2020-01-18 - Spiritual Discovery

Mid day at the Starlight, it's quiet - a few matinee goers are in the theaters, but much of everything can be operated by general staff.

Thew, himself, is out in the lobby, touching up some paint on the wall, a small paint pot and brush in hand, humming to himself, twitching and sometimes hunching, fighting the urge to look over his shoulders.

Maggi enters the vintage theater with a sense of wonder about her. The place had been either well maintained or restored with a charm money couldn't fabricate. Wearing some ornately buckle clad skinny jeans, a biologically accurate rib-cage tank and her leather jacket she stops at Thewlis whom is happily painting away. "If you miss a spot, do you have to take it up with yourself?" She asks mischievously.

He knew he should have kept an eye out! KNEW IT!

When Maggi speaks Thewlis actually leaps, hugging the paint to his chest, slopping it on his shirt and hitting himself in the cheek with the brush as he skips and stutter steps away, arms up to protect his face.

"I! I! No! I DIDN'T! NO!" scuttling back until he is against a wall, starring at Maggi in wide eyed fear.

Maggi is somewhere between shock and a fit of giggles at this response. Given what the residents of this dear town dealt with on the regular, it wasn't entirely surprising. Reaching into her canvas bag she grabs out a couple napkins she had swiped from 'Espresso Yourself' in one hand, the other held out palm up to grab the paint.

"I know, no make-up. I am terrifying." She stands her ground giving him space enough and time to realize she was mostly harmless outside of the occasional bad attitude. "Maybe you could put me out for a horror marathon to herd kids."

Blinking rapidly, Thewlis watches the woman, hesitantly taking the napkins and giving her the paint, back still to the wall.

"I... It. I'm... I. Suh-su-s-sorry..." frowning and looking around the lobby area while the few folks on concessions are staring, but doing nothing else. "How... I. Uhm. How c-c-can I he-heh-help, miss?" looking around the area again before his eyes turn down to the floor and at his feet, staying there.

The paint now safely procured causes her to tilt in posture like a teapot, her heart shaped face cocked in the opposite direction. The smell of popcorn was making her hungry, she wondered if someone, somewhere sold a perfume of 'movie popcorn'.

"This might sound crazy, but I am pretty sure it won't. You were in a dream I had, and at the Jell-O thing you used a thing like I can do, only better. I want to know what I can do, because right now it's tear a shirt and set things on fire. I'm just kind of sick of things accidentally happening and my boyfriend has bad PTSD so when stuff happens on accident he almost fries me sometimes? Anyway...you're a Senior Dream Captain so it's kind of like a social responsibility to take a Padawan."

A smile spreads across her face, the fact that her idea of a qualified mentor was covered in paint not seeming to register. "Also this place is dope and I wanted to see it in person."

Head tilting, recalling Maggi now, Thew frowned looked about for a moment. "Uh. I. S'-hu-huh-pose... could..." he shuts up, and stares at Maggi for another long moment, lips pursed. "I..." head dropping a moment before he motions for Maggi to follow, heading towards a fairly concealed door, marked 'Management' stepping inside to lead into a room with a pair of couches, a desk, and a work desk full of things being tinkered with.

Unsure of what was best done with the paint bucket, she carries it with her. Pushing past the door gingerly, she surveys the place with a discerning sapphire gaze. The idea of a work desk full of objects in various states of working order was familiar to her given Leon's garage. The major rule with that was to not touch anything because you never knew what it did.

She decidedly takes a seat on one of the couches, still unsure of what she should do with the can she held.

Sweeping through, gently taking the can and replacing it with a cup of coffee, Thew was cleaning himself off, the flannel worn removed, chucked in a bag and left as just a black t-shirt as he sat at his desk, looking at his hands for the moment in consideration.

"S-s-sh-sh-so... you... b-break... or..." he jams a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, takes a drag and it lights up on it's own. "Ju-hu-hhuust started?"

Maggi grins at the coffee, uttering a "Thanks" as her burden is replaced with the most necessary substance on earth. Seeing the cig light, she was more excited than anything, a confirmation the tree she was barking at may be the correct one. Taking a few grateful sips.

