[SCENE] Ron and Daryan in "The Great Chase"
Ron: *It's a sunny Saturday afternoon in L.A., and Ron emerges from a little hobby store with a treat for himself -- some vintage Valant POGs, along with a few others featuring the Gramarye Troupe. He had lost the ones he had since childhood when they were confiscated during the investigation of the murder at People Park, never to be seen again, and he finally found a place that sells the now obsolete collector's item. He clutches a tiny white shopping bag in one hand and a fountain drink from McBurgers in another, sipping from it and happily basking in nostalgia*
Daryan:: *Daryan is walking down the street, holding a soda with no lid on it in one hand and talking on the phone with the other* Yeah...I know...Look, man, that guy knew the risk about playing football. It was my job to stop him and breaking a rib or two shouldn't be a shock to us. *brief pause as the person on the other side of the call talks* I don't care if his job also depended on him being 100%, man!
Ron: *he's lost in his own thoughts and not paying much attention to his surroundings. He finishes off his drink tosses the empty cup into the trashcan on the sidewalk. As he does, that brief moment when he's not watching where he's going, he accidentally bumps his shoulder straight into Daryan's*
Daryan:: *As Ron bumps into Daryan, the soda that Daryan had in his hand splashed him right in the face. There's a brief pause as Daryan flinches both from the drink hitting him in the face and his typical anger before talking on the cellphone.* Listen, I'll call you back. *With that, Daryan hangs up the phone and looks at Ron* Hey! What don't you watch where you are going?!
Ron: *blinks at Daryan with embarrassment as he realizes what he's done. He clutches the envelope-sized bag to his chest as he begins to stammer apologetically* Ah! I-I'm sorry! I was-- You're right. I really should've been paying attention to where I was going! I mean, I usually do, but this time, I don't know, you know how sometimes you kind of space out and before you know it you end up doing a thing like this...
Daryan:: *Daryan starts to try to wipe off the excess liquid from his face and then remembers who Ron was* Wait a minute, man...You're that...person who graduated from Cromartie! That wuss!
Ron: I... HEY! *his brows furrow in realization* You were on Diego's journal! *defensively* I'm not a wuss! That's a baseless accusation!
Daryan:: Like hell it is, man! You even wussed out when you bumped into me! Trailing off like that and clinging to your bag of whatever!
Ron: Errgh... *shrinks a bit, but there's still some fight left in him* It's not "wussing oooooouut!" I was just trying not to escalate things. That's what you're supposed to do when someone's being aggressive, you know! And for the record, these are vintage POGs. *he says the last part as though he has the right to be indignant about it*
Daryan:: *The last part raises Daryan's interest, as he still remembers the personal humiliation he had when he thought that the Valant pogs he found at the People Park murder was a clue * Pogs, you say?...I thought no one buys those things anymore.
Ron: *brightening a bit* Well, you're right... they don't. Which is why I had to search all all over for these limited edition Gramarye Troupe POGs! You see, I used to have some I owned when I was little, but I lost them a few months ago... in a fire, I think...
Daryan:: *The facts click. Gramarye pogs, Ron losing them a few months ago, a fire...Daryan realizes that he finally found the little bastard who left those stupid things at the crime scene.* So..it was YOU! You were the one that owned those stupid things in the tent back at the talent show at People Park, man!
Ron: *flinching, he takes a small step backwards* People Park? Y-yes, I was there... *blinks* Wait... You saw them??
Daryan:: Saw them?! *Daryan takes a step forward* They were next to a dead body! I wasted time thinking that it was a vital clue to that case all because of you and your stupid pogs, man!
Ron: Oh! *a small, nervous smile* I'm sorry about that.... But maybe you shouldn't be quick to jump to conclusions next time? Ahaha... *laughs awkwardly*
Daryan:: *Daryan cracks his knuckles* No way, man. It's too late to apologize...I suggest you start running. Now.
