Annalise found herself holding the door knob with one hand and looking out at the pair of mismatched kids that stood on the porch.

One was short and fat. The other one was tall and lanky. They appeared to be around her age. The fat one was squat and was holding two sticks that looked like they could be used to bang on drums. The tall one had hair that was spikey on one side.

The two kids stared at Annalise for more than a moment as the brisk October wind blew some leaves about behind them. The tall kid's mouth was hanging open as if he intended to say something, but had lost the words.





"Welcome to the neighborhood! We're gonna have a great time together. Do you like rocking out?" Fat kid said in a jovial way, raising his arms in the air, the two drummer sticks moving back and forth. It seemed like he made the gesture with genuine warmth, but there was also something practiced about it. Like he had spent some time preparing to say it.

"Houston, she's not a boy. And the only kind of girls that like 'Rocking Out' look like Joan Jet and the Black Hearts." said the tall one.

"Oh." The fat kid said.

The tall kid cleared his throat and then said.





"I'm Bart. And this is Houston. We're from Rodeo drive down the street. We...umm...heard that you were new here...or then...ummm..." He said, apparently nervous for whatever reason.

"That umm...you were..umm....new?" he finished lamely
This message was last edited by the player at 15:36, Sun 25 Aug 2019.

She had just opened the door her coat in hand she was about to go explore her neighborhood, and she was surprised to find two boys on her front porch. She blinked large grey eyes but than chuckled and waved to them "Hi." she greeted. She pulled the door up and locked up behind herself. While speaking to the larger of the two boys. "I dig all kinds of music, I like the old stuff, Meatloaf, Lenoard Skinner, Fleetwood Mac.." the girl listed off.

They had been favorites of her father and mother, and she had grown up to them after all.

"Not all rock girls look like Joan Jet." she reassured the bigger boy "Some look like Stevie NickS." she said happily.

She tilted her head to the side at his nervousness and offered him an encouraging smile. "I'm Annalise...but call me Anna won't you ?" she asked "Its nice to meet you both." she said cheerfully "Yeah, I am new here, we came her from New York, mom thought a change would be nice." she motioned "So what's fun to do around here ?"

The bigger boy stood motionless with his mouth open. Then he snapped it shut and gave a look towards Houston, the short fat kid.




"Totally Rad. She knows, like, all of the bands that we listen to." He remarked. Then realizing that it might not be a good idea to talk about Annalise in front of Annalise, he said.

"Oh, I mean. Sorry. I'm Bart." he said, even though he had already introduced himself. "We're in a band. So we play music."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:37, Sun 25 Aug 2019.

"Yeah." Houston said. "You rock." He said to Annalise.

"We're hear to give you the Big Tour." He added, brushing a few locks of his bangs away and adding emphasis on the last word.

"Of the neighborhood."

The bigger boy stood motionless with his mouth open. Then he snapped it shut and gave a look towards Houston, the short fat kid.




"There's plenty of fun stuff to do around here." Bart added, hooking one finger around the collar of his shirt and giving it a tug, more room to breath.

"So, want me to show you around?" Bart asked and he stepped forward. "I mean.... us. Us to show you around?"

He was recovering now and warming to the idea, whatever nervousness the boy had felt seemed to fade into the initial parts of the conversation and he spoke confidently about something he knew about: the neighborhood.

"We can give you the tour and point out which kids live where. Show you cool park around the corner and then tell you the best places where the ice cream truck shows up in the summer. Since its October, we also know which houses give out the best candy."

She gave a nod of her head lightly. "Some might think its lame, but I like the old stuff. I mean our music is fab too." she laughed her tone soft and tinkling. "It's just---watching Stevie spin on the stage, and it makes me happy." she felt a little funny to be talking about that to new boys, but she was new too, so that took some of the concern away. They didn't strike her as the type that might, laugh at her or point and make fun. Which made them a-okay in her book.

Her eyes widened again slightly "Your in a band ?" she sounded impressed "That's Gnarly." she bounced down her steps with a toss of her blond head pausing to zip up her hoodie at the bottom of the steps. "What's it called ? Your band I mean ?" she asked still clearly interested as she waited for them.

She sometimes stunned people when she was nice to them, she guessed part of it might have been that she was pretty, but not stuck up. At least she liked to think she wasn't stuck up. Her mother had certain terms for the mother's that were like that at the pageants. "Oh, I love trick or treating, I love Halloween in general! " she exclaimed eagerly "Hands down, it is my favorite Holiday." she said with a grin.

