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Idris Khalid|| Σήθ (Set/Seth/Sutekh) ([info]counterbalance) wrote in [info]paxletalelogs,
@ 2011-09-25 00:55:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:hera, set

they see me joggin', they hatin'
Who: Tanya and Idris
What: Sneaking out to avoid having to interact with human beings, Tanya goes for a morning jog along the lovely sidewalks of Newport Beach. Idris is already there, five steps ahead of her. Plan ruined.
Where: In front of the Pax apartments, and then down on the corner along the sidewalks? of good ol' NB. You know, a scenic sort of jogging route. Maybe they'll end up at a park. Or maybe Tanya will zoom away to think mean thoughts at a place far away from Idris.
When: 5:30ish A.M., September 24th
Warnings: TBA
Notes: Guest appearance by Ron Perlman, sort of--because Fabio is so last month.

The day was beautiful and had only yet begun. A brisk jog to start his day seemed like a pretty good idea, and Idris had dressed for the occasion; clad in simple, black jogging pants with a red, light jacket pulled on over a black tank, he crouched down in the apartment lobby to double check his shoelaces. Not that they really needed tightening, but having to stop and retie his shoes mid-jog would only slow him down.

Strolling out of the building, he took a deep breath of air, smiling at how pleasant the morning temperature was. Though he'd lived at Pax for only a few months, he still hadn't decided on a set route for jogging. In fact, he preferred to change things up every few mornings, just for the hell of it. Today he thought he'd go down near a park he'd passed several times, even jogged the partial length of once.

But as he was about to turn on his ipod and make sure one of his favorite playlists was selected before setting out, the front door of Pax opened and shut. He turned to see who was heading out of the building. A woman he didn't recognize stepped out, dressed in a somewhat similar fashion to him. Clearly, she was also ready for a morning stroll of some sort or another. Idris smiled and nodded in her direction, greeting her openly.

"Nice morning, isn't it? Feels great out here."


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[info]oxeyed
2011-09-30 05:49 am UTC (link)
"Oh goody." She rolled her eyes and gave him a look that clearly broadcast how ridiculous she thought this was. She was use to this sort of thing. Guys would join her, make passing conversation and hope to get on her good side so the could score a date. She found this tactic to be cheap and unoriginal, so anyone who attempted it was instantly rebuffed. The smarter ones would give up and move on. The dumb ones, however, wouldn't take the cold shoulder for an answer.

"My definition of quick and painless is running without someone chit chatting at me while I try to concentrate."

She refused to look at him. Perhaps if she just didn't look at him or acknowledge him beyond what she already had, he would go away. She didn't hold high hopes on that one. He didn't look like one of the bright ones.

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[info]counterbalance
2011-09-30 02:01 pm UTC (link)
Her words--meant to be cutting, he supposed, or dissuading--could not be blocked by the symphony pouring into his earbuds. Idris was unperturbed by her claim that his chatter interrupted her focus. He'd dispute such a remark under different circumstances, but for now he paid more attention to the fact that while she seemed intent on ignoring him, she hadn't said a word about him jogging nearby.

And that, Idris thought as he jogged along merrily, was what mattered. Her comment had brought an easy grin to his face, brows arching in amusement. A little bit of morning crankiness was not going to ruin his day.

"My apologies. I'll try not to break your concentration too much. My name's Idris, by the way." He grew quiet for a few beats in order to allow the woman to tell him what her name was, if she chose to do so. Regardless, he knew he wouldn't be able to resist being quiet for too long. For the time being, his attention shifted to his musical choice--the violins in "Greensleeves" were growing more fervent, eventually giving way to the soft notes of a flute. The sidewalk seemed to unfold before him as the music did, his pace remaining uniform.

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[info]oxeyed
2011-09-30 09:49 pm UTC (link)
She huffed loudly and counted to ten in her head. She had been right, he was an idiot. Getting rid of him wasn't going to be easy. Fine. If he wanted to continue to pester her, so be it.

"Then be quiet and leave me alone," she retorted, picking up her pace and putting some distance between them. Once she got to the park it would be easier to lose him. There were plenty of trails and paths to take. She couldn't be so unfortunate that he would be able to follow her there.

She turned up the volume on her ipod and Billy Joel blasted in her ear. Because you had to be a big shot, didn't cha
you had to open up your mouth. How fitting.

