Sheriff Harry S. Truman (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
likewatson) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
route_10652012-12-04 10:51 pm
likewatson) wrote in route_10652012-12-04 10:51 pm
i'm on my way
Who: Harry Truman, Carmen Sandiego, Dale Cooper, and Albert Rosenfield
Where: Cherrygrove, en route to and eventually in Saffron
When: The morning of December 5 and the afternoon of December 8
Summary: Carmen picks up Harry for a Great Reunion back at the Justice Farm.
Rating: PG
Log:
The estimate had been three days, and that was almost exactly how long it took Harry and Waldo—and later, Henry—to reach Cherrygrove. It was nice enough, as far as hikes go; the weather was accommodating, if not almost nice, and his first wild Pokémon encounter wasn't a complete disaster thanks to the fact that he parked under a tree not long after leaving New Bark Town and read his Handbook cover to cover. Even Waldo handled it well. In the end, when the little Sentret fainted, Harry felt something almost resembling pride.
...except that feeling immediately churned over to guilt, so out came a PokéBall, and that's how Harry met Henry.
Unfortunately, it wasn't all fun and adventure. Exciting as the journey was—and wow, did Harry take some notes—the whole scene was tainted by a shade of worry that made the sunlight a little less bright, the sky a duller shade of blue. Something was wrong with Cooper, that much was clear, and the fact that it was coming from three different sides made it all the more concerning. Harry would have been worried enough, just going on Albert's little hints that something was up, but no—Harry had to get confirmation from Coop himself, only to have it further, if subtly, confirmed by Carmen shortly after. Carmen, Coop's girlfriend.
The thought was enough to make Harry stop in his tracks a few times and run a hand over his face. Sure, it was easy to get lost in all the newness around him, forget about all the weird time differences, the things he'd missed—but then he'd remember just as suddenly and would wonder, with a small itch of anxiety, whether or not he was ready for all that seemed to be hovering just over his head. Hovering and waiting to fall, just as soon as Harry found his way to the others.
But then he'd spotted Cherrygrove in the not-too-far distance and realized his time for worrying was up.
*
It's morning when Harry leaves the PokéCenter, all clean and fed and dressed in his dapper new clothes. On his way out, he asked the nurse why in the heck he had a suit in his bag in the first place, but she'd just blushed and giggled and looked away.
He feels a little nervous, truth be told. It's one thing to meet Carmen. It's another to meet Carmen so he can fly to God knows where on the back of a thing (and yeah, he still hasn't been able to picture that one in his mind at all). But to meet Carmen so he can fly to God knows where on the back of a thing so he can meet up with Cooper and Albert with all this mystery surrounding everything? That's a little too much, even for him. Even coming from Twin Peaks, that's a bit much.
It has to happen eventually, though, and he'd rather have it happen sooner than later. He doesn't want to be here on his own for long.
And, judging by the time displayed on his watch, he won't be.
Where: Cherrygrove, en route to and eventually in Saffron
When: The morning of December 5 and the afternoon of December 8
Summary: Carmen picks up Harry for a Great Reunion back at the Justice Farm.
Rating: PG
Log:
The estimate had been three days, and that was almost exactly how long it took Harry and Waldo—and later, Henry—to reach Cherrygrove. It was nice enough, as far as hikes go; the weather was accommodating, if not almost nice, and his first wild Pokémon encounter wasn't a complete disaster thanks to the fact that he parked under a tree not long after leaving New Bark Town and read his Handbook cover to cover. Even Waldo handled it well. In the end, when the little Sentret fainted, Harry felt something almost resembling pride.
...except that feeling immediately churned over to guilt, so out came a PokéBall, and that's how Harry met Henry.
Unfortunately, it wasn't all fun and adventure. Exciting as the journey was—and wow, did Harry take some notes—the whole scene was tainted by a shade of worry that made the sunlight a little less bright, the sky a duller shade of blue. Something was wrong with Cooper, that much was clear, and the fact that it was coming from three different sides made it all the more concerning. Harry would have been worried enough, just going on Albert's little hints that something was up, but no—Harry had to get confirmation from Coop himself, only to have it further, if subtly, confirmed by Carmen shortly after. Carmen, Coop's girlfriend.
