whitetwoguns | But I ain't no madman.

We went to Rockefeller Center. [A lot of snow and cheer all around.] I'd never been there. She talked about it every time New York came up in the conversation. They always show it in the movies you know.

Yeah, it was a nice time. [The skating. He can tell Freddy anything, right? That's how they've come to be. Good and bad. Maybe if there wasn't so much tension, so much of a looming ending it would have been more enjoyable.] Say, you're doing great so far.

I ain't ever been either. Hell I've never been to New York, always begged to go as a kid though.

[Larry can tell him anything and unlike with a lot of other people he's encountered Freddy will tell Larry anything. Well, almost anything, voluntarily that is. He skates out a little more into an even pace.]

Was it nice like the movies?

It's a hell of a town, just like they say it is. [Business was booming. Which is why he made frequent trips.] I never did much sight seeing on purpose at least not until that trip. I liked what a saw though.

[Skating along, Larry tries not to move too quickly around the kid but it's all coming back to him. Not to show off or anything, but he attempts to move backward.]

Yeah. Snow falls on the ice, kids are all over.

[One thing Freddy is glad for is that this story about Rockefeller Center didn't take place when he was still toddling around. Not that he cares for the age difference, sometimes it just makes relating a little different.]

I wanted to go because that's where Spiderman is you know?

[Fff. Show off. He skates a little more to catch up with the stuntman.] So you're into that? With Sinatra playing over the speakers?

[The kid's teasing. The image alone is charming.]

I knew there had to be something involving comics that you wanted to see. [Only because Larry doesn't know all about conventions.] Spiderman is in New York, so who's in LA? Besides you I mean.

[Now he skates around Freddy, not too close in case brushing past him will knock him off balance.]

Sinatra sounds great that loud. [Is that something Freddy would know?] Gets you in the mood, makes you feel like a high roller.

Yeah, when I was a kid. [Like a real kid, not the kid he is now.] Later on I wanted to go to see what it's like, big city, not a sprawl like LA, and still nothin' like San Francisco either. [Never call it Frisco.] Just never got around to it though, I got busy.

[aka. He joined the force. He watches as Larry does a showy circle, fff. As for who's in LA, he just smiles at that obviously ego stroking/fanboy bullying remark. That it can be both at once coming from Mr. White is still a charm.] No one really sticks around in LA. You know why?

[A kid is a kid is a kid.] Big doesn't even begin to cover it. You could live there and you still find new shit, I heard.

[Never Frisco, never NYC when you are there.] Show me what you got. [Since they're on the ice. The way he was talking Larry was sure he'd have to hold onto him.]

No one sticks in LA because I'm there. [Mr. White could easily be a name for a super hero type. It stands well. Badass without being Mr. Black.]

I believe it. [About New York.] I still wanna see it sometime.

[What?] Hahaha. No. [He's putting you down cold, Mr. White.] The landscape doesn't look good in panels. After downtown and west LA what do you have left? You really think anyone's interested seeing the Human Torch crawl through the valley? [You know, anyone besides Freddy.] Or Tony Stark getting soaked on Sunset?

[Actually that last one's probably been done. This kind of begs the question as to why Freddy moved to LA at all. He skates a little faster to keep up with Larry. Watch out, the kid might gain more speed than he bargained for.]

Okay. We'll go. [Bang. Comes out faster than he can even think about it. Because they're a we. Going together would make it more enjoyable. Scoping out pizza joints, seeing how tall that fucking Empire State building is. Taking in that whole skyline from a hotel room, yeah that's part of his plan already.

All the talk about LA, a city he dreamed of as a kid himself pulls Larry out of his slowly expanding fantasy.]

Why the fuck not? Sounds like people don't know how to draw it. That's all.

[Woah, wait. Faster? At his side, Larry increases speed too.]

Hey. Getting close to the edge there. Stop. [.....he knows how to stop right?]

Okay, Larry. [And just like that the kid accepts it. Just like he said they'd go get tacos. It sounds right to him, why wouldn't he say no to something like that? Like we.]

Uh.

[That's not for his remark on drawing the LA 'skyline' either. Behold, Lawrence Dimick, the reason why Freddy Newendyke says he can't ice skate. The kid leans his weight one way to follow the curve of the pond's edge, but taking it too fast only makes him go toe to toe with the edge on the end of the curve. He comes to a stop there...by pitching forward face first into the snow. And here Larry thought it was his ass that needed investing.]

[New York is for pizza, LA is for tacos. At least that is what is stomach tells the old bear. The point of it all is the company.

The same company that's heading face first into a snow bank. Oh wow. He didn't see that one coming or else he would have sped up, anticipated to try and grab him. Or...tried to walk him through it.]

Shit.

[Two seconds and he's right there.]