"You guys are just the sweetest, that would be wonderful." she hitched her thumb back at her house. "We haven't been here too long, the people who moved our stuff beat us here." she said glancing back "It's really nice to have friends right off the bat, makes it not so--you know-- lame."

As they offered to lead her around on the tour of the neighborhood, the blond nodded "That sounds great!" she said. "I like ice-cream, have you ever had gelato its a type pf ice cream" she pressed on "My favorite is soft serve. Mr.Softee out of Jersey." she realized how little she was actually told about California. "D--Do you guys have Mr.Softee here ?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:42, Sun 25 Aug 2019.

The conversation was light and friendly as Annalise and the boys bantered back and forth, the ice broken.



“Name? For the Band?” Houston asked dumbfounded. He looked over at Bart.

“What my friend Houston is trying to say, is that we haven’t exactly come up with a name for the band yet.”

Houston looked back at Annalise and started talking about how excited they both were to have her in the neighborhood and how he had never been to New York or New Jersey but was really excited to finally meet someone from there.



“I’ve never met Mr. Softee. Is he a nice guy?”

Anna laughed "Ah, still in the looking stage." she said and patted Houston on the back. "What ever it is it needs to be bitchin." she glanced to the area as they started their walk, wanting to commit it to memory. "My Softee, has soft serve ice cream for a head and a man's body." her tone low. "Some of the kids at my old school, said that it wasn't a costume." her tone pitched low, as she said that. "I never met him, but he's the mascot of the ice cream itself."

They were fast friends, it was nice.

"Well, I've never had friends in California, before so its really nice." she agreed as she looked to Bart to point out the places in the neighborhood that were interesting. "So do you have any haunted houses around here ?" she asked curiously. Her hands stuffed in the pockets of her hoody.

"And Ice Cream Mascot..." Houston waxed in a distant look, contemplating Annalise's response. His hands moved the drum sticks as if he was playing a version of air guitar only on drums.

The window opened from Annalise's house as the kids got to the curb. The voice coming from the window was that of Annalise's Mom, reminding her to be back at home in time for dinner.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:07, Wed 28 Aug 2019.

"Haunted houses?" Bart repeated in questioning tone, raising an eyebrow. "Actually, its totally tubular that you should ask that, like, question."

"Because Edith, who like, lives down the road in this totally tubular house that rocks because it's yellow on the outside. Anyway, Edith is sort of investigating all of these missing kids. Not on this road, but like, in the neighborhood like, down the road."

"Anyway, she thinks it has something to do with what she calls, 'The Monster in at the Circus.' Or like, ummmmm...." Bart said, looking up at the sky, trying to look up as if that would help him remember.

"Fair-Circus Monster?" Bart said unsuccessfully. "There was a Circus that came around last year, and she says it might have something to do with that. She's like, trying to get other kids to investigate it with her. I thought about helping her, but I also got to take care of Houston and he was a little scared of the idea."

Annalise waved to her mother April. "Yes ma'm." she called "I'm just gonna meet some of the new kids around here." she cast a worried look to the upstairs of her house and wrinkled her nose. Hopefully her mom would be alright their alone. Adults weren't the only one's who worried. Kids, hide it better.

She laughed at Houston's response and nodded her head gray eyes slightly wider "Exactly." she said mysteriously. It was the creative mind at work, she had contemplated writing something about the Ice Cream Man, because the idea was both terrible and awesome at the same time.

"My grandma and grandpa, live in Amityville. Long Island" she said in a hushed tone. "There is suppose to be a haunted house there. Amityville, like that movie they made in the seventies." Anna shrugged her shoulders. "Never got to see it, was suppose to pretend it didn't happen cause "adult things" " she made air-quotes. Still her dad had talked to her about it.

"A evil circus ?" she asked "Or just part of it is evil ?" inquiring minds wanted to know. She didn't have to consider she just jumped right in with both feet. "That would be fantastic if we could help out." she agreed. "I think I need to meet Edith." she sounded like another great friend. Though her gaze softened as she glanced to Houston. "We should help out, if we can helps others right. You got Bart, and Edith and now you got me too. We will look out for you." she offered.

"I dunno. Seventy is a lot. Also, I don’t really dig haunted houses. That’s why I’m glad we don’t have any here. That’s also a lot of the reason why I didn’t go to the Circus last year. I don’t like the whole idea haunted things, I try to stay on rodeo drive. The fat kid said.

"Seventies Houston. Not seventy. She means it happened, like, a long time a go. Like a super-dipper long time ago." Bart corrected in a friendly, mentor tone. "Actually, she’s right. Plus, it wouldn’t be fair if we just stayed on this block when kids might be disappearing on Main Street right near where we skate. We’ve got to think of everyone in the neighborhood.”

