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Tweak says, "I believe in Snape! Snape-ism!"

Richard Wainwright (

atrickstertype) wrote in

paxletalelogs,
@ 2011-10-08 01:24:00

Entry tags:

loki, urdr

What Fates Impose, That Men Must Needs Abide
Who: Richard and Alexandria
What: Alexandria is out for an early morning swim. Richard is out for a run.
Where: The Pax beach
When: Saturday, October 8, 2011, around 6 am
Warnings: Language

Richard was awake and in bed. This was odd, because he had just been...

Oh what the fuck, brain? Dreams about monsters and giants he could handle. Wandering through the arctic tundra was probably just some sort of misplaced longing for Chicago. He was actually starting to enjoy the ones about being a bird. But this? This was not okay.

He had never even ridden a horse!

At least it was done now. He rolled over to eye the alarm clock. and a red 6:00 stared back at him, digital lines filled with mockery. So much for his grand plans of sleeping in. He wasn't even drowsy anymore, much less tired enough to get back to sleep (not that he would want to pick up that dream where it had left off). Burying his face in the nearest pillow, Richard considered his options. What did people do when they were awake before the sunrise on a weekend?

Well if he was going to put it like that, the answer seemed obvious. Less appealing than dosing himself with Nyquil and burying himself under the blankets, but obvious nonetheless. Richard crawled out of bed and threw on the essentials- a t-shirt, some hideous shorts, a pair of sneakers. They weren't anything he would wear in front of people, but they were comfortable enough that he could run through his stretching routine without having them ride up in unusual places. Jogging, he decided, would keep him from thinking about his dreams, which would keep him from wondering about some severe and immediate need for psychiatric help. It might even have the added benefit of wearing him out enough to go back to bed. "And if I'm very very good," he grumbled to himself, filling his pockets with the essentials, "maybe I can even get some normal dreams for a change. Put in a request for some superheroes and being naked in class." With a skeptical snort he locked the door and headed down the stairs for the beach.

The view was almost enough to make it worthwhile. Richard had spent most of his life near Lake Michigan and the light of the sunrise hitting the water made him homesick. The ocean was a different beast- it smelled and it was huge in a way that Michigan couldn't touch- but that made it worse. The only thing he could see for miles was that island, and that was what he kept his eyes on as he jogged down towards it.

Except for that thing by the shoreline. He squinted, picking up the pace a little. Yeah, definitely a swimmer. Didn't they have undertows and things like that on ocean beaches? Swimming alone seemed like a really bad idea, regardless. He had seen Jaws, after all. Richard hustled up to the waterline and called out at the figure. "Hey out there! Hey! Shouldn't you have a lifeguard or a life preserver or something?"

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atrickstertype
2011-10-18 06:36 pm UTC (link)

So, maybe she wasn't entirely normal, but who on this coast was? They were alone on a beach, and she definitely did not have anything strapped to either of her legs (he had checked) but she seemed absolutely fearless, first of the water, now of him. And the intensity of her gaze... Well, Richard just tried to meet her eyes without flinching. It kept him from coming across as too much of a creep and trying to make out her tattoos. And her look wasn't exactly off-putting, either. He kind of liked the honesty.

He chuckled at her joke and nodded, then listened to her next point. "Can't mermaids change shape?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "And by your argument, it's just as much of a risk for you to talk to me. I guess we're both just very brave." He looked down at her as she approached, trying to judge her height. Had he seen her around before?

"At the beginning of the month," he answered. "I'm the guy who blocked the driveway for a while with a huge truck trailer. Maybe we've run into each other in the halls?" He doubted it, but it was technically possible.

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urdr
2011-10-19 02:28 am UTC (link)

Alexandria was slender and small; her dark hair almost seemed to be half the length of her, and she barely scraped 5'4". Proportionally, however, she was long-limbed, as though she should have been taller, but somehow ended up miniature. There was something haunted to her appearance, as though if she lost a few pounds or one more night of sleep, it might seem there was something truly wrong. As it was, she was simply a pale, somewhat strange-looking creature.

