2020-01-15 - Free Icee!

Renovations! Renovations are the best! They're nearly done too. Opening night coming quick. Thewlis is operating on a steadily growing collection of bottled coffee, pink cans of energy drink juices, and raw determination.

He's alone, all other worker gone home, he's inspecting the place, touching up paint, tightening things, even using his glimmer to fully restore what he needs to - sparingly though. He stands in the center of the lobby, and there's an actual smile on his face, back to the doors.

It's impossible that Gina doesn't know someone is in here. And it's equally impossible that Thewlis won't know about the fact that there is still somebody in his theater. Somebody who glimmers and gleams-- a worker who hasn't gotten off yet? A mischievous punk kid? A delightful old buddy?

Nope.

If he chooses to look for it, he'll find Gina, bundled up in her dark wool coat, hood up, a few strands of purple hair creeping down onto her shoulder from the hood's depths. She positively lounges on one of the couches facing the concession stand, black-booted feet stretched out before her, not bothering to hide. Instead, she seems to be casually snacking on a box of Cracker Jacks Butter Toffee Clusters and sipping from a gently-steaming thermos once in a while while she streams something on her phone, watching it attentively. No sound emerges from her phone, though the teal cord that starts at the phone and disappears into her hood suggests why, and beyond the sound of chewing, there's a soft ticking from her messenger bag.

He feels it, the push in his mind, and when he follows it to spot the woman, seeing the hair, his brow knits for a moment. Thinking, he ponders what to do - and then moves behind the counter. Grabbing one of the big cups and filling it with icee, mixing the red and blue.

Another is filled three quarters with cola, the last with lemonade - and that's the one he sips from as he goes back, approaching the couch Gina is at. It's almost everything he has to sit down with only a cushion space between them, one hand out to offer her the icee, seeing the cord and remaining silent.

If he looks at the screen, it's likely a suspense movie, or some sort of intrigue film, or something like. A city landscape, shades of grey and decay with lots of blue light and lots of people in monochrome clothing having conversations and looking over their shoulders. If Gina's even noticed Thewlis's arrival, she doesn't look up -- but that's normal, isn't it? Her lack of attention to others. It's a moment or two after he's seated that she tugs free a single ear, and casually reaches for the icee, having a sip. And only then looking into it to check the color she got. "Not a bad choice."

"I... mu-mm-m... I... thi-thu-huuhh-th..." He frowns and looks down into his lap. "Everyone luh-li-hiiikes mixed... I thi-hink." he looks over again, or a moment, but his eyes drown and go to his hands. Thewlis sits, quiet, brow knitting.

"Do y-you like it?" visibly dragging his eyes from his hands to look at her, "T-th-the Theater?" the corners of his mouth are down, his eyes don't look sad, or defeated as they have in other meetings. The rage is still there, fury, but not the sadness.

Gina sets the icee down next to her on the couch - dangerous! - And taps the movie on her phone so it stills. "For now. Heard about it. Decided to stop by before you fuck it up by letting people inside." As always, it's so hard to tell if she's teasing or being sarcastic or being truthful. One must go by instinct, with Gina. "I might show up on off days. I like old theaters."

"I d-duh-don't know i-ih-hif They sent th-heh-hem... something tuh-tried to s-s-s-stop me." Thew admits, eyeing her cup... but he could fix it if he needed, he's surprised he even admit to what happened. He takes another long sip of his lemony cola, staring straight ahead now. "Th-they scratched... out uh-of th-the other suh-side."

THAT has Gina turning her head to look at Thewlis-- or face him, at least? She hasn't lowered her hood yet. "Huh. BEFORE it opened?" Gina says, sounding-- a mite thoughtful, a mite skeptical. She collects the icee again, having another sip. "Don't see why they would've stopped you. Theaters, libraries, basically snack food aisles." She doesn't sound like she's trying to inform him, or warn him-- just flat observation, before she offers the cracker jack box towards Thewlis. "There's no prize in this one. I already gave it away."

Taking a little, crunching slowly as he considers. "Movies... puh-pu-people come... ha-hahh-ahve adv... adv... adventures." keeping his eyes closed now, and if she's reading off him since she made that connection weeks ago... he's trying not to feel at all. Blank.

"People fall in love at movies. People escape. They're scared of the monster and it makes them laugh. Fear becomes joy. I think they hate that the most."

It's all he can muster before things rush back in. There's something crushing out the terror he felt before, a spark of confidence in the flood of other emotions.

