THB-027: Yellow Card

Based on: Yellow Card Man by Paolo Bacigalupi - source: Pump Six and Other Stories (2008).

1. POV is in a poor, destitute, or desperate situation. POV used to have power, wealth, and/or fame. They have fallen. They are running late to an appointment/opportunity that may pay off. Reflect on past life while hustling in alien environment.
2. The opp doesn’t pay off, show them doing something to survive (scrounge, starve, steal) and see something from their past when things were better. A relic from their past that’s now in the trash.
3. POV meets someone from their past that was lower status than them (someone they hired, fired, exploited, abused, or whatever). They are now in power. They offer an “act of generosity” (dinner, meal, a room for the night, whatever). The power-shift is awkward.
4. POV is wandering the streets. Momentarily forgets their desperate situation. An interaction with an NPC goes well at first, but NPC figures out POV is fallen. Another act of kindness… but this one triggers PTSD.
5. POV has a new job, but fucks up, causes an accident, or due to bad luck, is fired.
6. POV is drinking in misery. Sees something (weird, odd, unsual… it represents something meaningful). Follows it. Sees the character from beat 3, gets an opportunity to “put them in their place”. Does it out of malice (or doesn’t)… renewed sense of ambition again.

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