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Absalom J. Cooper ([info]coopjustcoop) wrote in [info]snyderville,
@ 2009-11-29 14:32:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:absalom cooper, remy clements

Who: Rémy Clements, Cooper
What: Manly men doing manly things. Together. Without touching.
Where: Lake Manabe
When: Sunday, the ass-crack of dawn
Rating: G
Status: complete


Cooper had made sure to be the first one down to the prison's main entrance. He was sitting there in his pick-up with the motor idling when the twitchy little French kid arrived with the fishing tackle. He'd rather not ride in the kid's hearse. That vehicle had a reputation.

The trip through town and out to the marina didn't take long. Cooper parked at the end of the dock, climbed down from the cab, and took in the array of luxury boats bobbing peacefully in their slips.

"So. What do you think?" Surely at least one of these babies would have the keys in the ignition.

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[info]taxidermist
2009-11-29 08:27 pm UTC (link)
Rémy was relieved to see that Cooper was already in his truck and waiting when he arrived with all the fishing supplies he could carry; not having the 'your car or mine' discussion saved him from having to explain his unfortunate possession of the hearse. He'd made sure to dig a container full of fresh worms to use as bait, and to pocket his glasses for the day. He'd lost more than one pair in the past while leaning over the side of a boat attempting to bring a fish in. He was also dressed unseasonably warm in his usual wool coat and a (not very well-thought-out) ushanka sitting on top of his early morning bedhead. In his haste to get outside on time, he neglected to consider the fact that A) it wasn't in the least bit chilly and B) dressing like a communist was unlikely to improve his own reputation any. But he was half-asleep and spent much of the ride there trying to keep his eyes from falling shut.

Once they'd arrived, he got out and squinted at the yachts Cooper had indicated.

"I'd say any one of those beats the hell out of a dinghy," he said. He couldn't say that any of his fishing trips back home had involved any luxury vessels.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-11-29 08:36 pm UTC (link)
"Ain't that the truth." Cooper grinned as he went around to the bed of the truck and started unloading all their gear. In addition to the cooler Frenchie had requested, he'd brought a big thermos of coffee... Absolutely essential for any endeavor.

He waited for the kid to pick out a boat. So far, Frenchie was making a surprisingly good impression. He wasn't overly talkative; that was a big plus in Coop's book.

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[info]taxidermist
2009-11-29 08:50 pm UTC (link)
Walking up and down the line of boats, Rémy examined each one in turn for any imperfections, including possible zombies still lurking aboard. As much as he wanted a break from being cooped up and worrying all day, he'd hoped that fighting zombies wouldn't be a part of this Sunday's agenda. At last, he stopped in front of one, after having passed it by a good three or four times.

"This one looks sound, and nothing too flamboyant." he suggested, though he waited for Cooper's approval. He hoped he hadn't been mistaken, since he knew exactly nought about yachts. Cooper seemed all right enough thus far, and was probably more knowledgeable (Frenchie thought) about things like this.

"At least there should be a lot more fish if we're the only ones out there," he said cheerily, looking quite pleased to be in his element, for once.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-11-29 09:03 pm UTC (link)
The boats were small enough that Cooper felt confident that if any zombies were aboard, they would have heard them by now. Just to be on the safe side, he clambered aboard the one Frenchie indicated, taking a moment to click on a pocket flashlight, poke his head inside the cabin and take a look around. More good news; the key was indeed in the ignition.

"No zombies," he called out, perching awkwardly in the driver's seat and examining the controls for a second before turning the key.

The engine turned over on the second try. Leaving the boat idling, Cooper emerged from the cabin with a triumphant grin.

"Let's load 'er up and cast off."

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[info]taxidermist
2009-11-29 10:58 pm UTC (link)
Rémy breathed a sigh of relief when Cooper emerged sans zombie news. He gathered up their gear and half-lumbered, half-hobbled over with his arms full of equipment. Then, he went back to get the cooler. He held it up to hand to Cooper, eager for cast off.

"People'll be happy to see some fresh meat, I think," he said, struggling as he hefted up the fishing things. "At least I'd hope so."

Once the gear was safely aboard, Rémy boarded the boat himself. He stretched, then gave the boat's deck a test hop, feeling the familiar loll of the gently rocking boat beneath his shoes.