"Edith probably needs the help too." He added, putting one foot forward on the skate board and pushing off in a direction, presumably where Edith’s house might be,

"Well, what if something bad happens, like what happened in AMY-ville where you grew up? What do we do then?The fat kid asked Annalise
This message was last edited by the player at 20:55, Thu 29 Aug 2019.

She giggled and again pat Houston on the shoulder. "I guess that's good, but I happen to find creepy stuff interesting." she said and nodded to Bart when he filled in for the year. Her brows drew together thoughtfully. "Eh, what circus--was this again ?" she asked "I am not sure I heard of it--is it haunted or evil or---" she was willing to believe in those things she spoke about it like she believed.

"I agree, I don't want to move to a town where people just go missing, that would be aweful, I mean totally a downer." she expressed. "Its would mean less friends and really, people should be watched out for." she didn't know these people she wanted too. She was maybe rushing ahead of herself, but she made friends fairly easily, and it was always exciting to meet new people, friends or not.

She watched him on the skateboard, and admired he had ability to do that. She glanced back to Huston when he spoke and her head tilted. "Well, honestly Houston, I didn't grow up there, it was my grandma who lives on Long Island, I only visited some times --like after daddy---" she fell quiet. She didn't go on her face clouded over for a moment, befote she shook it off. "I don't think it will, it was a teenage boy who went " she maded the swirly motion by her ear. "You know lost his marbles." she expressed "He did it, but people say the house is haunted---I never went, maybe one day when I visit granny." she didn't know if her granny would let her out of her sight that long. "Sides, if we stick together we should be fine."

Both boys listened attentively while Annalise spoke. Bart was skating along, head turned to one side listening, foot moving to keep up with Annalise. Houston was listening, hands moving the drum sticks in a silent beat.




"I think it was an evil Circus." Bart finally said. "I'm not so sure though. But like, Edith would know. She's super smart. Like, she's been totally looking into this thing, for like, at least a week now."

"Oh I'm sorry. Houston said. "about your friends marbles." he added innocently.

Then he smiled widely at the point where Annalise said that 'if they stuck together, they'd be alright.'

Just then, Houston's eyes seemed to look past Annalise, and his smile grew wider still.

"Oh. That's Lauren's house!" he pointed, as if he wanted to make sure they didn't lose sight of an important landmark. "She's really nice."

She nodded her head to both boys. "Wow, that's some time." she agreed and wrinkled her nose faintly. An evil circus. She wanted to ask if it was like in Something Wicked This Way Comes but she didn't know if they had read that book or not.

A firm believer in sticking together her father had always said. Never go places alone if you can help it. Even if its up the street to a friends house, a buddy is important." mostly so one didn't get snatched, but she had been to young to understand the why's behind it.

"So I think we'll be okay." she said to Houston with a wink.

As Lauren's house was pointed out she filed that to memory too. "Who's Lauren ? Should I meet her too ?" she questioned blinking a little glancing between her current escorts.

"Lauren's a sweet, little girl." Bart said with a upbeat tone to his voice. "She's younger than us. But that doesn't mean that we treat her bad. That wouldn't be fair."

"Yeah she is nice. Houston said, though he paused as if he was going to say something else, then he said. "She does get angry sometimes though." he added.

"Yeah, that's, like true. She can be a real bummer if she doesn't get her way. Or if she's hungry or tired." Bart said. "But its fair to say that like, we can also be total downers when we're tired or hungry."

"She's got a lot of totally tubular dresses! Houston said with delight. "Do you like dresses Annalise? Because if you do, you should see how many Lauren has. Maybe you guys can totally share!" he added.

"Lauren is like, going through like, a Princess thing right now. Where like, she only wants to be like, a totally cool princess." Bart said.

She gave a faint little nod of her head at that "Cranky is a thing, when you don't get enough sleep." she knew this all to well, and was the voice of experience in this, as much as an eleven year old girl could be. "So we come back at another time maybe, I don't want to be here to early or to late and get grumpy." she laughed.

"Also, I don't mind hanging out with younger kids, I am getting old enough now where I might be able to babysit. So got to get use to the idea, if my mom stays in this area for a while." she shrugged again and took in the sights. "Did you go to the circus Bart ?" her mind kept tossing around the idea of a evil circus, and it was a possibility, it was the perfect disguise really, if one thought about it. Kids were said to run off and join a circus all the time. While she didn't think that was always true--maybe, just maybe the circus stole them.

