This is the OOC thread

This game is very different than the previous game. It is a continuation that focuses on you characters and the plot, rather that total survival. Death is still possible. But the focus is more on the characters.

Hello all!  I'm looking forward to something a bit less "survival" focused and getting the chance to interact with everyone!

Same here! Looking forward to it!

So as we are finishing up the last thread, the plan is to focus on what you guys are looking forward to. What aspects you enjoyed from last game and would like to keep (other than the survival) and which things you do not want.

There is already a set plot. But I would like to know things like more player-player interaction, dream threads, memory threads, certain skills you would like to use, etc.

Sure! As far as things I'd be excited by...

Flashback Threads: I'd love some more of them! You expressed interest in focusing on her Sister for some of these, which would justify her mentor trait too.

Exploration and Wonder: Exploring the horrific environments is always a treat. You are fantastic at setting up the lore and horrifying situations, and I think that having a sense of childlike wonder mixed with incredible terror is really fitting for a game like this one.

Interpersonal Threads: We're quickly building up a cast of fun, unique characters, even if none of the ones from my story made it out here ha ha. Either way, it would be cool to see them get to know eacother. Naomi's something of a weird girl, and it'd be fun to see her interact with King and the others. Also, Scarlet's her favorite GI Joe, for those counting. ;)

Skill:. I do like the idea of wits and knowledge being important next to pure physical skill, and that's not just because I built Naomi with a high Mind stat. I think that some riddles, puzzles, and mental challenges are always a good bet. I would also like a chance to maybe use the Craft skill a little more, I imagined Naomi as a bit of a tinker and it could be cool to give her a better chance to use it now that she's not in a pure survival situation.

Things that I'd like to see more of...

Flashback Threads:  I really enjoyed the one with Ron's brother and the scary story.  More of those would be great as sort of a personal thread for us to RP on when other players aren't available.

Dream Threads:  I also really enjoyed the dream sequence with Abby as it had a very surreal and creepy feel to it.  I'd definitely enjoy more of those, or maybe a shared dream sequence.

RP/Interaction Threads:  Threads to allow us to interact with the other players as we explore and try to figure out what's behind the horrible goings on.  A chance to play off of one another and form a group that really bonds and works together with each of us using our strengths and compensating for the others weaknesses.

Skills:  Ron is quite good at Crafts, which I envision mostly as general handyman stuff, and I would like a chance to use that.  If possible, I'd also like the chance to use my "Swimming" specialty for Athletics and the "Farm Animals" specialty for Animal Ken.

And Scarlet is awesome!  Ron's favorite GI Joe would probably be that near-universal favorite Snake-Eyes, although Stalker is a pretty close second.

OK great! This is very good. Thank you for the feedback and direction. It will allow me to add some much needed context so I am not just making threads up on the fly.

You might be wondering what this game is if it isn't a survival game and what a drama/horror is in this instance.  Here's a few things that might help you think about where you want your character to go and what kinds of risks your character can take

1) Threads:  This game will be designed to go on, in some ways, indefinitely or until 'the plot' is solved. I will try to have 2 threads up at most times for each charcter. This will ensure that PCs have a means to post beyond the current 'plot thread.' This will include memory threads, dream threads, daydream threads, thought threads, and any other kind of parallel thread that might make sense.

2) Death: Your character can die, but it isn't as overbearing as the last game. The first game was important to as everyone needs to have the same background on Cherrywinks survival. Now, the focus will be on getting back home, solving the mystery of Cherrywinks, and helping other child characters out. If your character dies, you will be given the option to create a new one. However, you will not have to repeat Midnight roads. Again, in this game, this will be less likely as most of the threads will focus on PC and NPC interaction, drama and character development.

3) Helping other child characters out: Throughout the game your character will be given the option to 'go back to midnight roads' to save PCs from that game and bring them to this game.  BE careful though! This will be done at your own risk! But the rewards will be substantial. More on that later.

Questions?

All making sense so far.

Nope, sounds good so far!

Sorry! I'm a bit busy this weekend! Should be able to get caught up monday!

It's fun playing Naomi pre-trauma lol.

Cool! I'm glad you're in it. Just an FYI, the last thread will be moved to this game soon from inside the cabin.

That ramp is a masterpiece of engineering compared to the ramp that my older brother, our neighbors and me constructed one summer so that my brother could emulate his idol Evel Kneivel and jump Snake River Canyon the 3x3 ditch behind our house.  We spent hours planning it and made a spectacle of it.  We cut out red, white and blue stars and taped them to his white denim jacket and jeans.  We even "borrowed" the Instamatic camera and the plan was to get a picture while he was in mid-air.  We didn't have a video camera, so we had to make do.

I was 7 and he was 10 and we had about three other kids "helping".  That ramp consisted of three cinder blocks stacked on top of one another with a wooden board propped up for the ramp portion.

Fun times.




In today's Totally Unrelated News, my brother has a small scar on his forehead that he got from a childhood accident when he was 10 years old.

That's awesome. I remember constructing ramps just like that. It would take sometimes days and then we would go right off of them with bikes, skateboards or roller blades or roller skates. I can't believe I never broke anything. We would do spins and jumps. It was crazy. I wish would have though of borrowing a camera like that. That would have been great to record.

Hmmm, trying to keep track of stuff here, but I'm just not sure about Henri's Health level.  By my count (and reading the rules on such stuff again) he still has 1 point of Lethal damage (from the cat) + 2 points of Bashing damage (from trying to break through the wall) + 1 point of Bashing damage (from water deprivation), does this sound right?  Look at Healing starting on page 153 and Deprivation on page 155 and see if I've messed it up.

OK, I've reviewed it all. I think you have it exactly right about that based on teh passage of time and the information, especially on 153.

Thanks.  I love WoD:Innocents, but there are a good number of parts that are written in a very confusing manner.

Agreed. It really is a stand alone book. Did you read the part where it discounts persuasion and then has it listed as a roll?

Yeah, I saw that.  It could have used another examination by a proof reader.

I won't be very available this coming Thursday Evening through Monday. It's my birthday this weekend and I'll have family coming over so I'll only be able to post in very limited, sporadic times through the day. I'll try to get posts up, but no promises. I hope that you all have a great weekend though!

Have an awesome weekend and Happy Birthday!

