Soon enough Shawn and Mom were waiting in line. Not five minutes in, Mom had gone from buoyant excitement to annoyance. "What's taking so long!" she complained. She hopped up on her tippy-toes as if to check how long the line was or to see if there was some kind of problem that might be holding the line up other than the fact that it was Halloween night and Party City was selling their last costumes.

"This is taking so long!" Mom complained. "We can't wait this long." Mom said to Shawn. "You're too important to wait this long. You're going to be a movie star." Mom stepped out of line for a second to check the front of the line again, then stepped back in.

"Urgghhh." she groaned.

Shawn was used to waiting a while for things to happen on sets, so a five minute line didn't really bother him that much. What did worry him was his Mom clearly getting impatient. He decided maybe if she were distracted, the wait would go faster. "Wow, this is a long line. Is this the longest line you've ever been in?" He asked the question innocently, but he knew she liked telling him stories about her life.

"No!" Mom said. "But's it's close." She looked around with a grimace on her face, clearly upset at the status of waiting.

"Part of not being special is waiting." She commented in disgust. "When you wait, it means you aren't special. It means that you're just like everyone else."

Mom got down to Shawn's level looking him in the eye: "And you are important." Mom emphasized to Shawn. "More important than anyone here." She commented.

"I used to think that the world was a place that would recognize that." Mom lamented, getting back up to check on the status of the line, which was now moving.

"But now I realize that when it happens, it will because we fought and sacrificed for it." The line suddenly moved quickly and Shawn and Mom were at the front door.

It looked like a mad house at the Party City store. People were running around and grabbing costumes, children were left without parents, pieces and accessories lay on the floor as greedy clients fought for the last of the costumes from an inventory that had been picked clean.

More than anything, Shawn was just glad they'd made it through the line without his Mom loosing her temper. He looked around the chaos at the Party City - he knew he'd have to look really hard for a good costume with so many people already having picked through - he might even have to mix and match.

There were adults everywhere. It was crowded as that one scene that Shawn had done on top of a fake pirate ship. Kids ran in between the adults like they were part of some kind of chaotic pirate ship mutiny.

A girl came running out of the crowd.



"I've got bells!" She yelled, carrying a bunch of jingle bells that were probably left over for last Christmas or in preparation for the post-Thanksgiving Christmas sale to come this year.

She collided with Shawn, the bells falling everywhere jingling and jangling. She fell on her butt but didn't' even bother to look at Shawn, so focused she was on collecting the bells. Kids from other parts of the store gathered around to pick up the bells or just to look as others grabbed what they could in the chaos.

"Oof." Shawn stumbled a little, but managed to balance himself against a nearby shelf. He knew he was here to get a costume, but at the same time, he didn't want to look like a jerk who ran into a girl and just ignored her. He bent down and started picking up bells too. "Here, I'll help."

But it was too late. The girl scrambled to her feet in the middle of the floor as kids scavenged all around Shawn to pick up the bells. She grabbed what she could and ran off.

Shawn felt a little awkward, being so clearly ignored. But things were pretty crazy, so he just set the bells on a nearby shelf and started looking for his own potential costume in earnest.

Shawn saw that there were several costumes on display amid the chaos. There were your standard werewolf masks and vampire fangs. On a large rack was the costume of a large clown. Freddy Kruger claws sat splayed open on a display booth. Then there was a tuxedo as if made for performances on display next to a mannequin.

Mom pulled up alongside Shawn.

"Urghgh." She said in disgust, though it was hard to say if that was because of the chaos or the selection.

Shawn shied away from the clown costume - after everything he'd been through, he wasn't going to invite that kind of trouble. "Hmm..." He grabbed a set of vampire fangs, and looked closer at the fake tuxedo costume. Maybe a dracula costume?

"Now that looks really special." Mom said, oozing with joy over the idea that Shawn had picked something formal or at least gentleman like. She ran her fingers over the cheap fabric. "It looks like its of high quality." She said.

She flipped the price tag over and didn't seem too upset at what she read. "It looks like its made in Taiwan, so you know its important." She reasoned. "How exotic!" She said.

Shawn nodded agreeably, glad that he didn't need to push too hard to get his Mom's approval for one of these costumes. He held out a set of vampire fangs. "Maybe these could go with it too?"

Mom looked over at the fangs. "Sure honey." She said, still touching the tuxedo's fake, cheap fabric.

"This is great. This kind of costume will really make you look good in front of your friends. You'll probably be the best dressed person on the block. There's nothing better than saying goodbye to your friends on one last night looking good. You know? Looking your best before you say goodbye. That way they'll see you like that." She explained.