Ron: *the colour begins to drain from his face as he realizes Daryan isn't going to let this one fly. Eyes wide, thoughts begin to fly through his mind; he could restrain him, but what good would that do? Daryan would just come after him as soon as he lets him go, and it's not like the younger man's done anything illegal... He decides the best option would be to get out of his way so they can both go on with their own business*
Ron: *Ron takes a few slow steps backwards before turning and begins to bolt -- and here we see why he was able to evade the police so well during his life of crime. He's fast... very fast. He runs down the street at top speed as he holds the bag to his chest, evading other people with great stealth*
Daryan:: What the-?! *Daryan is shocked by the speed at Ron is running. He never seen anyone sprint like that before but Daryan shakes off his surprise and starts running after him.*
Ron: *glancing back, his mind begins to panic when he sees Daryan is actually chasing after him. It's a busy holiday weekend, and there are many people out today -- they're slowing him down, but not by too much, as he cuts around anything in his way with expertise*
Daryan:: *While Ron cuts through them with skill, Daryan just plows right though all of the people, he's slowed down a bit by some of the fatter people but he manages to get through them without losing sight of Ron.*
Ron: *straight ahead of him, a bus opens its door in front of an orphanage to let out a group of small children. Some of them are already on the sidewalk. He focuses his sights and picks up his speed, managing to zoom right past them before any more come out to block up the whole sidewalk*
Daryan:: *Like before, while Ron chooses speed and carefulness, Daryan uses straight-out power and runs right past the little orphans, knocking them down like bowling pins. However, one of them managed to latch onto Daryan's torso, begging Daryan to take the boy with him, but Daryan just wrenches the little whelp off and tosses him into a nearby open dumpster while pursuing Ron.*
Ron: *next, he approaches the exit of an underground parking lot, where a slowly emerging taxi cab gets in his way. He leaps up, bounding off the hood of the car and landing back on the sidewalk to continue on, not even looking back to see the angry cab driver getting out to stand behind the hood, ready to yell at Ron*
Daryan:: *As the cab driver screams curses at Ron, Daryan comes from behind, jumps on the hood of the taxi and then on the cab driver's hunched-over back before landing on the ground before landing on the sidewalk to continue the chase. The cab driver is left on the ground, complaining about his hernia.*
Ron: *he can tell without looking back that Daryan is still hot on his trail. To his horror, there's a big crowd of people blocking up his path ahead of him. They're watching some street artist making elaborate paintings using nothing but cans of spray paint, paper laid down on the ground. He's performing in an open area, and the artwork he's completed so far is laid out on the concrete to dry in front of him. As Ron can't just run into the road, he chooses to go straight through that open area, slowing down a bit and taking special care not to step on the artist's pieces, before zooming off. The artist looks up at him, watching him run off with a puzzled expression*
Daryan:: *Daryan doesn't even slow down as he runs through all of the pieces of paper that the artist laid out, seeing how he could barely keep up with Ron as it is. Some of the artwork sticks to Daryan's boots for a second before falling off and landing anywhere the wind takes them, even in a large puddle on the road.*
Ron: *quietly wonders to himself when Daryan's going to give up as he passes by a few Christian nuns standing outside a church, holding charity donation boxes and asking people to spare their generosity. He backpedals for a moment, fishes out some loose change and drops them into the box, taking off again immediately afterwards*
Daryan:: *Daryan cursed to himself as he saw the nuns getting in his way. He prefers not to piss off anything that can strike him down with lightning and other mysterious methods. But Daryan's on a mission and he thought about saying sorry to the nuns as he knocked the donation boxes out of their hands as he ran through them, but they probably wouldn't have heard him say it.*
Ron: *adrenaline rushing through his veins, Ron keeps on going at a fantastic speed, only slowed down by people in his way... but when he reaches a busy intersection, the traffic light tells him not to walk, and so his speed drops as he reaches the corner to politely stand and wait with the other pedestrians*
Daryan:: *Daryan sees the cars speeding by on the road and the "Don't walk" sign and slows down as well at the corner, taking the time to catch his breath for a second and recharge.*
Ron: *as he waits, his eyes awkwardly flick back to Daryan who is right behind him every so often, until something else catches his eye* Oh... I didn't know little café on the corner got shut down. When did that happen?
Daryan:: *Daryan is bent over so he doesn't see that Ron is asking the question* 'Bout a month or two ago. Ran out of money, man.