I just noticed, but the Character Descriptions do not seem to be displaying.  This seems to mostly be the PCs, not NPCs and it is happening in both of your Innocents games.  In the Technical Discussion forum, the is a thread discussing this issue as it looks to be across the entire site.

Yes, I saw that. I've been following the thread and looking for them to update it with solutions. Someone sent me a link, I'll try to post the fix to see if it works if I can't do it by myself.

Suggestion for the various characters entries in the Babble Book.  How about those be done in a separate thread instead of the current one.  It might make it easier to keep up with them that way.

Good idea. I'll mark them down. Don't feel obligated to have something written, only if you found something you thought was memorable in your thread, as Henri mentioned about the 'noses'

Might not be able to post for a few days. Will get caught up as soon as I can though!

Sorry for still being too busy to post...I'll try to get caught up when I can.

Going meta here, but unless we get lucky and Naomi is able to roll some successes with the Book, all we've got is the three names.  There is Jenny, who is Naomi's cousin.  There is Sebastian, who is Henri's friend.  And lastly there is Shawn, who is the last remaining player and does have a npc with him, so that could be a two saved there.

Any very out of character, player thoughts?

Well, Naomi's option would be completely obvious. I'll try to post later tonight or early tomorrow if that doesn't work out.

That's why I was asking for player thoughts.

For each success, I roll 1d3 to determine which name on the list gets an extra detail added.

Sorry!

07:16, Today: Naomi Brians rolled 3 using 1d3 ((3)).

So I imagine it's for Jenny then?

You rolled correctly. I'm just letting everyone know that the clues are added randomly ones you roll a success!

Take care who jumps in the book last!

The Babble Book with travel with that PC, the last one to jump in the book.

If you go somewhere without the Babble Book, you will be there permanently until the Book makes its way back to the cabin and opens up a door for you to return.

There is no work around to this. If you end up stuck in world without the Babble Book, you will be there until a future PC succeeds in bringing you back.

Grr...might not be able to post again for a couple of days. I apologize for the inconvenience...

No worries. Thanks for letting us know. The Midnight roads game will be closing aftervShawns head is resolved

So, we can't split up then?  If we split up and one group has the book, then the other group is stuck until we get back and go back in to pick them up?

The way I understand it, the only way we could split up is for some to go somewhere after one of the kids listed and some to stay at the cabin.  I don't think we can go to two or more places by using the Book.  And the Book has to go where ever.

Of course I could have completely misunderstood things.

OK, so this is pretty much how it goes and its good to keep this going in OOC.

Anyone can go to any one of the names by jumping into the Book.

Whichever character chooses last and jumps into the Book last, travels with the Book.

If someone stays in the Cabin with April, the Book will end up going with the last person that jumped in. How does the Book know? It will wait only a little while before traveling with the last person that jumped in.

So, theoretically,

Henri could go to Sebastian

Ron and Naomi could go to Jenny. Or someone could stay in the Cabin.

Or any combination really. Just remember, whoever jumps in last, the Book will travel with them.

Got it, thanks for the clarification.  Now, on the getting back side, only the person or group that has the Book with them can get immediately back to the cabin, correct?  Then when they are back at the cabin, the group with book could bring back others?  or would they have to go where the other person is and then all go back?  And I'm assuming that those who went somewhere without the Book could eventually make it back to the cabin in some way like we all did originally, it just might take a bunch of time.

That is correct.



Yes, the above is correct.



No. Once a person makes it back to the cabin with the Book, it can be used from the cabin to open a door allowing others to return to the cabin.



No. The only way back if you traveled without the Book is for someone to use it in the cabin, opening a door that allows you to come back. That is why it is very important where all of you go and who you allow to carry the Book.

Got it, thanks again for the clarification.

Can we say that our characters now have this information?  Basically that we questioned April over perhaps a couple hours and it was finally explained to us?

Yes. Everyone can assume their characters have that exact information.

Since I know you base the evil clowns somewhat off the original child character, you need to make sure you look closely at Charlie's sheet when you change it over to the Tattooed Lady.  The one time I looked at her sheet, it was full of major errors.

Speaking of which, I'm rebuilding everyone's character sheet since the technical problems launched, so stay tuned for that as well.

I'm going to be holding off until Ron is back available.

Gah. Won't be able to post for a couple of days. ...Again. I'll get caught up as soon as I can.

Don't you just hate real life, LOL.

Pardon for the delay, I'm having a hard time thinking IC at the moment.  Hopefully my brain will start working this weekend.

Do you need a parallel thread?

Thanks for the offer, the problem is not the thread, but me.    My mind just isn't there at the moment.

I wouldn't worry about it. It will come to you when you are ready. Also, there are currently 2 side plots involving other characters in groups' only accessible to them that are affecting this thread. So your character might be thrown into something.

Sorry for taking too long. I should be back tomorrow I hope. I apologize for being like this. For being basically out of the game all week...

Real life does get in the way. Then again, that's why we're playing PBP. OK, keep an eye peeled as these two parallels work their way out.

Thanks...so I read through the posts, it seems like we're all sticking together to head through the book next then?

Shawn's going to stay behind for now to get acquainted with the book and homebodies. He's still a little too whacked out for brave questing.

Its OK not to 'choose.' Just play as your character would. The choice might come to you, depending on others' actions.

Oh no! Posting is down. Could it be the holidays? Busy schedules? Boredom of this specific game? Or just what happens after the 'honey-moon' beginning phase of a game is over.

First, an explanation is in order. Some of you were driven from your thread in the cabin abruptly. While many of your characters may not know, its probably important that you as players do:

One of you cut a side-deal with Mr. Cherrywinks. You can call it betrayal, but maybe its more like looking out for number one. After all, you haven't been together that long. So, maybe it isn't being betrayed, as much as being 'sold out' for one's own survival and the survival of one's family.

I don't think it's the holidays yet.  Busy schedules is more probable, along with just life stuff happening.  I was feeling very down last weekend for a few days, others had computer problems adjusting to OS updates (no fun there), and work gets busy sometimes for others.  But I'd say the biggest problem for the past 3 to 4 days is that RPol has been having hardware problems with the site being down for hours at a time each day.

link to a message in another game

As to the other, it was easy to figure out from reading that character's thread and both Ron (the player) and Naomi (the player) have said that they read the other threads.  I'm not going to call it betrayal, but it is PC vs PC conflict.  That is if Shawn (the character) is going to continue playing with the rest of us (as characters).  I'm doubtful that Shawn would be accepted back by the other PCs.  I personally really don't like large PC vs. PC conflict but it's your game.

