  
 
 The Story Behind My Isquiesqueness Once upon a time, I was playing Scrabble® with some friends. As the game started to come to a close, I found myself pathetically and irretrievably behind. Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, I drew my final tiles for the game... only to discover the dreaded "Q." I glanced at the score sheet. This was my worst game of Scrabble® ever. I gazed out over a board choked with tiles, few spaces availble to play my remaining letters. Then I saw hope on the table: there were legal spots open on either side of the letter "U." Perhaps I would be able to ditch the "Q" after all. Or, perhaps not. I racked my poor little brain for awhile, trying to think of a legal word. My friends were incredibly patient, but after a round and a half of drinks, my friends informed me that they could wait no longer. It was my moment of truth. I was still wordless, and I really didn't want to end the game holding that "Q." I knew I couldn't win. I knew I was doomed to come in last. I just didn't want to have too many points deducted at the close of the game. I took a deep breath, followed by a leap of faith, and asked my friends if I could make up a word. I explained my predicament. I pointed out that I couldn't finish higher than last place regardless. I begged for mercy. Fortunately, my friends had had a sufficient number of margaritas, and were willing to let me play my newly created word. That word? Isqui. The game ended. I had lost, but my new word overshadowed my poor performance. My friends and I discussed what it might mean, what part of speech it might be, what other word forms it would take. Out of tragedy, a word had been born. The word lives on, each time I enter the lounge. One day, Duchess had an ifMUD dream in which I was working on a crossword puzzle, and kept asking the lounge for hints. As she was recounting the dream to us one morning, I asked, "Hey, Lounge, what's a ten letter word for sexy-funky-hot?" Bishop replied, "Isquiesque?" It seems my word has recognizable meaning, after all.
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