The thought was enough to make Harry stop in his tracks a few times and run a hand over his face. Sure, it was easy to get lost in all the newness around him, forget about all the weird time differences, the things he'd missed—but then he'd remember just as suddenly and would wonder, with a small itch of anxiety, whether or not he was ready for all that seemed to be hovering just over his head. Hovering and waiting to fall, just as soon as Harry found his way to the others.
But then he'd spotted Cherrygrove in the not-too-far distance and realized his time for worrying was up.
It's morning when Harry leaves the PokéCenter, all clean and fed and dressed in his dapper new clothes. On his way out, he asked the nurse why in the heck he had a suit in his bag in the first place, but she'd just blushed and giggled and looked away.
He feels a little nervous, truth be told. It's one thing to meet Carmen. It's another to meet Carmen so he can fly to God knows where on the back of a thing (and yeah, he still hasn't been able to picture that one in his mind at all). But to meet Carmen so he can fly to God knows where on the back of a thing so he can meet up with Cooper and Albert with all this mystery surrounding everything? That's a little too much, even for him. Even coming from Twin Peaks, that's a bit much.
It has to happen eventually, though, and he'd rather have it happen sooner than later. He doesn't want to be here on his own for long.
And, judging by the time displayed on his watch, he won't be.
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There are several reasons Carmen likes to be up in the air, actually; the fact that it's soothing is just one of them. There's also the benefit of the vantage point it gives her, able to see more and appreciate the geography of her surroundings better than when her feet are on the ground. It opens up a third dimension of movement, which contributes a great deal to the feelings of freedom and independence she relishes. It gives her altitude that she can turn into speed if she wishes, satisfying another frequent craving — this time, the urge to go, to move, to engage in something and indulge in the adrenaline that so often accompanies it. And yet paradoxically it's also meditative and quiet, peaceful and rhythmic, listening to the sound of wingbeats and charting out her course toward the next unknown.
And then, of course, there's the very practical reason that air travel is so much faster and more efficient than any of the other alternatives she's found yet in Johto, and while there's something to be said for a slower pace and more tedious circumstances, she hasn't forgotten the frustration of waking up in New Bark and being left to walk everywhere she wanted to go. She has her wings now, and if she has her way she'll never go back.
So it's the least she can do, she thinks, to put them to good use every once in a while. And offering Sheriff Harry Truman of Twin Peaks a ride, well. If that's not a good use, she doesn't know what is.
It's late morning when she gets in to Cherrygrove, and the weather is chilly but the sun is high and rising in the sky as she and the Baron — her Dragonite — come swooping in from over the water to the west of the city. She has the advantage here in that she knows who she's looking for; thus far, Cooper's sheriff has only heard the sound of her voice. Old habits die hard, and some never do at all. So she'll have to be the one who finds him, and not the other way around.
In the end, it takes two passes over the city. The first proves unsuccessful; the second, taken at a lower altitude, yields results in the form of one very dapper gentleman in — is that a suit?
Well. He certainly cleans up well, doesn't he.
Skimming low to get his attention, she waves from her perch on the Baron's back, then loops back up in the air to burn off some excess speed before making her second approach — one that ends in her casually dismounting mid-swoop and gracefully leaping the last few feet to the ground while the dragon heads skyward again.]
Hello, Sheriff. Nice to see you.
[And how's that for a first impression.]
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And yet, the word dragon never once crossed his mind. So when the sound of not-so-distant wingbeats flutters in on the breeze and he looks west, he's hardly expecting to see a dragon.
But no.
That's a dragon, all right. His childhood was filled with enough of that stuff for him to know a dragon when he sees one. And that sure as hell is a woman on its back. A woman. Riding a dragon.
Harry doesn't even have to wonder whether or not that's Carmen. He just knows. Like part of him expected it, almost. Leave it to Cooper.
This entire situation flips from frightening to hilarious in a matter of seconds due to its sheer absurdity, and Carmen might catch a glimpse of Harry cracking up as she swings back around to try the landing again. By the time her feet hit the ground, the giggles have mostly made their way out of his system.
Mostly.