"She might not like me to much, or she'll totally like me, since I am a Queen...a beauty Queen back in New York, mom hasn't gotten into pageant season here yet--" she barely kept from added thank god.

As everyone walked in front of Lauren's house, the boys were fixed on what Annalise was saying. Bart said that he didn't go to the Circus because Houston didn't want to go and because they wanted to practice their music, even though they hadn't quite decided to make a band last year. Houston added that Annalise would probably make a great Babysitter.


"Wow! You're a a real Queen! That's so cool. I've never met a real Queen before." Houston exclaimed, surprised by the information. Then, when they all passed by Lauren's house and onto the next house on the road, Houston said in a causal, helpful tone:


"Oh, and Lauren's house is the only Nigger family on the block, at least that's what my Dad says."

Anna nodded as she glanced to the house she would be sure to try to make friends with the younger girl later. If anything they could bond over pageant stuff that might actually be nice come to it. She was laughed. "Well, I have a few crowns.." she said "Not the I command you to do this and you do it sort o' thing, more like, here your beautiful have a crown." she shook her head. "My mom's really into it." she offered softly. "I don't rule anyone." tucking stray wisps of blond hair back behind her ears the girl blinked rapidly.

"Oh." she gasped. "That's a not nice word Houston." she managed. She didn't repeat it. He father had black friends, and they had seemed offended by the N-WORD but had used it frequently enough to confuse her. "I think only they are supposed to call themselves that." large gray eyes were that much wider. "Is your dad mean ?" she had to ask, since she would have gotten a spanking for using that word.

Houston seemed surprised by this response.


"It isn't a nice word?" Houston asked. "No...no, my Dad isn't mean. He gave me this drumming sticks." And Houston held them up, as if that were evidence of his Dad being a swell guy.

"Hmmmm." Bart murmured, thinking about the situation. "I think, like, if its not a good like word. That probably means that isn't like a totally cool thing to say. Like, a fair thing. But like, if they do it or like, something. Maybe it's like calling your grandpa 'Pop-pops.' That's what we call my grandpa in my family." Bart advised.

"But it would be like, really weird if someone I didn't like, know. You know? Went up to my Pop-pops, and like, said, 'Hey, Pop-pops.' I'd be kind of like, weird,  you know? 'Cause like, how would they know that he's called Pop-pops?"

The moment of shock had passed quickly, and she shook her head lightly. "I don't think you should ever say that to her or her family, because umm---it might hurt her feelings." she offered and she agreed with Bart again. "I call my Grandfather paw-paw." she said with a grin.

She patted Houston on the back. "I do like your drummer sticks though." she hoped she hadn't upset him or offended him with the question. If Houston thought his dad was Swell, well wouldn't he know ? She guessed he should.

"You said the circus was here last year ? Around what time, and do you think it will come back this year ?" she asked.

"Oh, I dunno." Bart said. "I think, like, Edith would know better than maybe all of us. Edith and Gary. They get together pretty good. When we get to Edith's house, you'll see. She's got things sort of, like, all cool and designed. She has these things she calls ummmmm....like, files or something. No, wait.....case files. " Bart advised.

Houston seemed surprised by this response.


"And a big map! In the Tree House!" Houston exclaimed.

"Oh, right. Good going Houston. I forgot about that totally, tubular detail." Bart said. "Edith has her like, office in the Tree House. It's a big tree house on her lawn. The kids on the block call it The Tree House. And, everyone knows like, that they can sort of come and go as they want. Anyway, Edith kind of like, during the last....well, actually during like, the beginning of the summer. She like, converted it to like, an office. To like, investigate the whole thing. Like, investigate the Circus." Bart explained.

OOC: Annalise rolls Wits + Composure with the following results -

0 Successes: Your character notices nothing strange or
noteworthy, and is there for caught by surprise. Your character is caught off guard and cannot take an action for a turn.

1+ Successes: Your character recognizes that something noteworthy has changed or happened, and is therefore not surprised. No change.

She laughed delighted at the idea, a tree house. There hadn't really been anything like that to play in when she was in New York. Also her mother might have had kittens to catch her little beauty queen in a tree. Since she could fall and break her arms, Anna had never pointed out she could get hit by a car, because it would be lame, to be stuck in doors or in a bubble.

"That all sounds really awesome." she sounded enthusiastic.

---

15:50, Today: Annalise rolled 1 success using 4d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((6,4,7,10(+4))).

Annalise kept her eyes open and therefore she wasn't surprised when she saw movement in the bushes just a second before the animal jumped out right in front of her.

