallow her whole. “You should have told me.”
Word: abate
Definition: / ə-ˈbāt/ - to decrease in force or intensity
Example: Time abates the hollow feeling. There’s only so much self-hatred Jinsol’s brain could muster, and the Doraemon quilt grows hot and stuffy.
Word: proximity
Definition: / präk-ˈsi-mə-tē/ - nearness in space, time, or relationship
Example: This isn’t the student dormitory from years past, with Sooyoung struggling from nightmares and Jinsol discovering that she liked the proximity. It’s the Faculty Quarters, with Sooyoung suffering from a living nightmare and Jinsol wishing she had more time to figure this thing out.
Word: meld
Definition: / ˈmeld/ - to blend or mix together
Example: But Sooyoung’s shoulder brushes Jinsol’s fingertips, and time melds into itself.
Word: retract
Definition: / ri-ˈtrakt/ - to draw or pull back
Example: Silence fills the space between them. Sooyoung makes no move to retract her hand, and Jinsol makes no move to look away.
Word: frantic
Definition: / ˈfran-tik/ - marked by fast and nervous, disordered, or anxiety-driven activity
Example: There's still scaffolding lining the hull, frantic engineers and construction workers buzzing around to finish on schedule. It's Thursday, after all; launch is already on Monday.
Word: reverberate
Definition: / ri-ˈvər-bə-ˌrāt/ - (of a loud noise) be repeated several times as an echo.
Example: Jinsol's first footsteps inside the ship reverberate with a hollow sound. They echo behind Heejin's, Hyunjin's, Sooyoung's; Jinsol should enjoy the company while she can.
Word: tranquil
Definition: / ˈtraŋ-kwəl/ - free from agitation of mind or spirit
Example: Hyunjin pokes her girlfriend's cheek at thirty second intervals. Jinsol asks her a silent question through the rearview mirror: how is she? Her partner gives a nod, expression transparent. Tranquil.
Word: casualty
Definition: / ˈka-zhəl-tē/ - a person or thing injured, lost, or destroyed
Example: "Teach," she admits, "if I could come back from this mission, I would. But I need to divert the asteroid, I need to save the Earth. I'm the best fit for the job—the only fit, if I want to keep casualties to a minimum."
Word: stasis
Definition: / ˈstā-səs/ - a state of static balance or equilibrium
Example: "This is where the spare hypnotic will come in. We had a colleague outside of KARI develop its formulation to slow your metabolism and put you into stasis while suspended in the barrier, long enough to give us a fighting chance to track and retrieve you."
Word: sliver
Definition: / ˈsli-vər/ - particle, scrap
Example: What would Sooyoung think of the possibility that Jinsol could still find her way back to Earth? Would she be hopeful? Would she be pessimistic, afraid to believe this tiny sliver of a chance?
Word: demeanor
Definition: / di-ˈmē-nər/ - outward manner
Word: smolder
Definition: / ˈsmōl-dər/ - burn slowly with smoke but no flame
Example: A switch flips. Sooyoung's demeanor shifts, body stiff with attention, gaze smoldering with something. Something that gets Jinsol’s heart pumping, vision tunneling.
Word: malfunction
Definition: / ˌmal-ˈfəŋ(k)-shən/ - fail to operate normally
Word: clarity
Definition: / ˈkler-ə-tē/ - the quality or state of being clear
Example: But she's buzzing with ideas, thoughts flowing with a clarity that failed her for the nanotech barrier. There's a gut sense that this is exactly what she needs to do.
Word: glean
Definition: / ˈglēn/ - to gather information or material bit by bit
Example: Instead Jinsol fills the silent air of the simulation cabin with her gleaned observations, random tidbits of information that Hyunjin holds on to like a lifeline.
Word: retort
Definition: / ri-ˈtȯrt/ - to answer back usually sharply
Example: Jinsol opens her mouth to retort, then closes it. Reevaluates her answer. "It's not bad if you focus on what you can do now instead of what you can't do." Like her plan to alter the ship. "And I don't have any girlfriends to leave behind, Hyunjin. So what's there to be afraid of?