Its up to each individual player how you want your characters to play it out. I will not restrict your actions.

Believe me, I consider that bridge thoroughly burned. Hopefully Shawn gets his just deserts before we get too far into PvP.

I will repeat this as it was the most important part -  I personally really don't like large PC vs. PC conflict but it's your game.

Understood Henri. Whatever action your character decides to take, if there is an action, I would encourage you to act within character. If you believe your character is not the type to forgive, that's fine. Or maybe Henri is overly forgiving? Maybe Henri is the kind to get even, that's fine too.

If you are saying that you don't want to play the game because of the actions of another PC, I can't force you to post.

At the moment I'm waiting for something from Naomi who is busy with work.  I really don't want to do solo.

Damn Shawn, 5 successes with 4 dice.  Way to go.  Now you just need to apply that ability to get into character to something important like your career. [/channeling Shawn's mother] (LOL)

He totally could, but alas, I imagine the He-Man/GI Joe crossover where they're facing off against the Decepticons that him and Bobby have created would be a licensing nightmare.

Hmmm. Site's been down a lot.

Yeah, it's been a huge pain on my end. Wonder what's going on?

It's still probably the same hardware thing that caused the last recent problems.  Look in Community Chat and General Rpol for two different threads about it.  At least they found and fixed the problems with character descriptions not displaying.

Greetings all! I'll be starting a new game that 'feeds' into this one. It will be similar in format to Midnight Roads. Survivors will be able to join this game. First, I need to determine who wishes to continue in this game. If I am not mistaken, Shawn and Ron appear to be posting, so I assume they are in.

I need to know if Henri and Naomi still plan to play. If you do, I'll need you to post a bit more. This will allow me to plan the scope of the next game that feeds into this one.

I've been waiting for Naomi to post something.

OK. Cool. Naomi just dropped. So feel free to post at your leisure.

Well, something needs to be done with that thread then.  I was expecting some kind of response from Naomi (the character).

When you do start the new game, be sure to link it here. I really enjoy spectating!

Roger that. Will do on both accounts. Its going to be a snowball fight that links to the Mr. Cherrywinks-themed universe.

A snowball fight?  Yeah, I'm going to have to read that.

What would the roll or rolls be to try and run towards any trees and hopefully knock the clown off of the cycle with a low-hanging branch?

Stamina + Athletics +1(Equipment) to try to get to the trees before the Clown.

That's one action,


The next round would be: Athletics + Dexterity to see if you could time it and duck right before the branch so it hits the clown behind you

Did the white facepaint Shawn stole from the circus make the transition through the Book intact?

Yes. And Bobby is still holding the sheet of paper from the ledger.

Hmmm, my last IC post was #666 for the game.  I think there should be some kind of bonus, LOL.

Ha! Nice!

Anyone else wondering what happens when you put a clown nose on a kid who isn't dead?

I wasn't before, but now I am.  Thank you so very much.  LOL.  But Henri hasn't thought of that and actually has something else in mind for said nose.

That's what I'm here for: good ideas and good decision making!

Ha! The Clown noses are a rare commodity.

Snowball fight linked to Cherrywinks' world is up!

link to another game

Ha! Sorry about that triple post Henri! Ha!

So is Shawn supposed to go home until they come get him to do the job, or is he just supposed to get the Book and return to the car.

Assume that they'll come get him to do the job.

No problem about the triple post, this place has been acting up a bit for me as well.

It's just as good that I was away from the computer all day today since your addition of April having said something about Shawn being behind the problem will completely change my planned action.  but you and Shawn continued well past where I could have made an action.  Crud, now I'm going to have to completely reconsider what to do.  Both from the timing being past and change in information.

Damn. Sorry about that. Bad timing and miscommunication on my part. There's ways out and then there's ways out of the Circus. It will be interesting to see what happens.

On another note, the Winter Snowball fight game will have a number of potential players that the three of you might meet. Of course, there's no gauruntee that they'll survive to this game, but it should be fun to follow if only to look at the possibilities.

Looks like the snowball fight one could be fun.  Hope they all survive whatever you have planned, at least they might have other PCs to interact with.  I'm not expecting them to get to where they might meet up with any of us for at least a month real time though I wish it would be much sooner.  I'm rather tired of solo.

The snowball fight is definitely going to be a blast. As you can probably tell, it won't be the last game that feeds into this world. I don't know when they'll get here, or if even if any of the PCs in that game ever will. I guess it just depends on how it develops. Kind of like midnight roads, whatever happens, happens.

If you are getting tired of this one, that's OK. Let me know if you want to continue or not.

Is it going to continue being solo?

It looks that way for now. I'll stop posting in your thread, give you some time to decide what you want to do.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:08, Wed 28 Dec 2016.

Keep on posting, might as well do something.  But the decision on it being solo was mostly your's.  You could easily come up with something.

Roger that.

I've known kids that I've thought should have their mouths duct taped closed.

This exchange between Shawn, Bobby, and Ralph (sort of) is just cracking me up for some reason.

Shawn's like 'I can't say this is a really stupid idea out loud, but maybe if I'm really nice about it I can fix it anyway.'

Haha. Yeah. It seems like one of those things that probably has happened but could easily end up with something much, much worse.

Eh, what older sibling hasn't tried to literally tie up their younger one, if only to see if they could? I could never get it to work like the movies, so Bobby's got one up on childhood Green Bean.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 01:03, Thu 29 Dec 2016.

Why am I seeing Ralph about to let out a loud scream?  LOL.  Personally I'd say dump both Bobby and Ralph on the circus.  ;-)

Whew! Almost out of it alive Henri, good rolls! And good luck on your choice.

Ugh! Henri. That was close. It was on your specialty roll too.

Oh well, expected to die.

Well, your more than welcome to play in the Snowball fight or any of the other games that will be coming.

Thanks for that.  I'll see if I can come up with a character I feel like putting the work into.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:20, Fri 30 Dec 2016.

