Shawn pushed himself into the window, coming out the other side and into The Master Maker's Tent. All around him, the smell of spices and incense was both sweet and musky. The red, worn carpet was stuck in places, matted areas of fabric gathering up in places.

Shawn was able to dust himself off and get to one knee. As he rose his head, he saw Bobby running over towards the corner, white table. The scroll in full view.

Shawn, not wanting to stay any longer than he had to, made a beeline for the list and started looking.

The parchment was crisp and rugged. The etched writing and ink felt grooved under Shawn's thumb as he followed the ledger both down and across, looking for any names in the margins. Finally, he found it. Scribbled alongside what margin with an arrow pointing to a box he saw the name "Ralph Mason." There were no other Ralph's on the list.

As if Shawn had called his name, there was suddenly a loud crash behind him. It was in fact, Ralph. He had crawled through the window, falling rudely into The Master Maker's Tent.

"Rubba sucky!" He shouted with panic. "WHERE IS IT!!?" His eyes glanced around. The inside voice, it would seem, was completely forgotten in these new surroundings.

Shawn was just about to look for a quill to scratch out the name when Ralph appeared. "Ralph! Inside voice!" He was whisper-yelling with all his might.

"Oh brother...." Bobby said, and walked over to Ralph.

"Quiet down." Bobby whispered harshly. "You'll alert the Clowns. We're trying to be undercover."

"But...But...But...But..But...But..But...But...But....to have the Rubba Sucky."
Ralph countered, eyes already scanning the room for his long lost blanky

Shawn tried to scratch out the name first - that was the priority right now, then they could worry about the blanket.

A few seconds later, the name was scratched out. It was completely gone, looking more like an ink blotch than the cursive, illustrative handwriting that it once was.

"Shut up, or I'll shut you up." Bobby said in a low growl to Ralph. It sounded like the kind of thing an adult would say. Maybe some adult might have said that to Bobby or Bobby overheard it one time.

Shawn made sure the ledger and pen were back exactly where he'd found them. Then he marched over to Bobby and Ralph. "Where did you last see your blanket? Tell me, and then get back home. I promise I'll try to find it."

"It was right here!" Ralph said looking around.

"He must have taken it. Crowley NoggenFogger! He take everything that's lost!"

"Who's that?"

"He in Pawn Shop in Sideshow Alley. He trade anything and if he find stuff he keep it for have. Even secrets if he wants to trade them. He hold onto them so no one knows. I bet he know where my rubba sucky is."

"Ralph, no one can know we were here - we can't talk to anyone." Shawn tried to sound reassuring and adult-like. "If it's not here, that's it. We'll have to get you a new one, okay?"

"No! No! No!" Ralph shouted.

"I need it! I need my Rubba sucky! It be only thing for the rub and sleep for that to keep me calm!" he started to panic, eyes growing wide with the possibility that he might not get it.

"Ralph, you're a big boy, aren't you? You can stay calm yourself, can't you?" Shawn tried to sound as 'cool older kid' as possible.  Weren't adults always warning him about peer pressure? Maybe it could work in his favour just this once.

21:46, Today: Bobby rolled Manipulation + Subterfuge 1 success using 2d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((8,1)).

Then Bobby chimed in. "Ralph, I already know where it is. I saw it last time you were here. You're right that Foggennog-thing has it. We just need to go see him. I promise."

"But the thing is. He isn't here. He's out for a while. Shawn and I went to go get your rubba blanky the other day and we saw the Fog-nog guy's tent. He was out. The sign said he'd be back on Friday. Today is Wednesday. That means you only have to hold out for what? Two days. Not even. You can do that can't you Ralph."

"We'll find it Ralph. OK? If you can hold out and be quiet, we'll also make you an official G.I. Joe, just like us. Right Shawn?"

Shawn immediately started playing along. "I don't know, Bobby. Only big kids are supposed to be official Joes. But I guess if Ralph can hold on until Friday, that'd prove he was tough enough..."

"Wait!" Ralph panicked. "I want be a Joe and get rubba sucky...to..to..to..to..to..to..to..to..to..have."

"Well, if you want that Ralph, you're gonna have to act like a Joe and get up, dust yourself off and walk back to the House. If you do that, then we'll get the Rubba-thing by.." He thought for a second.

"What did we say?" He said looking at Shawn unsure.

"Friday!" Ralph said, filling in the blank.

"Exactly!" Shawn picked up the Book to send Ralph and Bobby home. Before Shawn left, he wanted to do a quick once-over of the Master Maker's house, just in case Ralph really had dropped his blanket here.

Shawn had to pull the Book's leathery tongue away from Ralph, as it started to wrap itself around wraps ankle, Ralph slapping it away.

Opening the Book, Shawn took a long look around the Master Maker's tent, scouring every corner and noticing the strong smell of burning incense and the stronger sense that everything in the tent was just waiting.

However one thing that wasn't there as Shawn exited, was Ralph's blanket.


OOC: Shawn Joins thread:

Shawn: The Calling and the 'Roger' Job