Word: gibberish
Definition: / ˈji-b(ə-)rish/ - pretentious or needlessly obscure language
Example: "She has someone to leave behind," says Jinsol. Her fingers shy away from the keyboard, tap on the conference room table. Morse code gibberish. "And that's freaking her out."
Word: unperturbed
Definition: /ˌən-pər-ˈtərbd/ - not worried, upset, or disquieted
Example: "Yeah. So?" Jungeun's tone is unperturbed. "What makes you any different?"
Word: scowl
Definition: / ˈskau̇(-ə)l/ - a facial expression of displeasure
Example: Jinsol scowls. "Sooyoung isn't—" Ah shit. She slaps a hand on her face. "Shit. Jungeun. Forget I said that."
Word: lurch
Definition: / ˈlərch/ - make an abrupt, unsteady, uncontrolled movement
Example: Fuck. Jinsol said it out loud. It's real, the lurching in her chest that should have long died when she ripped her knee.
Word: ineptitude
Definition: / (ˌ)i-ˈnep-tə-ˌtüd/ - the quality or state of being inept
Word: intricate
Definition: / ˈin-tri-kət/ - having many complexly interrelating parts or elements
Example: Technical Skills is a lot more demanding now, the Engineering Department making up for the first day of ineptitude. Harder drills, more intricate pair work, and the consecutive days of Zero-G is wearing down on her both mentally and physically.
Word: warrant
Definition: / ˈwȯr-ənt / - to serve as or give adequate ground or reason for
Word: threadbare
Definition: / ˈthred-ˌber/ - having the nap worn off so that the thread shows
Word: sentinel
Definition: / ˈsen-tə-nəl/ - station a soldier or guard by (a place) to keep watch
Example: Jinsol pulls the sock off the door, inspecting it with more care than warranted. Because she has nothing better to do and she has never seen Heejin's sock up close. It's threadbare, too thin for the winter weather, which is probably why Heejin has surrendered it to sentinel duty.
Word: translucent
Definition: / tran(t)s-ˈlü-sᵊnt / - permitting the passage of light
Example: The time is passing faster than expected; her long bangs can be pulled back now, when in the past she'd have them trimmed every month. In the window-wall's translucent reflection, she looks a lot like the Jinsol from five years ago.
Word: apparition
Definition: / ˌa-pə-ˈri-shən/ - a ghostly figure
Example: Like an apparition, Sooyoung's reflection shows up behind her own. Her winter jacket is tucked in her elbow, pockets bulging with what is probably gloves and garden clippers. Even through the reflection Jinsol sees the amusement in her cheeks. "Did you see the pink sock?"
Word: volition
Definition: /və-ˈli-shən/ - the power of choosing or determining
Example: Jinsol's lips curl of their own volition. "Of course! That's why I'm here, staring wistfully at the ship instead of taking my post-workout nap.
Word: palpable
Definition: / ˈpal-pə-bəl/ - easily perceptible
Example: Ah shit. Where is this weird palpable tension in the air coming from? Maybe Hyunjin and Heejin need to stop having sex—
Word: longevity
Definition: / län-ˈje-və-tē/ - length of life
Example: Dr. Son had asked, off-hand, about the theoretical longevity of a small-scale nanotech barrier. If only a portion of the ship will be given that capability, what’s the longest it can last in space.
Word: cahoot
Definition: / kə-ˈhüt/ - partnership, league
Example: Why assault? Because there's a clause in the contract that will give Hyunjin a lifetime in jail if she's found to be in cahoots with the escape plan. Jinsol too, actually, but she would be too far away in space to face the repercussions of her highly illegal actions.
