Fourth Wall Open Mingle Log Of Doom

[these_balls]

Who: ANYONE
Where: ANYWHERE
When: November 24th - November 26th
Summary: A MASS MINGLING POST
Rating: What are ratings
Log:


[Anywhere in Johto and Kanto, there are people interacting. Some of these strangers interacting with other strangers. Some of these folks are your old friends. The insanity has happened yet again, and boy will it be insane.

In short, this is The Ultimate Mingling post version 2, where everyone can run into each other again and again. Damage will only sometimes be repaired, but it doesn't matter--have fun with it! It's primarily for those in the fourth wall who run into another oddball from some other mythical land who's going "What's this place?" just like them, but for everyone who wants to just continue going nuts. Seriously guys, why did you guys let Sunny even bother writing a description. JUST DO FUN THINGS.

But try not to blow up the world, okay?

And as usual, any format is welcome.]

Comments

Harry Truman | Twin Peaks

[likewatson]

[If Harry were any more out of his element here in Goldenrod, he'd be on another planet entirely.

...though, at this point, he's wondering if that isn't exactly what's happened.

The latest item on the ever-growing list of Things He'd Like To Know is why has a small bird been following him around since he passed through Route 34, and why did he think calling it Waldo would be a good idea? Never mind the fact that it kinda, sorta, vaguely looks like a myna bird, he guesses. Like a fat pigeon/myna bird mix. Or something.

He's not much of a birder, okay? Now, if Hawk were here—

Someone carrying an awful lot of bags bumps into Harry and glares, a look Harry volleys back without hesitation. Waldo, sensing the tension, chirps, his feathers ruffling to the point of looking less like a Starly and more like a comical puff of plumage.

It seems the good sheriff's patience has finally reached its peak and subsequently taken a nosedive off the edge, and he is very much ready—nay, eager—for a round of fisticuffs.]

[worktodo]

[Okay, hold everything, one minute he was securely in his house and the next minute he's on the streets of what he's pretty sure he recalls as Goldenrod City (since they certainly stayed over there long enough for him to get used to the local landmarks), and why he's in Goldenrod City he doesn't know, but —

...wait.]

Harry?

[That cowboy hat. CAN IT BE?]

HARRY!

[likewatson]

[SPEAKING OF FISTICUFFS—

Harry whirls around at the sound of Albert's voice. Waldo, who took it upon his tiny self to start pecking at the stranger's shoe, does the same a few seconds later.

...and then he hops over and starts pecking Albert's shoe.

Meanwhile, Harry is staring, expression caught somewhere between "what" and "the fuck."]

[worktodo]

[What are you talking about, fisticuffs.

IT'S HUGGING TIME, BROSEIDON.]

[likewatson]

[Please pardon Harry for being puzzled by this development, because—okay, all confessions of love aside, his only memories of physical contact with this particular FBI agent involve LOTS OF SURGING TESTOSTERONE.

So he just kind of stands there, looking stupid.

And this appears to be the stranger's cue to shake his head and leave.]

[worktodo]

[Yeah, that's right, that stranger better leave. Can't handle all this manliness up in this business. And speaking of manliness, Harry is getting the MANLIEST BACK-SLAPPING HUG KNOWN TO MAN.

Albeit a brief and concise one, because they are in fact men after all.

Yeah.]

What the hell are you doing here? Don't tell me you just wandered in, too.

[And why is there a bird pecking at his—]

Is that yours?

[likewatson]

[Harry, who should receive a D- for effort, manages to get one quick, halfhearted pat in before Albert breaks away, at which point there is a fair amount of blinking.

IT'S LIKE HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT WORDS ARE.

Except then he does.]

I wouldn't say wandered. More like showed up completely out of the blue. In Twin Peaks one minute, here the next.

[He looks down, then shakes his head and gives the bird a little nudge with the tip of his boot to make him stop pecking. And hey—look at that! Waldo listens. Good bird.]

No. He just started following me back in... Albert, where the hell are we?

[worktodo]

Oh, hell, not you too.

[That's a familiar pattern. One minute there, the next minute here, disoriented and with no idea where you're at or how to get back. He did that himself, four months back.

...Four months. Jesus, it's been that long?]

The best I can give you is the local line, Harry, and it's a pretty unbelievable one. Coop tells it better. For right now, just stick with "this ain't Kansas, Toto".