Ron: Looks like it's going to turn into another Starbuck's. *frowns* That's a shame.... I haven't been there in a while, but I liked the owners.
Daryan:: Yeah, they had some decent-*Daryan looks up and sees he's been talking to his quarry.* Hey, wait a minute! *Daryan bends back up and reels back to throw a punch at Ron*
Ron: Eep! *ducks, the "walk" sign turning on just in time. He begins to run again, and his stamina is still going strong as he zips down the crosswalk to the other side of the road*
Daryan:: Dammit! *Daryan recovers from the missed swing and takes off after Ron, his stamina slightly drained, but the minute to rest helped.*
Ron: *the sidewalk begins to go sharply uphill, and at the top, there's a woman doing some produce shopping in front of a quaint food store. She tugs at a mini watermelon under a big pile of them -- she's picky, and she has to have that one -- and when it finally comes loose, it causes the whole pile to collapse, rolling off the slanted display crate and onto the sidewalk. One of them knocks over the woman's shopping basket on the ground, causing other assorted fruits to join the sidewalk. They tumble down towards Ron, who dodges and jumps with quick, precise footwork, never once stepping on one as he clears that particular obstacle*
Daryan:: *Daryan managed to avoid the watermelons and the other groceries that rolled down the hill, the timing of each obstacle resembling the exercise he did at practice with a ladder that was put on the ground. He also grabbed an apple and an orange as they rolled down the hill. Daryan started eating the apple as a quick pick-me-up and then threw the orange at Ron.*
Ron: *as Daryan's aim still needs work, he misses, but Ron gulps when he sees the orange whizz past the side of his head. Clearing another block, there's a blind woman with sunglasses and a guide stick coming down the opposite direction in the middle of the sidewalk. He quickly sidesteps to avoid getting in her and the stick's way and keeps running*
Daryan:: *Daryan thought about pushing the blind woman out of the way, but decided against it as the cane might trip him up as she falls. Daryan also sidesteps around the woman and dumps the half-eaten remains of the apple into a nearby wastebin*
Ron: *looks behind his shoulder -- Daryan is still after him. The adrenaline is starting to wear off, and he's slowly losing his endurance. When he brings his sights forwards again, he sees two men holding a large sheet of window glass between them, carrying it from their truck* Pleeeeease get out of my waaaaaaaaay! * The mens' eyes widen and they step aside to avoid Ron, who thanks them as he zooms by*
Daryan:: *Daryan spots the two men carrying the window glass and shouts* Hey! Move it, ya lazy bastards! *Again, the two men move to let the running guitarist chase after his prey*
Ron: *the two men breathe an audible sigh of relief when the chasee and chaser go by without harming the glass... then proceeds to walk off and drop it straight into the dumpster where it shatters, dusting off their hands with a look of satisfaction*
Ron: *making a sharp corner turn, Ron goes down that street -- and goes straight into a parade. A big float of Uncle Sam has a banner that reads "Annual Post 4th of July Parade: It's Never Too Late to Love America!" The streets are packed with spectators, and weaving through the crowds slows him down significantly. When he manages to get through the most congested parts, he's running down the street with a stars and stripes top hat on his head, miniature American flag in one hand and a hotdog in the other. He wolfs down the dog and ditches the cheap souvenirs*
Daryan:: *Daryan hits the corner turn half a second after Ron does and pursues him through the crowd, never losing sight of the target. But as he emerged out of the crowd, there are lit sparklers and a mini flag in his hair which he brushes off (taking care with the sparklers so his hands don't get burned or his hair set on fire) before following Ron*
Ron: *moving on, he comes across a flight of concrete stairs where some teenaged skaters are going down the railing and the sides with their skateboards, filming each other. He comes across an unused skateboard at the top of the stairs, and stops for a split second, considering it... then shakes his head before choosing to take the sane route, leaping down the steps as fast as possible*
Daryan:: *Daryan sees Ron going down the steps and then looks at the skateboard before deciding to sit on the rail and slide down, pushing a kid that was grinding down the rail off to land in a bush to the right of the stairs.*
Ron: *Ron skips the last 5-6 steps with a long jump, landing nicely onto his feet and continuing the run. A perturbed young man with a digicam at the bottom of the steps goes up to Daryan as he slides down, clearly ticked off.*
Skater: Hey, man, what the hell! What you do that for?!