Word: flinch
Definition: / ˈflinch/ - to withdraw or shrink from or as if from pain
Example: What is Sooyoung doing? "I don't get it—" Jinsol stops herself when Sooyoung flinches. Shit. "I mean, wait, fuck—"
Word: frigid
Definition: / ˈfri-jəd/ - lacking warmth or ardor
Example: Sooyoung's mask clicks back on, the frigid neutral that's too much like before. Jinsol's vision tunnels.
Word: ruddy
Definition: / ˈrə-dē/ - having a healthy reddish color
Example: There's a whoosh overhead as a snowball lands smack on Hyunjin's forehead. It's Sooyoung, cheeks already ruddy from the cold, nose bridge wrinkling from her own smile.
Word: stutter
Definition: / ˈstə-tər/ - to speak with involuntary disruption or blocking of speech
Example: Something stutters in Jinsol's chest. Sooyoung used to do this, didn't she? Fix her hair out of nowhere, close the distance without warning.
Word: falter
Definition: / ˈfȯl-tər/ - to hesitate in purpose or action
Example: "You touched me for the first time in years." Sooyoung's expression falters. Hurt? "This is important to you."
Word: flint
Definition: / ˈflint/ - a massive hard dark quartz that produces a spark when struck by steel
Example: The words strike like flint. Jinsol’s vision shifts, Sooyoung changing before her. Younger, warmer, with something in her eyes that Jinsol had forgotten the meaning of.
Word: myriad
Definition: /ˈmir-ē-əd/ - a great number
Example: Sooyoung's eyes widen, a myriad of expressions coloring her face as she struggles to find an answer. There it is, regret, apprehension, guilt. Jinsol names them as they come and go, and it drives home the point that Sooyoung still can't tell her anything.
Word: soar
Definition: / ˈsȯr / - to ascend to a higher or more exalted level
Example: There's no space to think when Sooyoung kisses her. Thoughts melt at the press of Sooyoung's lips, and Jinsol is a cadet again, heart soaring with elation.
Word: avert
Definition: / ə-ˈvərt / - to turn away or aside (the eyes, one's gaze, etc.) in avoidance
Example: Ah shit, Jinsol needs to disengage. But the way Sooyoung averts her gaze jabs at a wound she thought had already scabbed over.
Word: stifle
Definition: /ˈstī-fəl/ - to withhold from circulation or expression
Example: It tastes like a mistake, burns electric, brimming with years of stifled yearning that's every much Sooyoung as it is Jinsol. And holy shit, it clicks: Sooyoung wants this just as much as she does.
Word: shudder
Definition: / ˈshə-dər/ - to tremble convulsively
Example: “No,” Sooyoung shakes her head, shuddering as she breathes in. “I can't.”
Word: sparse
Definition: / ˈspärs/ - of few and scattered elements
Example: It should be fine, right? Sooyoung has been sleeping like this for two weeks already, so Jinsol can afford to indulge herself once in a while. She tucks the Doraemon quilt in between her shoulder and her chin, eyes tracing the sparse light glinting off of Sooyoung's hair.
Word: inevitable
Definition: / i-ˈne-və-tə-bəl/ - incapable of being avoided or evaded
Example: Hyunjin enters, closes the door behind her. Leans on it. Her movements are slower than before, as if dragging out the inevitable end of things. "We're doing the right thing, right?"
Word: unprovoked
Definition: / ˌən-prə-ˈvōkt/ - occurring without any identifiable cause or justification
Word: unfounded
Definition: / ˌən-ˈfau̇n-dəd/ - lacking a sound basis
Example: Unprovoked! "Hey, that's completely unfounded." Jinsol scowls when Hyunjin shoots her a stubborn look. "And Sooyoung is fine, I'm fine, we're fine. I don't even know why I'm explaining myself to you—"
Word: distort
Definition: / di-ˈstȯrt/ - to twist out of a natural, normal, or original shape or condition
Example: Jinsol feels like she's swimming inside the suit, the glass of the helmet thick enough to distort her vision, the air inside heating up as she activates the different systems.