Y'alright? [No rocks hidden under the snow, hopefully.]

Everything is movable?

[Freddy gets up on his hands and knees. The pants keep his jeans from getting damp at least. Shake shake shake. He shakes that floppy haired head much like a dog.]

I'm alright. I think. Cold. [Now he grabs a hold of that big paw to hoist himself up.]

[A moderate hoist in case Freddy is too ready to get launched back into the motions again.]

You wanna try that again? This time slow it down. [Or rather, the snow dog gets to do the moving. He'll observe.]

This time don't bother leaning forward, turn both of your skates to the side. Think of it as skidding to a halt rather than a dime stop.

I'll try.... [And back onto the ice the snow dog goes, already getting back into his original (slower) pace.] I told you I couldn't skate.

[Because that sounds less ridiculous than 'I can't stop.']

Bullshit. You can skate, you're fine tuning.

[Which sounds better than, you don't know how to do it right. No need to crush his ego anymore. Plus, when you say you're going to teach someone how to do something, you don't flat out say they can't. That must have been in a sport flick.]

Once again. Ease into it all. No rush. Gain a little speed to glide then stop.

Okay, coach.

[That's said with tons of affection as Freddy gains a little more speed to circle the entire (small) rink once...only to come gliding towards Larry who may or may not have the reflexes to get out of the way soon.

Aw not really he's gonna stop...or try to. He does just as directed, glides and turns abruptly. This only ends in the kid speeding in the turned direction...then tripping forward on his toe stop. This fall happens right on the ice, sending Freddy gliding to a nice slow stop at the edge.]

Ow...

[High expectations had the old man thinking he would have stopped before bumping him. But bumped he then gets out of the way and attempts to grab Freddy before he slips. Oi. Larry rubs his forehead. That's gotta hurt.]

Okay. Hold still, I'll help you up. Nothing feels funny?

[Two scoots and he's right there, helping that lug up eyeing the ice for blood. Any scraping on that face?]

Just my face. Feels a little numb.

[The kid rubs at it while getting lugged back onto his feet. No scrapes or blood, just red on the right side of his face.]

It's a lot easier on wheels.

[Two sets of hands can rub at it. Smoothing over his eyebrow and rubbing the not-quite-there-at-all sideburns.]

Could just be the cold. [It don't look bad besides the red.]

I never tried it with wheels. [Is it that easy? ...or is it that hard? Larry's thinking over other ways to explain a stop.]

Tell you what. Stay there. [He can stay still in one place right?] Watch me a few times, then I'll break it down. Then you try again.

You can't stop like that with wheels.

[For the record. And yes he can stand still gosh the kid's not so inept, old man. Freddy just nods against those hands then turns to stand by and watch. Larry's going to make it look easy, he knows it.]

I'm watching.

Rubber brake pads wouldn't work on ice anyways.

[Okay. Okay. Sheesh. He doesn't want Freddy to bust his head or break something. So sue him. Alright, since he's playing spectator, Larry goes for a quick little turn about the rink...pond.]

I'm gonna put more weight on one leg than the other, it's kind of a scoot.

[Turn, scoot, which makes him come to a stop.]

Like that. See? [Repeats the scooting sort of motion while he's standing still.] Kinda like you're trying to scoot a can that might be full out of the way. You don't wanna kick it or that shit'll get all over your shoes.

[Oh he's watching, listening, drinking it all in because that full can hasn't budged. Then after the demonstration and instruction, the kid has one observation to make.]

You know, you're real light on your feet. [For a guy like you, his tone implies.]

[What the fuck Newendyke that was not the point of the exercise. Larry doesn't smack his own forehead but he certainly looks at the other man. It's a compliment so he doesn't need to get that indignant but this is a learning exercise, shit come on kid.]

On ice.

[The kid as seen him run. Bears aren't known for speed or agility then unless they're leaping to maul. Something like that.]

Need me to do that again? If I can do it, you can do it.

[Oh come on old man, he was paying attention, he just couldn't help but make that observation too. See, the kid's good at looking like he's doing one thing while also doing another. But really there's no need to go down that road of conversation now that Larry's well aware of Freddy's capabilities...as something other than an ice skater anyway.]

No, not yet. Let me try it.

[He insists, back to business now. The kid glides a bit to gain more speed, not as much as the previous time, so when he does scoot it's to a sort of stop. Nothing abrupt and certainly without any spray of ice. But, it's a stop. He wobbles.]

Like that?

[Who the hell knows what they're teaching officers these days, and rarely is Larry ever an admirer of these things but this kid here's got talent.]

Okay sure.

[He pulls back to watch, not making a peep in case if that is counter productive. Not quite a complete stop. It's a California roll. Still, the old man beams.]

Atta' boy. Do it again.

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