2020-02-10 - The Nicest People in Town

Memento Mori - something out of a King novel... pretty much Needful Things. But hopefully without the horrifying curses. Right? Right!? Thew is here, shopping - or browsing. There's gobs of old junk to be found here and a tinkerer such as himself can find no lack of little goodies that he'd enjoy.

He actually has a box under one arm... and it looks just like the mogwai cage from Gremlins - but why does he have it? Mystery!!!

It's just the kind of place Tara would find unusually delightful. As she enters the shop, she does so with a glance backwards at the street and a hand patting at the air, "No..." A patting hand that points, "Stay." Then entering fully to absently begin meandering down the small aisles with her hands in the pockets of her paint smeared cargo pants. She's wearing a backwards baseball cap, a drab green jacket, and bright yellow sweater, everything she's wearing is old or handed down.

Upon seeing Thewlis, she glances up from where she's kneeling looking at various little oddities, with a big bright smile that goes all the way into her wide brown eyes, "Good morning." Waving a hand and then going right back to looking through the back part of a shelf at something that caught her eye.

Bright cheery greetings, direct eye contact, fast hand movements. Thewlis would normally be running - but there is something today and certain people are going to be upset they missed it. Swallowing, Thew nods at the waving woman and even manages a weak smile,
"G-g-good mor-mor-ning." he pauses and tilts his head - not expecting that. Frowning in thought before trying again. "Fuh-f-first tuh-tuh-hime here?" setting an hour glass into the box... hey Impromptu shopping basket!

Tara is half way buried in a shelf, kneeling down to reach way back at something behind a bunch of other items when Thewlis asks her question, "Hmm? Oh, yes.. I saw it just this morning, but I really haven't had much chance to get around and explore." She has several cuts that have been cleaned and bandaged on her cheeks, one of them obviously required stitches, and then there's her smile. Damned thing is kind of like a wound when she glances back and up at Thewlis. "Oh wow, is that a Mogwai cage?"

Blinking at the scars now that he spots them, mouth twisting in a frown, Thew's brow knits together tightly - the question startles him out of it though, "OH!? I. Yuh-yes. I f-found. Ov-ver there." pointing to an area full of various styled boxes and other such containers.

"I... Is." he takes a step towards her. "Is ev-v-ver-hee-thing oh-ho-kay?" pointing to her cheeks. "I." head tilting to the side as natural inclination to fix things sets in.

Tara follows the point towards the styled boxes, clutching a small black onyx buddha statue to her chest with a hand, arm curled around it like she's carrying a football. Her hand slides out and she pushes up from her kneeling to look first to Thewlis appreciative, grinning slightly, "Hm? Oh, nah it's nothing. I just ran into a thorne bush with mouths in it.. I was just very clumsy, that's all. I tried to feed them..." Her lips quirk to the side, wavey pointing at the carrying cases indicating she's headed that way, "But then they disappeared. I hope they're okay."

Following after, Thew blinks but isn't very surprised to hear this sort of thing. He's had to deal with dead creatures making out with dead bodies after all.

"I... If. Th-tha-hat... looks li-hi-hike it hurts." frowning a little deeper, "I... if... If you've... I could fix it?" really if she's seen things that weird in town... really. "I..."

"No, that's okay, they'll heal naturally." Tara says with a smile back over her shoulder. The black Buddha statue is set down within reach as she goes through some of the carriers, "I try not to do anything to upset the balance if I don't have to." She doesn't even sound distracted as she does the two things at once and she certainly doesn't appear concerned by addressing the weirdness, "I like to think that scars are how we know we survived, ya know?"

"Oh. Well... I. I-hih-hif you really want..." Thewlis frowns again at the last comment, head tilting. "I do-oh-hon't like... muh-most ruh-huh-he-hem-inders..." he admits, looking down at the box in his hand for the moment. "Buh-being around is a guh-hu-hood reminder... f-f-for me." looking to the Buddha and towards the containers that she is digging through.

"M'Thewlis, b-b-by the wuh-way." changing the subject apparently, "You ju-hust get in t-t-town?"