"Fire started a year ago or so, the breaking stuff just a couple months. Pretty sure I can't do lightning like some people, that feels different. Stuff usually happens if I get upset or something..." She raises an eyebrow inquisitively. Maggi had given about all she knew, she adds "Apparently a lot of people can do stuff here?"

This was almost a question, though more of an expectation that Thewlis would have some of the answers she was looking for.

"In th-th-th-hi-is town, esp-peh-p--p-hecially..." Thewlis acknowledges, brow knitting. "B-buh-breaking... is ours. Fixing... too." said as he drags his finger across the side of his desk closest for her to see. As he does so the section of the desk his finger touches crunches, cracks, splinters and threatens to fly apart like it was a contained explosion.

His face changes though and he takes long breaths, almost looking sad as he concentrates. His hand still in contact, but the damage done reversing itself and restoring the side panel to a state as if it hadn't been decades old, with chips and scuffs, let alone catastrophic ripsaw damage like it just did.

"G-g-gotta... wuh-want it... Deep d-d-d-down."

Were Maggi a less settled individual she may have dropped the cup she was holding. Instead her jaw simply drops, her sapphire eyes widening to the size of tea saucers. Part of her wanted to touch the desk in disbelief that she had watched its reconstruction just a moment earlier. Now, she was the one trying to work out words.

"How...I mean like...we can fix stuff?" She almost wanted to cry with relief at the realization she wasn't just some form of apocalyptic destruction based being. For over a year she had been mildly terrified that she would just end up setting someone's house on fire if she was mad enough.

"T-takes... a lot... fix some things. I... Only able. S-suh-single parts." Thewlis admits. "I ca-h-haan only do p-puh-parts." he frowns. "Fuh-fix people... t-t-too." considering now, he lowers his eyes. "D-uh-duh-don't fuh-freak out..." casually lifting his hand, skin splitting from heel of the palm to the tip of his middle finger. There's a pained look, a gasp, and then his right hand grabs the wrist of the injured and he breathes again.

Like the desk, the damage to his hand begins zipping up and erasing - save for the blood that he wipes some of away - holding out his hand, palm up, and a clean tissue should she wish to confirm.

"Whu-we... do tth-that... too"

As someone who had not even blinked during the 1970's classic 'The Wizard of Gore', she did not freak out. In fact she had the opposite reaction she he held up his hand. Bounding forward gracelessly in pure curiosity, she takes his hand in both of hers, examining with academic vigor.

"THIS IS SO MUCH COOLER THAN I THOUGHT!" She says as her eyes seem suddenly almost ablaze with wonder. She does her best to not be too loud despite her awe. Maggi is giggling now, a bit bouncy as she finally drops Thewlis' hand.

Finishing cleaning up, Thew nods and looks down a moment, at her hands, looking to see if she got any of his blood on her. "I-hi-hii-it can... if you don't... att-eh-hension... P-p-pay attention." nodding to himself. "I juh-hust used a l-loh-lot..." swallowing, "C-can get w-w-w-worse Dreams f-f-for that..." nodding. "Bu-hut... we ca-ca-can hurt... fuh-faster th-th-tha-ha-han others." folding his hands on the desk.

"Nuh-need t-t-to watch... whu-hu-whu-what you do, eh? Concentration."

The grin on Maggi's face droops as dreams are mentioned. This reminds her of what Leon had spoken about when he had used his abilities over seas.

"So it's a with great power comes trauma?" she adds wryly. "Do you know why we can do any of this like the bigger point? Don't get me wrong I will take free super powers. But, what are we supposed to do with them?"

Maggi thinks some on what Thewlis has to say about hurting things faster than others, taking a seat and watching him intensely.

"So-ho-homme times... trauma. Town is..." he frowns and goes into his thoughts for analogy, "D'you know... Th-th-huh Dark Tower st-st-hories?" looking up at her. Wo-wuh-worlds on t-t-top of worlds?" leaning forward a little in his chair, elbows on his knees hands folded - waiting to see how much more detailed he needs to be for the moment.

