2020-01-31 - Woodburning

Esme had stopped by the cemetery but hadn't seen any signs of Thewlis or his truck. And so traveled to the trailer park to see if he was home. Now that she'd had a couple days to process things and a bit of a discussion about it with Yule, Esme knew that this was her next stop. And was trying to think of how to approach it so as to not stress Thewlis out even further. There was a light series of knocks on the trailer door. Esme was wearing her black woolen coat and a pair of jeans with a sweater and boots.

Peering through the door at first, brow knitted - once he knew who he was seeing the door was opened and Thew motioned for Esme to come in - quiet to avoid his stammer and stutter even as he motioned towards the coffee pot with a questioning glance before motioning for her to sit where she liked. "A-haf-hafteroon... Eh-heh-hesme... Y-you alright?"

Esme offered up a smile to Thewlis, though it faltered for some reason as she took in his appearance. Summoning the smile back up, she stepped inside and peeked around the trailer a moment. "I'm okay Thewlis, how are you? I'm sorry for the intrusion." She took a seat on the couch. "I wondered if I could...ask you about something? That I think happened when we were kids?"

Halting, brow knit and standing by the coffee pot, Thew's head cants to one side as he pours himself a sizable mug and another for Esme. Bringing over creamer and a sugar bowl, setting those before her on the coffee table and then making a second round for one of the kitchen chairs to sit opposite of her.

"Wh-.. wh-hu-huts that?" He probably knows, he didn't interact much with Esme when they were kids... but it's worth feeling out sometimes.

Esme accepts the coffee gratefully, adding a little bit of cream and sugar to it. She's quiet, thoughtful, as she stirs up the mix, trying to decide how she wants to frame her question. Finally looking up at him again, "...Do you remember that summer...96 I think? When the fire hydrant broke on Elm? In front of that old abandoned house?" Studying him for a moment. "...You had a ...book about monsters I think?" And she still felt a tiny stir of anger towards the bullies that had messed with him and, really, were at fault for the whole thing.

His eyes turn to a bookshelf to the side, pressed up against a book-end shaped like zombies pounding on a door... Really almost everything in here is monsters. DVD shelf with a small row for action and sci-fi, even a few rom-coms... and then it's just horror films - there's figurines on shelves, posters in portrait frames... The guy has a preference.

"With the monster... with all the arms." the book that set him on his current path. The first thing he'd ever owned for himself.

"And the crooked hallways...and the bugs." Esme shuddered a bit at the memory. "So...it really did happen then? I'm not...losing my mind?" She's more or less established already that she isn't crazy but the reassurance is still good. "I didn't...remember it at all until the other night. I don't know...I dreamed about it. I'm not sure why." Maybe the stress of all the strangeness. "So...does that mean...that other dream with the...casket and stairs...that wasn't just a regular dream either was it?" As she took a careful sip of coffee.

Frowning, trying to decide how to explain - Thew pulls a cigarette out of a pack in his shirt pocket, tucks it in the corner of his mouth and draws on it, with his hands on his coffee mug - causing the end to light itself as he takes his drag.

"Thi-th-his town... S'w-whu-weird. Lot of u-uh-uh-us... too." shrugging and motioning, "I c-c-han put thi-this out too... If y-you need."

"Yeah...I'm learning that." Speaking of, the detective does actually have some Glimmer to her before when she didn't the previous times they've spoken. She watches as the cigarette is lit...with nothing. "Yule...he's kind of given me a ..basic introduction..." Though she still clearly looks surprised by what she's just scene. "Uh, actually...I'll take one. If you don't mind." As far as the cigarettes go. "That was...what did he call it...Spirit? with the...fire?" There's another moment of quiet before, "...How do you see it? Other people who...are like this?"

"Yuh-y-huh-you just... see it. Wh-hen people yuh-use it... Sometimes wh-he-heh-hen you're just... watching." Thew takes an unconscious drag, exhaling through his nostrils, lips pursed and looking down at the table for a moment as he holds the pack towards her... and light it once it's in her mouth as well.

"D-do-hon't worry" said as he casually puts his lit smoke by the table, focuses, and flame leaps from the cherry to the table, the flames rolling in a thin trail, spelling the word "Fire" and then slowly burning merrily, putting a pine smell in the area before going out.

"C-ca-han fix things... and puh-people too."

Esme hasn't smoked in a while. It had been one of those strange little things where one day she just decided to stop. But boy did she feel like she needed one. She inhaled gratefully, slowly exhaling with minimal coughing. "Is that really-" Esme starts to ask, concerned, as Thewlis put the cigarette on the wood...saw the little flickes of flame.