"I don't like to forget things." Tara brushes hair back behind her ears and resumes digging through boxes until she finds one that particularly catches her fancy. She makes an ''Oh'' face and pulls it out, which turns out to be like a wooden music box with ''vanity'' doors that open sideways rather than up. "Oh, sorry. I'm Tara." Setting the box aside near the Buddha to turn and offer her hand, "Yeah, just a few days. I came looking for my Fiance. He grew up here... then he disappeared.. so obviously I thought he came home." Still smiling, if with a bit of sadness. "You?"

He stares at the offered hand, really does, and reaches out tentatively. If he was so obviously terrified at the idea of contact it might be a firmer shake, but at least he's not flopping his hand about in hers. "Gr-r-r-ew up here... " Thew looks down again, as if it a thing to be ashamed of.

"I oh-honly like ruh-re-hember-ber-ring some things..." another admission, and his head stays down for it, eyes on his feet. "I... The the-heh-heater... I ruh-hun that." wetting his lips and finally looking up. "Ah-ah-ar-tist?"

"Why?" Tara asks without really thinking about what she's asking and immediately recants, "Wait no, don't answer that.. it's completely your business." The hand in his is notably loose, but she likely feels the awkward disdain for physical contact and reciprocates, "There's nothing to be ashamed of.. growing up here I mean. It's a lovely place." Maybe the only person who has ever said that, amirite? Always smiling, all the way up to her eyes which crinkle across the bridge of her nose. More so when he asks if she's an artist, "I ... am. I like to think of myself as being more of a beauty terrorist." Mouth curling upwards with the tip of her tongue peeking out through her lips, "What kind of theater is it? Like old movies or plays?" Grabbing up her Buddha and box, one beneath each arm.

The ask of why is met with a flinch and when he withdraws his hand he simply tucks it under the box. None of that wipe-down or 'ewww touchies' crap at least. He does take a moment to breath and get his composure back - but he does offer a slightly smile when she tries to explain what she does before she questions about the theater.

"Ne-n-new and old muh-movies... classics... i-hif Be-buh-beauty tuh-terrorist muh-means... Graffiti..." he sighs and sums up the courage, "Please duh-don't there?"

"No.. not graffiti." Tara says with another easy grin, she has a face that just goes that route, blinking her wide staring eyes at the townie. "I do them in chalk. I don't want my art to last forever, it's like..." She rubs her cheek on her shoulder since her hands are full, "It's like a snap shot into my mind that only lasts as long as the moment. People have to want to see it or know where to look to find it before it's gone." Looking around at the shop with turn of her eyes and a dimple in her cheek, "Maybe it brightens someones day a little? They see something beautiful when they need it and they're temporarily inspired, but the whole point of my art that is life doesn't last forever.. either you go live it or it's gone and you've wasted the moment."

"Th-th-that... I..." Thewlis nods and looks down again, chewing at his lower lip. A mirror in some ways, as he continually shrinks into himself, coming out to the surface to speak before part of him sucks him right back down into himself. He slumps a little, but it's more a reflexive action than intentional.

"That suh-h-hounds... nuh-nice. Su-hu-huh-jesting somewhere d-d-d-efeats the purpose... But it's nuh-nnnice." nodding a few more times and looking back up to Tara with a weak attempt at a smile dying on his face.

Tara is patient, she doesn't even look like she's in a hurry, "Do people give you a hard time, Thewlis? You.. you have a really nice smile. I feel like you would feel a lot better if you smiled more... even if you don't feel like smiling. I call it the fake it until you make it principle of life.. the smiling buddha way." Her expression snaps back into place and she turns just a little to look at the stack of boxes. It's the kind of sudden shift like someone said something, conversational cues, and passes quickly when she looks back up to Thew.

"I guess.. I don't know. I'm not really much of an artist, I don't think.. I very rarely put anything on canvas, but I might start. I don't want to pigeon hole myself into a single delivery method, I guess.. I'm a very abstract person." At least she can admit this about herself. It's a very nice way of saying she's weird.