It landed in the middle of the street, the 'click-click' of its nails on the pavement the only sound. In it's mouth, it held what looked like a piece of fruit. Then, after looking at Annalise, it quickly crossed the street and went into another row of bushes, disappearing from sight.

"Rocco's Back!" Houston exclaimed with joy.

"So cool! It must be like, only a few months until, like, winter." Bart observed, stopping the skateboard and turning to explain to Annalise. "Rocco's the neighborhood Racoon. He totally rocks. He's Grody to the Max. He pretty much like, stays on Rodeo Drive. But he usually comes out in like the Fall. Like Now. October." Bart explained.

"Righteous." Bart said, seemingly pleased with the sighting of Rocco.


"Rocco's probably getting ready for like, winter. Probably storing a bunch of food too. The Old-Timers on Rodeo Drive can't stand him. Because he goes through the garbage. But Houston and I like the little guy."

There was a quick surprise as Rocco bounced out of the bushes but she stood her ground and her smile widened all the more. "THAT IS AWESOME." she said excitedly. As she waved to the Raccoon. She dug in her backpack and pulled out what ever her mother had packed this time, likely some nutragrain bar, and waved it at the raccoon, she set it firmly in the bushes where the Raccoon had jumped out.

"Pfft, I think Raccoon's are A-Mazing." she stated "I was writing this story in class, about a talking one, just the other day." she said eagerly. Utterly as happy, if not happier than the boy's at the appearance of the raccoon. "So neat-o." she said happily, she zipped her backpack's pouch up and moved away aware from school that one didn't stand around and wait for wild animals to come back.

"They only do that, because houses are taking up their hunting grounds, stupid adults." she sighed "OF course Raccoons are gonna rut through the trash, its what they do to eat."

"Writing!?" Bart reacted, with surprise and eagerness in his own right. "Like, song writing for like, songs?" Bart asked and he hopefully looked over at Houston.

"Wow. A story-song about a racoon that lives in a house on a hunting ground" Houston said with a distant look in his eyes, as if he was thinking about the possibilities.

She smiled and tipped her head "Maybe, I am good at writing scary stuff, I am sure I could write something for you, if you know what the topic is you want." she offered still staring off wistfully the way the Raccoon went.

She gave a small nod to Houston. "I could write you a story like that too, if you really wanted." she offered with a giggle. "Imagine it." she laughed.

Bandit was a raccoon
      Who lived and roamed
      Under the Moon.

  Do you hear him scampering
      Do you hear him go
      Do you see him hunting
      Before the Snow.
      Before the Snow.


      His home was dark
      A hunting ground
      So Bandit made no sound.

  Do you hear him scampering
      Do you hear him go
      Do you see him hunting
      Before the Snow.
      Before the Snow.

She laughed at herself again as she sang out, it might seem foolish to some, however her confidence in herself was strong and she shrugged. "m'sure it could use work."

When Annalise started to recite the made up racoon song, Houston stopped drumming his sticks in the air to whatever song was in his head. His arms slowly came down, slackening by his sides. Then he tilted his head as if mesmerized by the song, his eyes looking far away at the horizon at nothing in particular.

"Whoa" Houston said in a low voice when Annalise was done.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 09:56, Tue 03 Sept 2019.

"Whoa is right." Bart said. He too had stopped moving. The skateboard was flipped up, full attention on Annalise. "That was gnarly. Do you want to like, write songs for the band?" Bart asked.

She gave a chuckle and blushed faintly "I mean I guess I could, if i had inspiration to do it." she agreed glancing between the two. "I mean you guys will have to help me out but --yeah why not ?" she said with a small shrug. "You'll need to figure out a name though, to be sure." she patted each of the boy's on the shoulder.

Everyone agreed that it was a good idea, and the kids continued on. Bart was slowly pushing on his skateboard and Houston was more or less waddling forward, using those drum sticks to beat out a rhythm and sound that only he was hearing in his head.



"Whoa, that's Wallace's house." Bart said, in a sad tone. "Wallace doesn't come out much. He's like, actually the only one on this side of the neighborhood, you know, on Rodeo Drive, who went to the Circus last year. Hasn't like, really come out since." Bart said.

Anna smiled and followed her new friends wandering along the streets still keeping her gaze on the road as they traveled, she didn't put her headphones on because it would be rude, but she hummed along with what ever 80's song was in her head at the moment.

When Bart slowed down so too did she glancing to the house as he spoke sadly. "Bummer, has anyone actually, ya know---checked up on him seen if he's okay ?" she asked glancing between the boys curiously. "I mean I'd want someone to check on me if I was in a bad way." she mused.

