Junior took a step back, as if he was worried that Shawn learning this information might affect Shawn's opinion of Junior.

"Well..yeah..." Junior said. "But he's not as good of a friend as you are!" Junior quickly corrected.

Shawn smiled, even as his mind raced. "Ralph's a really nice person, you've got a good friend. Did he bring Bobby along with him?"

Shawn could hear the tell-tale dragging or rather waddling of Ralph's feet. The fat boy's feet picked up speed in the nearby room, sounding like a small, fat train was heading towards the hallway where Shawn and Junior spoke.

"No." Junior said, this time with definite certainty and pride. It was clear he wanted Shawn to know that Bobby was not here, mostly because he didn't want Shawn to think that there was anyone else as important to Junior as Shawn.

"No one else is here. And no one else is gonna be here. I promise. If you're here, Ralph has got to go. There isn't enough room to fit Ralph and a movie star like you in my house. I mean, we're best friends!"
This message was last updated by the player at 12:25, Tue 07 May 2019.

Shawn kept smiling and shrugged. "Well, it's your house, I guess."

Ralph came waddling into view. His hair was plastered to one side of his face.  His shirt was untucked on the left side exposing belly fat that hung over the waist band. All the while he was fumbling at his hands as he came closer to Shawn and Junior.

"I...I...I...I..I..I..I..I..I...c...c...c..can...can't..." He stammered nervously

Shawn crouched down non-threateningly in front of Ralph. “You can’t what, Ralph?” He kept his tone friendly and kindly, encouraging Ralph to speak his mind.

"Oh, I think I know what he's trying to say." Junior said, temporarily forgetting how starstruck he was with Shawn's presence.

"He's trying to say that he can't find..."

"B...b...b..b...b..Bobby!" Ralph stammered, and with the last words, he reached forth and grabbed Shawn's shirt, filling his fat, little fists with cloth, gripping at Shawn in desperation.

Shawn did his best to hide his worry - there was no sense in scaring Ralph. But he felt a pit open up in his stomach. "When did you see him last?" It was a distant hope, but maybe he'd just gone to the park to play and was completely fine.

"I told him he probably just went for an early morning walk. Because big kids do that kind of thing. They get up faster than younger kids." Junior observed. "That's why Ralph is here really. I mean, I think he was looking for you Shawn."

Ralph nodded his head vigorously. "W..w..w.w.w.was looking ..f..f..f.f.for you...B..b..b..b..b..b..b..but there...wa..a.w...w..w...was a p...p..p..p..Police car!" Ralph stammered, finishing Junior's line of questioning, but not answering Shawn's question.

Shawn nodded seriously. "The policeman was looking for Tiffany, so he's probably fine. But just in case, I think you should go home and wait, just in case Bobby comes back." If he could get Ralph to safety, he could get Junior on his side and then maybe Michael and Anthony. Whether Bradford had anything to do with his disappearance or not, dealing with him would make Bobby and Ralph safer.

"D...d..d..d.d.ddon't want to...g..g..g..g.g...go.....h..h..h..h..h..h..home..a..a..a..alone!"

"Ralph, you'll be fine." Junior said, eager to get Ralph out so he could be alone with his best friend Shawn.

Shawn tried to look sympathetic to Ralph. "Don't worry, Ralph - there's a police car in the neighbourhood right now. You'll be safe if you go straight home. And isn't it only a few doors down? We'll watch you from the window to make sure you're safe.

"I don't know if you can calm him down." Junior said, as Ralph stammered and stammered away. Ralph's blubbering was now on the verge of becoming a full break down. A little kid about to erupt into a wave of emotion.

He would have to calm down if he was going to listen to anything that Shawn or anyone else said.

OOC: Shawn Rolls Wits + Manipulation + Specialty + 2 (Ralph is an ally of Shawn) with the following results

0 Successes: Ralph cannot be calmed down. He will not listen to Shawn

1-4 Successes: Ralph calms down. The next roll and number of successes will determine if Ralph listens to what Shawn wants Ralph to do.

5+ Successes: Ralph calms down. It is not necessary to perform a separate dice roll. Ralph will listen to what Shawn tells him to do.

OOC: 07:48, Today: Shawn Cramer rolled 1 success using 8d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 7,10(+7),3,6,4,4,1,7.  Wits + Manipulation + Specialty + 2 .

Not sure what sort of specialty I can use - there's no specified skill. I can roll an extra die with "Acting" if I can use anything?

Ralph calmed down slowly and Junior reacted. "Wow!" Junior remarked. "You're even good at...at...at...!" He let the words unfinished.

Shawn put his hand on Ralph’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, it’ll be okay, Ralph.”

"Yeah Ralph, it will be OK. I mean, Bobby is a Big Kid. Not like you and me. He's not small for his age like I am. And he isn't fat for his age, like you are. He isn't famous like Shawn is and that's probably the worst thing he's got going against him. I mean you're fat, and you're ok. And I'm small and I'm ok. So Bobby will be alright." Junior said, trying to be helpful

Shawn was a little small for his age, but he wasn't going to bring that up right now. "I think what Junior is trying to say is, Bobby's probably all right, and we shouldn't make things worse by panicking right away.

Ralph was now just calming himself down as Shawn had had tried to make him do. Calm as the boy was, he was clearly still worried. His hands were together, folded near the pouch of fat belly that hung over his waistline. Those chubby fingers fiddled and fiddled and fiddled with nervous tension. Still, he was calmer and now able to speak.

"I....th...th...th...th...th...think..tha...tha...tha...tha..tha..that...H..he..he...g..g..g..got..Bobby.  I...th..th.th..think...tha...tha...tha...that...Bra..Bra...Bradford...g..g...g...got...Bobby."

Ralph stammered and he stepped closer to Shawn to show he was in fact really worried. Ralph had never spoke this way, at least not since the new Ralph and Bobby had gained a new family.

Shawn nodded seriously, trying to show that he was taking Ralph seriously, but not panicking and making matters worse. "He may have, Ralph. But there's a police officer over at his house right now, so he can't do anything right away. We just have to be ready for when he leaves."

"Wh.wh..wh..wh..wh..wh..wh..wh..what-u I do!" Ralph asked Shawn pleadingly. Tears came down Ralph's face, and it was clear that he was on the verge of panic all over again.

"Geez Ralph!" Junior said with a nervous smile. "Don't worry. Shawn is a big kid. And he's a movie star. He knows what to do in situations like this. Don't you Shawn?"