The bicycle wheel spun with the furry of escape. Over hills and passed cars that were parked or passing on the other side of the road. Through cut-passes, trails and short-cuts that would bring them closer to home.

It was only after the a good dozen minutes that both boys, through exhaustion, managed to slow down to an eventual stop.

That's when Shawn looked over his shoulder and saw that Ralph was crying.

"It's....scary." Ralph cried, tears flowing down from his face. "To..to..to..to..to have to be all alone with the..the..the..the..the..the..the..the..C..C..Ci...Circus....just us."

Shawn turned his bike around and rode up to Ralph before putting his arm around his shoulder. "It's okay Ralph, we still have each other. We can count on each other, okay?" He squeezed him into a hug, trying with all his might not to break into tears of his own. It took him a few moments to remember, oh yeah, this was what he'd asked for. He rummaged around in his pocket and pulled out one of the crystal vials and tried to catch the tears.

"Bu..." Ralph muttered.

The tears flowed down Ralph's cheeks and into the vial. Ralph gave Shawn a confused look. At first, it was a wounded look, like he thought Shawn was being insensitive. Then, it was an understanding look. Then it became a resigned look. Somewhere throughout the ordeal, it seemed to settle in between those feelings.

It was a small vial, which was good, because by the time Ralph stopped crying--which was a while--the vial was full.

Shawn stoppered up the bottle and put it back in his pocket, but he kept hugging Ralph until he was sure the younger boy had stopped crying. "I'm sorry Ralph. I wish there'd been another way..."

"Is..." Ralph stuttered, wiping his eyes. "Is it always...always...always...going to be that way?" Ralph asked, somewhat afraid. But more than that. It was a feeling of violation. The sound of somewhat whose shame and pain was being used. Used for a purpose, for sure, but used nonetheless.

"Do..does it...will it?...does it have to happen again if I cry?"

"I don't know..." Shawn didn't know what the future held - for all he knew all of Griffix's tricks required the tears of children. He felt awful, awful that there was a part of him pragmatic enough to look at a crying child and see an opportunity, but more than that, he felt awful that he knew he'd be listening to that part of himself again. "We just have to keep surviving. That's what counts. That's all we can do."

"It's...*sniff*...what counts." Ralph nodded, face taking on a wide-mouthed grimace that looked like he might cry again. But he didn't.

Instead he got up and stood up straight, looking over Shawn's shoulder.

"Well, well, well." Erik said, sitting idly on his bicycle. He was wearing an AC/DC shirt, with the sleeves cut off at the shoulder. His hair was spiked rigidly with hair-spray.

He held up one hand as if to object to an action that Shawn or Ralph might take.

"Don't run." He warned. "I don't want to have to beat you for running. I get really mad when punks like you run."

It took a second to realise what was happened, but when he did, Shawn couldn't help but turn around to see what Ralph was looking at. He felt a pit open up in his stomach when he saw who it was. "I won't run." Even as he said that, he casually stood between Ralph and Eric and carefully considered his escape routes.

"Good." Eric said, a small smirk forming on one side of his mouth, eyebrows moving down and narrowing together in sinister approval.

"You're a punk you know that? And a nerd. There's nothing worse than a nerd. I hate nerds. You're a NERD!" Eric chastised, spitting the last word out like venom at Shawn.

Ralph just sat there, head shaking, terrified.

Shawn could feel Ralph shaking behind him as he tried to consider an option that didn't get Ralph or him beat up. "I'm sorry about that." He hung his head as if acknowledging the insult as true.

"Empty your pockets." Eric commanded.

Shawn's mind instinctively went into what was in those pockets.

Dollar Bills. Did he want money?

The stick from the lollipop that he shoved in there earlier. No.

The Rabbit's foot. The Rabbit's foot.

A tissue?

Shawn considered how he was going to sell this. He quickly cleaned out the lollipop stick and the tissue and set them on the ground for Eric. Then, acting hesitant, he pulled out his change and all but one of the dollar bills and set them down as well. "T-there. That's all I've got."

"Good." Eric said, without even looking at the objects. A smile broadened across his face, as if thinking of a new way to add to the humiliation.

