"Honestly lad, I haven't used the Fortune Teller's Crystal Ball on ya' ta' keep track of who or what ya' have been up to, not least who ya' know. Especially the whole world of who ya' know. So for my part, I'd have ta' wager, that honestly I'm not sure."

"But because of that, I thought it best ta' give ya' some help in the matter, seein' as ya' did so much alone. My problems with soul stealin' n' kid eatin' aren't exactly a secret in the Circus. So I told the new up n' commer 'Bradford' that he and ya' both might be able ta' help ya' out. He's been doin' some 'ottar 'tings for the Order. And seein' as ya' both have done a bit by yourself, I thought it might be worth askin' ya' both ta' help me out together."

"So. Do ya' want ta' see who else is in the deck, n' see if ya' know 'em or not?"

Shawn felt resigned to this, but he didn’t show it on his face. Instead he gave Griffix a brave smile. “Sure, show them to me.”

Griffix layed another card down on the stump. Shawn instantly recognized it as the girl he had chosen not to save during the encounter with Mr. Cherrywinks in the snowstorm.

"'tis Delilah." Griffix announced. "She's a bully. I donna-think ya' find any problem with gettin' her ta' do bad 'tings. But I'm not too sure I am, 'bout gettin' her ta' write 'em down."


There was something odd about the card that Shawn saw. The image was of the girl for sure. But she was missing an eye.

Shawn squinted at the card, then went pale as recognition dawned on him. “I don’t think she’d do anything for me. The last time she saw me, I was selling her and her friend out to Mr. Cherrywinks.”

"mmmmmm..." Griffix acknowledged. "Well. Perhaps ya' never know what the future might hold. I mean, for me, I used to fight all the time with the Tattooed Lady, I did. But now we find ourselves on the same side under Malinda."

"But for now, I see your point lad. Best ta' try someone else. Perhaps ya' can divide the pile with Bradford ya' can. Best if I leave it up ta' ya' both ta' figure that part out."


"I mention her because she's part of a few newer kids commin' inta' the town, she is. Lad, as I told ya' before. These are stolen' souls. Well, I prefer ta' call 'em, borrowed souls. So don't go 'bout tellin' folk at the Circus or even these kids whats what. 'Tis is ta' keep both you and me safe."

Griffix sighed, as if somewhat exhausted.

"Lad. Ya' do understand that I wouldn't be askin' this of ya' if there were another way? But I can't be eatin' kids. So I thought it best ta' borrow these souls, eat what I can from what they did, and then put them back."

Shawn nods seriously as he tries to think about his upcoming task. "Well, if you'r going to put them back, that's good. I can use that to persuade them, probably."

"I've been workin' on this for a bit lad, I'll admit. The last time, 'tings didn't go so well, they didn't. It's important ya' don't tell 'em why they need to write 'em down. I mean, not really why. Ya' see why lad, don't-cha?"

"I find, its scares 'em off if they have someone commin' 'bout tellin' 'em they might get eaten if they don't do as they're told. Also, it's a lot ta' take in." Griffix raised his hands as if he was gesturing to the whole idea of the Circus, not just this specific task Shawn now found himself involved in.

"Also, many a kid don't want ta' believe, plain n' simple"

"I'm not going to tell them the real reason, don't worry." If there's one thing Shawn had learned to do, it was convincing people of things without bringing up his real motives.

A wave of relief passed over Griffix's wolfish face. The lines around the corners of his mouth relaxed into well-worn creases, and the brows that were furrowed close together un-creased, giving him an easy-going look.

"Well now, that's a relief. 'Tis a wonderful thing, finding someone as dependent as you. A job well done. Ya' put it perfectly. Plain n' simple. Just as I like."

"Now let's see." Griffix shuffled the cards again. Then he separated them into two piles. Shawn had been playing with cards all summer, and so he knew that Griffix was about to do a Riffle Shuffle. Sure enough, the Leprechaun gripped both halves of the deck, each hand following the same position, thumb over the top edge and using his middle and ring fingers to support the bottom edge. The cards bent and flipped around in a satisfyingly crisp, ruffling sound, the whir of their movement fast and furious.

"This here is Kristin." Griffix said, placing the card down on the stump. The girl had a somewhat devious smile, and the backdrop was the Queen of Hearts. "She's a tight-lipped one. She'll hardly tell anyone what's goin' on."

OOC: Ego Boos Merit: Shawn gets a +1 to any socialize or expression roles that may come up this scene.

"Where will I meet these kids?" Shawn idly wondered if he'd be going inside the cards somehow. It was absurd, but so was everything else about this situation.

"I woundn't worry 'bout that lad." Griffix explained with a nod. "They're movin' inta' the neighborhood. Ya' got yourself some new neighbors, as it were. At the end o' the summer, there's gonna be a glut o' new kids around here."

"And they ain't the best kind."