The entrance to the park loomed ahead, and she began to slow her pace just a tad to a more even pace.

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[info]counterbalance
2011-10-01 07:26 am UTC (link)
Entertained by the woman's rebuff, Idris chuckled, though he didn't rush to catch up to her when she raced ahead of him. There was no need. They were approaching the park and ultimately, it didn't really matter that she didn't want to speak with him. Exercise was an intensely private thing for some people, and obviously she fell into that category. No doubt their ways would diverge once actually entering the expansive park--there was more than one path available for joggers, and they'd probably not see one another again until some other chance meeting, perhaps at Pax itself.

It was all the same to Idris, who hadn't set out this morning in search for company, but rather an enjoyable hour or so of just him and the ground beneath his tennis shoes. And in his defense, sometimes he actually knew when to drop it when communication wasn't going too well. But always if company made itself known to him, he wouldn't be so rude as to deny it--what an absurd thought. It was a shame his fellow Pax resident wasn't in the mood to chitchat.

He reached the front gates of the park, thrown wide open for all to enter. It was a welcoming site with a few joggers here and there more disciplined than Idris. The woman had gone on ahead of him, though not too far down the main path. Idris paused to change the song on his ipod to "Canon in D Major." Suddenly, he wasn't in the mood for more of "Greensleeves"--of which he actually had several different versions downloaded onto the slim electronic device.

Glancing up after the needed change in music, Idris noticed something that stood out starkly against the park's landscape--or rather, someone. A large man slouched near a thin tree, as if trying to hide himself behind it (and doing a pretty piss poor job, indeed). He might've been smoking, because his hands were cupped close to his face. The only thing certain about the lumbering bear of a man was that his frail sapling happened to be situated a mere ten feet away from the path, give or take.

Which meant the woman Idris had jogged to the park with (unwillingly or not) would pass right by him. Idris didn't assume there was any sense in being alarmed...but the sun hadn't yet risen completely in the sky. In the shadows of the larger trees, who knew what could happen? There were so few people at the park during this early hour.

Plenty of women could take care of themselves. He wouldn't interfere unless needed. And really, was there any need to be alarmed in the slightest? The man-bear took a few steps towards the path, and Idris started jogging in that direction on impulse, nevermind what he'd previously decided.

Just like making sure his shoelaces were tight before leaving Pax, it didn't hurt to stay relatively close to the woman, at least until she'd passed the strange individual. He could then easily change his direction without another word and no one would be any wiser. Hell, truth be told, Idris was no knight in shining armor--but a little neighborhood watching came in handy now and then.

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[info]oxeyed
2011-10-01 11:13 pm UTC (link)
Tanya headed straight down the path towards the poorly concealed man completely unaware of his presence. It was not one of her proudest moments as she was not okay with being caught unaware, but due to the lingering darkness and her attention on the unexpected follower, her mind was not as focused on what was ahead as it should have been. She turned down the volume of her ipod, which was now blasting We Didn't Start the Fire, to see if she could hear anyone behind her. Instead she heard....giggling? It was a deep, rumbling sound and it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Giggling was such an innocent sound, but this deep, growly, rumble of a giggle bore an ominous undertone.

She slowed her pace to a near walk when the path in front of her was filled with the outline of a large figure. The figure giggled and stepped towards her. Once out of the shadows, his features were illuminated. He had a long face with a wide, high forehead. His eyes sat deep beneath pronounced brows and over a short, but large and pronounced, if not somewhat simian, nose. His mouth broke into a wide, toothy grin as he approached her, his unkempt hair and scraggly beard bouncing with each step.

She straightened her posture and pulled the ear buds from her ears, defiantly staring at him as he neared her.

"Gimme that," he growled, gesturing towards the ipod now resting in her tightly curled fist.

Perhaps it was odd, but she couldn't help thinking that he reminded her of someone. She couldn't place the name.

She shook her head and lifted her chin.

"It's mine, give it to me," he said once more, now within arms reach. She stuffed the device into her pocket and braced herself. He grabbed the front of her jacket and began to reach into her pocket. She quickly lifted her knee directly into his groin and stomped her foot down hard on his instep. He doubled over and let go of her, and as his head lowered, she brought curled her fingers and brought the meat of her hand up and smashed it against his nose. He was emitting a sound that was something between and groan and a whimper mixed with sobs. She pulled her cellphone out of her tank top and moved quickly to immobilize her assailant in a headlock.