"You know what would be funny? If you walked home with no pants." He said, more to himself than Shawn. Without prodding further, he sat there, staring, waiting for Shawn to react to the comment.

Shawn redoubled considering his possible exit routes. "I don't think that'd be very funny..." He let some of his actual fear out, hoping that Eric just wanted to scare him, to make it clear that he could do that to Shawn and Shawn wouldn't be able to stop him. And he wouldn't actually try going through it.

Eric's smile broadened, clearly enjoying the game. The way the cat enjoys playing with the mouse before it pounces.

He sighed a fake, overdrawn sigh. "Well that's the problem Shawny-Shawn. You see I'm one pair of pants short. What am I gonna do about that?" He asked rhetorically, and Shawn could tell that he already had made up his mind seconds before.

"I'll tell you what. One of you gives me your pants. You, or the twerp you have with you." He said, jabbing a finger at Ralph.

Ralph, moved to the left, behind Shawn as if Eric's index finger was the barrel of a gun.

Shawn could see the writing on the wall. Eric wanted to humiliate them, and all the appealing to his better nature in the world wouldn't change it. All Shawn had left was a hail Mary, stone cold bluff/threat. "Please Eric, don't make us do it. My uncle just got out of prison and he's coming to see me and Ralph today. He'd get really mad, and we're not supposed to get him mad, right Ralph?"

Eric's smiled disappeared.

"Oh yeah!? What's your Uncle's Name!?" He demanded.

OOC: Shawn Rolls Wits + Subterfuge + Striking Looks

Fortunately, 'come up with a name on the spot' had been part of the improv exercises Shawn had to do in acting class. "I'm just supposed to call him Uncle Cameron. Mom says he was in prison for putting someone in the hospital with his bare hands. She said he used to be a Ranger."

OOC: 07:48, Today: Shawn Cramer rolled 3 successes using 10d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling on 9 or more with rolls of 3,8,8,6,1,8,4,7,5,7. Wits + Subterfuge + Striking Looks + WP.

Ralph looked at Shawn with some concern and surprise at this notion. It seemed that Ralph, for all of his experience at such a young age, was still young. He offered Shawn a wince at the notion that an ex-con was coming back into the household. Strange considering Ralph had seen much, much worse. But then again, it had been a while since Ralph had been exposed to the Circus.

But Eric gave Shawn a more measured look.

"We'll see about that." He said, not offering any opinion about Shawn's thoughts regarding his criminal Uncle.

There was a long awkward pause as Eric stared. It was as if...

OOC: Shawn Rolls Wits + Empathy with the following results

0 Successes: Shawn can't tell what Eric is probably thinking or going to do based on his look and body language

1 Success: Shawn can gauge what Eric is probably thinking based on the expression on Eric's face, but cannot read his body language

2 Successes:  Shawn cannot gauge what Eric is probably thinking, Eric hides his facial expressions well, but Shawn can read his body language

3+ Successes: Shawn can tell what Eric is probably thinking and going to do based on his look and body language

OOC: 23:06, Today: Shawn Cramer rolled 2 successes using 6d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 7,8,4,4,9,4.  Wits + Empathy + WP.

Shawn could not tell whether or not Eric believed in the possibility that such an Uncle existed. However, judging by Eric's body language--tense, balled-up fists, narrowed brows, rigid posture and shaking arms--it seemed like it didn't matter. It looked like Eric was in an all out rage. From something Shawn said or from just seeing Shawn and Ralph, it was impossible to know. Whatever the reason, Shawn could tell that Eric was going to jump forward at any moment, the rage having consumed him.

"You...NERD!" Eric spit out with poisonous hatred. "YOU NERD!!!" He said again, taking a step forward.

Shawn looked in Eric's eyes and realized with sudden clarity, that no one had ever looked at him with such stunning hatred.

Shawn crouched down next to Ralph's ear and whispered. "Be ready to run." He looked at Eric, scared and small and unsure. And then, suddenly, relief broke across his face as he saw something behind Eric. He was saved!

Or, at least that's the story he was telling with his expression. He watched carefully for even the slightest twitch of body language that told him Eric was distracted, and then he grabbed Ralph's arm and ran for the bikes!