Houston shook his head in disappointment and he stopped doing his air drum.

"Tried to. I mean, me Bart, Gary and Edith. Even Jimmy has been over a few times. Wallace never answers the door. Usually his Mom answers the door and says.."
This message was lightly edited by the player at 23:10, Wed 04 Sept 2019.

"....,.,Like, sorry. But Wallace like, totally can’t come out to like, play. He’s like, totally bummed out, but I’ll like tell him you want to like play." Bart said, doing his best to convey to Annalise how Wallace’s Mom usually said it. Like that." Bart finished

She glanced between the pair and she shook her head lightly. "That's totally weird." she observed "Does he go to school ?" she asked maybe they could catch him at school. Still a kid who did want to go out and play, was so strange to Anna, she liked escaping the house to go play.

She gave one more glance to the house to remember which one was which. "Maybe we ought to try again." she included herself in that. She wasn't sure how well that would go over but she'd try. "So have you guys thought about Halloween, and trick or treating, and what to be ?" she asked since it was fall.

Houston's eyes widened.

"At School! I didn't think of that."

"Wallace hasn't been to school so far this year. He's missed the first month. Kind of like you just got here. But He's going to be there on Monday. That's what the kids on the block say." Bart said

"Oh, yeah, Halloween. I'm going to be a Rock Star!" Bart finished

She nodded to Houston and winked "Generally we can't get out of school." she said with a chuckle. She hadn't realized that there was such a thing as home schooling, her mother said she needed to be social, it was why she wasn't in some private school.

"I was thinking about being a fairy." she said with a shrug of her shoulder. "SO, Jagger or Bowie ? I mean I can totally help with the glitter and makeup ?" sure they were older groups, but she thought the world of both. She loved the music so it was what came to mind. "If we sprayed your hair up into spikes, did some glitter around your eyes, you could totally rock the look." she wasn't an expert not by any means but her mother did her makeup, and she was sure that her mother could help Bart out.

She just had an eye for detail.

"Yeah, Monday..." she agreed. "We should look for him, and at least set with him or something, it might make him feel better ?" she wasn't sure she snuggled with her stuffed animals when she felt sad or lonely, but friends were even better.

"How about you Houston , any plans for a costume you gonna be a rocker too ?" he was a bigger boy, but if he wanted to dress up as a rocker, he could possible do Meatloaf some credit.

"Jagger." Bart confirmed. "But really more like, Megadeath!"

Houston looked at Annalise and said.

"I wanted to be like, a drummer. But really I'll be anything. I want candy more than anything else. What did you say you were gonna be? And yeah, I can help spike Bart's hair!"

"Fairy." Bart said out loud to help out Houston. "It's like a forest kind of butterfly that only girls can be." Bart reassured.

Houston stopped air drumming and sounded out the words.

"Fair-eee" He said, jowls on his cheeks vibrating as his mouth moved slowly.

"It's like fair. And then you add the sound 'EEE'" he said to no one in particular.


OOC: Annalise Rolls Wits + Stealth with the following results

0 Successes: Nothing

1+ Successes: Annalise ****** that ****** is *****

She giggled and brought both her hands out expansively "A Fair EEEE" she laughed "Imagine it---a tent this big, with butterfly wings and like a belt of tickets." she was giggling already. "Jagger is good--" she appraised. Though she nodded to Houston. "Candy is always amazing, but I also like to pretend to be something I ain't."


21:15, Today: Annalise rolled 1 success using 1d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((10(+6))) no stealth for me, and I for the life of me couldn't remember if the -1 is for a dice or difficulty, so I rolled  a 4 & 6.

For some reason, Annalise was alerted to something behind her. It wasn't a kind of "Spidey Sense" from one of those comic books, but rather the same kind of sensation that someone gets when they catch someone looking at them.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw a small boy about twenty feet back. He was on a scooter. One foot shot out to propel himself forward, his tongue sticking out in furious concentration as he followed Annalise and her two new friends.

Anna paused not unlike in those comic books, and she gave a quick peek over her shoulder. She than moved a little closer to the boys. Don't look to closely, but umm, there is a boy following us, I am not sure how long he has been, do either of you know him ?" if it was his intent to run them off the sidewalk, he had another thing coming to him.

 If he was just someone looking for a friend, well friends could always be a welcome thing to the vivacious girl--within reason.

Houston looked back.

"Uh-oh." Houston said, seeming unhappy about the prospects of the young boy.

"It's Tag-along'" he remarked with a roll of his eyes.

"Houston, you wouldn't like it if someone reacted that way to you." Bart reproached. "It's not fair. Junior wouldn't like to hear that." Bart reassured.