Changing position allowed her to see that her companion from earlier, Idris if she remembered correctly, was nearby.

"A little assistance would be nice," she called. It would be so much easier for him to call 911 than it would be for her. Her attacker squirmed and she tightened her grip. She knew that self defense class she had taken would come in handy.

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[info]counterbalance
2011-10-02 05:30 am UTC (link)
Idris began to run when he saw the man reach for his neighbor. This was not a good situation, and it definitely wasn't something Idris had foreseen happening today when he'd initially rolled out of bed at precisely five o'clock in the morning. He didn't want anything to happen to the woman, even if she'd come across as being quite annoyed by his very presence.

His eyes widened in surprise, steps slowing and finally coming to a complete halt maybe ten feet away from the struggle--for there was no other word to describe it (although 'struggle' seemed only applicable to the scruffy assailant). From this closer angle, it looked like the man hadn't bathed in weeks, and there was no telling what might be crawling upon his dirty scalp. And now, to make things worse, his large form had been put into a headlock by a woman only half (or less) his size. Idris had watched his neighbor protect herself from the man as he'd been running over to help somehow--she'd moved deftly, her actions calculated and precise, as if she'd been training for a moment like this.

He didn't know her name yet, and chances didn't seem high she'd ever tell him, but he automatically equated her to the likes of Alien's Ripley, Terminator's Sarah Connor, and The Matrix's Trinity. Idris' love of action flicks had given him a healthy appreciation for women that knew how to handle themselves in dangerous situations. Though he was visibly impressed, Idris urged himself forward, albeit there wasn't much left to do. Closing the distance between himself, his neighbor, and the gurgling, mountainous man, he reached over for the phone that was held precariously close to the captive's face.

It was a face that jarred a memory of Idris' involving a Hellboy viewing with an ex-girlfriend. He'd absolutely loved the movie even if she hadn't. The main character, some sort of red demon, had become a vigilante of sorts against others like him. But more importantly, he'd been played by a man with a very unique visage--one that oddly came to mind as Idris took his neighbor's phone and got a better look at her ambusher.

"I'll call the cops," Idris stated, quickly dialing. The phone rang but was answered fairly quickly, and he described the situation as best as possible, keeping a close eye on the stranger in case he tried anything. He was asked by the operator to stay on the line and so he did, throwing in a sidelong remark about how he was certain a Ron Perlman doppelganger was about to be taken into custody. That was who the man reminded him of--the resemblance was absolutely uncanny.

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[info]oxeyed
2011-10-11 10:32 pm UTC (link)
The cops came and went, taking the filthy disruption with them. She wasn't sorry to see him go, the man reeked of body odor and alcohol. It was not a pretty combination. She smoothed a hand over her hair, displeased that her appearance was now wrinkled and disheveled. Her heart was thudding in her chest even though the danger had long since passed.

She could only imagine what her mother would say to her if she had been here to witness this. She would have been less than excited, quietly fretting and wringing her hands while chewing on her lip. Violence always distressed her mother. She never saw the necessity for it.

She gave Idris a glance. She supposed she should thank him for being there and assisting. She didn't thank him, though.

"He did look like Ron Perlman, didn't he?"

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[info]counterbalance
2011-10-12 07:48 pm UTC (link)
He laughed openly at the woman's statement. "So, you're a fan, too?"

Well, she didn't have to be a fan to note the resemblance, not necessarily. A face like Ron Perlman's was instantly recognizable and ultimately unforgettable. Probably about as unforgettable as this entire fiasco was going to be. The cops had hauled the man away from Idris' neighbor, squawking and yanking at his beard like a wild animal. He'd flung throaty obscenities around like they were going out of style, but Idris had merely watched it happen with a cool sort of amusement. He was far more interested in learning how exactly his neighbor had reacted so quickly to the situation. Self-defense classes, no doubt, but nonetheless she'd been amazing in action.

"That was pretty impressive on your part. Do you make a habit out of single-handedly defeating stray hobos?" Idris grinned, not caring so much if she answered him or not but that it simple had to be said. She'd done a fantastic job (while he, admittedly, had played the smaller, supportive role).

