Slay: Chapters 8–11

by Brittney Morris
No one knows that seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is the developer behind a popular online role-playing game called SLAY. But when the game is linked to an act of violence in the real world, growing controversy puts both Kiera and her game at risk.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–7, Chapters 8–11, Chapters 12–17
35 words 23 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. helm
    a position of leadership
    Joshua and Asher are standing side by side in the living room, each with a lime-green headset over their eyes. Asher, my eight-year-old nephew, is at the helm, navigating through a settings screen, modifying a series of what look like health bars, talking to Joshua like they’re on another planet.
  2. transfixed
    having your attention fixated as though witchcraft
    His bright little eyes turn back to his brother, transfixed on the computer screen again.
  3. ornate
    marked by complexity and richness of detail
    I look at the screen as the card appears, a bloodred rectangle with an ornate golden border.
  4. relinquish
    part with a possession or right
    “I’ll play with each of you in turn,” I promise, and after a spirited three-game tournament of Rock Paper Scissors, Asher relinquishes his headset, gloves, and socks to me.
  5. gingerly
    in a manner marked by extreme care or delicacy
    I move my right hand around gingerly and watch the white hand move as mine does.
  6. hierarchy
    a series of ordered groupings within a system
    Apparently there’s also a rain forest? With a king? Apparently there are political hierarchies in this game—regional hierarchies contingent on how much “XP” one has?
  7. contingent
    determined by conditions or circumstances that follow
    Apparently there’s also a rain forest? With a king? Apparently there are political hierarchies in this game—regional hierarchies contingent on how much “XP” one has?
  8. denounce
    accuse or condemn openly as disgraceful
    How can I denounce the hundreds of thousands of people I talk to in SLAY?
  9. dismissive
    showing indifference or disregard
    I love Malcolm, but I hate it when he gets like this, moody and disrespectful, throwing words like “females” around dismissively.
  10. rhetoric
    using language effectively to please or persuade
    Malcolm: I could’ve spent all that time reading. I could’ve been decolonizing, undoing everything I was seeing on TV. I could’ve been surrounding myself with Black rhetoric.
  11. bona fide
    not counterfeit or copied
    Her eyes are kind, and I’m shocked when she stands and holds her hand out to shake mine like I'm a bona fide adult.
  12. prorate
    divide, allocate, or assess proportionally
    I do charge one hundred twenty-five dollars per hour for a consultation, but if it ends earlier, I prorate for low-income-qualifying clients.
  13. explicitly
    in a clearly expressed manner
    During this consultation, I can provide legal counsel with the promise of confidentiality. However, if the client—that’s you—reveals explicitly or implies the intent to carry out an illegal act, I have the responsibility to report said intent to the appropriate authorities without notifying the client.
  14. concede
    be willing to yield
    If you agree and concede to these terms and conditions, please sign here.
  15. predominantly
    much greater in number or influence
    The fashion industry is predominantly white, Hollywood is still overwhelmingly white, and, as Steph once pointed out, white people had a monopoly on the word “nude” until recently. White people are the standard in so many different industries, but the minute Black people build something for ourselves, we’re wrong for causing division.
  16. litigation
    a legal proceeding in a court
    “...I won’t be able to take your case if you do decide to hire an attorney. I’m a family litigation attorney, not a civil rights attorney. I won’t be able to help you.”
  17. encapsulate
    enclose in or as if in a small container
    A very kind person, and an expert dueler—his use of the ’Fro card is perfectly timed, encapsulating him in a giant Afro before I can deal the first blow.
  18. reprimand
    censure severely or angrily
    She’s not policing what I’m saying, she’s not here to reprimand me or judge my words.
  19. implication
    a meaning that is not expressly stated but can be inferred
    “I invented it, as in, I built and launched, and now maintain, the game.”
    There's a pause as her eyes get huge, but eventually one hand flies over her mouth and she squeezes the life out of my hand with the other as the implications sink in one by one.
  20. hyperventilate
    breathe excessively hard and fast
    She lowers her voice to a whisper, but she sounds like she’s hyperventilating.
  21. misdemeanor
    a crime less serious than a felony
    “His death was absolutely not your fault. Have you read anything at all about the killer? Jeremiah Marshall? His rap sheet is a mile long: grand theft auto, assault, illegal possession of firearms, and misdemeanor arson..."
  22. empathetic
    showing ready comprehension of others' states
    I think I love SLAY so much because we’re a mutually empathetic collective. As we duel, as we chat, there’s an understanding that “your Black is not my Black” and “your weird is not my weird” and “your beautiful is not my beautiful,” and that’s okay.
  23. profusely
    in very large amounts or quantities; extremely
    The shorter woman thanks me profusely before the taller woman shoos her down the hall and they move on to their next potential customer.
  24. inclination
    an attitude of mind that favors one alternative over others
    My immediate inclination is to say yes and tell her to forget the money.
  25. nostalgic
    unhappy about being away and longing for familiar things
    But as fun and nostalgic as a night of playing video games with Harper sounds, casually racist characters included or not, I don’t know if I can bear to look at Wyatt right now, or deal with his interview questions.
  26. incense
    make furious
    This Brandon Cannon really wants the world to think we’re a gang of potential criminals just waiting for something to incense us.
  27. eradicate
    destroy completely, as if down to the roots
    “If we are ever to have equality in this country,” continues Brandon, “we must eradicate every exclusionary group, including this online Blacks-only gang.”
  28. perpetuate
    cause to continue or prevail
    “Emerald is a dangerous character, and he should—no, must—be held responsible for perpetuating racism and inciting violence.”
  29. stoke
    (of a fire) stir up or tend
    “I’ve never seen a video game that’s specifically designed to target low-income youth of color,” says Jan, stoking the flames. “It sounds like it feeds off their anger at racial inequality in this country—”
  30. vertex
    the point of intersection of lines
    He plays hours of Legacy on the weekends, but I’d bet a hundred bucks he doesn’t know vectors from vertices. Ooh, I wish I could wave it in his face that while he’s been screaming at his computer and losing campaigns, I’ve been designing campaigns.
  31. revered
    profoundly honored
    “Today I have a special announcement to make. You’re all aware of our fallen brother Anubis. Many of you in the Desert region hailed him as your leader. While I never dueled him personally, I know he was a valiant fighter and a humble soul who was widely revered throughout the SLAY universe. He will be missed.”
  32. usurper
    one who wrongfully seizes and holds the place of another
    YOU! USURPER! INVADER! If you can hear me, I challenge you to a duel!
  33. insolence
    an offensive disrespectful impudent act
    The crowd hollers their disgust at his insolence, but unfortunately, he’s right.
  34. biome
    major ecological community with distinct climate and flora
    It’s hard for me to imagine that Wyatt might be an actual white supremacist, but everything from the faux swastika, to the name Dred, to his chosen biome, smacks less of intimidation and more of all-out terrorization.
  35. presumptuous
    going beyond what is appropriate, permitted, or courteous
    Maybe it was reckless of me, presumptuous even, to suggest that we might meet in person one day.
Created on Fri May 15 12:59:39 EDT 2020 (updated Tue May 19 11:56:30 EDT 2020)

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