"Wha...huh!" Ralph said, startled and running, tripping over his shoes, rubber scraping on concrete. He managed to right himself before falling and then they were running. Running towards the bikes. Running to get away from Eric with the hope that maybe, just maybe, they would get away.

OOC: • Running for it: The player rolls Dexterity + Wits,
opposed against a refl exive roll of his opponent’s Wits +
Composure. If the player wins, or if it’s a draw, the character
runs away, out of his opponent’s reach. Every success
the player rolls counts towards one of the successes he
needs to outrun his opponent in a foot chase before the
chase even starts

Shawn Rolls Dexterity + Wits

OOC: 22:09, Today: Shawn Cramer rolled 2 successes using 5d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 10(+10,1),3,7,1,5.  Dexterity + Wits.

22:15, Today: Eric 'Trenk' Trenkenschue rolled 2 successes using 4d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((10(+8),7,7,7))



"Oh you're gonna get it now!" Eric yelled, swiping at Shawn as he ran out of reach.

OOC: Foot Race!

Shawn Rolls Stamina + Athletics + 1

Ralph in hand, Shawn ran for the bikes!

OOC: 22:22, Today: Shawn Cramer rolled 2 successes using 6d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 1,1,2,5,8,9.  Stamina + Athletics + 1.

"When I get a hold of you, I'm gonna break your head!" Eric cried out, and Shawn could hear his heavy footfalls from behind.

OOC: Eric's Speed is 7

The number of successes that must be acquired
for the quarry equals the pursuer’s Speed. So, if the pursuer
has a Speed of 12, successes accumulated for the quarry must
reach 12 for him to get away.
The pursuer, however, does not seek to get away. His
goal is much more specifi c: to stop the quarry from escaping.
The number of successes that the pursuer needs is
therefore different. He seeks to tally a number that equals
or exceeds the quarry’s current total of successes at any
point in the chase. If the pursuer gets that number, he
catches up.

15:06, Today: Eric 'Trenk' Trenkenschue rolled 2 successes using 5d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((7,5,9,10(+4),3)).

Caught!

Shawn felt Eric's hand grab a hold of his shirt. A slight ripping sound as the fabric tore. His legs were still moving, still running. It was a choice now. He could keep the running going and risk having the shirt literally torn off of his back, or he could just surrender to Eric and take what was coming, hoping that Eric was merciful.

OOC: If Shawn chooses to keep running and have the shirt torn, then - Foot Race!

Shawn Rolls Stamina + Athletics + 1
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:09, Mon 03 July 2017.

Shawn wasn't going to throw himself on Eric's mercy; he'd seen the look in his eyes and knew there was none to be found. In an odd sense, it was freeing - the only way out was away, so that was all he had to concentrate on. He kept trying to run...

OOC: 15:10, Today: Shawn Cramer rolled 1 success using 5d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 7,8,5,7,4. Stamina + Athletics + 1.

riiiiiiip!

Shawn's shirt tore off of his torso, the left arm only clinging for a moment before the fabric fell away. The first feeling, outside of the thrumming of Shawn's heart, was the warm sun on his back as he ran ahead.

"It's gonna take more than...*heavy breath*...that!!" Eric said, buoyed with confidence at the sound of the torn shirt, the sight of Shawn running away without it.

21:06, Today: Eric 'Trenk' Trenkenschue rolled 2 successes using 5d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((5,5,9,5,9)).

OOC: Shawn is caught. Erik's free attack is a grapple Strength + Brawl (3+1), Shawn's back facing him = no defense.


21:09, Today: Eric 'Trenk' Trenkenschue rolled 1 success using 4d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((5,10(+7),5,1)).

The  bicycles were so close. Only maybe ten feet away.


"Gotcha!" Eric yelled as he sprung forth, grabbing a hold of Shawn and wrestling him to the ground. The two began to roll around on the grass near the pavement where the bikes were, tumbling over and over again, the slight sense of pain from rocks, a distant register inbetween Shawn's surging adrenaline.