Go for it Shawn.  It's just one little murder.  ;-)

It occurs to me I should probably spend those XP I've earned at some point. Are we using Innocents/nWoD xp rules or the flat 2e costs?

Use Innocents Xp Nowd rules

Are CofD merits on the table? I'm looking at the Professional Training merit and one or two ranks seems vaguely plausible.

I think if it's in Shawn's designated profession, yeah. Doesn't that give you 9 agains on acting/expression roles?

The first dot gives me two dots of professional contacts (which I'd probably fluff as being either through Mrs. Worthington or even Shawn's parents), the second gives me 9-again on two profession-related skills. "Actor" isn't one of the sample professions, but I imagine Expression and Subterfuge would be the logical choice. I can afford the first two dots at this point.

Yes! That totally works.

Cool, I'll drop 6xp on dots 1 and 2 of Professional Training (Actor). I don't have sheet editing, so can you change it to reflect that?

Interesting thought - when Crowley said "You drive a hard bargain.", does that count as a compliment for the purposes of Ego Boost?

Yes! Damn my fault. I totally forgot about that

I see I have character sheet editing privileges now; has Professional Training kicked in/may I add it to the sheet?

YEs! Feel free to add. Did that occur? I know my own privileges have been touch and go.

It's weird; I don't have edit permissions for my character sheet, but my character description also has my sheet in it, and I can edit that one just fine. I added it to my character description, though the character sheet doesn't have it.

Something happened to the sheets. Let me consult the technical forum. I think this might have started with the tables.

Would Crowley's explanation (plus Shawn's general experience with the Circus over the course of the game) let me justify buying my first dot of Occult?

Yes. It would.

Oh hey, some new company!

Thank you for having me here on The Shawn Cramer Horror Show. Can't wait to get started!

Hey, I'm still here, and I only had to sell a quarter of my soul. I'm sure you'll be fine too.

To be transparent, I've been following these games for awhile and Shawn's threads are an exciting read. I'm looking forward to how our characters will adapt or even survive the circus. They're nearly polar opposites.

I think Delilah and Shawn might have more in common than they think. I've also been following along, and it seems like they have similarly high-pressure parents?

I gave our ST some bones to flesh out, but possibly.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:59, Mon 10 Apr 2017.

Well, hopefully we can meet up so Shawn can apologize.

Or for Delilah to knock his block off. :)

But not too quickly. That's no fun.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:33, Mon 10 Apr 2017.

OMG. Delilah's mother is insane. I love it!

Happy Easter, Shawn & ST! (If that's your thing.)

Happy Easter!

Plenty of chocolate here, hope the rest of you enjoyed it too!

I'm a bit cheap, so I'll buy candy tomorrow. :)

I had a quiet day. I helped set up an egg hunt. Spent most of the day on Skype with my family and friends. Reshelved some books. Knit a sweater sleeve. It was a good day.

Head's up, ST: I'm going to be on the road from May 3rd to the 29th. Limited internet. Sorry for the trouble.

Isn't this the cutest? I could just eat it up!

Ahh, so cute!

Everything okay on Delilah's end? I haven't seen much activity recently...

I'm alright. ST might be holding off on D's new threads because I'm about to check out for (possibly) a month without electricity/internet.

Oink Oink!*


*Thanks for asking.

Hey thanks for letting me know. By the way, I just want to say that I'm having a lot of fun and I really appreciate you guys posting thoughtfully the way you do.

Haha, thanks to Ego Boost I now get +1 to future posting rolls!

Aww ST, you're making me blush. You and Shawn are making fantastic stories. I'm just glad to be a part of it.

I'm caught up in Shawn's latest threads. You're playing out this chameleon and simply cannot hate him. It's exciting!

Each time I peek in, it gets worse for Shawn. Hang in there!

I know he's signing over his immortal soul and whatever, but what really hurts is his movie not doing well. That's the real tragedy here.

If he sells too much soul too soon, he won't have any left over for Hollywood. I guess all he has to look forward to now are the arcane arts of the fallen world and Celebrity Rehab.

Hopefully he can take part in the Hollywood tradition of failing upward.

What if the three days of carousing with virgins turns creepy? Like, what if the virgins all look like the kids Shawn betrayed? Or if they have Cherrywinks' voice?

Shawn thinks maybe virgins have something to do with olive oil, so whatever happens isn't going to be what he expects.

Afterwards, Mom's pasta held no appeal for Shawn.

Wow, Hollywood's standards are pretty high if those are the consequences for a middle of the road movie.

Just to clarify; for the Parlor Trick, does the target NPC have to be present?

Oh right, yes. The NPC has to be present...for now....

Hello, boys! Just flew in and boy are my arms tired!

Really, just landed. Give me a bit to catch up on sleep and threads and I'll be back in the fight. Game. One or the other.

Awesome, glad to have you back! Looking forward to Delilah's further adventures!

In reply to Shawn Cramer (msg # 160):

First, she has to meet a literate spider. Then it's off to the big city for some fun before driving the humans off the farm and setting up a corrupt government.

See, my reference was going to be crash landing on an island and trying to preserve civilization with nothing more than seashells and a pair of glasses.

Sucks to your reference!

Oh but not really. You're too much fun.

Oh sweet! Glad to have you back! Now that you are back, I will bump your thread. I will also begin to design the next 'Chapter' game in the Cherrywinks universe. Your characters will have the option to participate or not, depending on what you choose. The name of the game is 'Childish Superstitions.' any survivors will join this game.

In reply to Storyteller (msg # 164):

Yay! Can you bump/show the thread Delilah: Running Wild? We've already come to the end of It Happens Every Night and Running Free.

ST: It's summer now? I've been a pig on the street that long? :(

Assume your character doesn't know how long she has been in the hospital, other than the statements that the family and doctors have told her.

In reply to Storyteller (msg # 167):

Got it!

Random question, since I worry this might come up soon: does Striking Looks apply to either of the Parlour Trick rolls?

Wow, good point. I hadn't thought of that. Yes it does.

Pig-napping in progress! Help! Amber Alert!

Sorry for yesterday. I thought I'd hit Post, but it was Preview.

Ha! I did that the day before!

Despite all Delilah's rage, she's still just a pig in a cage. *guitar wail*

In reply to Shawn Cramer (msg # 174):

I needed that laugh today. Thanks, man.