Word: deplete
Definition: / di-ˈplēt/ - to empty of a principal substance
Example: But Hyunjin is hyperventilating. Jinsol pulls her closer by the arm, checks her monitor. Hyunjin's oxygen is still healthy, but already at 90%, depleting faster than her own.
Word: threshold
Definition: / ˈthresh-ˌhōld/ - the point at which a physiological or psychological effect begins to be produced
Example: The chamber's oxygen drops by another percent, officially passing the threshold for breathable air. Jinsol activates her communicator. "Can you hold on a little more?"
Word: contemplative
Definition: / kən-ˈtem-plə-tiv/ - expressing or involving prolonged thought
Example: "I love loving her." Heejin's smile falls, expression contemplative. "Even with the asteroid, the inevitable pain of having to let her go.
Word: respite
Definition: / ˈre-spət/ - an interval of rest or relief
Example: The darkness of the sleeping quarters feels a little too much like space. Jinsol shifts to her side, towards Sooyoung. It's a respite from the dissonance in her chest, this view of Sooyoung asleep, facing her, breathing slowly.
Word: tendril
Definition: / ˈten-drəl/ - a slender threadlike appendage of a climbing plant, often growing in a spiral form, that stretches out and twines around any suitable support.
Example: Jinsol knows this feeling, recognizes it from three years before. The tendrils of Sooyoung's gravity wrapping around her once again, anchoring her to Earth.
Word: gnaw
Definition: / ˈnȯ/ - to affect like gnawing
Word: entrench
Definition: /en-ˈtrench / - to establish solidly
Example: It's 2049, and Sooyoung still has a hold on her heart. Jinsol's feelings spool themselves into neat bundles: regret, despair, resignation. Sooyoung isn't hers to lose, but the gnawing is heavy and deeply entrenched in Jinsol's chest.
Word: cusp
Definition: / ˈkəsp/ - a point of transition (as from one historical period to the next)
Example: But this time Jinsol isn’t a cadet at the cusp of her astronaut career. She’s a living, breathing tombstone, indulging herself for the night.
Word: disengage
Definition: / ˌdis-in-ˈgāj/ - to release or detach oneself
Word: captivate
Definition: / ˈkap-tə-ˌvāt/ - to influence and dominate by some special charm, art, or trait and with an irresistible appeal
Word: rubble
Definition: / ˈrə-bəl/ - broken fragments (as of rock) resulting from the decay or destruction of a building
Example: Fuck. Jinsol needs to disengage. But Sooyoung's eyes are brimming with tears, shining like stars. The sight captivates her, reduces her thoughts to rubble.
Word: restraint
Definition: / ri-ˈstrānt/ - a control over the expression of one's emotions or thoughts
Word: dictate
Definition: /dik-ˈtāt/ - to require or determine necessarily
Example: It's gone, restraint. Sooyoung draws Jinsol on top of her, pulls her into an embrace. Jinsol sinks down, as the law of gravity dictates, tucks her face into the crook of Sooyoung's neck.
Word: dilate
Definition: / dī-ˈlāt/ - to enlarge or expand in bulk or extent
Word: dwindle
Definition: / ˈdwin-dᵊl/ - to become steadily less
Example: Time dilates. The darkness hides the way Jinsol's hands scoop under Sooyoung's shoulders, masks the weight of Sooyoung's hand on the small of Jinsol's back. They press close, the space between their bodies dwindling with each breath.
Word: linger
Definition: / ˈliŋ-gər/ - to remain existent although often waning in strength, importance, or influenc
Example: Sooyoung's hair smells of lavender; Jinsol breathes it in. It sings of distant memory, lingers with regret. Still it fills her lungs, and she holds it in for as long as she can before she lets it go.
Word: paraphernalia
Definition: /ˌper-ə-fər-ˈnāl-yə/ - personal belongings
Example: But the mattress has a different wear, the bed frame above her bare of paraphernalia. She smells it, traces of lavender and something else.