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[info]oxeyed
2011-10-15 03:48 am UTC (link)
"My mom loves his show Beauty and the Beast. She follows him religiously as a result of that." That habit didn't always work in her favor. There were quite a few times her mom wound up very disappointed with what she watched for him. She never gave up the habit, though. The television show he was on prompted many late night calls from her, quite distressed. She often tried to convince her that perhaps Sons of Anarchy was not something she should continue to watch, but no. Her mother was determined to support Mr. Perlman through thick and thin.

Tanya tried to straighten her now sloppy and rather smelly clothes. It was uncomfortable for her to look anything less than her best. "When they try to take what is mine. Even though I repeatedly told you to go away, thank you for calling the police."

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[info]counterbalance
2011-10-16 04:43 pm UTC (link)
"She's one of The Devout, then. I'm just a Hellboy fan." Idris shrugged. He did nothing to hide his smile, nor the fact that he hadn't seen much of Ron Perlman's work. Did it count extra if he was now the witness to a dirty doppelganger attempting a petty crime? Probably not. Ron Perlman as Hellboy would have wiped the floor with that man, or maybe been impressed, too, with how the woman had taken care of things.

Yeah, she was definitely a sort of Ripley. Interesting the array of people living in the same building as him--it fascinated Idris how they all managed to somehow coexist underneath, ultimately, the same roof.

"Hey, what are neighbors for if not helping to save the day?" Idris drawled, glancing elsewhere while Ripley 2.0 adjusted her clothing. "It's a good thing we were heading for the same place." There was a touch of sincerity to his tone, for although he wouldn't dwell on it, had he not hurried over, would she have been able to fend off the man and contact help? The park wasn't devoid of people, but in this clearing there wasn't exactly a crowd hanging around, waiting to be prompted.

Or maybe he just felt like giving himself a little bit of credit.

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[info]oxeyed
2011-10-16 09:56 pm UTC (link)
"So we're neighbors," she said flatly. There went her hopes of him just being a random runner who stopped in front of the building to stretch. Great. Why was this building full of annoying people who didn't know how to listen?

"She enjoys Hellboy. I've sat with her while it was on but I never paid attention." She felt kind of bad that she did not indulge her mother more. She was a harmless woman who only wanted to spend more time with her only child. It was a pity her interests were so boring.

"Your refusal to listen only made it easier to call the police. I cold have easily managed myself." Okay, that was probably a lie. The man was a big, hulking, smelly giant. She was none of those things, and he probably could have easily overpowered her. But she liked to think that she was confident and capable without him. Because that would mean she would have to consider apologizing for being so rude, and she did not want to have to do that.

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[info]counterbalance
2011-10-17 08:48 pm UTC (link)
He nodded at her admission of their fellow residence at Pax, smiling to himself out of secret amusement. Idris was a bit let down Ripley 2.0 had never really seen Hellboy, but then he supposed that not everyone had the right kind of attention span that was needed to watch Ron Perlman, painted like a red demon, running around being a general badass.

"Refusal to listen?" Idris arched an eyebrow quizzically, then laughed. Clearly, Ripley 2.0 wasn't in possession of a sense of humor. Then again, she had recently been at war with a disgruntled man-bear. Her nerves were probably still all afire from the battle. He raised his hands, palms facing her, as if warding off her negative vibes. "Hey, I called the cops. I did my duty." Idris chuckled, dropping his hands to his sides. Mentally, he shrugged off her attitude and less than friendly comments. "But again, nice moves. I had no idea I lived in the same building with a master in the art of defense."

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[info]oxeyed
2011-10-18 04:47 am UTC (link)
She huffed. She was being rude. Normally, she wouldn't be concerned about this, but he had helped her. Surely he deserved a little more civility than what she would normally give to people who did not listen.

"Tanya Maxwell," she said politely and held out her hand.

"And I am no master. Merely a quick study. You said your name was Idris, did you not?"

She had been paying attention, even if she had wanted him to go away. Tanya kept a log of various details about individuals. Names were always the first thing to store away. If you couldn't remember a persons name you'd be in big trouble if you found yourself needing to ask them for a favor.

"I'm certainly glad you feel you fulfilled your civic duty by letting me do all the work while you watched." Okay, so the civility only lasted a few sentences. She tried, and that's what counts.

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[info]counterbalance
2011-10-21 09:09 pm UTC (link)
Idris shook the woman's outstretched hand, a tad surprised she'd cracked and finally told him her name. The information was filed away for later usage, should it be necessary. He broke the handshake at the right moment, not wishing to invade her space.

