...Later that afternoon

"You took the name off." Ralph said. "But I don't-ed like-ed being here." He complained.

"I want you to read me a story."

Shawn was still a little tired and off-balance from seeing Gramps like that. He sighed and looked over at Ralph - at least reading a story was easy, right? "What kind of story?"

"Ummm...the kind the Master Maker reads. You know? Has read the story of the Devil puppet. But I you read like he does. To make it scary. To have." Ralph looked expectant.

"The Master Maker lot of stories." He put one finger up his nose, digging for something. Pulling it out, he seemed satisfied with what he found on the tip of his finger, before he put the finger in his mouth.

"Because been round forever. Having old."

Shawn gave Ralph a somewhat uncomfortable look. "I thought the Master Maker wasn't around when you were there?"

Ralph shuffled his hands together and began to pick at his pajama buttons. "He isn't. But he want to do. So he come and talk to me when I having the...the..the..the...the..the...the..thing that you do when you got to go to bed and it isn't a good thing your head but isn't real on life. That's when...when..when.." he cleared his throat and started again, struggling slightly.

"That's when he talk and tell the scary stories. Things he made. Because he's a Master of making things. Things...things...things...things...things...things...things..things...that for the Circus people and the people who pay to go into Circus."

"Why do you want to be scared, Ralph?" Shawn had been kind of hoping he could just read a chapter or two of Superfudge or something. "I don't know many scary stories anyway."

"Yeah maybe not." Ralph reconsidered. "I think since put on the clown face paint. It made have things upside down and inside out. Sometimes I want what I didn't. Like Opposite Day." He explained.

"You put on face paint, and it made you think differently?" Shawn tried to figure out the meaning of what Ralph was saying - it made him feel a little more uncomfortable about the greasepaint he'd stolen from the Master Maker's house and hidden in the closet.

Ralph shrugged. It wasn't a gesture to show he didn't care, but more of something that demonstrated how he had grown accustomed to such things.

"I seen worse." he explained. "In pet store, I write letters to boy name Ron, but he don't save me and never right back. So when I made deal with Cherrywinks, I go to Master Maker House and help set up his stuff. Cherrywinks and Gaggles make me put on paint to see if it works. I do it again and...and...and...and..and..and...and...and...and...and...again." He finished, stammering.

"And it do something. Not just think different. Am different." he concluded with a haunting tone.

Shawn instinctively gave Ralph a hug - he hadn't realised just how the Circus had damaged him. "Would you like me to read you a happy story, maybe?"

Ralph was taken aback by the hug initially. Then he embraced Shawn, holding him tight for a brief moment.

"Yes." he said simply, and Shawn noticed that Ralph's hands had stopped fidgeting.

Shawn goes looking for his copy of Superfudge. He'd outgrown it, but Ralph probably hadn't. Maybe it'd make Shawn feel better too.

Shawn found the book and sat down with Ralph.

OOC: Shawn Rolls Socialize + Expression with the following results

0 Successes: The story doesn't go well, Ralph won't be quiet and wakes up Mom and Dad

1-3 Successes: The Story goes well, Ralph and Shawn bond a little, and Ralph tells Shawn something about the Circus Shawn Doesn't know

4+ Successes: Ralph tells Shawn a secret that is very important to Ralph. He tries to get Shawn to promise not to tell anyone.

OOC: 23:18, Today: Shawn Cramer failed (no successes) using 4d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling on 9 or more with rolls of 1,5,2,6. Socialize + Expression.

Unless Striking Looks adds to this roll?

OOC: Shawn Uses Striking looks for this roll. Shawn Rolls again.