"Good thing corpses can't swim," he commented with a relaxed grin.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-11-29 11:16 pm UTC (link)
"Don't count your fish before they're caught," Cooper improvised, grabbing gear as Frenchie handed it up and setting it down in a haphazard jumble on the deck.

Truth be told, he was feeling optimistic about their prospects--and even if they didn't catch any fish, a day outdoors without having to constantly be on guard for zombies would be a nice change.

"I reckon if there was any corpses in Lake Manabe, they'd have got up and walked to shore by now." Coop said cheerfully. "How about if you drive, kid?" He moved to the prow and untied the rope holding the boat in place at the slip.

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[info]taxidermist
2009-11-29 11:52 pm UTC (link)
Rémy's eyes lit up. No-one had ever let him drive a boat before! Of course, this also meant he hadn't the faintest idea how to drive a boat, but that was beside the point. He sauntered over to the driver's seat and sat down. So this was what fishing in luxury felt like!

"It's like a Bond movie," he said boyishly, glancing over his shoulder as he tried to back the boat out of its spot. His lack of depth perception resulted in his crashing the boat into the one behind it, effectively shattering his superspy illusions. He winced, but managed to scrape by without any other collisions on their way out onto the lake.

"I hope there aren't any down there. That'd ruin the nets," he said with a frown, steering them out into the middle of the lake.

"Are you an outdoorsman, sir?" Rémy asked the other man conversationally.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-11-30 12:08 am UTC (link)
Cooper hid a smile. James Bond had crashed a few vehicles in his day, but never while trying to back out of a parking spot. No real harm done. They'd be dropping anchor as the sun came up. Perfect.

"Nah, we ain't had a drowning in years, and the last one washed ashore." Coop made this ghoulish pronouncement matter-of-factly, the point being that the lake was probably zombie-free.

"Used to hunt a lot when I was a kid. How about you?" he asked, not bothering to mention that he'd given up hunting as soon as he'd achieved financial stability. Folks could go on about how tasty venison was, but in Cooper's opinion nothing beat walking into the store and picking up a nice package of beef. No mess, no fuss, and no freezing your butt off for hours in a tree stand.

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[info]taxidermist
2009-11-30 12:35 am UTC (link)
Rémy was reassured by Coop's comment rather than put off by its morbidity. Being matter-of-fact was the only way to be, in his opinion, but then, that was usually one of the things that got him in trouble.

"Mon père used to take us kids hunting all the time. Sometimes, when business was slow, we'd eat mostly fish and moose meat for months," he replied with equal candour, turning the motor off once they'd gotten to a spot he assumed was a good one. He got up out of the driver's seat and headed back to where all the fishing gear lay scattered, speaking more as he rummaged through it for his favourite rod.

"I could never shoot the things, though. He mostly just left the dressing to me," Rémy admitted, and even this small confession was more than he'd revealed to anyone in months, least of all the hippie chick he'd thus far managed not to reveal much of anything to. Oddly enough, Cooper seemed like a safe man to tell such things. Somehow, he doubted a little subsistence hunting was going to make the man run in the other direction. It was nice.

"Pick any rod you like - there's artificial lures in that box there and real worms in the bucket," he said, as he reached for a hook and set to snelling it neatly to the end of his line.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-11-30 01:55 am UTC (link)
Cooper listened with interest. Frenchie was starting to seem a little less foreign and strange.

"My daddy too," he confided with a chuckle. "Though I reckon field dressing a deer is a lot less strenuous than a moose."

He'd located a fishing pole that seemed satisfactory. Now he baited a hook with a worm and cast the line out into the quiet water of the lake. Cooper settled in a seat with a sigh of contentment.

"Now this was a dang good idea, Frenchie."

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[info]taxidermist
2009-11-30 02:20 am UTC (link)
"It's not so bad. Pretty much the same thing, only bigger." Rémy replied casually, casting a satisfied grin in Cooper's direction as the man tossed his line out into the water. Cooper was turning out to be excellent company, after all; Rémy hadn't set his hopes too terribly high, but it was nice for things to turn out better than expected, for once.

Rémy found himself a seat near the edge of the boat and sat with legs crossed before adding a worm to his own line and throwing it overboard. He beamed proudly when Cooper complimented the idea.