He doesn't look shocked or scared or even all that bowled over, but he does look happy.]
You must be Carmen.
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Meanwhile, on the ground, Carmen spends roughly half a second making sure that whatever's prompting Harry's laughter, it's not that he's laughing at her (something she doubts from the get-go, but such are the demands of her ego), before letting the good humor infect her as well. He's just that sort of person, she comes to realize after a moment — the sort who, when happy, has a knack for making everyone around him happy, too.
No wonder her detective is so fond of him. And so much the better, because a lifted mood is precisely what he needs right now — and precisely why she's here.]
What gave it away?
[She touches her fingers to the brim of her hat, tipping them good-naturedly as she offers a smile in return.]
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[And here we have Harry, reaching up to tip his own hat in return.
You know, the one he's not wearing.
What he winds up doing instead, to try to not-so-stealthily cover the fact that yes, he really almost did just do that, is run his hand through his hair and offer Carmen a wry grin.
Whoops.]
So. A dragon, huh? Were you fresh out of winged horses?
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[And her word choice there is deliberately ambiguous; it goes without saying that he's connected to Cooper — but there's also the implicit offer to forge one with her, too. It's certainly not difficult to like him, and his actions have done nothing but reinforce that since the first time they spoke. And besides, after the fiasco with Albert, it's only prudent to try to make sure things stay on good terms from the get-go, nowadays.
She casts a glance over her shoulder in the direction of her dragon, then looks back and surveys the undeniably dapper man in front of him.]
I'll introduce you once he comes back down. Where's Waldo?
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He follows Carmen's gaze and gives a low whistle. Between her and the dragon... man oh man. Friend or otherwise, Coop's a lucky guy, and Carmen's well-timed shift of attention very nearly catches Harry taking in his friend's good fortune.]
Waldo decided he wanted to raise hell inside, so I put him back in his Ball. I'm tellin' you, Carmen, he's a pint-sized terror. One second he's fine, the next...
[Insert vague, holy fuckballs my bird is insane gestures here.]
Nearly took a chunk out of my finger last night. You're welcome to meet him if you want, but cave avem.
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GOLDENROD → SAFFRON
A dragon(ite). A giant owl. Lots of flying on said creatures' backs. Some vague, harmless flirting here and there, a decent amount of talking and worrying about Cooper, a pile of questions not addressed by Harry's manuals.
Waldo seems calmer, though not by much. Henry, at one point, almost wandered off. Harry is exhausted. Goldenrod is huge.
Though trains can't possibly hold a candle to flying at this point, Harry's happy to be on the move in a comfortable seat with his hands to himself for the first time since they set off on this little journey.
Not that Carmen wasn't an excellent anchor.Ten minutes into the ride and Harry already appears to be melting into his seat, head lolled to one side so he can watch the scenery pass by without making an effort to actually turn and look. Restless as he may feel on the inside, he plans on doing as little actual moving as possible for the next six hours.]
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Flying doesn't bother her, but she's not about to deny that it's nice to just sit and close her eyes, soaking in the warmth of the heated car and relishing the feeling of being out of the wind and chill at last. And it had been tempting, too, the thought of trading out some of her roster and pulling out Navi just for the sake of having something soft and warm near her for the ride, but in the end the idea seemed to be more trouble than it'd be worth, and so it's Zack in her lap instead, snuggled in and contently beeping and booping to himself every so often.
Six hours of someone else doing the driving, she muses tiredly, pulling her collar higher on her neck and closing her coat a little more securely. Once, she'd never have stood for it. But right now, that sounds just fine to her.]
We're in the home stretch.
[As if in agreement, Zack boops amenably.]
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Animals with strange abilities. Animals that don't quite look like animals, like Zack. Harry stares at the little Polygon—or was it Porygon?—for a moment, sleepily thinking that he sounds like a fax machine. A duck-shaped fax machine.
Then his gaze drifts to Carmen, worn-out Carmen, and a little pang of guilt gets him right between the ribs. She didn't have to come all this way just for him. He could have managed the trip on his own, somehow—he would have made it entirely on foot, if he had to.
But he didn't, because Cooper found himself someone who cares for him enough to do what Carmen did.]