Word: blatant
Definition: /ˈblā-tᵊnt/ - completely obvious, conspicuous, or obtrusive especially in a crass or offensive manner
Example: Jinsol takes a deep breath. There's futile longing, gnawing in her chest, so blatant and recognizable.
Word: fallout
Definition: / ˈfȯl-ˌau̇t/ - a secondary and often lingering effect, result, or set of consequences
Example: "You're awake." Sooyoung drops her gaze to the foot of the bed. There's a mask over her expression, impossible to read, and Jinsol feels the fallout before she even knows what it's about.
Word: foreboding
Definition: / (ˌ)fȯr-ˈbō-diŋ/ - an omen, prediction, or presentiment especially of coming evi
Example: She shakes off the foreboding. "Of course I'm awake. It's," she checks her smart watch, "it's half past eight, of course I'm—"
Word: vehement
Definition: / ˈvē-ə-mənt/ - intensely emotional
Example: Hyunjin is way too perceptive to buy half-hearted excuses, way too stubborn to back down from vehement denial.
Word: diminish
Definition: / də-ˈmi-nish/ - to become gradually less (as in size or importance)
Example: She feels it, the symptoms: erratic heartbeat, clammy palms, tunnel vision. Her mental capacity diminishes with every second that passes, because holy shit Sooyoung needs to talk to her.
Word: inflection
Definition: / in-ˈflek-shən/ - change in pitch or loudness of the voice
Example: "No—yes, but not—" Sooyoung cuts herself off, kicks her head back on the headrest. There's a rare inflection in her voice. Frustration. "God, I can't think."
Word: strain
Definition: / ˈstrān/ - to draw tight : cause to fit firmly
Example: "No." Sooyoung screws her eyes shut, gripping the steering wheel so tightly her gloves strain against her knuckles. "I can't—Jinsol, I don't deserve your affection. Not after what I put you through. But God, having you in my arms last night—I never wanted it to end."
Word: brim
Definition: / ˈbrim/ - to be or become full often to overflowing
Example: “Shit, Sooyoung.” Tears are brimming, blurring her vision. “How could I hate you for that?”
Word: anguish
Definition: / ˈaŋ-gwish/ - extreme pain, distress, or anxiety
Example: "I thought you hated me," Jinsol cries, “I thought you wanted to hurt me.” There’s anguish swirling in the hollow of her chest, dark and menacing, threatening to swallow her whole. “You should have told me.”
Word: abate
Definition: / ə-ˈbāt/ - to decrease in force or intensity
Example: Time abates the hollow feeling. There’s only so much self-hatred Jinsol’s brain could muster, and the Doraemon quilt grows hot and stuffy.
Word: proximity
Definition: / präk-ˈsi-mə-tē/ - nearness in space, time, or relationship
Example: This isn’t the student dormitory from years past, with Sooyoung struggling from nightmares and Jinsol discovering that she liked the proximity. It’s the Faculty Quarters, with Sooyoung suffering from a living nightmare and Jinsol wishing she had more time to figure this thing out.
Word: meld
Definition: / ˈmeld/ - to blend or mix together
Example: But Sooyoung’s shoulder brushes Jinsol’s fingertips, and time melds into itself.
Word: retract
Definition: / ri-ˈtrakt/ - to draw or pull back
Example: Silence fills the space between them. Sooyoung makes no move to retract her hand, and Jinsol makes no move to look away.
Word: frantic
Definition: / ˈfran-tik/ - marked by fast and nervous, disordered, or anxiety-driven activity
Example: There's still scaffolding lining the hull, frantic engineers and construction workers buzzing around to finish on schedule. It's Thursday, after all; launch is already on Monday.
Word: reverberate
Definition: / ri-ˈvər-bə-ˌrāt/ - (of a loud noise) be repeated several times as an echo.
Example: Jinsol's first footsteps inside the ship reverberate with a hollow sound. They echo behind Heejin's, Hyunjin's, Sooyoung's; Jinsol should enjoy the company while she can.