"I. It. I." the comment about his smile appears to have blue-screened him for a moment and he looks down at his purchase. "It." taking a breath and screwing up the courage to look back up, "I... rm... Thanks." he nods a few times, turning crimson now as he accepts the compliment.

"Buh-best who you th-h-th-think you sh-hou-hood be, do wha-ah-haht you like..." he frowns, "I'm Suh-sorry, I meant... sugges-hes-hesting around where... in, t-t-t-own..." one corner of his mouth coming up, "I-hif you d-d-do it around th... th-heh theater - I w-w-w-ouldn't buh-be mad." his phone is out and his thumb is tapping rapidly as he speaks. "I-i-hif you want, at the b-b-box office, ask them... Did the primary buffer panel just fall off my gorram ship for no apparent reason?" apparently having -no- trouble with quotes it seems. "Puh-pr-private box... general adm-muh-mission price... One t-t-time use."

"Oh!" Tara grins wider as she realizes the precise nature of what it is Thewlis said. If there's some issue with her standing here in the middle of the shop with items under her arms, "Well /I'm/ just saying that if you smiled more you'd feel better. It's a proven fact, scientifically!" That ''pseudo'' true even.

Her arms heft up her Buddha, curled beneath her arm so she can fish out her old school flip phone, "Well let me get your number just in case there's any problems? Thewlis, is that with two Els?" Tap tap tap, tapity tapping, taptap. "I love that movie. I think it kind of deviated a little from what made the show good, but it stood the test anyways. Sometimes you have to be a little different to get the point across." As for her art at the Theater, "I will! I'll grab my chalk and head over there after everything is closed up so there's a nice surprise in the morning."

"I... I ... I smile suh-hometimes... One El..." giving out the number for Tara to use. "I think... chalk puh-painting - would be in-in-hinteresting... Oth-th-thurs wil-wh-hill too." nodding and looking to her managing her armloads. "D-d-dyou want huh-help wh-wh-hith that?" Thew watches, tucking his own intended purchases under an arm.

"I luh-liked the muh-ovie fo-hor th-those differences..." concentrating and now talking trivia he clears up miraculously, "Nothing is permanent or can be controlled, and the attempts to do so only create a paradox that rights itself, violently, if need be. Mal fighting a war, the reavers, even how the Operative breaks near the end... Hoban's death... everyone tried to keep him from danger but him, and it found him, and took him."

It's an interesting shift and one that brightens Tara's smile exponentially, but she doesn't mention it. That's anthesis to her observations and general approach to life. She lives in that moment and then lets that moment live in itself for its own merits. "I told someone last night that there's a natural beauty to the scars that make up our past.. I think that movie perfectly captured that reality." She bobs her head and holds out the box to Thewlis, clearly having no problem accepting a little help. She needs a free hand to input her name and number, flip phones were hard man.

One she has done so, she clicks it closed with a finger and holds it in her loose fist. "Mal's scars pushed him towards a lack of trust against the alliance, which is the only reason they were able to discover Meranda at all, right? But he was guilty of single minded pursuit in that course... and it cost him." She smiles and cants her head a little, "Ehh maybe that's a little bit of a stretch, but I think you get what I'm saying? Ultimately our experiences define us and we express that in our own unique way."

"Not much of a stretch. Mal sought companionship but feared it because he lost everything, so he became attached and would ultimately drive it off unconsciously because he was afraid to lose it all over again. Except with Inara because she was the personification of what he hated about the Alliance and the central worlds. Everything had a price, nothing could be earned, only sold. So he sought to liberate her, since he couldn't liberate the frontier colonies like he wanted to at first."

He's going, on a tangent, and his inability to talk, the apparent drags at himself to keep quiet forced down deep somewhere now. "So because she became the focus of his rebellion, she became what he loved, because he loved freedom - and she represented spreading freedom in the 'verse." he doesn't even pay attention to the box he is given, he just tucks it where she can get at it while he holds it.

"Entire series is prefixed on freedom, and the pursuits - how far can or will you go? And can you escape yourself to get it?"