Listen, Carmen, I really owe you one for this. Thank you for coming to get me.
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It's also one she's pondering at length primarily because her thoughts are drifting from topic to topic at the moment, unfocused and aimless where normally they're considerably more refined and coherent. And the familiar, soothing sound of Zack's noises is only contributing to the lulling, hypnotic draw of exhaustion.
She perks up a bit, though, when Harry answers; her remark had been as much a way of temporarily breaking the silence as anything else, and if he hadn't responded, she would've been content to leave it at that. But the rekindling of conversation brings a measure of focus with it, and she tilts her head to look away from the scenery rushing past outside the window and over to her companion instead.]
You don't owe me anything. It was something I could do.
[And doing something is always preferable to being left with no way of making a difference. Especially when it comes to circumstances like this.]
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In response, he merely smiles and tips his hat to her, then tugs the brim down over his eyes.
Sleep hasn't come easily over the past few days. He's been too plagued by worry aimed at unreachable targets: Coop, Twin Peaks. Josie. Now that he knows he's only a handful of hours away from being able to take care of at least one of those things, the apprehension fades just enough for him to take a deep breath and relax.
It'll be temporary, he knows, but never let it be said that Harry Truman doesn't seize Opportunity by the cojones.
It's too bad it hasn't occurred to him to apologize for being such an emphatic snorer.]
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Still, she gets herself comfortable as best she can and arranges herself so she can still see out the window, alternating between keeping her eyes open and letting them fall closed as the minutes slowly begin to melt away.
(Zack, meanwhile, continues to amuse himself, hopping back and forth between the seat and her Gear — and when she looks down at one point, she's only mildly surprised to find that the red light is on and the screen is emblazoned with [AUDIO: RECORD]. Harry's snoring, it seems, might just be showing up in a remix one of these days. She'll have to remind Zack to give credit where credit is due.)
But for the most part, she just passes the hours by thinking of Cooper. Harry had called from midair at least once, back while they were still in transit. She hadn't. She'd wanted to, but...no. One thing at a time. They'll get back. He'll be there. And maybe all together, they'll be able to come up with something to do.
And miles to go before I sleep.
No.
And miles to go, before I sleep.
NO.
She slings an arm over her eyes, frustrated, and a few minutes later she picks out the familiar tone of a new message on her Gear, but she ignores it. A few minutes later, the sender of that message abruptly becomes clear, when (seeing as how his previous attempt at getting her attention failed) Zack hops out of the Gear once more and bobs up and down on the floor of the compartment, beeping and booping in a rapid-fire set of dots and dashes that she only just barely manages to decipher.]
Shhh. Quiet down.
[Though the damage may already be done, considering.]
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[And currently in the house is a Twin Peaks trio, about to become a quartet.]
[But he's probably just reaching again; finding patterns. It's something he likes doing to occupy his mind.]
[Currently, that also involves scratching Emily behind the ears, the Espeon curled up on the counter next to where he's standing. His other hand is predictably holding a cup of coffee as he waits. It's obvious that that's exactly what he's doing and he wouldn't deny it if asked, but the kitchen isn't all that occupied right now and so nobody does. And it's about to be even less so.]
[Once he hears the front door open he sets the cup down and murmurs something to Emily which prompts her to stretch and jump down from the counter to follow Cooper out into the hallway to greet the new and old arrivals.]
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And the house sure is a surprise. Of all the images that flickered through his mind's eye, none of them were quite so... domestic. Saffron itself is a big city—far bigger than he's used to, anyway, and he wouldn't have imagined that a gem like this existed within walking distance of the train station even if Carmen had told him.
Hell, Harry would already go as far as saying it looks downright cozy.
But he checks his judgment at the door for now, because the atmosphere is the last thing on his mind. Call it what you want: tunnel vision, fixation, whatever. Priority #1 is Cooper.
So when he follows Carmen inside, you bet the first thing he does is try to zero in on Coop's location.
And then the smell of coffee hits him.
Speaking of open arms, Cooper better be ready for a hug, because it's coming.]
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[It's surprising just how much comfort Coop finds in it, actually, and Harry will probably find very quickly that he's more than happy to hug back.]