OOC: Erik's Strength is 3, Defense is 2

• Getting Free: The character being held has the
chance to try to wriggle free when he next gets to act. If
he hasn’t acted yet that turn, he can try to get free when
it’s his turn to do something. If he has, he has to wait until
the next turn. For the character to get free, the player
needs to roll Strength + Brawl, minus the opponent’s
Strength. If the player gets one success, the character goes
free.

• Turning the Tables: A character caught in a hold
by another character can try to turn the tables on his opponent,
getting the upper hand. The player rolls Strength
+ Brawl, minus the opponent’s Strength. If the player gets
a success, the character can try a maneuver next turn.

• Biting: Kids bite. The player of a character who
decides to bite an opponent (and a kid caught in a grapple
— see below — can always resort to a bite) rolls Strength
+ Brawl (minus the opponent’s Defense), with no bonus
dice, causing bashing damage on a success.

Shawn tried ineffectually to kick free, but couldn't manage it.

OOC: 21:24, Today: Shawn Cramer failed (no successes) using 1d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  Strength + Brawl + WP - 3.

06:40, Today: Eric 'Trenk' Trenkenschue failed (no successes) using 2d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((6,2)).

"Ughh!" Eric said, as the two began to tumble about, wrestling now on the grass, Eric still holding Shawn, trying to pin him down under the hot sun.

The sun bearing down on Shawn, the sweltering heat of the summer time, his world turning over and over as he rolled around on the earth, the smell of freshly cut lawn in his nostrils, the taste of grass in his mouth.


But Eric was strong. Stronger than he looked and the boy managed to maintain a hold on Shawn.

OOC: Erik's Strength is 3, Defense is 2

• Getting Free: The character being held has the
chance to try to wriggle free when he next gets to act. If
he hasn’t acted yet that turn, he can try to get free when
it’s his turn to do something. If he has, he has to wait until
the next turn. For the character to get free, the player
needs to roll Strength + Brawl, minus the opponent’s
Strength. If the player gets one success, the character goes
free.

• Turning the Tables: A character caught in a hold
by another character can try to turn the tables on his opponent,
getting the upper hand. The player rolls Strength
+ Brawl, minus the opponent’s Strength. If the player gets
a success, the character can try a maneuver next turn.

• Biting: Kids bite. The player of a character who
decides to bite an opponent (and a kid caught in a grapple
— see below — can always resort to a bite) rolls Strength
+ Brawl (minus the opponent’s Defense), with no bonus
dice, causing bashing damage on a success.

Shawn didn't have the strength for another escape attempt like that, not really. But he noticed they were rolling around on the earth, and that gave him another desperate idea. He noticed a rock nearby - rather than escape, he had to maneuver himself so that Eric threw him at the rock...

Shawn managed to move his body close and then threw it to the side, his own arms and legs straining against Eric's considerable strength. It managed to push Eric closer to the rock, and Eric forced Shawn against it.

19:52, Today: Eric 'Trenk' Trenkenschue rolled 3 successes using 4d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((9,10(+6),8,2)).

Then just as quickly, Shawn felt the pressure release. Eric was towering above him, having let him go. The blinding sun made Eric's shape a silhouette in the afternoon heat. Shawn squinted up and heard Eric laughing in a light chuckle.

Adjusting his eyes, Shawn saw Eric holding the lucky Rabbit's foot.

"What's this? You're dumb, baby-doll toy?" Eric said, taking a look at the Rabbit's foot with a quizzical glance.

As Shawn was shoved against the rock, he suddenly stopped pushing against Eric so he was slammed against it much harder than the bully would have intended. He immediately let his body go completely limp, as if he'd been knocked unconscious, or worse, and positioned his neck the way the stunt guy showed him once on a movie set. Your neck could safely bend that way, but it didn't look like it was supposed to. He tried to play dead, even as he felt that his pocket was emptier than before.

"You! You! You! You! Killed him!" Ralph said, seemingly completely in agreement.

"No I didn't!" Eric said, almost defensively. A reaction said in a void. Shawn could hear by his voice there was a growing fear.

"We were just playing around." he said, the value and fun of taunting Shawn well worn off by the nature of Eric's panicked voice. It was the voice of someone who had bitten off far more than they could chew. A kid who was about to get in trouble from parents, the school, or adult figures. Shawn had heard that kind of voice before. Every kid had.