ST: accidentally sent my reply to some npc/pm. I'm on my phone and I'll fix it later.

Also, is this the same dog from the fountain? Nevermind. I can see its avatar pic now.

Shawn: Stolen dog? Ooooh! Busted!
This message was last edited by the player at 20:50, Fri 09 June 2017.

I'm sure it's just a hilarious coincidence!

In reply to Shawn Cramer (msg # 177):

It's ok, Shawn. The Bible told your dad not to covet your neighbor's ass. Your neighbor's dog is fair game.

This seems so familiar...

I'm back. Sorry for dipping out a couple days. Work was hectic.

Yes! Remember this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQE3jWYuGiw

Yes!

Mark: Delilah, don't do the thing!

Delilah: I'M DOING THE THING!

Is that what's happening? I tragically don't speak pig.

I think that meme's a fair summary of most Delilah threads. But for my latest post, this exactly. ;)

I think after a thread closes, all of the PM lines are revealed. Might be when a thread's been archived. Or you can get one of your circus pals to teach you pig latin.

I'm trying to do Hogwash a favour, maybe he'll teach me?

I have no idea if my movie reference was too obscure or too thuddingly obvious, but it seemed somewhat appropriate given the setting.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:05, Wed 21 June 2017.

Yeah. I think thats about right. Anything near the 80s is good.

And by that. I meant that its common still in the 80s for kids to know or see black and white movies. I'm not sure its as understood or watched as today. Like all the Christmas movies.

I dunno if it's more or less common now, especially given that you can just pull up The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari on Youtube to watch for free whenever you want, as opposed to the 80s where you'd have to specifically seek out a screening. But the way I figure, if you're going to find a movie buff who wants to force everyone to watch an important movie anywhere, you'll find him in Hollywood.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:50, Wed 21 June 2017.

Yeah that's true. You can watch all the James Cagney movies online too. Real old movies.

Still here! Had a nasty, tropical storm pass through. It was hard to post.

Yes! Yesterday was a tough one for me. Let's continue!

Today, Shawn unintentionally began a sequence of events that over the next decade will eventually cause the existence of Con Air.

In reply to Shawn Cramer (msg # 193):

HA! Looks like I have some fun reading ahead.

My summer vacation starts today! ^_^  More time for gaming! Right after catching up, partying, camping out and sleeping in...

Seriously, this month should be restful and I think I'll have a stronger grip on my posting schedule.

You and me both. Took some time out to update the NPC list, time to get back to it!

Hey Delilah, haven't heard from you in a while. Is everything okay?

Yes, you alright?

Hey, guys. I had a death in the family while on vacation. Sorry for the disappearance. Things are calmer now.

I really sorry to hear that, but glad to hear you're in a slightly better place. It's good to have you back.

Thanks. Catching up on some reading. Shawn has been a busy bee.

He's having a bit of a rough time at the moment. Hopefully the terrible things he's planning on doing work out for him!

Cutting magical deals with warring factions and keeping his footing on an ever shifting web of lies. What could go wrong?

Sorry to hear about that. It's good to have you back!

That was literally the luckiest roll I have ever made. And naturally it was on a dice roll where I only need one success. :P

Ha! Nice

Alas, back to the more normal end of the bell curve. But hey, as long as I'm succeeding, right?

Relatedly, did Griffix explain how the parlour trick is supposed to work? Is the effect on the audience a temporary thing or do the effects linger? Does repeated exposure stack, or is there a 'cap'? Or is this something Shawn is expected to discover for himself?

Still here. Work hours have been crazy, but I have Thursday off.

This is a real indictment of the LA school system!

Huh, I just noticed that Persuasion wasn't actually a Skill on the template sheet we used for this game. Should I use a different Skill, or just assume my score is 0?

Ha! You know what? That's a mistake in the book! On page 27 it says Fast Talk (Manipulation + Persuasion + equipment versus Composure + Empathy or Subterfuge, contested action).

But on page 72 is says Fast-Talk Dice Pool: Manipulation + Socialize + equipment (talker) versus Composure + (Empathy or Subterfuge) (target)

Let's go with Fast-Talk Dice Pool: Manipulation + Socialize since Persuasion doesn't exist in the game

Whew, I'm glad that worked, because that was my last WP.

Actually, on further thought, has any of Shawn's actions counted as particularly Creative or Dishonest for the purposes of Willpower recovery? I feel like he still might need it going ahead.

Good call. Let me take a look.

Should I include Striking Looks?

Yes, definitely.

A couple of things

1) Delilah, if you are out there, you can come back and post at any time

2) The next experience distribution will be done once the Soul Contest is over

3) I am still in the process of building the next 'Cherrywinks Universe' game which will feed into this one.

2 and 3 are very ominous!

Hey, guys. I apologize for pussing out and ghosting on the game. I love it here. I haven't lost the taste for it. If I can really be back, then I'm all in.

Yes! You're back! Come on in!

Yay! Huzzah!

Just saw a trailer for the movie <I>Winchester<I>. It doesn't look to good, but I'm still interested. I've been to the Winchester Mansion a few times. Good times.

Oh no, empathy rolls! My one weakness!

I just started watching Stranger Things. Everyone told me to watch it, but I kept putting it off.

Really!? I still haven't seen it!

I'm digging it. It's like The X-Files plus E.T. plus The Sandlot. Eh, that's probably not right, but I don't want to spoil anything. I like the parts when the kids talk over each other.

I keep meaning to watch Stranger Things; it seems to be made up almost entirely of things I really like.

In reply to Shawn Cramer (msg # 224):

So far, I've seen two episodes. I'm going to watch the third on Saturday.

Hey! Look at Shawn with his fancy brain thinking and self-preservation instincts! ;)

He's not a smart kid, but he's not dumb enough to walk into knife range! And who knows, if I make it out alive, I've still got my big stash of shiny things and acorns, so maybe I can get friendly with Hogwash!

Oh no! I posted a GIF too soon! The hate isn't flowing through Shawn in a sufficient amount!
This message was last edited by the player at 02:25, Mon 06 Nov 2017.

My character hates your character, but I'm actually crying along with Gaggles and Shawn.

He’s not having a good day. Or week. Or month. Honestly, this Circus thing has thrown off the curve of his entire life up to this point.