Word: tranquil
Definition: / ˈtraŋ-kwəl/ - free from agitation of mind or spirit
Example: Hyunjin pokes her girlfriend's cheek at thirty second intervals. Jinsol asks her a silent question through the rearview mirror: how is she? Her partner gives a nod, expression transparent. Tranquil.
Word: casualty
Definition: / ˈka-zhəl-tē/ - a person or thing injured, lost, or destroyed
Example: "Teach," she admits, "if I could come back from this mission, I would. But I need to divert the asteroid, I need to save the Earth. I'm the best fit for the job—the only fit, if I want to keep casualties to a minimum."
Word: stasis
Definition: / ˈstā-səs/ - a state of static balance or equilibrium
Example: "This is where the spare hypnotic will come in. We had a colleague outside of KARI develop its formulation to slow your metabolism and put you into stasis while suspended in the barrier, long enough to give us a fighting chance to track and retrieve you."
Word: sliver
Definition: / ˈsli-vər/ - particle, scrap
Example: What would Sooyoung think of the possibility that Jinsol could still find her way back to Earth? Would she be hopeful? Would she be pessimistic, afraid to believe this tiny sliver of a chance?
Word: demeanor
Definition: / di-ˈmē-nər/ - outward manner
Word: smolder
Definition: / ˈsmōl-dər/ - burn slowly with smoke but no flame
Example: A switch flips. Sooyoung's demeanor shifts, body stiff with attention, gaze smoldering with something. Something that gets Jinsol’s heart pumping, vision tunneling.
Word: malfunction
Definition: / ˌmal-ˈfəŋ(k)-shən/ - fail to operate normally
Example: The room is tense. They definitely have the same thing in mind, but Jinsol’s brain is malfunctioning and Sooyoung isn’t making a fucking move— Maybe Jinsol shouldn’t put it that way.
Word: exhilaration
Definition: /ig-ˌzi-lə-ˈrā-shən/ - a feeling of excitement, happiness, or elation
Word: mesmerize
Definition: /ˈmes-mə-ˌrīz/ - hold the attention of (someone) to the exclusion of all else or so as to transfix them
Example: Exhilaration. Sooyoung is mesmerizing in the dark, lips rough and hypnotic, hands pushing Jinsol down on the couch. The weight of Sooyoung’s body on hers is good, so good.
Word: elation
Definition: / i-ˈlā-shən/ - great happiness and exhilaration
Word: exhilaration
Definition: /ig-ˌzi-lə-ˈrā-shən/ - a feeling of excitement, happiness, or elation
Word: mesmerize
Definition: /ˈmes-mə-ˌrīz/ - hold the attention of (someone) to the exclusion of all else or so as to transfix them
Example: Exhilaration. Sooyoung is mesmerizing in the dark, lips rough and hypnotic, hands pushing Jinsol down on the couch. The weight of Sooyoung’s body on hers is good, so good.
Word: elation
Definition: / i-ˈlā-shən/ - great happiness and exhilaration
Example: Jinsol lets her hands roam, possessive on Sooyoung’s back, pressing her closer. Sooyoung is here, now, hers for four more days. Elation curls in her chest, urgent need.
Word: intention
Definition: / in-ˈten(t)-shən/ - a determination to act in a certain way
Example: Desire simmers when they break apart, the pause heavy with intention. Sooyoung is dazed, lips parted, irises catching the wan window light.
Word: deliberate
Definition: / di-ˈli-bə-ˌrāt/ - slow, unhurried, and steady as though allowing time for decision on each individual action involved
Example: It’s easy to pick up from where they left off. The kisses are second nature now, hands eager and bolder. More deliberate. More conscious of the seconds they have left.
Word: assurance
Definition: / ə-ˈshu̇r-ən(t)s/ - something that inspires or tends to inspire confidence
Example: It doesn’t sit right with Jinsol to be a pillow princess for her first time having sex, but Sooyoung plants a chaste kiss on her forehead, a silent assurance. They have time.