"Oh, thank-you," he said, with a hint of surprise evident in his tone. He traded in his usual merci beaucoup for their English equivalent this time; he'd been trying to cut back on the foreign lingo lately, even if bits and pieces still poked through despite his best efforts.

"I'm glad you decided to come along. Thank-you for joining me on this expedition," he said, with genuine gratitude. Nothing took twitchiness away like a relaxing day on the water.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-11-30 02:57 am UTC (link)
The kid's gratitude was a little much, Cooper thought. It was just a little fishing trip.

"Nah, it's good to get out every now and--" A tug on his line and Coop shut his mouth, intent on snapping the pole upright and setting the hook.

"Gotcha," he muttered as the pressure on the line continued unabated. Cooper started reeling the fish in, surprised and pleased to get a bite so quickly.

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[info]taxidermist
2009-11-30 03:05 am UTC (link)
Rémy startled as Cooper stopped in midsentence and began reeling in their very first catch of the day.

"Wow, they must be hungry today," he commented, waiting eagerly to see what had taken the bait.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-11-30 11:56 pm UTC (link)
"I guess so," Cooper said distractedly. After a minute or two he managed to reel the struggling fish to the surface.

"Think it's a keeper?" He reached behind him, one hand blindly searching for the net that had been lying there on the floor of the boat.

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[info]taxidermist
2009-12-01 12:57 am UTC (link)
Rémy watching the creature thrashing about in the water with interest, grinning at Cooper.

"I'd bet it is. Looks like he's got some fight in him." he said, letting go of his own fishing rod with one hand to shove the net within reach of Cooper's hand.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-12-01 03:12 am UTC (link)
"Thanks." The fish had enough fight in him that Cooper wasn't wasting multiple syllables on pleasantries. Soon it was netted and hauled aboard, thrashing against the net in a futile bid to escape.

"Oh yeah, that's a keeper." Coop pinned the fish down with one big paw, quickly extracted the hook from its mouth, and put it in the cooler. He never liked watching the poor things flop around and gasp for breath.

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[info]taxidermist
2009-12-01 03:30 am UTC (link)
"Nice one," Rémy complimented, with an equally concise nod. He didn't have much time to stop and admire his boatmate's catch - within moments of that fish having disappeared into the confines of ice and plastic, Rémy felt a tug at the end of his own fishing line.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, scrambling to get a better grip on his fishing pole. He jerked the line upwards, trying to make sure the hook was caught good and proper before reeling it in.

He fought with the fish for a good minute before dragging it aboard, still flopping. It wasn't nearly as impressive as Cooper's catch, but Rémy held it up and admired his prize nonetheless.

"Could be worse," he commented. "Sorry, little guy... "

He looked apologetic as he dispatched the fish and placed it in the cooler, though once it was out of sight, he appeared proud nonetheless.

"We're just getting warmed up," he said, as he re-baited the hook and tossed it overboard again.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-12-01 09:23 pm UTC (link)
"Folks will sure be happy to have fresh fish for supper," Cooper said, offering a valid excuse for ruining the fish's day. He was with the French kid on this one, having never approved of fishing or hunting for mere sport.

It seemed the feeding frenzy had been short-lived. For a time there was nothing but the occasional slap of a wave against the hull as the sun rose higher above the horizon.

"Nice and peaceful, anyway," Coop finally broke the silence. The lake was truly a safe haven.

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[info]taxidermist
2009-12-01 09:49 pm UTC (link)
"S'a welcome change," Rémy agreed, leaning back on his palms and shutting his eyes, simply appreciating the near-silence. This was much better than listening to the bustle of people or being accosted by fellow refugees that had nothing better to do than ruin other people's days.

"Now would probably be a good time to own a houseboat,"

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-12-02 12:29 am UTC (link)
"Until the lake freezes," Cooper chuckled. A few moments later he got another bite on his line and reeled in another fish to add to the growing collection in the cooler.

"Come to think of it," he said as if there had been no interruption, "if you decide you're fond of this boat, we might want to haul it up on shore for the winter."

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[info]taxidermist
2009-12-02 12:44 am UTC (link)
Rémy let out an impressed whistle as Cooper reeled in yet another fine specimen. "Suppose you can always ice fish when that happens," he said hopefully, trying to conceal his own mild jealousy at the fact that both of Cooper's fish had outsized his own.