Houston looked back.

"I know. It's just that he can be so annoying with all of his questions, questions, questions. It's like a bummer" Houston frowned

"It's just because he is like, totally little and stuff. You were like, probably, like the same way when  you were like, a little kid." Bart explained. Then he turned to Annalise "That's Junior. He's the like, only kid from Main Street that we usually like, see here on Rodeo Drive. He's always like, looking to hang out with the bigger kids." Bart explained.

"Most of the kids on Rodeo Drive, and even like, I heard on Main Street, they call him like, Tag-along. Because like, he's always trying to like, Tag-along. But like, that isn't like, fair to call someone that. But yeah, that's Junior."

She gave a small nod of her head and considered did she want little kids hanging around her. A girl with just two friends, shouldn't really be picky she weighed the options, but than she chuckled and gave and her two new friends a faint smile. "I don't so much mind the questions, its how we learn stuff you know, in the pageants they ask questions, and some of them are really, just--deep like how would you make the world better and things like that...so I guess it could be worse."

Anna stopped in midstride and turned so Junior could catch up with them. She wouldn't call him tag along because Bart was right that was totally cruel. He was little and he needed friends maybe.

She gave a toss of her hair and smiled brightly at the younger boy. "HI." she greeted him. "You look like your in a rush to catch up." she greeted Junior.

The little kid came to a stop in front of Annalise. He was sweating, even though it was chilly that October Saturday. He tossed his scooter to the side where it fell to the grass. Then he ran up to the three older kids, face beaming with excitement. He opened his mouth and then just as quickly closed it. Then opened it again:

“Are you guys going over to the tree house? Can I play, huh? I can come right? CanI play? Can I play? Can I play too? Can I Play?”

Anna watched him with a tip to her head and than she giggled when the spill of words followed. "I am not sure where were going. Your Junior right ?" she asked. It was an out for her two friends, if they didn't want to take the younger boy along to a tree house. She however held a hand up.

S'Ok for you to come along, but you have to not be loud, m'kay ?" she asked him "I'm Anna, I'm new, and I am getting a good sense of the neighborhood." she said calmly. "So right now all were doing is looking around."

Annalise could see that Houston was rolling his eyes. Apparently, he appeared not to appreciate Junior's presence.

"Uh-huh." Junior nodded his head vigorously. "I won't be loud. I won't be loud at all." He said.

Bart remained noticeably quiet.

"So, I can come? I can come? I can go with you guys to the tree house? Really?" Junior said, eyes boring into Annalise with enthusiasm. He wanted to know. Wanted to confirm that he was coming with the big kids. And, he wanted Annalise to tell him.

She glanced to the two quiet boys and gave a little shrug of her shoulder. She might wind up baby sitting junior at some point. Soo--- She mouthed "Bear with it." she asked hopefully.

She turned to Junior, and said "Afraid I don't know anything about A Tree House, but we are gonna go look around the neighborhood, you can come along, and maybe we'll get ice cream or something--" turning to her other friends she asked "Is there an Ice Cream Place around here ?" she asked.

"I like Ice Cream!" Houston announced

"There's an Ice Cream truck that like, comes around. Sometimes its like, totally in the park. But like, its too late for that. Maybe if it was like, summer time, then it would still be out. But now since like, we're in October, it probably won't be like, back for a while yet." Bart explained.

"Total bummer." Houston announced, this time with disappointment.

"But I can come with you."

"That's ok that there's no ice cream. I can just come with you. Because she said so." said Junior, not caring about the ice cream as much as securing his spot on the walk.

She sighed "Truly a bummer, there were ice cream shops in New York, I was hoping there might be one." she gave the little what can you do shrug. "Maybe we can go to the market and buy some cones or something." she was trying to come up with something Junior could do with them that wouldn't drive the older boy's crazy. She didn't want to scare off her friends, but she also didn't want to leave the little boy alone either, since shouldn't his parents be watching him or something ?

"Yeah, come on Junior." she said as she pointed to his discarded transportation. "Your gonna wanna get that so no one steals it." he might have to walk it the way that Bart was to keep with her and Houston.

To Houston she said "You can pick out the flavor if you want." since he said he liked ice-cream.

"We'll keep the tour up on the way there." Bart said, picking up his skateboard and pushing with one foot.

Junior was all smiles. He too picked up his scooter, though he had to push with almost three times as many strides to match the slow speed of Bart.

As the kids continued with the 'tour', Bart was explaining how the neighborhood had changed dramatically over the course of the year. He spoke about the disappearance of at least 10 kids from Main Street and how the police had been interviewing different people from Main Street.