Daryan:: Because I can. *Daryan then pushes the kid with the camera out of the way, face first as he chases after Ron.*
Ron: *bounds down the street, running with all his might and picking up some speed again. He takes another sharp corner turn and goes down an alleyway. When Daryan nears it, Ron comes back out, running in place as he quickly informs him between breaths as he gestures towards the alley:* Can't go down that way. Construction.
Daryan:: *Daryan puts on the brakes and stares at Ron for a second, the notion that the person that he is trying to beat up is stopping to talk to him confuses him* ...Are you trying to have me kick your ass now?!
Ron: S-sorry! *sprints off again, but he's on his last wind. The chase has taken a toll on him, and he begins thinking to himself:* Must think quick... Must think like Mask*deMasque... What would Mask*deMasque do?! he then spots his something in the distance, and a light bulb flicks on over his head*
Ron: *going through a crosswalk, he runs straight into a large hotel. The large banner above the entrance reads: "Jedi Expo 2020: Welcome, Star Wars Fans!" He nabs a white bed sheet from an abandoned linen cart and wraps it around himself, disappearing into the lobby crowd of costumers*
Daryan:: *Daryan follows Ron into the Jedi Expo and sees...nothing but losers. Not only that but quite a large number of them are dressed up like Princess Leia from Episode IV: A New Hope, right down to the white cloth for a dress and the cinnamin bun hairdo* Aw crap...Where the hell did that bastard go?
Daryan:: *Daryan eyes all of the Leia cosplayers closely, looking for Ron and he spots one that he thinks is Ron in disguise. He walks up to the cosplayer and rips off the white dress with a single tug* AH HA! GOTCH- *Unfortunatly for Daryan, the cosplayer turned out to be an actual woman, wearing the slave outfit that Leia wore in Return of the Jedi* Uh..My bad.
Nerd: *the Leia cosplayer shrieks, and her boyfriend -- a hefty bearded Han Solo -- glares at Daryan from behind his glasses* Hands off my girl, pervert!!
Daryan:: Hey, fatass, it was a mistake. Thought your diva was some guy in disguise. Now piss off before I jam my fist into one of your chins!
Nerd: *as the hefty Han Solo fumes, a scrawny Luke Skywalker with a bad acne problem steps up to Daryan with sternness in his cracked voice* Hah! Your overconfidence is your weakness! *he raises his plastic light saber*
Daryan:: *Daryan just looks at the rail-thin nerd trying to act tough and does the right thing. The only thing. He punches the dork right in the face* And my fist is yours, loser!
Nerd: *Luke yelps and stumbles back back, holding his face. a short, full-figured old woman in her 40's dressed as Yoda -- complete with fading green face paint -- waddles up and points at Daryan* Anger, fear, aggression, the dark side are they.
Daryan:: *Daryan kicks the middle aged Yoda wannabe in the gut* Good god, is there a single one of you freaks that isn't a total nutjob?!
Nerd: *as the woman keels over in pain, a somewhat well-built Mace Windu with a slight paunch and a bald cap booms:* This party's over.
Nerd: *a very tall Chewbacca nabs Daryan and lifts him up by the collar of his jacket from behind* Rwaarrraaaaaaarrararr!
Daryan:: Hey! Let me go, ya bunch of filthy nerds! Put me down, dammit!
Ron: *a bunch of Imperial stormtroopers march in, the con goers crowd around with their lightsabres, and together they unite to beat the crap out of Daryan as con security attempts to break up the commotion*
Ron: *meanwhile, Ron slips back out of the hotel and drops the sheet, running across the road just in time to hop onto the bus. It drives off, and he looks out the window to make sure Daryan isn't following as he catches his breath. He sits down and checks inside his bag to make sure nothing fell out. Yep, all there.* Phewwww.... *slumping back in his seat, he hopes that's the last he'll see of the scary shark boy...*