"I hadn't even thought about that - that's probably a great idea, considering this one's quite nice,"

He perked as he felt a tug on the end of his line and quickly reeled it in.

Alas, seaweed.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-12-02 01:15 am UTC (link)
"Would be a shame if it got busted up. We get a hard winter, ice'll be two, three feet thick," Cooper opined, tactfully ignoring Frenchie's latest catch.

Personally, he was hoping for a hard winter. With any luck, zombies would not react well to weeks of sub-freezing temperatures.

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[info]taxidermist
2009-12-02 01:25 am UTC (link)
"Oh, that'll be good," Rémy said, thinking of something along the same lines. Perhaps there were other good reasons for keeping bodies under ice, other than keeping them pretty for the funeral onlookers.

With that in mind, his thoughts drifted towards his family, then away again; it was best to just imagine they had everything under control back home and leave it at that.

He picked the seaweed off the hook and tossed it away, looking a little dejected. Rémy added a fresh worm and sent it out again, then took his hat off and set it aside.

"Good thing we've got those generators," he said, trying to look on the bright side of life. "Winter might just be a blessing this time around."

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-12-02 01:40 am UTC (link)
"That's my thought, too--let them zombies freeze stiff as a board."

Cooper jerked his fishing pole upright, but whatever had tugged at the line had already gotten away. He reeled in his hook, still adequately baited though now with only half of a worm, and cast out again.

"We'll be fine in the prison. Plenty of fuel to run the generators until next June if need be. Gonna get a mite chilly out here on the lake, though," he added with a grin, in case Frenchie had any illusions of striking off on his own. Not everyone was suited for living in close quarters. The kid struck Coop as being something of a loner.

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[info]taxidermist
2009-12-03 01:48 am UTC (link)
Rémy unwittingly wrinkled his nose a little at the mention of being stuck indoors with those wackos until next June. Sticking around until the zombies (hopefully) froze would be enough of a challenge, especially with so many grouchy people in such close quarters.

"Oh, it can't be that bad on the land, though. You get a decent parka, something with down in it, some snowshoes... " Rémy said, trailing off as he realised that Cooper would likely think he was nuts for even considering such a thing. A secluded cabin in the woods surrounded by frozen zombies sounded quite peaceful compared to being harassed on a daily basis.

Come to think of it, that almost sounded like a great idea. Rémy tilted his head, mulling it over.

"Living off the land might almost be preferable, actually." he said thoughtfully, imagining some kind of fantastical Jack London adventure rather than any of the harsh realities.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-12-03 02:56 am UTC (link)
"Mm-hmm," Cooper grunted, noncommittal. It was tempting to point out that even if the zombie did freeze solid, Frenchie starving or freezing to death himself would be a probable outcome of running off to play hermit.

"Well, you decide to take off, let me know," he said at last. "We got some gear down at the station house might make things easier for you."

'Making things easier for you' being a euphemism for 'keep you alive a bit longer', but Coop knew better than to try and deter the kid.

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[info]taxidermist
2009-12-03 03:27 am UTC (link)
"Oh? What kind of gear?" Rémy asked him, curious. He doubted he would need much more than he already had aside from some dried food, probably some extra ammo, and things like that were easily looted now that the storekeepers were all gone.

"Those cabins on the other side of the lake - " (he nodded in the direction of a couple of decrepit-looking houses he couldn't see at the moment on the shore in front of them) " - do you know if they're inhabited or not?"

As epic as carving himself a fresh dwelling out of rocks might have seemed, he did have enough common sense to realise a pre-made shelter would probably stand up to the elements better in the long run.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-12-03 03:54 pm UTC (link)
"Oh, you know. Gear," Coop said vaguely. He hadn't really been prepared for Frenchie to announce his intention to stage a jailbreak right that moment.

He felt a nibble on his line and reeled in a runty, undersized bluegill. It only took a second to remove the hook from the small fry's lip and release it back into the chilly waters off the lake.

"I reckon you'll want a good first aid kit. Not one of them little amateur ones like they sell at Wal-Mart, neither. Man goes off on his own, he's gotta be prepared. Say you get frost bite. That can get ugly... You'll definitely want a professional kit."