"Yeah, it's Idris. It's nice to meet you, Tanya. This has hands down been the most eventful meeting I've had yet with anyone from Pax." He laughed and shook his head, not disbelieving what had happened but still entertained by the notion that everything had gotten crazy so fast. Tanya was safe, and yet something in him had unashamedly delighted in the turmoil and the struggle, the utter random, near chaotic feel that the altercation had been composed of--save for Tanya's quick reflexes. Now those had certainly been controlled, near instinctive motions. She really was Ripley 2.0.

Idris' eyebrows arched as she continued to converse with him, her remarks certainly fueled by adrenaline or sheer annoyance--maybe a combination of both. She had spunk, he'd have to give her that. But he really was in too good of a mood to be offended. This morning was far too exciting to allow a sour disposition to take hold of him, and such a thing was rare to begin with, anyway.

"I think you had everything under control," he said, wondering if he should've maybe ran faster to reach her sooner. He wouldn't dwell on the matter, for what ultimately counted was that she was safe, if cranky. "Guess you probably want to finish your run now, yeah?" Unless she was still too shaken from the man-bear's attack. He could always offer to walk her back to Pax, although he had a feeling she'd decline.

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[info]oxeyed
2011-10-22 06:32 am UTC (link)
He had been entertained, how marvelous for him. She had been anything but entertained. She looked cool and collected on the outside, but inside she was terrified. She had never had to use her self defense training outside of the class. Using it in a controlled environment was completely different from using it in real life. The classroom had been a safe environment. This situation had been unpredictable and could have gone extremely wrong. She could have been hurt, or worse.

"I suppose I did have it under control. But I think I'd rather head back to the building. I feel I've had enough for the morning. I'm sure you have too, you look like you could use a shower."

This was her way of saying please walk me back home, I'm not in the mood to walk alone. She couldn't come out and say that though. Asking for help was not her style.

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[info]counterbalance
2011-10-24 06:48 am UTC (link)
Idris couldn't resist a chuckle--to think Tanya was of the mind that only he needed a shower was a bit much. He held back a remark about her smelling faintly of the pseudo Ron Perlman. She probably didn't want to think of that again, though no doubt it wasn't far from either of their minds.

"I think I could stand a lap around the park, but maybe we're both a little worse for wear." His smile was amiable, and truthfully he had nothing against heading back to Pax. His neighbor was graciously offering her company, in her own peculiar style, and he'd always had a hard time turning down a conversation opportunity.

Idris checked his ipod absentmindedly, though it had long since turned off during Tanya's struggle with the strange man. "Well, should we get going? Good thing we're both heading to the same place." He nodded towards the entrance of the park, implying they get a move on already.

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[info]oxeyed
2011-10-28 08:16 pm UTC (link)
Thank goodness he agreed. She would have been extremely unhappy if he would have made her flat out say what she wanted. If it had come to that, she would have sucked it up and walked home alone while cursing him and hoping he'd fall and hurt himself. Wishing harm on people was hardly pleasant, but sometimes they just deserved it.

"Yes, we should be going. There is no reason for us to linger here." She'd done the park a service and wouldn't even receive a thank you from the people who benefited from it. All she got for her troubles was a terrible morning run, a horrible stench clinging to her clothes and frazzled nerves. It hardly seemed worth it when all that was taken into account.

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[info]counterbalance
2011-10-30 07:36 am UTC (link)
"All right. Lead the way, Tanya."

He didn't exactly allow her to lead the way out of the park, though it would've been the gentlemanly thing to do. No, instead they more or less matched each other's pace, leaving the scene of the crime without hardly a look back. It was time to put distance between them and where everything had gone wrong.

Besides, taking a shower was sounding more and more like a good idea. As they walked back to Pax together, small talk happening only occasionally (Idris had to wonder why she was a woman of few words, but she easily found ways to fend off his chatter), it became clearer than ever that Ron Perlman's doppelganger had left his unwashed scent all over Tanya. It was a lot more noticeable at a close distance, and when they finally parted ways, Idris was happy to do so.

He hadn't yet had his fill of excitement for the day, and so after showering, Idris headed downtown in search of other delights--preferably ones not involving tense, agitated neighbors who fought with park bums on maybe a regular basis. Still, he'd keep Tanya in mind if he ever had anyone that needed a bit of roughing up (as if that would ever happen, or he'd ever orchestrate such a thing).

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