"I'm t..te..te..telling!" Ralph stammered.

"You tell anyone I did this and I'll break your head!" Eric's voice shot back. There was a struggle, the sound of sneakers scraping on pavement near the grass where Shawn lay, pretending to be dead. There was the sound of grunting and the wrestling of fabric, heavy breathing and finally a loud yelp--Ralph's voice. It sounded like he was in pain.

"Say it!" Eric yelled. "Say Uncle!"

"Uncle!!" Ralph yelled out in a shrill voice. Fear, pain and whatever else Eric was doing to him made Ralph's voice strained and filled with all-out panic.

"Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!" Ralph said again and again. This time through was sounded like choked up tears. The scream of a kid needing an adult--or someone to stop what was happening. It was like whatever was being done sounded like it hurt so bad.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:55, Wed 05 July 2017.

"That's right!" Eric said triumphantly. "Now, you're gonna tell anyone who asks that you saw him fall off that bike. Right?"

"AhhhH!!!!" Ralph yelled out. Shawn could tell that Eric had done something to cause Ralph great pain.

"What are you gonna say?" Eric asked.

"Tha...That...he..he..he fell!" Ralph cried out in compliance.

"What are you gonna say!!!!?" Eric yelled out again, threateningly.

"AhhhH!!! He...he...f..f..f.f.ffell." Ralph said weakly.

Shawn risked cracking his eye open just a little, looking for Ralph and, to his shame, the rabbit's foot.

"That's right." Eric said. And Shawn saw Ralph's body crumpling onto the pavement, loud, heavy gasps of breathing. Eric had let Ralph go.

"And if I hear anything else, I will break your head." Eric said. Then Shawn heard footsteps, saw Eric walk by. The sound of a kickstand and the spin of bicycle wheels fading into the distance.

Once he was sure Eric was gone, Shawn's eyes snapped open, and he ran over to Ralph. "Are you okay!?" After checking if Ralph was okay, he glanced around looking for the rabbit's foot. If Shawn had actually died, he wouldn't want to keep the rabbit's foot, right? It'd be evidence or something?

"he..he..he..he..he...twi..twisted my arm." Ralph said in a wounded voice. Then, he started to cry.

Shawn pulled Ralph into a hug and tried to make comforting noises.

OOC: Shawn Rolls Manipulation + Empathy with the following results

0 Successes: Ralph cries and cries and cries.

1 Successes: Ralph cries for a while and Shawn settles hims down

2-4 Successes: The gesture of comfort not only calms Ralph down, but Ralph shares a secret with Shawn; information Shawn was not previously aware of

5+ Successes: Ralph Tells Shawn 2 secrets after being comforted.

OOC: 11:04, Today: Shawn Cramer rolled 1 success using 5d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 7,1,7,3,10(+2).  Manipulation + Empathy

When Ralph finally calmed down, he released himself from Shawn's comforting grip and turned to him. "H....h...how you gonna get back. I....I know what the...the..the..rabbit charm does. I....i....know it's like the book.  Master Maker had something like it.  Maybe....we can just run away....go away forever from here." He suggested, voice betraying the lack of confidence he had in that last plan that he mentioned.

Before answering, Shawn looked around, hoping against hope that Eric had left the rabbit's foot behind when he ran away. "No, we have to get it back. It's the only way."

OOC: Shawn Rolls Intelligence + Investigation

Shawn and Ralph commenced a brief search of the area. But it was a sullen, silent and utimately futile search. It was clear that Eric had, in fact, made away with the Rabbit's foot. And because of that, a silent sadness fell upon both boys. They searched through the surrounding area, the small patch of grass and the pavement, the loss of the Rabbit's foot and the implications of  the loss beginning to dawn on them.

Shawn fought down rising panic as they couldn't turn up the foot. He needed a plan, something to get them the rabbit's foot back before the Circus found out it was missing.

OOC: 07:24, Today: Shawn Cramer failed (no successes) using 1d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 1. Intelligence + Investigation (Chance).

OOC: Shawn Join's Thread

Shawn: The Lost Rabbit Foot, The Way Ahead