Griffix's eyes seemed to glint with a hungry expectation. As if the eyes themselves were greedy and happy that bad kids were coming.

Shawn looked at Griffix, surprised. "You can just make kids move to my neighbourhood?"

Griffix shook his head, hair swishing from side to side. "Not me lad." He refuted. "They're comin' for the Circus. Or maybe 'tis the Circus that's comin' for 'em. Remember I asked ya' once what ya' thought might have attracted the Circus to ya?. 'Tis the same thing here lad. Same thing here. They're comin. Whether we like it or not."

“Will Melinda or the Proprietor mind this?” Shawn sincerely hoped not; in a way, he’d be helping these kids. A confession would be much more painless than losing a soul.

Griffix put up a finger to his mouth.

"Shhhhh..." He warned. "No one can know 'bout it.  It's bad lad, I know. You know it. They can't know it lad. 'Tink 'bout how bad it would be if they found out that we were takin' souls. If we were stealin' 'em." He waited for Shawn to contemplate how bad that scenario would be, before he set to speaking again.

"Now lad, 'Tink  about how much worse 'twould be if I lost control. If I got meself so hungry, that after the Soul Contest, I just started eatin' kids at random. Well, I'll tell ya' what. 'Twould mean that a bunch o' innocent kids that could have written 'tingss down, would suddenly be gone.

Killed.

Eaten.

Worse off lad, it could be that others at the Circus would 'Tink that I was skimmin' souls outside of official Circus business. Seein' as the Proprieter and Malinda need a cut o' everyting that we get Soul-wise now that the Contest is over. They might hold me accountable. And since I'm in charge o' you, they might take ya' away from me. Put ya' under someone else."

Shawn tried to look worried about that possibility, but resolute. Certainly, his mentorship under Griffix had been...challenging, but Shawn had gotten used to the man and wanted to avoid doing it again with a new person he didn’t know as well. “I can keep it quiet.”

"Right ya' are lad. Right ya' are. 'Tis a good 'ting, in my opinion, ta' know when ta' keep quiet n' when ta' make noise. ''Twas a time not too long ago, when I me-self thought that I could just stand for every-'ting I believed in. Thought I could change n' mould 'things the way I'd see fit n' let the world change accordin' ta' the way I wanted it ta' be. But then I learned with time, that pickin' yer battles makes it easier for ya.' Ya' can try n' fight for 'things. But after o' while, it feels like ya' find yourself swimmin' against a tide. The tide o' the water just keeps comin'.  It dont' care not a bit 'bout how ya' feel. What ya' think. Ne'er a thought about the future or what right or wrong is. It keeps pushin' n' pushin' ya'. I just got so tired lad. Tired of swimmin' against it. I mean, can any of us really be blamed for feelin' that way?"

Shawn was a little less philosophical about these matters than Griffix. He just really didn’t want to die. But he thought he understood the gist; neither of them really wanted to be here, but they had no choice. “There’s some battles you can’t fight.”

Griffix set to placing the cards down on the stump. Now that the two had agreed on the idea of keeping the upcoming project a secret, the interaction took on a more intimate, conspiratorial tone. It was as if a barrier had been crossed, and now business could be attended to, without the worry or fear of what each thought of the other. The atmosphere had suddenly become judgement-free.

"Me too lad. Me too." Griffix nodded, the fear of what might happen to him also clearly at the forefront of his mind.

Griffix put a card down on the stump.  The picture couldn't be confused with anything other than what it was: a picture of Bradford. He was wearing a Jester's hat with a big, broad smile on his face, while holding a funny looking scepter.  On the top of the card a caption read 'Joker.'

"hmmmm." Griffix said, confused. "That wasn't one o' the souls I borrowed."

Shawn eyed the card with some concern. “Is he okay? The dummy of his gives me the creeps.”

Griffix shrugged, pushing aside the card to the other side of the stump. "Maybe 'Tis just a mistake. 'Tis possible.  But still, I find it a wee bit strange is all. No matter. It do't mean nuthin' I suppose."

Shuffling the rest of the cards, Griffix laid them all down flat: They were all normal playing cards. Numbers of diamond, clover, hearts and spade suits.

"We'll. I guess that's all then." Griffix said. "Wait 'till I get hungry again." Griffix said, patting his stomach. "I'll let ya' know when we should get started then. Sound good?"

Shawn was relieved to hear he’d have a chance to rest before he did this next task. It felt like he’d been at this forever! “Sounds good. Maybe you can teach me a new card trick in the meantime.”

"Ah yes. A card trick!" Griffix agreed. "I tell ya' what lad. I'll go ahead and meet up with ya' in yer dreams. 'Tis a fine way ta' learn somethin." Griffix offered.

"That'd be great!" Shawn was genuinely glad about Griffix doing it that way - he was not looking forward to his dreams for the next little while.

OOC: Shawn Join's Thread

Shawn: A Return To Normal...Sort Of