Word: solemn
Definition: / ˈsä-ləm - marked by grave sedateness and earnest sobriety
Example: Hyunjin looks at her, solemn. Earnest. “Even if you try to make the most of it. There still won’t be enough time.” She takes a ping pong ball from her side of the floor. “But that’s okay.”
Word: discontent
Definition: / ˌdis-kən-ˈtent/ - a sense of grievance
Example: The sight of Sooyoung at the common area calms the discontent in Jinsol’s chest, somewhat. She’s already dressed for conditioning, setting their breakfast down on the table. Hair loosening from her low ponytail, framing her face.
Word: magnitude
Definition: / ˈmag-nə-ˌtüd/ - the importance, quality, or caliber of something
Example: Jinsol gets it now, what Hyunjin was trying to say. There’s no conceivable way to express the overwhelming affection that floods her chest in the span of the next three days. Not when she herself has yet to understand its depth and magnitude.
Word: consolation
Definition: / ˌkän(t)-sə-ˈlā-shən/ - the comfort received by a person after a loss or disappointment
Example: Sooyoung shakes her head, reaches forward to pull Jinsol to herself. Lets her embrace share what words cannot express, consolation for a loss that is yet to come.
Word: murmur
Definition: / ˈmər-mər/ - a soft or gentle utterance
Word: intention
Definition: / in-ˈten(t)-shən/ - a determination to act in a certain way
Example: Desire simmers when they break apart, the pause heavy with intention. Sooyoung is dazed, lips parted, irises catching the wan window light.
Word: deliberate
Definition: / di-ˈli-bə-ˌrāt/ - slow, unhurried, and steady as though allowing time for decision on each individual action involved
Example: It’s easy to pick up from where they left off. The kisses are second nature now, hands eager and bolder. More deliberate. More conscious of the seconds they have left.
Word: assurance
Definition: / ə-ˈshu̇r-ən(t)s/ - something that inspires or tends to inspire confidence
Example: It doesn’t sit right with Jinsol to be a pillow princess for her first time having sex, but Sooyoung plants a chaste kiss on her forehead, a silent assurance. They have time.
Word: solemn
Definition: / ˈsä-ləm - marked by grave sedateness and earnest sobriety
Example: Hyunjin looks at her, solemn. Earnest. “Even if you try to make the most of it. There still won’t be enough time.” She takes a ping pong ball from her side of the floor. “But that’s okay.”
Word: discontent
Definition: / ˌdis-kən-ˈtent/ - a sense of grievance
Example: The sight of Sooyoung at the common area calms the discontent in Jinsol’s chest, somewhat. She’s already dressed for conditioning, setting their breakfast down on the table. Hair loosening from her low ponytail, framing her face.
Word: magnitude
Definition: / ˈmag-nə-ˌtüd/ - the importance, quality, or caliber of something
Example: Jinsol gets it now, what Hyunjin was trying to say. There’s no conceivable way to express the overwhelming affection that floods her chest in the span of the next three days. Not when she herself has yet to understand its depth and magnitude.
Word: consolation
Definition: / ˌkän(t)-sə-ˈlā-shən/ - the comfort received by a person after a loss or disappointment
Example: Sooyoung shakes her head, reaches forward to pull Jinsol to herself. Lets her embrace share what words cannot express, consolation for a loss that is yet to come.
Word: murmur
Definition: / ˈmər-mər/ - a soft or gentle utterance
Example: "I wish I did." Sooyoung murmurs. “But I was afraid, Sol. To lose you, to let you go.” She crushes Jinsol to her chest. “I can’t let my fear burden you any more than it has.”
Word: dismal
Definition: / ˈdiz-məl/ - lacking merit : particularly bad
Example: Fear—is that what’s stopping Jinsol from wanting to come back? The odds of her return are dismal even if she tells Dr. Son to plug the nanodocket into her suit. But Jinsol feels Sooyoung’s heartbeat from this close, in this tight embrace.