Suddenly, Junior interrupted him

"Hey guys, want to hear a song?"

Anna blinked when he said at least ten kids had disappeared from Main Street and gave him a wide eyed look. You mean before I got here ? Or was it when the carnival was in town ?" she didn't know if there was a curfew or anything she realized. "Is there a curfew , did you know any of the kids ?" that was a bit chilling, oh it made her imagination kick in, but gods the things her nightmares could help fill in there chilled her and she paused for a moment to shake it off.

"Sure." she said to Junior, it might lift the chill she felt.

Annalise's words were lost in the wind. Or rather, drowned out by the sound of Junior's off key singing. She could see Bart's mouth moving, as he was continuing the tour of the neighborhood, but was not able to hear anything Bart was saying.

Junior proclaimed loudly.


This is the song that doesn't end.
Yes, it goes on and on my friends.
Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was,
And they'll continue singing it forever just because...

This is the song that doesn't end.
Yes, it goes on and on my friends.
Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was,
And they'll continue singing it forever just because...

This is the song that doesn't end.
Yes, it goes on and on my friends.
Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was,
And they'll continue singing it forever just because...

This is the song that doesn't end.
Yes, it goes on and on my friends.
Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was,
And they'll continue singing it forever just because...

Junior kept singing


OOC: Annalise Rolls (Stamina + Composure -1) with the following results

0 Successes: Annalise feels a creeping anger well up inside of her and it shows on her face. Junior's singing is just so annoying

1-3 Successes: Annalise feels a creeping anger well up inside of her, but it doesn't show on her face. Junior's singing is just so annoying

4+ Successes: Despite the racket of Junior's voice, Annalise doesn't feel any anger, she keeps her emotions under check.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:52, Tue 17 Sept 2019.

She scrunched her nose and tried to understand what Bart was trying to say. Though the song drowned it out and she turned to look at Junior. She reach out and tousled his hair. "That's a song I have heard before." she said. "You don't want to keep going because it will scare the bigger kids away." she warned.

But Junior did keep singing, like he didn't hear what Annalise said. He wasn't even looking at her, head cocked back to face the sky, belting out off-key notes with garish delight.


This is the song that doesn't end.
Yes, it goes on and on my friends.
Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was,
And they'll continue singing it forever just because...

This is the song that doesn't end.
Yes, it goes on and on my friends.
Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was,
And they'll continue singing it forever just because...

Junior kept singing


OOC: Annalise Rolls again (Stamina + Composure -1) with the following results

0 Successes: Annalise's stomach starts to tighten. Junior's singing is just so annoying

1-3 Successes: Annalise's stomach starts to tighten, but it doesn't show on her face. Junior's singing is just so annoying

4+ Successes: Despite the racket of Junior's voice, Annalise doesn't feel any anger, she keeps her emotions under check, her stomach isn't tightening.

19:46, Today: Annalise rolled 1 success using 4d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s ((5,9,4,3)). Lol even if she is successful XD She's about to show a temper.

She paused and her face scrunched up, and she pivoted on her foot to look at the screaming boy. Her anger didn't show itself in the normally ways, all people had their own way's of showing anger. Anna's was to get icy. She turned and glanced to Houston apologetically, and to Bart. Mouthing "Let's go." she had given him one guideline for going along he'd broken it. Junior was going to be stuck screaming lyrics to a heaven that was the only one listening.

Anna turned and moved quickly. She had tried to give the boy a chance, but if he didn't listen, she had to protect him from her own urges to shake him.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:51, Sun 22 Sept 2019.

"Urghhh." Bart groaned, the sounds Junior's off key singing really now starting to bother him

"I don't like your song!" Houston yelled, clearly over frustrated.

The kids picked up the pace, but Junior kept singing, actually striding faster to pick up the pace. He didn't hear what Annalise said. He didn't react to the grimace on his face. He just kept on singing away. And if he were in an alley, the dogs would have howled with him.


This is the song that doesn't end.
Yes, it goes on and on my friends.
Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was,
And they'll continue singing it forever just because...

This is the song that doesn't end.
Yes, it goes on and on my friends.
Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was,
And they'll continue singing it forever just because...

Junior kept singing


OOC: Annalise Rolls again (Stamina + Composure -2) with the following results

0 Successes: Annalise's screams at Junior

1-3 Successes: Annalise's almost screams at Junior, barely managing to control herself. He face scrunches up in rage.

4+ Successes: Despite the racket of Junior's voice, Annalise controls herself, just registering a grimace.