InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "You bought this palace."

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

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."

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

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).

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

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."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

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.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

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.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

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."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

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.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

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.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

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.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

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.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

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.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

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).

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(Read comments) -