No matter what Hogwash has cooked up for punishment, I think Delilah's going to die of shame first.

If only drugs hadn't been compared to breakfast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk9XY8Nrs0A

Between the hand shaped doorknob and the Alucard eyes, the whispers in the dark make me think of Labryinth. The part where Sarah was held up by the helping hands.

Happy (American) Thanksgiving, you two!

Oh yeah, isn't that coming up in the US? They're trying to make Black Friday a thing up here, with some success.

It's today, but I haven't got anything festive going on. I'm away from home on a trip. I'm in a motel with pizza I bought yesterday and a couple of single serving cherry pies from a gas station. I'll skype with my family later. Other than that, it's just a long weekend for me! :)

I'm out of cranberry juice and I have a taste for some, but I feel guilty about shopping today. If people stayed home this Thursday and Friday, then shops would close. I might just walk down to the gas station and pick up a bottle.

I don't get Black Friday at all. Even decades ago, I never wanted to go out and shop right after Thanksgiving. Friday is the day you set the house to rights after having so many relatives over. You pick up a game of basketball or street hockey before all the relatives leave. Get some exercise in after sitting around for a huge meal.

Honestly, it almost makes more sense here. We’ve had our Thanksgiving over a month ago, so why not have a bunch of “Christmas season is starting” sales? But it’s gotta suck for the American retail workers who don’t get to enjoy Thanksgiving because of it.

It does suck. I don't work retail, but I have family and friends who do. We rarely get to enjoy holidays together. Could be worse. They could be trapped in Hogwash's sweatshop. Or even an actual sweatshop.

Hey, at least you’re free now, with no horrible costs or consequences involved!

Nothing ominous about silent, disembodied handshakes at all. :D

I predict smooth sailing from here on in.

Me too, and I’ve exercised excellent judgement up to this point, so you know I’m right!

Just finished watching Stranger Things 2 with my family. They hadn't seen the final episode, either. They were all waiting for me to catch up and for us to all have time off. Most of us are in the US, but spread out across the country. So we all logged in together, had dinner and chatted for about an hour. Then we all watched the final episode together. Give or take about 30 seconds off. Then we shared titles of books to read and pictures. No street hockey this year, but still a good time.

Damn. I really have to watch that show. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Street hockey sounds great. I've only played ice. But I think I've heard that its popular her among kids to play hockey in the street.

I used to play street hockey with the neighbor kids and parents every Saturday, though that sadly  stopped when we moved to a busier street. Still get nostalgic about doing that for an hour or so then going inside for pancakes.

Used to go to my gran's for holiday dinners. She lives in a cul-de-sac, so it's pretty safe to play. Whenever we get together for big dinners, we play street hockey or basketball after. Losers do dishes. No sports after my dinner yesterday. Should have at least gone for a walk. I feel like a slug. :p

We were technically on a through street, but it was one of those residential loops where there’s no reason to drive on it unless you actually live there. We didn’t really keep score, mostly because us kids were all under 8, and we had to fill out the teams with parents, so all it would’ve measured was which set of grownups wanted to win more.

Sounds like a nice street.

It used to get like that with the grownups all competitive. But my family's getting older now. Still a good time.

Hey, Bradford’s moving up in the world! Or his dummy is, at least.

Hopefully, he's attached to Mr. Clayton this time.

Shawn should stay awhile and chat. Delilah left a spare collar for him, so he can get cozy. :)

You’re just jealous you’re not as fabulous as Shawn is.

Pig snouts are going to be all the rage. And think of all the roles you'll have to pass up: Babe, Charlotte's Web reboot, Babe 2...

Hey now, Siskel and Ebert thought Babe: Pig in the City was a criminally underrated masterpiece!

See? That could have been you instead of some unknown pig.

Well, it was a 1998 film, so there’s still time! Let’s just see how this negotiation goes.

I'm sure it will be a walk in the park. Hogwash is a gentleman of impeccable taste and refinement.

Well, if he is, then how could he not love Shawn!

That explains to die roll. 5 successes!

Shawn is scared, tired, and morally compromised, but he knows how to bat his eyelashes and be charming, dammit! It is possibly literally his most positive feature.

I didn't have room for charming on my sheet. Ran out of dots. :)
o! The folly of youth!

You make up for it be being hardcore as h e double hockey sticks!

Eh, mostly recklessness and lucky rolls. :)

Aha! Just like I said. He's even got a red carpet for you.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:59, Thu 30 Nov 2017.

Shawn lives in Hollywood - it's not the first time he's been in a situation where someone's sat down in an office and negotiated for the souls of children.

You're likely a better agent than your mother now.

I dunno...maybe not now that I somehow got her off the drink?

Do you still get credit for getting your mom off the bottle when you were the one who put her on it?

I feel like I do, yes!

Shawn Cramer: Problem Solver!

I told a friend about this game and she showed me this clip from Kitchen Nightmares with an eerie, green holographic clown portrait.

https://youtu.be/ynfLz3D55QU?t=10m22s From 10:22 to 10:43

What do you think, Shawn? How about one for your birthday? https://www.etsy.com/listing/3...=shop_items_search_1

Nah, if Shawn wants to see a horrifying nightmare clown, he just has to close his eyes!

Oh, good. I was getting worried, ST. Glad to see you're still kicking. Are you alright?

Cursed Eye! Alright!

Yes. I try to post at least once a day. Sometimes it gets away from me. But not often!

Darn those Empathy rolls! *shakes fist*

Interesting question Hogwash’s phrasing brought up - have the souls been signed over to the Order, to Shawn personally?

It's like Shawn got a gift card to Crowley's Artifact Shop.

Shawn starts a new faction, teams up with the Bearded Woman and Delilah to conquer the Circus!

A vote for Shawn is a vote for freedom*!

Soul crack for every pipe and two eyes for every face!

*_{Freedoms to be determined by the new circus proprietor. Freedoms may be freely exchanged for soul crack, eyes, and eternal servitude. All hail Shawn Cramer, Circus Proprietor 198X.}

Just teasing you. If your silver tongue can manage to get you this far, then you can quell Delilah's hatred. Or at least get her on your side for long enough to make good on your escape. :)
This message was last edited by the player at 20:09, Tue 12 Dec 2017.

To Shawn personally!