"I don't know if that's really true though.." Tara muses, listening to Thewlis' well spoken tangent with a wide grin that seems to only grow wider the longer he speaks. It's like she's unlocked some secret level to their conversation where he exists outside his scars. In a way it is precisely the kind of artistic expression she revels in, the moment of a thing becoming more important than the parts that comprise it. It's beautiful, really.

"I think he loved Inara specifically because of what she represents. He saw someone trapped in their role as much as he was trapped in his, unable or unwilling to change something because that's the natural static order, while hoping that something exists beyond those boundries that can be explored and visualized through the wounds of their past... Inara is such a wonderful character anyways.. I feel like she lost a lot in translation to film though." Her expression doesn't drop, but the corner of her smile does, if only slightly.

"Everyone on Serenity was trapped in a bubble and defined by their mentality.. I think Mal even said it? 'We all came to this boat for different reasons', but they found acceptance ''dispite'' those differences... It's a show about growth, that never really got a chance to grow at all... which is, in my head anyways, the reason it's so good.. you have to ''imagine'' what it would have been.. it ended before we ever know for sure if we're right or wrong. I love that."

"That really did make it the classic it is, and what you say is right to... Really it's hard to say who is distinctly right or wrong, other than the creator." Thewlis blinks and looks down at his feet for a moment, biting his lip. "Whedon is good at starts and preliminary character stuff, but the longer her goes, the more complicated he makes it, and can ultimately choke it to death as the character threads unwind and wrap around one another."

"Inara did loose a lot on the film. Becoming a mcguffin, almost an afterthought. the 'spin me about' lines for the forced romantic interlude in the corridor. But she didn't have the same influence she had over everything in the show, and without Book as the counter to her extreme, regarding the Alliance, there was no foil to put her, or his, actions against."

"Heck, I doubt even he really knows.. I read an article once about two types of writers, the kind that knows where a story is going and the kind that know who the characters are.. Whedon is more the latter." Tara bobs her head a few times, almost lazily, but with clear enthusiasm if her grin is indicative. It twinkles in her eyes, "The characters lead the narative rather than the story leading the characters.. so things tend to go wild as those characters change and grow.." She sets the Buddha down, but only for a moment, just long enough for her to link her fingers and wiggle them around in a giant messy ball of two fists.

"Ultimately it leads to really interesting development, but really strange, almost convoluted, story telling because everything is seen through the eyes of these characters.." She cants her head thoughtfully at the latter point and agrees, "The movie forced the Alliance into a role of villain because it had to follow a traditional formula whereas the show let them be... shadowy. Sure they were ''bad'', but the ''Independents'' weren't much better. There was a realism to the whole thing where good could come from either direction.. not in Serenity though. In Serenity, the Alliance was the villain, so Book wasn't a necessary constant except as a motivational force for Mal, specifically."

"Yeah, book was the mentor but they jumped him right to the Mentor's sacrifice... and you're right. Either side isn't specifically good. They're political ideals. People who believe in one or another will prefer them. Neither side are called bad, just one won and the other lost. Who is to say the Independents wouldn't have used Alliance tactics if they weren't using cobbled together and stolen goods." he looks to the buddha again, smiling at it, and then Thew's attention returns to his feet.

"It's a nice speculation anyways." Tara says with a big grin, head cocking back and to the side to look up slightly at Thewlis, "You know a lot about movies, huh? I think we got kind of lucky with this one, I really like science fiction." Motioning back and forth with the black Buddha (they're traditionally green) between them, "But I think we're going to be friends. I would like to be friends, anyways."

A blink as his movie knowledge is pointed out, he nods and goes back into himself, "I luh-hike movies. I... I watch m-muh-monster movies m-most." ducking a little, he's still smiling but his stammer returns, and growing in force to make up lost time. "Sci-Fi... It. I. It. Western... Horror... I. Horror bes-hest." nodding rapidly.

"Fuh-re-ends... Good. Yeah... Guh-gir-herlfriend wo-would like you. " looking back up. "Nuh-nice person. Rare. In thi-his town."