He stopped his rambling without going into detail about gangrene and bone saws and assorted horrors of cold-weather injuries. It would be counterproductive to lay it on too thick; Frenchie was probably too smart for the scare tactics anyway.

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[info]taxidermist
2009-12-04 12:47 am UTC (link)
"Oh. Okay." Rémy replied, though he assumed that if it was just 'gear' it probably was nothing all that exciting or important. He watched Cooper reel in yet another fish pensively; even if it had been too small to keep, that was still one more fish he hadn't caught.

Rémy listened with interest to Cooper's first aid kit lecture, though his mind was already well made up. "Oh, the best kits are the ones you put together yourself, no doubt. And I'd bring extra of everything. You can never be too prepared - I've had frostbite before. I'd be fine."

There were, perhaps, a few advantages to coming much colder climes than Snyderville. Being acclimated to harsher weather was undoubtedly one of them, though this only contributed to making him think that this impulsive plan wasn't all that risky at all. Thinking of preparedness, Rémy reached for his fur hat and pulled it back on at a jaunty angle.

"Perhaps it would be best to get myself established before the snow hits," he said thoughtfully.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-12-04 01:21 am UTC (link)
"I'd imagine so." His tone was dry, hinting at disapproval, but Cooper's expression was as bland as ever as he baited his hook for another try. He couldn't fault Rémy much for thinking himself invulnerable; he'd been young once, too.

"Ain't none of the lake houses occupied any more," Coop informed Rémy, gracious in defeat. "Can't imagine anybody would mind if you holed up in one of 'em. Just not the Bee an' Bee. Miss Jeong would not be too pleased, I don't reckon."

Now there was an understatement.

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[info]taxidermist
2009-12-04 01:47 am UTC (link)
Rémy grinned appreciatively, choosing to ignore that hint of disapproval; he fully expected doubt - but then, if he'd avoided doing the things that no-one thought he could do, he likely never would have done much.

"Thanks for the tip - I'll make sure to steer clear," he replied with a chuckle. "Maybe by the time the snow clears, I'll - "

Rémy paused in midsentence when he felt an unexpectedly violent jerk at the end of his fishing line. Had he waited a second longer, the rod likely would have been torn from his fingers, but he instinctively reached out with his free hand to keep the pole from being pulled overboard.

"Merde!" he swore despite himself, attempting to reel in whatever-it-was. Whatever he'd hooked seemed intent on not being hauled in, however, and appeared to be doing its best to ensure that if it was going to go down, Rémy was going to go down with it. He braced his shoes against the edge of the boat, knocking his hat askew as he struggled to reel it in.

"What do you guys have - lake monsters?" Rémy asked, watching wide-eyed as his fishing rod teetered dangerously close to snapping in two.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-12-04 11:53 pm UTC (link)
"Oh, you got yourself a fighter," Cooper breathed as Frenchie's pole bowed sharply. It didn't seem necessary to grab hold of the back of the kid's coat just yet, so he made himself as useful as possible by readying the net.

Watching Rémy struggle, Coop wondered if the fish would even fit in the net, grimacing at the kid's remark about lake monsters. He was going to feel foolish if there turned out to be a zombie at the end of that line.

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[info]taxidermist
2009-12-06 04:19 am UTC (link)
It took several minutes and much of the strength he had to finally drag the fish towards the surface, and even then, the giant creature thrashed furiously against its trappings, sending waves of water crashing into the boat.

"C'est énorme!" Rémy exclaimed, slipping into his native French in his excited state. He could hardly believe his eyes as they hauled the giant pike aboard, still flopping about angrily. Even if it (fortunately) was not a lake monster, it was as close to one as he'd ever seen. Rather than killing it outright, Rémy just sat there staring at it, clearly dumbfounded.

"No-one's going to believe this!" he said finally, looking to Cooper in an effort to figure out whether this was a real or imagined fish story.

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[info]coopjustcoop
2009-12-06 07:50 pm UTC (link)
Cooper joined the kid in his awestruck staring.

"It really is a monster," he commented at length. "And they'll believe it when you bring it back to show everybody."

The fish had splashed a lot of water in its struggles. They were both soaked to the knees and the cooler was full. Cooper grinned at Frenchie.

"Nice work, kid. Let's call it a day, huh?" He stepped into the cabin and started up the boat, leaving the kid to gape at his prize-winning catch.

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