Shawn didn't like the thought of it being one last night...and looking at the tuxedo, he felt a little suspicious that events outside his control were conspiring to choose his costume. But he wasn't going to argue with his Mom. "Sure, that looks like a really nice idea."

The wait online was really long. But it had its advantage in that Mom grabbed a bottle of fake blood to go along with the fangs that Shawn had picked up. It didn't look like the 'high quality' make up that Shawn had scene on more than one movie set. But, in the presence of other kids it probably would be more than acceptable.

Emerging from the store with the costume and make up, Mom and Shawn got into the car. Cars were hoking their horns as they drove by. People were chatting all dressed up in costumes near Party City. There was a revelry in the air and the sun hadn't even gone down yet.

"How late are you going to stay out?" Mom asked Shawn.

OOC: Shawn Rolls Empathy + Wits with the following results

0 successes: Shawn isn't sure what Mom is getting at

1-3 successes: Shawn knows what Mom is getting at

4+ successes: Shawn knows exactly what Mom is trying to get, and can read the situation. Shawn will be able to influence her decision (+1 rolls with Mom for rest of scene)

OOC: 12:40, Today: Shawn rolled 1 success using 3d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 8,5,2.  Empathy + Wits.

Shawn could guess what Mom was getting at: She wanted to make sure that Shawn would be seen by everyone in his new costume. While other Moms might fret about safety or provide some kind of curfew, it was clear that Shawn's Mom wanted Shawn to be seen. She wanted everyone to see him.

Mom stared at Shawn and waited for his answer.

Shawn could tell the answer his Mom wanted to hear, and fortunately it was more or less the answer he wanted to give. "Well...I wanna get to as much of the neighbourhood as I can." He legitimately enjoyed Halloween, after all, and he wanted to spend time with his friends.

"That's right." Mom agreed, pulling the car out and driving towards the neighborhood. There was a deep ache in Shawn's stomach as Mom spoke:

It was both an ache and welling up of desire. And it was totally involuntary. It started from the base of Shawn's stomach and then it worked its way up his chest. At first it appeared as if the feelings were related to the excitement of Halloween. And indeed, perhaps they were.

But then there was a tugging feeling that seemed to snap everything into focus: It was....

OOC: Shawn Rolls Wits + Composure with the following results

0 Successes: Shawn is on the verge of understanding this feeling, but then something happens and he loses his sense of direction

1 Successes: Shawn has a vague feeling that he knows what this involuntary feeling is all about

2+ Successes: Shawn knows exactly what he needs to do and why this feeling has welled up within him

OOC: 17:32, Today: Shawn rolled 2 successes using 4d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 1,8,1,8.  Wits + Composure.

"I'm going to drive you home and drop you off on the corner and you can meet me at the stop sign at 11 P...M.." Mom said, emphasizing the latter initials in a 'adults-being-cool' way to show Shawn she was really serious about letting him stay up late. She gave Shawn a smile as if she was expecting a 'thank you' or as if she wanted Shawn to say something like 'wow, you're a cool Mom.'

But even as she said this, the feeling that Shawn had in his stomach continued. It was clear after a while, that it was Mr. Clayton. Too long had the puppet been left alone. It was a nagging feeling like Shawn's own stomach was telling him that it was time to get back to practice.

Shawn knew what his Mom wanted, and had no problem giving it to her. "11pm? Wow, Mom, you're the coolest!" He knew he had to go see Mr. Clayton, and he'd need to go inside to change anyway. Maybe he could kill two birds with one stone.

The rest of the ride was in silence, Mom displaying a broad smile that indicated she was very happy. It was because Shawn had told her that it was really 'cool.' Shawn knew this was the case because Mom said "I'm really happy that you said that it was cool Shawn. It's really important that I know that I'm the coolest Mom that all of your friends have. Being important and noticed by everyone is the most important thing that you can do in life. That, and being really popular and good looking." She said to Shawn, her tone switching to one of motherly advice.

Then she pulled over the car at the stop sign and reminded Shawn that he was to meet her at that very stop sign at 11PM.

"Have a good time!" Mom told Shawn, unlocking the door so that he could step outside into the familiarity of his neighborhood, his house where he lived with Dad just down the street.

Shawn waved at the car and watched it until it was completely out of sight. Then he turned around and headed towards what he still thought of as his home, carrying his bundled up costume with him.

OOC: Shawn Joins Thread

Shawn: Halloween - Sunset