Looks like Delilah's had a bit of an upheaval. Looking forward to figuring things out with her.

Couple of questions, ST: Is it day or early evening? And how hot is it? I think anything over a balmy day feels hot to Delilah, but I'm just trying to get a grip on the scene.

Right now it is day time in the scene. It is about  76°F (25 °C)

Gotcha. Thanks. ;)

You can do it, Shawn! Confession is good for the soul. And since you only have about half a soul (or less?), you should only have to confess twice as much. :)

Hey, it's three quarters at least! Maybe more, if it's something that grows back eventually.

In reply to Shawn Cramer (msg # 284):

If souls are like starfish, then you could have an abundance in no time.

You mention a team up with the bearded lady and Delilah. What would you want to do? One idea I had was masking a tv show like Star Search. Then people would show up and beg to have their souls given away.

I'm out right now, but I can find a good link at home.

Shh, spoilers for one of my desperation plans!

Aha! I'm on to you!

Got a couple.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jMdxd4NS-Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyRf2RnSnns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4lA-Kp-VMQ
This message was last edited by the player at 01:47, Fri 15 Dec 2017.

Hmm, I kinda figure that taking all those souls qualifies for at least a 2 Morality hit, but I'm wavering. Any thoughts, Delilah?

I'm not sure how to quantify it, but if Shawn took the souls for his own personal benefit, then yeah. I haven't read your latest post though. Might change my mind.

Ok just read it. It's your call. How fast do you want to hit the bottom?;)
This message was last edited by the player at 01:02, Mon 18 Dec 2017.

I mean, Shawn did it to keep the Order happy, because if he doesn't he gets murdered by clowns. In that sense it's a personal benefit, but I don't know if I'd call it that in a conventional sense. Though it would probably mess up his psyche pretty bad...

I'd go with Option B, but I'm a glutton for punishment.

You know what? I'm going to take the Morality hit, because now Shawn knows exactly how low he's willing to go, and he's a good enough liar that he can convince himself he was justified!

Yeah boi! Get that character development!

Just looked up Boglins. That was a memory I could have done without. XD

Can I bank my XP for later? Or buy new card tricks?

Yes. You can do both. I have a list of Order abilities that I will post and you can decide then.

Darn you, Shawn! Because of you and the circus, Delilah is wealthy beyond her dreams and living in a California Beach Barbie Dream Mansion, but her soul is to weary to enjoy it. Boo!

Trust me, you'll learn how to ignore that sensation pretty quickly!

Perhaps a night of sleeping on my moneybag pillow will help.

This leprechaun just tried to burn me! You better watch it, buddy! There's still room on my shit list!

Maybe I can subcontract that one to Bradford.

You're just delaying the inevitable, Shawn. :P

Our inevitable friendship, you mean.

In reply to Shawn Cramer (msg # 303):

The kind of friendship where you give the skin off your back, right?

I need that skin for work!

Surely, not all of it. I mean, what kind of movie is your mother considering?

Hey, sometimes there’s a swimming scene! Maybe you could take something nonessential, like a spleen or a kidney?

What if I get a spleen and a kidney?

As long as you don't leave visible scarring!
This message was lightly edited by the player at 12:49, Fri 22 Dec 2017.

Merry Christmas, all!

PS: Heard The Krampus was heading your way, Shawn. :)

I’m sure he’s just looking to swap tips. Merry Christmas!

Thanks for posting so much today, ST.

Yeah, I don’t know if it was your intention, but it’s an awesome Christmas gift!

Hey thanks guys! I just want to say that I really appreciate you guys playing how you do and as consistent as you do. I am really having a great time.

Aww shucks, ST. :)

Got clued in to a spooky little Netflix movie, Dig Two Graves. Gypsy moonshiners, crooked cops, revenge, blood sacrifice, little kids, creepy magic dude with a hat. I think the both of you will enjoy it.

Happy New Year! I hope you two are having a great start.



Here's to another year of soul shenanigans with Shawn and our future victims. ^_^

Happy New Year! This one is gonna be great. I can feel it.

Sorry! I thought I hit post, but it was only preview.

The dice roller loves me again! I'm a rockstar!

Poor Junior. You even gave him the best Joe, Shawn, but he's so damaged and sad.

Hey! 4000 posts! Good job, Shawn and ST.

Sorry! Did it again with post preview. Posts coming right up.

Oh no, Shawn! Not again! :C
This message was last edited by the player at 11:23, Sun 14 Jan 2018.

Whatever do you mean, this all seems like a legitimate circumstance to be speaking to a completely ordinary ice cream truck driver!

I keep trying to launch the next sub-game. But everyone's choices are keeping me on my toes! Stay tuned for that.

Ooh! Looking forward to it. And all of the new corpses friends Shawn will make. :)

Hahaah!

Hey, statistically, I think Shawn is 50/50 on friends surviving! It really depends on your definition of 'friend' and also death.

It's alright, Shawn. I'm thoroughly enjoying what terrible people our characters are growing up to be.

Some day, Shawn will come up with a big enough lie to make it all okay!

Reading your latest posts. Poor Mr. Cherrywinks. You even killed his best friend. Who's really the monster here?

I mean, I'd argue it's the murderous demon corpse clown, but then we haven't seen what Shawn's gonna wind up doing next.

I'm stuck at home this morning. Freak snowstorm hit last night. The roads are closed today until clearing crews come around. Probably another 3 or 4 hours.

Okay, posts coming up!

I'm so tired today. Monday was a holiday and Tuesday was a snow day, so my boss figures he can call us in an hour early, have us go home an hour late and get three days worth of work out of our crew. :P

Hopefully now I haven't killed Delilah in the pirate fantasy before being such an ungracious host to Junior. Not that I don't trust you to iron out the timeline, ST. But I'm sure I'll have lots of opportunity to fling her headlong into death. ^_^

Oh don't worry. We'll iron things out.... I have added some new threads before tying off the current ones. This is meant to move the plot along slowly. Feel free to post at your leisure.

Oh no, Shawn! You have to escape from Cherrywinks and let me murder you! ;)

j/k Not going to murder you. Today.

Delilah has caused the resurgence of Gaslighting Shawn! One of the most terrible Shawn forms!

Shawn Cramer uses Confusion!

It's Super Effective!

