Writing Explorations: Week 51, Shuffle

[The Mood is Write]

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Sorry to spook you guys with the scary exclamation point just to the left, but I have an announcement regarding the status of my upcoming exercise series!

With the new rearrangement of the forums, I'm gonna re-evaluate some of my plans. I'm still wanting to do the exercise series about planning and OOC practice, BUT I may be able to come up with another series for another section, as well.

And for those of you waiting patiently (or impatiently) for that planning and OOC practice series? It's slow coming, but the planning outline has taken form! There is progress, even if slow.

It is definitely not forgotten! Keep faith. ;)

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My Writing Explorations series of exercises are a chance for users to explore new concepts and practice the art of raising two fingers to Writer's Block while screaming obscenities to fickle muses: to rebel against the idea that a person requires a mythical force inside them to make new and amazing things.

No. Listen well, users: there is no being inside you waiting to be let out. You are the writer, and in this exercise, you are given a place to push not only against Writer's Block, but also against the forces of stagnation. Feel trapped in your genre? Explore a new one! Stuck with a singular archetype? Do something else! In this thread, you will not be critiqued, and I will read every entry and let you know what makes me happy about it. Should you wish it, I will happily offer my thoughts on how it might be improved, but I will not comb looking for fixes: this isn't the place: this place is for safely trying new things and indulging a love of writing.

Shake the bars of your cell block and roar, writers!

[fieldbox=How do I take part?]Curious about how this works? Good! Look over the offered themes and prompts and the bonus rounds, then think about them. Then, take your thoughts and get writing. You can write to one or more (or none) of the prompts, the theme in the thread title, the bonuses: hell, you can even cast aside all of what I offer if you get a different idea.

The whole point is "get writing!"[/fieldbox]

Themes:

1. Someone messes up organization in a big way.
2. Papers end up out of order. Somehow, this solves a large problem.
3. A card game has a big impact on one of the characters involved.

Bonus Rounds:

• Write in a random genre.
• Someone spends too much time trying to line people up in order of height.
• One or more people get around primarily by shuffling their feet.
• Someone is shuffled loose of the mortal coil. Someone makes an ill-timed joke about cards.

 

[MST3K 4ever]

Maggie was sitting around a large crate with five other members of Iron Ice in a basement with one single light bulb providing the light. Gonzales said, "I have us at 21:30 hours it's time." Everyone nodded in agreement and Hanson pulled out a deck of cards and put them on the crate. He said, "The weekly meeting of the Iron Ice Poker club is officially called to order." Just then the door opened and four of the members whipped around with guns drawn. Travis stepped forward with his arms raised and a folder under his right arm. He said, "At ease everyone at ease." The four sat back down putting their weapons away and Sergant DeGriggs said, "Sorry about that sir. We can make an open seat for you if you want it." Travis shook his head and said, "No thanks Sergeant I think I'll just observe for a while and enjoy a chapter or two from my endless paperwork routine. I got work to do but I can't stand being in my office for another minute." He sat down on a crate and just began looking at a folder. Gonzales looked to Maggie and said, "All right Newbie cut the deck." Maggie started to cut the deck and then dropped the cards. She said, "Oh I'm sorry still a bit clumsy even after six weeks." Everyone just shook their heads and DeGriggs said, "Don't worry kid. You're gettin' there. You've made a lot of progress since that first night." Maggie smiled and said, "Thank you sir" as she bent down to pick up the cards

Maggie emerged with the cards in her hand and said, "If I recall it was Tyler's deal to start off." Tyler brushed back her blonde hair and said, "Yeah, I got it we're opening tonight with a round of twenty-one. Ante up and let's go." Everyone put something of value into the pot. Usually it was a piece of food of some kind, a couple pieces of ammo, or something more valuable a slip of paper agreeing to take someone's patrol or guard duty.

