Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 170

Still going with the story of Fred Johnson,  Paragon of Virtue. Here are links to the previous episodes.  If you need/want to catch up, click here for the 1st installment, 2nd installment, 3rd installment, 4th installment, 5th installment, 6th installment, 7th installment., 8th installment, 9th installment

Word for this week's 10-word challenge were: crane, argument, implement, fallacy,  triumph, graph, giggle, twig, spigot, worry   And for the mini: water, ice cream, buggy, paragraph, clouds


My mega:

After 4 long hours of playing a variety of card games with Count Psycho, Fred Johnson, Paragon of Virtue for the Kingdom of Sunday, had learned a quite a number of things. First - a small triumph -  he had mastered his jelly bean spell so that his candies were now almost of Jelly Belly quality. He had come up with a very fine watermelon (a new flavor for Count Psycho) and had even managed to create one that tasted like vanilla ice cream. Creating tasty jelly beans, however was way down on his worry list, a list which had grown considerably longer over the course of his hours playing cards with the count. Despite his pretense of affability, there was no fallacy to rumors that the count was nuts, buggy, crazy as a loon.  However you wanted to put it descriptions were in no way exaggerated. Words, giggles and arguments flowed from his mouth like water from an open, flowing and unstoppable spigot, no logic, no paragraphs, and few, if any, pauses for breath. Even with his magic earring and pockets full of salt, the he had been grimly aware of the power of the count's magic swirling around him. "I'm going to need a LOT more salt," he whispered to himself. "And maybe something to supplement the magic earring too." He had spent much energy the previous evening resisting the Count's spells while trying to give the impression that he was impacted by them. It was a very fine tightrope to walk and he had almost fallen off several time. Luckily, Chef's food did have a mitigating impact on the Count's personality and he had taken quite a fancy to jelly beans. Fred thought he would send some of his better beans through the basket to Chef in hopes that he could create some additional flavors that also had his special touch. On another front, Fred was still trying to figure out a way to implement the plan to get Count Psycho to the Hall of Shadow Boxing so that Bubbles could send a smoke signal message to Chef and Spark the Wizard. At the thought of smoke signals, he wondered about the weather and craning his neck slightly saw with some dismay that the sky black with clouds, which seemed a bad omen for smoke signalling. Then again, he thought, clouds come and go and maybe Bubbles had an alternate plan. She seemed very resourceful. As if in response to that thought, there was a quiet knock on his door and softly whispering voice the aforementioned resourceful Bubbles. "I must not linger," she said, pushing a small sack of something into his hands. "The Count is waiting me and he must not know I have spoken to you. Spark and Claude are very proud of you. I have brought you some additional protections. There is a magic resistant bush known as the Graph Bush. I have brought you several twigs and recommend that you keep one under your pillow, one in your basket and the others in places which your intuition guides you to. I have also made you a large piece bark cloth from the same bush which has been soaked in brine salt. I advise you to keep it on your person - perhaps sown into your collar or pocket. It should help protect you." And with those words, she departed so quickly that it almost seemed that she had vanished or never been there at all.



My 10-word:

The mysterious ways of Sunday Kingdom still made Fred feel a bit like he had been transplanted into a cartoon and he looking at his bag of magic Graph twigs, he resisted the impulse to fall into a fit of uncontrollable giggles and set out to implement the worried instructions Bubbles had whispered to him minutes earlier. He could tell she was worried about him and even if he thought it was based in a superstitious fallacy, he would offer no argument to help from one who would risk her life to help good (the Paragon) triumph over evil. After locating the twigs as she had advised, including a small piece in each pocket. he unrolled six pieces of fabric, astonished at their beauty. The colors were vibrant and the artistry exquisite. One was decorated with images of nesting cranes, the next he thought was a large portrait of his dog Cane, a third seemed more abstract, though he fancied the shape was something like a faucet or spigot, and the remaining three were decorated with a mix of flowers and twigs. One of these he chose to use as a table cloth in case he and the Count met in his room again. The floral prints (which were larger pieces) he cut up and placed in a variety of locations. The portrait of Cane, he sewed inside the back of his shirt so that it rested against his skin. He felt nurtured by it and he could feel an energy emanating from the fabric that reminded him in some way of Chef Claude's food. And that reminded him that he was very hungry.




And my mini: 

Reaching into the magic basket, he found three new things. The first was a large jug of pure fresh stream water from his farm, the second a treat which, despite it's name - Chef Claude called it Buggy Bread - tasted like the chocolate chip cookies and ice cream. The last item was a small one paragraph note.


You are doing well. Trust Bubbles. She is very special. Her child - offspring of the last Paragon - is due in three months. It's coming has been foretold. No matter what else happens, you must keep her and the child safe. Psycho senses, but does not know the truth. He must not find out.  I am working on your jelly beans. They are delightful little marvels. I always love discovering new foods. I am working on a dessert for you and the count which will incorporate them. I think I will call it Sun Through Clouds.  We all send our love and Flashlight sends a kiss as well.  Stay Safe, Stay Strong,  Your Chef, Servant and Friend, Claude Confetti


Fred Johnson was glad the kindly chef could not see him blush.

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Words for next week's 10-word challenge: corn, chalice, perpendicular, what if, leaves, relief, teaching, healer, ramp, diamond ring

And for the mini: peek-a-boo, highest, shallow, willing, imagination

Thanks you for playing.  Newcomers can check here for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.