Word: tentative
Definition: / ˈten-tə-tiv/ - done without confidence; hesitant
Example: Sooyoung meets Jinsol’s gaze, expression tentative. What does she see in Jinsol’s eyes? Delusion? Desperation? Hope?
Word: entwine
Definition: /en-ˈtwīn/ - wind or twist together; interweave
Word: dismal
Definition: / ˈdiz-məl/ - lacking merit : particularly bad
Example: Fear—is that what’s stopping Jinsol from wanting to come back? The odds of her return are dismal even if she tells Dr. Son to plug the nanodocket into her suit. But Jinsol feels Sooyoung’s heartbeat from this close, in this tight embrace.
Word: tentative
Definition: / ˈten-tə-tiv/ - done without confidence; hesitant
Example: Sooyoung meets Jinsol’s gaze, expression tentative. What does she see in Jinsol’s eyes? Delusion? Desperation? Hope?
Word: entwine
Definition: /en-ˈtwīn/ - wind or twist together; interweave
Example: “Make it back to me,” she says, entwining their fingers.
Word: stiffen
Definition: / ˈsti-fən/ - make or become stiff or rigid
Example: Right before Hyunjin steps inside, Jinsol activates the hypnotic. It works— shit, it works. Hyunjin stiffens first, heavy as she crumples in Jinsol’s arms.
Word: demise
Definition: / di-ˈmīz/ - death
Example: She gets it now, what Mark Tuan felt, what Hyunjin felt, pressing buttons that will lead to her demise. Her helmet is heavy, body frozen.
Word: hurtle
Definition: / ˈhər-tᵊl/ - move or cause to move at a great speed, typically in a wildly uncontrolled manner
Example: She hurtles through space. No amount of Zero-G training could ever have prepared her for this—spinning, flying, crashing into stray ship parts that send her in different directions until finally, finally, she drifts.
Word: seep
Definition: / ˈsēp/ - to enter or penetrate slowly
Example: The cold seeps into her limbs, familiar. The darkness of space feels too much like the sleeping quarters at night.
Word: intimate
Definition: / ˈin-tə-mət / - of a very personal or private nature
Example: And Jinsol understands now, the way Sooyoung looks at her. The fear of losing her to the coldness of space. So intimate in its familiarity.
Word: persist
Definition: / pər-ˈsist/ - to continue to exist especially past a usual, expected, or normal time
Example: “Sooyoung, look at it like this. Whether or not they're dead, their light still persists. Reaches the Earth, refracts in our eyes and we register them to be there.
Word: stiffen
Definition: / ˈsti-fən/ - make or become stiff or rigid
Example: Right before Hyunjin steps inside, Jinsol activates the hypnotic. It works— shit, it works. Hyunjin stiffens first, heavy as she crumples in Jinsol’s arms.
Word: demise
Definition: / di-ˈmīz/ - death
Example: She gets it now, what Mark Tuan felt, what Hyunjin felt, pressing buttons that will lead to her demise. Her helmet is heavy, body frozen.
Word: hurtle
Definition: / ˈhər-tᵊl/ - move or cause to move at a great speed, typically in a wildly uncontrolled manner
Example: She hurtles through space. No amount of Zero-G training could ever have prepared her for this—spinning, flying, crashing into stray ship parts that send her in different directions until finally, finally, she drifts.
Word: seep
Definition: / ˈsēp/ - to enter or penetrate slowly
Example: The cold seeps into her limbs, familiar. The darkness of space feels too much like the sleeping quarters at night.
Word: intimate
Definition: / ˈin-tə-mət / - of a very personal or private nature
Example: And Jinsol understands now, the way Sooyoung looks at her. The fear of losing her to the coldness of space. So intimate in its familiarity.
Word: persist
Definition: / pər-ˈsist/ - to continue to exist especially past a usual, expected, or normal time
Example: “Sooyoung, look at it like this. Whether or not they're dead, their light still persists. Reaches the Earth, refracts in our eyes and we register them to be there.