[likewatson]

[That reply is all well and good for someone who isn't so over ambiguous explanations, but this is Harry.

And he is 3000% done with that shit.]

Then you'd better point me toward the Wizard, 'cause that answer's not gonna cut it.

[worktodo]

[Don't say he didn't warn you, Harry. With a classic Albert roll of the eyes, he obliges by launching into a rapid-fire explanation, voice tinged heavily with sarcasm and distaste.]

Yeah? Okay, Dorothy, here's what you're gonna hear when you get there. You've just wandered into a magical land called Johto where nobody's heard of paved roads, much less public transportation, ten-year-olds wander around alone in the dark woods with nothing but friendly animal companions to keep them from getting eaten, and some Nancy Homemaker thinks she's everybody's mom. Oh, and by the way, there's no way out, half the time physics decides it's tired of following logic, and you get a happy fun spirit guide, too.

[He scowls at the bird.]

It's probably that thing. Has it been hanging around you?

[likewatson]

[Well.

He asked for it.

Halfway through Albert's rantswer, Harry removes his hat. Unfortunately, that does nothing to help the information he's just received—if you can call it that—sink in any more easily, so he focuses instead on that very last part.]

For about two days, yeah.

[worktodo]

[HE TRIED TO WARN YOU, HARRY. This is why everyone should always listen to Albert. Always. Think of all the crises that could've been averted if people would've just done what he said.

BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.]

Okay. That's probably your...they call it a "starter" around here. It's your personal pet partner. Bad news? You can't get rid of it. Good news? ...hopefully you're a bird kind of guy.

[likewatson]

I'm not really an anything kind of guy, to be honest.

[Pets have never really been a Thing in Harry's life. Why take on the responsibility of another life when he's got a whole town to look after?

...but Waldo's kind of cute, he guesses.

And Harry really likes the way the bird's trying his damnedest to peck through Albert's shoe all over again. Memory like a goldfish, this thing.]

Partner for what, exactly? What am I supposed to do with him?

[tapestodiane]

<sub>[Planet, galaxy, timeline, parallell universe -- there's no way to tell what exactly Johto and Kanto is, but what surprises absolutely no one is that Coop really isn't hung up on trying to figure it out. He just knows it's different, that he's there, and that about covers the essentials.]

[Then, of course, there are weekends like this one. It's number four, and Coop had been bracing for it, so he's more or less unsurprised when everything shifts, although no less worried. There's not usually a lot of pleasant things in these happenings for him, nor the people he cares about.]

[So color him pleasantly surprised when he spots a familiar face. There has to be a double take there because it's been years, but ultimately he doesn't know a lot of people who favor cowboy hats.]

[Have a GLEEFUL interruption of that glare, bro. No fisticuffs here. Just a friendly armtouch as Coop just kind of slides into view instead.]</sub>

Harry! Time to settle down.

_{[c: ily man did you miss me I missed you]}

[likewatson]

[If not for the touch that preceded the welcome but entirely unexpected sound of Cooper's voice, Harry very well may have had the hell scared out of him. As it is, he instead merely snaps his gaze from the stranger's face to Cooper's, eyes going wide.

He's caught somewhere between exasperation (something Weird is happening—of course Cooper's involved) and relief at the sight of the FBI agent. A flurry of emotions duel for dominance in his expression; in the end, he's left looking befuddled.]

Cooper, what in the hell is going on?

[tapestodiane]

_{[And Coop really can't blame him. He keeps an eye on his bird, though, a bit wary, but returns his gaze to Harry's, changing that touch into a shoulder pat as he does.]}

That might be hard to explain even within the rules of this universe. Why don't we take a walk?

_{[What he means is that it's really not so hard to explain, it's just pretty damn difficult to grasp. And Goldenrod is crowded, which is probably doing nothing to Harry's mood, and Coop would like to be able to hear himself think before he tries to put this into words. Of course, steps are treacherous right now; even just one could take you an eerily long way or nowhere at all once you get onto the routes.]}

[likewatson]

[Waldo has actually meandered about halfway down the street, chasing (wobbling after, rather) the heels of the Rude Stranger. When Harry follows Cooper's gaze and sees his bird-companion-thing wandering elsewhere, he frowns. Surprising reaction is surprising.]