So does that make Delilah a Fighting type or a Poison type?

Hey, I’m the one with crocodile tears around here!

Ha-rumph! How dare you, Sir? The nerve! The cheek!

Poison Type. Delilah talks a big, but she can't fight. Can't afford that kind of risk to her hands or feet.

We are not a terribly violent pair, it seems! Well, at least in a fighty sense.

Nope. So please don't double-cross and kill off the new kids too quickly. We need all the help we can get. And I'll promise not to grind their self-esteem into paste. At least, not before Cherrywinks is dead.

Ooof, you're gonna love the incredibly stupid thing Shawn tries next!

Please don't put Cherrywink's nose on yourself!

Well played, Shawn. Sorry that I haven't been consistent with Delilah's anxiety and how it relates to numbers. But thanks for using it. I'll be more mindful of it from here on out.

Oh wow, I genuinely didn’t know Delilah had numbers anxiety! It just seemed like a plausible way that Shawn would try to play off Delilah’s reaction.

Oh Shit! Don't die, Shawn! I'm serious this time! :c

Don't drink the KoolAid, Shawn.

I'm sure it's perfectly fine! Junior seemed none the worse for wear, after all.

Shoot! Another Empathy roll! *shakes fist*

Can I spend Willpower on this?

Yes. Yes you may!

I'm excited! I rarely get these kinds of rolls.

Working odd hours today, but I get lunch soon. Have some posts then.

Roger that!

Happy Valentine's Day, Shawn!

Happy Valentine's Day, ST!

Happy Valentine's Day, Otherwordly Horrors!

And Happy Valentine's Day to you, Poor Life Decisions! It's been awhile. <3
This message was last edited by the player at 23:41, Wed 14 Feb 2018.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy belated Valentines Day!

I've got a long day today, but I have a four day weekend after, so I will be around.

Man, I really love Delilah; it’s like watching the anti-Shawn.

Aww, thanks! I have to say that she is fun to write. Very cathartic.

But I love reading your posts, Shawn. They are emotional stingers. I'm nearly holding my breath waiting for his smile to falter.

It’s fun to read - she’s a jerk but super lovable! But I feel like Shawn’s gonna break before his smile does.

Shawn should keep Feddler under his bed and bring him out for wacky adventures. Lots of great 80s movies lead me to think that's the perfect solution.

It wouldn’t be the worst person Shawn’s teamed up with! But you better not be too mean to Michael if Shawn’s around; he’s weirdly fond of his mildly murderous friend.

You'll have to narrow it down for me, Shawn. You have so many murderous friends. :D
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 23:26, Sat 17 Feb 2018.

The one you’re thinking rather uncharitable thoughts about! Not the other, less sympathetic murderers.

Uncharitable, indeed! Why, I'm a fount of generosity. I never hold back.

Side Note: If Delilah and Shawn were somehow fused into one person, would they be a model citizen, an infernal menace, or the start of a black hole into which our planet would collapse?

I’m picturing Delilah’s drive and casual cruelty combined with Shawn’s manipulativeness and pathological need to be liked, and can’t help but see a terrifyingly functional monster that does more damage to society than the Circus ever could.

Or I guess Delilah’s self confidence combined with Shawn’s empathy would make for a well rounded, functional person with a successful career and healthy relationships, but that sounds boring.

Delilah listening to Bradford's oath:

Geez, Shawn. I was just about to feel bad for you and the horrible acting lessons at dinner, but then-- FEDDLER SMOKE!

Your threads are such a rollercoaster. Will it be the real you that acts out at the table? Will it be Feddler? I'm on edge.

Weather is really bad and my power is dodgy. I probably won't post until I know I can charge my phone. Maybe 12 hours?

Really busy day today. I'll have a break for a post in about 5 hours.

Posting will be slow for me this weekend. I've got to work late tonight, then I've got a long drive and I've got a marathon and a drive back. I think I can get some posts in around lunchtime today.

I have no power! So we're gonna do this posting thing at McDonald's

Hope your electricity comes back soon, ST. My legs feel like jello. I'll be back when I wake up.

I'm awake again. I thought I'd sleep for a week.

How's your electricity, ST?

Not good. The power is on, but the Verizon line is cut by a tree. So that's why I missed yesterday. So, sorry about that. Thanks for your patience until I got it fixed!

Not good. The power is on, but the Verizon line is cut by a tree. So that's why I missed yesterday. So, sorry about that. Thanks for your patience until I got it fixed!

No worries. These things happen.

Ouch! Stay safe, my friend!

ST is back and Shawn is posting. Time for me to get back in the saddle and be an evil little shit. :)

Hey, I think we established that Shawn is the evil one, Delilah is the mean one!

Ha!! 'Evil little shit!' It sounds just like something a parent or neighbor that hates kids would say.

I'll be back about 3 hours from now to post.

Long day! Posts after dinner.

Yes! I finally got my internet back! Back to regular posting!

Yay!

More posting and a secret acknowledgement that Bradford thinks Shawn's okay? It's like Christmas!

Whaaat? Not on my watch!

Clearly, Bradford is wrestling with a bout of suicidal depression.

Having some computer troubles and my phone battery is low. Posts soon.

Sorry for the short post. I thought I pushed post, but it was only preview. This morning, I could not remember much else about what I'd meant to post.

And here I was wondering why the site was green today.

yay!

Hey, ST. Did you want Shawn and Delilah to keep going in the Target thread? It's locked.

HA! Ha! Really? Gotta unlock that! Geez! Sorry

Ok. Done!

No worries. :)

We are getting close here gang. In about a day or two, the dream threads will continue here, the 'meat' of the this game as it were, will be temporarily transferred to Chronicle of Darkness Mortals: Childish Pranks. Applications for PC characters will be requested. Survivors will be invited to this game or to return to it.
 Yay!

eek! Excited and frightened!

Hoo boy, let's hope we survive!

Slow posting this weekend. I've got very odd hours today and I'm pretty tired.

OK. The Childish Pranks game is now on the 'Wanted- Players' forum for advertisement. This new Chronicle will feed into this Innocents game, and will focus on the changes in the neighborhood during the end of the summer as well as.....you guessed it

Pranks.

Feel free to request access at your leisure. I have your character sheets transferred over as NPCs at the moment. Let's see how this goes!