"Do you know...if it can cut people? Things? If any of the...aspects? can do that?" Esme asked as she stared at the burned letters on the table. "I remember cutting the monster but not touching it." With her free hand, Esme pushed some loose strands of hair from her eyes. "Is that...one of the things you can fix?" Motioning to he burn marks as she took another drag off the cigarette.

Nodding as he brushes a palm over the burned in letters, wiping them away and as he does the tabletop looking as if it was fresh from the woodshop, perfectly new... At the comment about cuts, his eyes drop, "At first. B-b-but it gets... can..." head ducking. "I've bro-b-b-b-ro-ho-hoken legs... wh-when... scared. Puh-peh-people attacking... muh-hee."

Eyes on the table he seems to be considering something before he finally looks up. "I c-ca-cah-han almost muh-make flame..."

Esme looked down at her hands a moment, considering something. Then back up to the now fixed table. "...That's terrifying. Having that much...power. To do that." A shallow exhale. "From what I told Yule...and what you've confirmed...Well. I thinkI have an ability for...Physical? And...at least I used to have something with Spirit." She took another hit off the cigarette before leaning over to stamp it out in the ash tray. "Make flame?...You must be pretty powerful then." She spoke softly. "...How long have you been able to do all this?"

"I d-d-don't nuh-n-know... I don't r-r-em-muh-member when it st-st-st-ha-arted... I no-nor--hormally j-ju-just fix things..." Thew admits, brow knitting again, "I... It's a luh-lot, b-b-but... th-this town. C-c-crea-creatures." he motions all around and then to his hands. "Ev-e-vens the o-hodds. Muh-monsters in... th-th-th-his town. Wuh-we can fig-height back." chewing at the filter of his smoke as he takes another drag.

Esme nodded in agreement. "Yes. That's true. This case I'm currently working on. It's leading to the weird things and...I think that's probably what's triggered all this coming back." She exhaled softly. "I guess with these powers...we do have a fighting chance." A twitch of a smile on her lips as she looked towards his collection of movies. "How is Jade doing, by the way? I saw the article about the luau type thing you guys did. It looked like a bunch of fun."

He nods a little, a smile creeping across his features. "We-e-e're guh-good. Sh-sh-she works at th-the theater now." actually giving a bit of a laugh as he stares at his hands. "Duh-dream job... eh?" chewing at his lower lip now, "Wh-wuh-was lucky... I s-s--say-haved... Oth-th-therwise, wouldn't have go-g-gotten it." looking up a moment. "D-d-yyou go a lot?" head tilting to one side, Thewlis stubs out his smoke on a tray.

"That's great to hear. " Esme flashed a bit of a brighter smile. "And I can't think of any two people better to handle that place." Relaxing some finally. "I haven't been yet. I hardly get a chance to do much extra curriculars lately it feels like. But maybe when Yule is healed up I'll drag him there for a date night. " Esme chuckled. "Speaking of. It feels like forever ago. But Yule mentioned we were invited here for a movie night some time? I would definitely be up for that still and I'm sure he would be too. if you guys are."

"Th-that is alwa-hays on the table. Here oh-or... at th-theater now. Puh-private box too." Thew grins and gives a little shrug, "Wo-would love to ha-h-ave you two over." taking a long sip of his coffee while it's still warm. "Here or th-th-there."

"Then we'll definitely arrange it. It will be fun. Either place." Esme finished off her coffee and rose to her feet. "Maybe after this case is finished...We're right on the guy's tail. I know it. it'd be a good way to toss off all the stress it's been giving me." She mused. "I should get going but, thank you for talking with me. It was enlightening. And I look forward to hanging out soon."

"G-luh-lu-lad I could he-heh-elp." Thew stands when she does and heads for the kitchen briefly, coming out with a disposable food storage. "Em-p-p-panada? They'll g-g-g-oh to wa-wai-waist otherw-w-wise." offering out the lunch. "I th-th-hink Jade is... tryin' t-make muh-me fat." blushing then. "K-keep the la-hadies away."

Esme blinked a moment, looking at the container and then chuckled. "Sure, why not. I barely remember if I've eaten today." She mused and waggled her brows at him. "Well you tell her to keep on feeding you and you can just pass me the leftovers, deal?" A touch of teasing in her tone as she accepted the container and headed towards the door. "Have a good rest of your day Thewlis." And then would be on her way!