[But when he does eventually pull back he keeps hands on the sheriff, giving him a smile. It's not a bright sunny grin, but it's sincere and warm.]
Good to see you, Harry.
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Harry hasn't been away from Cooper for this long since his arrival in Twin Peaks a little less than a month ago, and that would have been fine and dandy with Harry if, in that time, Cooper hadn't turned into little more than a name tossed around in worried tones.
But he did. After nearly a week of worrying, nearly a week of Not Talking About It with Carmen or Albert or anyone, the image of Cooper-as-he-knew-him began to fade from Harry's mind and all he saw when he thought of his friend was the somber face that greeted him back on the first day. Harry didn't want that to happen. And it all seemed to deteriorate so quickly...
He pushes the thought away, focusing instead on the fact that things are already better. Cooper's still in one piece (and not as fragile as Harry was led to believe, since that tight hug didn't snap him in two), and he's smiling. He may not be the same exact Dale Cooper Harry knew, but there's no one else in the world who smiles quite like that.]
You too, Coop.
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[Of course, nothing quite beats the real thing, and having Harry there is ... calming, soothing. No wonder they'd hit off pretty much instantly, really - Harry's grounded in a way Cooper might not always be, something he also finds in Albert a lot of the time, but where Albert likes a rational and seemingly cold approach to things Harry has a warmth in the same way Coop would describe his town.]
[He looks over at Carmen, expression softening in a quiet thanks she probably doesn't see: sleep has to catch up with everyone at some point.]
Trip go okay?
[Small talk, sure, but what's not said in it might be there in the way Coop's still lingering a loose grip on Harry's arm. And as a bonus touch there's Emily now rubbing against his legs, as if subtly mimicking her trainer.]
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And for all that he can tell, Coop looks okay.
Then again, Harry knows better. But that can wait.
He follows Cooper's glance toward Carmen, expression softening into something like fondness.]
Just fine. You've got yourself quite a girl there.
[The sudden brush against his leg makes him look down. Speaking of good looks...]
Who's this?
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She held out. She made it. She's been there and back again.
But right now this couch is soft and this house is warm and she is so damn tired.
Hold down the fort, you bonny Twin Peaks men. She'll just be over here closing her eyes and finally, finally restinnnnzzzzzzzzzzz.]
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It's not his job to babysit Coop. He's a grown man, he can handle his business. He's not going to smother or mother-hen him, no matter how much he probably needs it. He'll just keep working and checking in where it's necessary, and one by one the days will pass until things start getting back the way they ought to be again.
And speaking of things getting back —
...was that the front door.
Was that the sound of workboots on his living room carpet.
WAS THAT THE SUDDEN AURA OF YOKEL PERMEATING THROUGHOUT HIS HOUSE.
He strips off his gloves and out he goes, cutting through the kitchen at brisk deliberate speed, determined to greet at last the sheriff who's kept them all waiting a week.]
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Oh. Speak of the devil.)
He looks up once he's finished fussing with a button, expression breaking into an immediate grin. If you had asked him whether or not he thought he'd ever be glad to see Albert Rosenfield about a month ago, Harry would have laughed and laughed and then tested you for operating under the influence. But they'd become almost friendly after their last scuffle, and Albert did have the honor of being the first person to greet Harry here.
And yeah, okay. He's pretty glad.]
It's about time.
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HARRY, YOU BEAUTIFUL BASTARD, YOU SUITED UP.
Too bad about that smoothing, though, it is manhug time round two.]
Good to see you, Harry.
[The vitriol can resume once the hugging is complete.]
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But first, Harry returns the hug with enthusiasm, maybe even adding an extra squeeze in there because he's less worried about Albert's ability to handle such things than he is about Coop's.
Also, he may be a little caught up in the mood of Justice Farm Love Fest '12. WHATEVER.]
Nice place.
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and oh, hell, now Harry's wearing one too.]
I know. I bought it.
[OBVIOUSLY.]
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So he releases his grip on Albert and straightens a little. Ahem. Yes. Right.]
Never expected you to have such—
[How to say this without accidentally offending the man of the house...?]
It's... quaint. I'd have pegged you for something a little more modern.
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