Tara doesn't stop frowning when Thewlis returns to his status quo communicative level, but does reach out her empty hand to lay against his forearm, "You're a lovely man, Thewlis, with a beautiful soul. I hope one day you find some peace and I hope that I'm there to see that." She says with her same grin dancing in her brown eyes cast up at him. The touch is easy, light, and momentary, with her hand falling back down to her side. "I should probably pay for my stuff and get out of here though.. If I stay too long I'll end up trying to buy ''everything'' and I... well I kind of have a limited budget right now."

Grinning despite that. "I'd love to meet her sometime! Here, let me send you a text so you have my number." She sets her Buddha down on the counter and reaches for her phone to send off another text.

(TXT to Thewlis) Tara : Hey Its Tara Ths is my #

A hand coming towards him, a woman's hand, and for a moment his eyes flicker - but he doesn't flinch or draw back, despite nostrils flaring. For a split second absolute fear is in his eyes, but he blinks it away after a moment. Setting her other things on the counter with a nod as he checks his messages.

"I thu-thin-hink... Yeah. You're r-r-r-right." a weak smile offered again as he looks to the person on register, nodding and putting his card down for them - both his and her items being rung up. Kindness for kindness it seems is his way

When Tara sees the shift in his demeanor with the raised hand, she lowers it rather than touch him. "I have a Golden Retriever, his name is Oscar.." She says this with a fond smile, reaching for her wallet tucked in her back pocket, but then he's offered to pay for her and she smiles wider, "Thank you..." But continues, "I found him in Spokane.. and at first he was very skittish about people. It took almost three days before I could get him on my RV, but he got closer each night I left out a little food. I think someone hit him.. or maybe kicked him." She shakes her head sadly and rubs at the back of her neck, "Anyways, it was presistance that finally won him over... do you like dogs, Thewlis? I..." She purses her lips and glances down at the counter where the clerk is bagging up her purchases, "I think I was meant to bring Oscar to you."

Noticing her hand drop, Thewlis's expression is tainted by shame. "I... I. " Subject change! Great! "I'm guh-good whi-with d-d-dogs. They're honest... Buh-better wh-wi-with cats th-though." he blinks and tilts his head, "Wu-wait... B-bring Oscar t-t-to me?" brows up at that. "Y-y-you muh-mean... ha-ha-have him me-heet me?" head tipping to one side as he studies her.

"Wh-wh-hut if h-he's f-f-for company... wh-hile we look for y-y-y-your fiance?" he said inserting himself into the search without asking...

Tara takes her bag with a smile to the clerk, "Thank you so much, I love this store." She says, though it's unlikely the girl is actually the owner. Then, with her bag hanging from her fingers, she turns back to Thewlis, "No, not at all, I mean I think he's your dog and I found him for you. I know he's not /my/ dog.." She rolls her eyes at the thought, "He barely listens to me at ''at all'', but..." Wiggling a point up at him, "I do think he's yours. I named him after a dead guy I met.. very nice guy, actually.. I felt really bad for him." Her smile faulters, but doesn't disappear.

Tara ... she always stares. Like her eyes are always wide open and kind of bugging in whatever direction she's looking like she's trying to see ''everything'' and wont let her eyelids get in the way. "Oh, my fiance is probably dead." That does make her frown and look away, eyes down on her shoes, "But I guess he might not be.. Or maybe I can find his spirit? I don't know, he grew up here, so I figured this would be the best place to look." Apparently nothing can keep her mood down, already her grin is starting to return when he invites himself to help with the search. "Maybe so! Either way it'll be a great adventure?"

"Maybe..." a little overwhelmed at the idea of getting a dog, brows up but not refusing from this woman, Thew's mouth sets in a line. "I'm... I... the seh-heh-hemetery... Gruh-have-digger. Guh-give a name, I ca-ca-ca-an check burial r-r-r-records?" the notion doesn't look like it pleases him. He may like horror films, but he likes the happier endings most as like.

"Ju-jade is looking... college fr-fr-r-riend fr-r-rom here. May-hay-be we find both?" head tilting to the side, looking more and more frustrated with his stammer now.