"Oh, I heard about that. I think I was in LA during that shining moment of neighborly manipulation. Clever, if obnoxious," she told him, the statement a simple, impartial evaluation. "But I don't think we've met at Pax... you seem like the memorable type.

"As for bravery," she continued, moving toward the bag she'd brought with her, drawing out a white towel, "I don't know about that. You don't seem like a bruiser."

She shrugged as she wrapped the towel around herself, grateful for its warmth. "So, I think the normal way these things go is we ask each other questions about where we're from, what we do, and other personal but not intimate details about each other. But really, I'd like to know how long you've had the stones to do something like block a driveway to force your new neighbors into helping you move." She looked at him with bald curiosity.

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atrickstertype
2011-10-19 03:01 am UTC (link)

Richard laughed aloud, caught off-guard by her accusation. "Listen, I couldn't park the Monster anywhere else. I'm horrible with a stick shift, and that trailer has the maneuverability of a redwood tree. At least, that's my story." He winked conspiratorially, "And I'd repeat it under oath."

"As for all the rest..." he shrugged, giving her an appraising look. She was probably too young for him, and possibly crazy, but he was honestly enjoying this conversation. Also, his shoes were thoroughly soaked, and there was no hope of completing his run. The best combination seemed to be to get her dried off and dressed before she dissolved into the ocean, and to get him warm feet, but also to continue the conversation.

With this in mind, he continued, "Well, the story of how I got this way is a long and tangled one, filled with lots of interesting digressions, and just as many boring ones. But if you'd like to hear it, I have a coffee maker up in my place. Or there's that little bistro down on the corner. Now that we've determined I'm not a bruiser and you're not going to drown, we could grab some breakfast, and you could tell me how you got to be so fearless when it comes to strangers and water."

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urdr
2011-10-22 07:37 pm UTC (link)

At his explanation about "the Monster," she arched a dark brow and smirked. She imagined he would repeat it under oath; she also imagined that meant little enough in the way of whether it was true or not.

The sun was starting to make its presence more obviously known, and this was Alexandria's first indicator that it was time to go inside. As it happened, she found him intriguing, not least of all because of this odd sense of familiarity, and so his plan seemed favorable. Besides, she should eat breakfast, and after her swim, cereal and a yogurt didn't seem like they would cut it. She considered him as she began to shiver. Soon it was going to be too cool to do this so early.

"All right," she said finally. "Breakfast sounds good. I'm going to need ten minutes, though. Maybe fifteen. I need a rinse."

It was strange -- completely unlike her to even have spoken to him rather than ignore him and continuing to swim. But here she was, going to breakfast with a total stranger. She made a note to bring her cell phone with Jamie's number already queued up.

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atrickstertype
2011-10-23 08:10 pm UTC (link)

"I can do fifteen," he said. "I'll need to switch my shoes, at least. They may need some real attention, now that I've saved you from an untimely death." He wiggled his toes, making a squelching noise. What did salt water even do to sneakers? Oh well. The way things were shaping up they might be an acceptable sacrifice.

He was distracted from his thoughts by Alexandria's shivers. He hadn't exactly dressed warmly, so he didn't have any spare pieces of clothing to offer her for warmth. Time to go, then. He turned a little towards the Pax. "Shall we? Quick, before we end up dead of hypothermia on a beach in California. And here I thought this place was supposed to be the land of eternal summer." Definitely the bistro, he thought. While his refrigerator was not exactly empty, he had almost nothing in the way of breakfast food besides milk and coffee. Somehow he doubted that his usual combo of an apple and some leftovers would fly with a guest.

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urdr
2011-10-23 11:07 pm UTC (link)

Alex canted her head to one side and quirked a half-smile, arching a brow as she looked down at his feet, then back up at him.

"You're a strange person," she said. "But funny. Let's go."

The banter continued as they walked back toward Pax, and when they realized that they lived on the same floor, Alexandria was made to feel still more comfortable about this little outing. Rinsed, dried, and dressed, they met again by the elevator, and were off. Alexandria might have found it strange, how at ease she felt, how comfortable with him, but for once, she didn't question it. Instead, she enjoyed the banter and the eager anticipation of the omelette she planned to order.

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