Tilting her head, Maggi looks at the ceiling, attempting to recall them. "It's been a bit, Magical Western type delio?" A look of horror crosses her face as she remembers something else about them.

"Wait doesn't one of the worlds come apart at the seams or something?" She looks a bit nervous and hopes that that is not the portion of the story that is being referred to in this context. Maggi was also partially surprised by the reference coming from Thewlis. He seemed to be a fairly complex individual.

"Sci-Fi-Magic-Western... ow-ow-ours isn't... coming apart." he frowns "B-bu-hut, there's ah-ah-nother. Like ow-ours. Dark. Monsters." He lifts up a thick tech manual and points to either side. "M-muh-mo-host places... It's luh-l-like this... Pro-p-p-poritionately...." a sheet card stock next. "Some li-hike this" and then he pulls up a flimsy piece of paper. "Th-he-hen the-heres here." fwipping the sheet back and forth.

Taking another moment, gathering his thoughts, Thew looks down at his hands and twitches, "In In... here. Town. In. I--ih-ih-ih-ih-ih-ih... In... I... In... " head ducking as his stammering takes control his mouth slams shut and he is nothing but fury at the moment, mouth opening but only base vowels coming out. Head rolling back, he twitches again, hunching, fists clenched in his lap as he tries to just speak.

Taking a deep breath Maggi changes her positioning on the couch to be as non threatening as she can possibly be, her gaze softening. "In our town..." She directs carefully. She does her best to give a congenial upturn of her lips devoid of snark. She understood parts of what he was saying but wanted to make sure she understood.

They both belonged here after all, and she was ever so appreciative of the information.

Embarrassed and and clearly chiding himself, Thew looks back down at his hands, breathing slow and trying again. "Muh-m-ma-hany like us... 'cause s-s-o close to... oth-th-her side." looking back to her again after a long moment. "M-muh-ore powerful here. Luh-less elsewhere." wringing his hands now, trying to not look down at them. "Guh-gu-ghood and bahhhd things... Other side. Muh-m-m-mostly b-b-bad." he admits. "Them." added, with emphasis on the T

Downing the remainder of her coffee cup, Maggi rises to her booted feet. Giving a salute with her opposite hand, she places the cup on his desk. "Alright Senior Dream Captain, I will endeavor to do something besides break shit, and return for further training."

The salute is dropped to her side and she places the coffee cup down on the corner of his desk. "This is about all I can process today (She tries not to look shaken by the ominous 'them'), but I shall be working on this for hopefully no more than a week..." Opening her canvas bag she removes a pen and a stray napkin, writing digits along it.

"Then you can tell me what you want to trade for helping me suck less and understand more about our weirdo flimsy paper town." There does not seem to be a question in anything she says, only a direct expectation, a challenge for him to dare disagree. She gives a cheshire grin.

"I... you... don't need... p-p-pa-hay for h-h-help..." Thewlis frowns, standing when she does. "Town i-hih-hih-isn't thin... too..." he olds up the paper, between his palms. He turns his right hand towards her. "Town..." then the left side, "Other suh-huh-hide." and then holds so that the paper is vertical and pointed at her. "Duh-histance... buh-b-bu-between." looking at her earnestly. "Important. Remember th-th-that." another thoughtful frown. "Be-hee sa-hayfe."

Maggi bites the inside of her lip and squints, almost asking what the middle was, then stopping herself. Another day, take it slow, don't get overwhelmed. Instead she just nods. "You'll figure out something I can help with, you should fire your current painter." She gives a wink and exits the door.

Blinking at the wink and the comment on the painter, positive attention to Thew is reacted to as normal for him, his head drops, he blushes and stammers until he sits down and stares at the paint pot, and the bin his shirt is in... Heck he should've used that as example... Picking up the shirt, putting it on and brushing his hand over the damage caused by the acrylic, not surprised to feel the paint dropping away as he fixes his clothes.