C'mon, Waldo!

[As the bird hop-flaps his way back (it appears the poor thing can't actually fly), Harry turns his attention toward Cooper once more, and nods.]

Sure. A walk sounds nice.

[And it's so easy, falling back into step like this. Harry has no idea where he is. He has no idea why all the animals look so weird. No one's bothered to explain anything to him—and then there's Cooper, like a light out of the darkness again, handling everything with calm ease.

Harry's never been one to relinquish control of the wheel, but he's found that such things are impossible to keep in hand when Dale Cooper is around.]

[tapestodiane]

<sub>[There's a subtle pause in Coop's step when he hears the name, for no other reason than to smile slightly at it. Waldo, of all things - but it kind of makes sense, because his first reaction to Julee's hatching had been a similar one. But he doesn't say anything about it, just makes sure to keep on the side of Harry Waldo isn't, and whistles for his own Strange Animal.]

[It's kind of ironic, really, that Sheriff is the one he'd been out with when he bumped into Harry like this. The dog gives his namesake an appraising look when he comes up to the pair before obediently stepping in line as well when Coop pats the side of his leg.]

[(He wasn't animal savvy at all when he just came here from Twin Peaks, but he's been in Johto for long enough to not even think about it anymore.)]</sub>

There aren't a whole lot of options unless you'd like to ride one of these animals, but I have a feeling that might be a bit too much a bit too soon.

_{[There's something lightly teasing about it, but he's probably right, isn't he?]}

[likewatson]

[Oh, look! Another weird-looking animal! Yay.

It's Harry's turn to look wary, and he does.

Dogs are one thing. Dogs with strange growths and slightly sinister-looking faces are in another ballpark all together. Waldo seems worried, too, and he starts scrambling against Harry's leg in an attempt to climb up.

So now Harry has Waldo on his shoulder—safely away from Cooper—and he really has to wonder what the hell Coop meant exactly what he said ride.]

I don't think I'll get very far with Waldo here. I think he might be a flight school drop-out.

[He could have asked, but what's the point? He's confident that Cooper will explain it eventually, when he's sure Harry's ready.]

[tapestodiane]

You'll be surprised to find what they can grow into.

<sub>[Spoken by a man who knows. He's the owner of a six foot tall owl, after all ... not that he ever hitched a ride on him. Owls are worrying.]

[But Harry's right in that Cooper will explain. Just after he gets one or two facts for himself. In the meantime, he doesn't actually comment on Sheriff's presence or do anything to try to ease that look on Harry's face, but he might still find that the dog is perfectly well behaved.]</sub>

But first, can you tell me when you got here?

[likewatson]

To be honest with you, Coop, I'm not sure much else can surprise me at this point.

[No, really.

Harry draws a breath and sighs it out, shoulders rising and falling.]

Two days ago, just around this time. Started off in some other town to the south of this place, picked up Waldo here on the way, and I've been in—what's this place called? Goldenrod?—for a few hours.

[tapestodiane]

_{[Coop looks back at him at that with a flash of a grin. One of those full ones, like he was just told a secret.]}

Wanna bet?

<sub>[Don't do it, Harry.]

[But the information is important - and so is the following question.]</sub>

New Bark Town? Mom's house?

[likewatson]

[No, Harry does not want to bet. He's not much of a gambling man in the first place, and he already knows this is one he'd lose.

He frowns.]

No, Azalea Town. Then there was a forest—I forget the name—and then route... 34, I think it was. That's where I met Waldo.

And now I'm here.

[tapestodiane]

Well, here is a good place to start.

<sub>["Here" being a park in the city that's not too populated, and that's where Coop's been leading them during the short walk - there are several of them but this is one of the smaller ones, tucked away between a few buildings and is one of his more favourite spots. It'll likely be decent enough for a proper walkthrough of what's going on. .. as proper as it can be, anyway.]

[Sheriff sits down by his feet as Cooper puts his hands into his coat pockets and stops walking once beneath the first tree, in favour of just looking at Harry.]</sub>

I take it the natives weren't all that helpful to you?

[likewatson]

[Leave it to Cooper to steer Harry away from the hustle and bustle and into an idyllic little patch of calm. It's enough to make Harry draw a deep breath and hold it, then exhale with a sigh that almost makes him smile.]

Not exactly. That a common thing?