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.