When the clock reached eleven o'clock the last hand of five-card draw had been dealt, and it was down to Maggie and DeGriggs. The number of times DeGriggs had walked away from the table and not been the big winner could be counted on one hand, and not use all five fingers. He always won big especially against novices like Maggie. DeGriggs usually would sucker them in and then destroy them. Maggie glanced at her cards and then at her pile of winnings. She said, "Okay, I'll see your two pieces of white bread, and raise you a month of guard duty after midnight and…" She pulled out of her pocket a real egg. Seeing one of those in this area was rare indeed as she said, "I got it helping a farmer in the outland sector who was about to be overrun by the Demon Dogs."

Maggie laid it on the table and everyone just stared at it as though it might actually speak. DeGriggs looked at his cards and just shook his head. He said, "I'm out." Maggie merely nodded and pulled her winnings towards her. Hanson said, "Okay gotta know, who had what?" DeGriggs laid his cards on the table and said, "Two pair sixes and threes." Maggie nodded and laid her cards down one at time. She said, "I had a two of clubs, four of diamonds, seven of hearts, nine of diamonds and a jack of spades." Everyone was stunned as Tyler said, "Oh shit! The Sarge got bluffed! That never happens!"

DeGriggs stood up and just looked at Maggie stone faced. He gave her a nod and said, "Nice one." Maggie never in her life wanted to apologize so badly in her life as she said, "Thank you sir." With the same expression on his face DeGriggs gave a quick wink to her and said, "Until next week everyone." With that the meeting broke up and Maggie tidied up a bit more as Travis walked over to her. He said, "I've known LaMar DeGriggs since I was Captain, and that wink Maggie is the closest thing I've ever seen to a smile from him towards someone serving under him. That was impressive. I'll bet that clumsy act in the beginning was part of a bluff." Maggie was about finished when she replied with a smirk, "Well, maybe and thank you Colonel. Now if you will excuse me I've got get some rest." Travis stood up and said, "I would tell you 'sweet dreams', but with what I'm about to tell you I doubt that's gonna happen."

Maggie was curious and looked at Travis for a moment. She asked, "Beg pardon sir?"

Travis replied, "I've been watching you and the others these last weeks Maggie. They've taken you in now. They accept you as one of their own. You're a real part of this unit now. They're including you in on their activities. Watching you play tonight you bluffed, you knew when others were bluffing, you knew how to play because you observed their patterns and behaviors. You thought on your feet when you had to." Travis stepped towards her and said, "At 03:30 several other resistance units will be here. At 04:00 we will be dispersing throughout the various cites and sectors including us except for you Maggie. We will be liberating various facilities and raiding supply depots. You will wait exactly fifteen minutes and then it's all up to you." Maggie was somewhat surprised and then Travis said the phrase she had been waiting to hear for months. He said, "At 04:45 you will raid The Citadel and then you destroy Central One." Travis nodded and said, "Your time has arrived. You will fall out with everyone else but when everyone heads out you'll fall back from the group gradually until you're the only one here. I don't want anyone knowing what you're about to do. It will distract them from the task at hand. Head over to my office and on my desk will be a black Kevlar suit, black boots, a black hooded mask, gloves, two loaded sig 9MM and four clips. 04:45 the night shift is ending. They're exhausted, not thinking clear and the morning shift isn't quite ready to go, and they will distracted with our attacks going on throughout the areas. The timing is perfect for you. Again they trust their system they don't see one person as a threat, but we believe in the power of the individual."

Maggie took it all in, and every fiber of her being wanted to turn into a white knuckle and lay on the ground while weeping. She merely gave a nod and said, "Yes sir." Maggie turned and left. When she got outside Maggie felt she was going to pass out. She took a couple of deep breaths and then without thinking Maggie touched the necklace given to her by Madelyn. Closing her eyes Maggie's mind drifted back to holding onto her and the look of love and hope on her face as she left for Free Space. Maggie wanted to see that face again. She wanted to experience the joy of her own children and wanted Jason as their father. Then her nerves settled, and a sense of focus and fire came over Maggie as she let out a slow long breath that almost sounded like a growl. Maggie opened her eyes and knew that Travis was right…it was her time.

 

[The Mood is Write]

@MST3K 4ever
Ooh, things are coming to a head with Maggie! :O I like! On the edge of my seat!