Shawn just tried to keep walking, even as something tried to push its way into his mind.

Shawn passed through the veil of Willow Tree, felt its soft, hanging branches drape over his back and head. And with that touch, came a dawning and sudden realization.


OOC: Shawn Rolls Occult + Wits. Failure results in everyone learning the same knowledge Shawn learned.

"He l...l...l..l..l..looks OK." Ralph said, waving to Shawn, where he stood on the other side of the Willow's veil.

"Oh Brother!" Bobby said, relieved.

"Whose next?" Tiffany asked, taking a step back as if to make sure that it wasn't her. Still, she said in a way in which she was about to dictate. Like a teacher says something like 'if you guys can't decide, then I will.'

OOC: 10:30, Today: Shawn Cramer rolled 1 success using 3d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 3,9,1. Occult + Wits.

Shawn felt that the knowledge was about to leave his brain, but he tightened his stomach and held his breath. Perhaps out of learning what he learned, but also perhaps out of an instinctual reaction or some other reason.

It all happened so fast.

Then suddenly, Penelope stepped forward.

"I'll go. I'll just mosey on down past those branches." She joked, although there was no humor in her voice and it wasn't convincing. She stepped forward cautiously, as if the tree might bite. "Here I come Shawn. You still alive?" She asked through the curtain of branches that separated Shawn from the group.

Shawn called out through the trees. "I'm okay! It just...it feels kinda weird!"

Delilah stared at Shawn as he emerged from the willow's branches. She sat back on her heels, wondering if it was a trick and he'd somehow faked it. Then Penelope went into the tree's shadow. Delilah held her breath.

"Yoddle-Loddle-LAY-HEE-HOO!" Penelope yelled and ran through the branches, punching and kicking them abrasively as she passed through the brush to the other side.

01:00, Today: Penelope rolled 1 success using 3d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((8,2,2)).

There was a sudden stirring in each kid's mind, as if the Tree was about to reveal some secret. And then....nothing.

"I made it!" Penelope announced, pumping her fist in the air. "How's that for a little razzle-dazzle!?  I should've broke a branch off, ya know? For like a souvenir."

Shawn breathed out a sigh of relief. "Nice! Did you learn anything cool?"

Delilah was confused. Not only did the Willow of Truth not wallop a liar like Shawn, but Penelope was actually happy about what she'd learned. Maybe this wasn't something scary at all.

"Outta my way. I'm next."

"No." Penelope said shaking her head. "It's a stupid tree. What's there to learn?"


OOC: Shawn Rolls Wits + Empathy

Delilah Rolls Occult + Wits

12:40, Today: Delilah Gray rolled 1 success using 3d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  To the Willow of Truth!

Delilah's stride slowed as she approached the tree. She looked up to the height of it, then parted the curtain of leafy reeds to enter the shade.

OOC: 16:17, Today: Shawn Cramer failed (no successes) using 3d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 6,3,1. Wits + Empathy.

"Nope." Penelope shook her head at Shawn. "Nothing at all. I didn't learn a thing from that stupid tree."

Meanwhile both Penelope and Shawn watched as Delilah strode forward towards the tree, ducking under its low-hanging branches and placing herself in the canopy of its drooping embrace.

A thought came to Delilah's mind.

It was two thoughts. And each thought weaved in and out of her mind, like someone who had woken up and was trying to quickly put together pieces of a dream before they vanished. These two thoughts crystallized into two distinct choices of truth, neither of which would be revealed to any of the kids, Delilah was sure.

Delilah felt the intrusion of The Truth in her head. She didn't know where the words were coming from and she couldn't shut them out. But she could only concentrate on one. She shut her eyes and extended her index finger to pin down The Truth with a game of Eenie Meenie Minie Moe.

My mother told me to pick the very best one and you are not it!

Delilah emerged from the curtain of the Willow tree onto the other side. A strange, buzzing sensation tingled the tips of her fingers and settled into the front of her forehead.

"I don't want to go through that." Bobby said, shaking his head.

"I..i...i..i..i..i..think that you..you..you should go." Ralph said to Tiffany.

"Me?" Tiffany asked. "Nuh-uh." She shook her head. "That's very for-duty-ist of you to say that. But I think you should go, not me." and she looked around to see if anyone caught that she had used a big word.

Shawn called out through the tree branches. "We shouldn't argue - just come on through, Ralph. It's not important, it just means you're braver than Tiffany, is all." It was not his most subtle bit of reverse psychology, but he was grappling with weird revelations of him own at the moment.

Ralph took a step forward. "I..i.i..I feel a little b.b..b..b..b..b.bit strange." He announced to the group, moving forward with a waddle that was unbalanced and full of trepidation.

"Oh..ok." He said touching the tree and parting the branched to move past the Weeping Willow's dense structure.


08:03, Today: Evil Circus - Ralph failed (no successes) using 1d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((1)).

It was then that the idea crossed everyone's mind. At first it was just a vague possibility. But then it became a clear, undeniable truth that resonated with the firm structure of confidence and belief in every kid's mind:

At one time, Ralph was very, very angry at Shawn and had truly considered betraying Shawn to the Circus.

It was true that Ralph had not, in fact, betrayed Shawn. But that he had come very close to betraying Shawn. And that such betrayal at that time, might have killed Shawn.

When Ralph emerged from the structure to the other side of the tree where Delilah and Penelope and Shawn were waiting, he was crying.

Shawn immediately ran forward and embraced Ralph into a firm hug. "It's okay, it's okay. What's important is that you didn't do it, okay? You were really brave." He wasn't sure how much of that he meant - he didn't have time to sort through his feelings right now. But he had to keep Ralph functional, and...maybe being nice to Ralph despite this would make the other kids like him more. It was a dirty, mercenary thought that Shawn resented he'd even thought of, but it was definitely there.

Delilah crossed her arms and kicked at the dirt.

"I wish you did it," she grumbled. "Then none of us would be here."