"THEY do. The other guys just want to have a good time." Gina points out, with a small snort before she enjoys more of the icee, then sets it down again. Whatever's in her bag is still ticking, too. "You giving up the gravedigging gig to do this, or doing both? Theaters are riskier. And gravedigging's a lot more relaxing."

Siiiiiiiip. "I'd guess, anyway."

"I'd d-d-d-... I. Both. Do both." switching tack to simply stammering out words over stuttering through, Thewlis sips his own drink, and considers again, "Gra-raay-rayve digging... c-c-c-can be buh-bad t-too..." Thew adds. "Suh-humtimes they... wh-whatch muh-me dig." sip, stare. "S-suh-some get muh-mad." finally turning his head towards Gina.

"Suh-suh-suh-homtimes... th-they blame the g-guy with the sh-sh-hovel." turtle beaked frown bending his lips down. "Suh-humtimes they to hurt..." he shrugs again, "They li-luh-like... Gr-guh-hraveyards... They're s-s-suh-sad p-ppp-p-places."

"You haven't gotten used to the watching yet?" Gina asks, lips quirking in a half-mocking sort of twist. Though if she's mocking him or them or herself or the whole situation, who knows. "But I also work around a bunch of bear statues so maybe my tolerance's higher." Another cluster is plucked, eaten, from the box of cracker jacks. "Lucky for me, nothing haunts me. I don't mind graveyards. They're honest, at least. The whole point of them is burying the past till it rots away where we can't see it." It's not even like she sounds bitter, or dark. Just that same almost-taunting, almost-serious, almost-sarcastic tone. "I don't fuck with ghosts, though. They don't stick."

"No... Th-th-hey f-f-fuck with muh-me..." Thewlis frowns. "I... bu-been... Years. Watched for... I've been" switching tack again, "I'm... Almost. I'm." he sighs and looks down at his drink. "Been. I've. Years. Watched for." turning towards her. "I'm not... some wet. Ears. Wet behind." taking his time, concentrating. "Not wet... behind the ears. I've had... Them come in those Dreams..." Thew frowns again, memories rushing back.

Gina doesn't look surprised. Nor impatient, even, as he stammers his way through. Well. Her hood is up, it's very hard to tell WHAT she feels... but this is Gina, after all. All her feelings are scrunched up in that tiny black heart of hers most of the time. "It never goes away. It's not as bad if you retire from it." Gina does remark, a casual toss-aside of a comment that, perhaps, makes little sense. Or too much. "Not that I have to tell you, huh? I figured you were either so new nobody'd locked in yet, or you've somehow figured out how to look less like a three-course buffet to them. You wouldn't be who I'd go after first. But you'd be top ten." The icee is left alone, for now, as her thermos drink is raised, sipped. Hot and cold drinks BOTH.

"They've tuh-tried..." looking to Gina, "I'm... angry... suh-sad... may-hay-abe scu-scared..." Thew's expression firming, "Bu-hu-bu-but... I d-d-don't hu-huh-urt people." brow knitting "I'm... I just... I." mouth flattening in a line. "I'm sorry... y-y-you're angry... or... hurt." he swallows, looking down at the couch and then back at her. "I'll... I. I know what. I. I know..." jaw working. "Don't suh-say... I'm. I just want. Live... and let live. Please."

At Thewlis's remark about what Gina is, she turns to look at him, halfway through another sip of her icee. And her lips just... pull upward on one corner as he talks. And after the please, she...chuckles. It's too restrained, too mellow for giggles or laughter. Just a chuckle, knowing and amused... and it cuts itself off, quickly, abruptly, the wry twist of her lips not disappearing but no longer a natural amusement. "I don't like people. I barely tolerate my friends." Her feet pull in, and she pushes herself up from the couch, collecting her messenger bag. And its ticking sound. "I already give you some leeway. Try not to fuck it up. Literally don't care what you do unless it amuses me, or affects me. Try not to delude yourself about the kind of person I am. But thanks for the icee." Her hot drink is collected. The box of cracker jacks is sealed up. The icee is left behind. And Gina will just... slowly make her way towards the door.

Thewlis shrugs at her, unable to take his eyes off the couch, "N-nothing y-you can do... Worse." lumbering to his feet, picking up the icee and heading for the garbage bags. "Ha-ha-a-ve a good night." Thew continues to be polite, despite, waiting until he's sure she's out of his theater before he locks up.