Tara has already made up her mind anyways, so Oscar is as good as Thewlis'. She's grinning majestically up at him as she leads the way towards the exit, "I'll bring him by later, then.. uh.. or you can come by and pick him up? I'm staying over in the Shaolwater RV park." Which is a pretty good walk from her, but she looks like a walker.. that or the bike outside is hers.

"Oh? Really.. I love cemetaries!" She says, visibly brightening, "There's always someone to talk to there. Some of the most most interesting people I met on my drive to Gray Harbor were in cemeteries." Her smile... well it does faulter when she realizes the implications of what he's saying, "Oh... Well, yeah okay. Just let me know, but I really think he's just gone." Why or how she knows that, however.

"I'd really like to help Jade find her friend though.. I like helping people."

"Maybe... but luh-hi-hike I said... I d-d-don't know his name." he frowns, "I c-c-an look... or ah-hask around..." the expression deepens. "I muh-mean... I..." apparently deciding to give an idea that he believes her, on who she talks to, he confesses. "Th-th-hey usually whu-watch wh-when I bu-bury them..." looking around, at the bike and at the massive pick-up he drives

"Nuh-need a luh-l-le-lift?"

"Oh right... Thomas Rielly." Tara gives her fiances name, rolling her eyes at her own silliness. Her tongue peeks out from between her teeth as she grins, "Sorry, sometimes I forget that people need me to actually tell them things.." It turns out the bike actually is hers and there's a little basket on the front, one of those old schenes. "They do, don't they?" Glancing up at Thewlis suggesting they like to watch him bury them. "A lot of them just stay wherever they died.. I've tried to help a couple of them leave, but only one ever did. Some just ignored me..." At the offer, she glances around, "Well, I have my bike.. what are you driving? If it's a truck, sure! You can pick up your dog. I have a leash and some food and a bowl and everything!"

"Also some toys, but he didn't like anything I gave him."

"S-some don't... s-hom do." Thew notes, moving to pick up the bike and carefully place it in the bed of his truck, even using a couple of pads and tie-downs with sweater sleeves threaded over to secure it down. "Rielly..." lips pursing again. "I'll lo-oo-ook. Ah-hah-at least th-th-hat will narrow it down in part.

It's a typical thing, like one would expect for an actual handyman and not one of those wannabes who hang the bronze ball sack off the ball hitch. Even he has to use the grips to climb up into the monster, the smell of diesel rising once the engine is over.

"If n-nothing else... yo-hou could g-g-get to t-t-tah-halk with him... again?"

Tara nods, but she doesn't really like the idea that Thomas might be dead. "I guess it's better than thinking he was just taken? I don't know, I get the feeling he doesn't exist anymore." It's a weird sensation, when she thinks about her Fiance. "We were more or less split up anyways, but... I can't help thinking he's gone because of me." Upon seeing Thewlis' truck, however, blinks a few times.

"You planning for the zombie-apoc?" Teasing him a little, she climbs up on the side of the truck with a couple grunts that likely indicate she's not exactly the most athletic person in the world. "Thank you again for buying my things.. you didn't have to do that, it was very sweet.. also the ride home! I really love Gray Harbor. It's so... you know just.. there's an asethetic? I feel history, even if it's not all that old, strictly speaking." Plopping down into the seat with her bag down on the floor between her knees and her hands on her thighs.

"A l-l-lot of puh-people aren't vuh-very nuh-ni-nice... I th-hink it's buh-better to b-b-b-be nice, es-peh-hecially when som-mm-one is nuh-nice t-you..." Rolling out, turning down the radio to keep honky tonk from making them have to talk over it.

"And... I mean. If h-he is-s-sn't there... Muh-Maybe s-s-homone there does?" brow raising slightly while Thew watches the road. "Doesn' h-urt t-to try eh?"

"I completely agree with you." Tara says with a brisk nod, looking out the side window with a grin, despite the conversation, or specifically because of it. Like doing so helps her settle her turbulent thoughts on the matter. "I try not to let situations dictate who I am.. I use to be a less pleasant person, until I woke up one day and decided I didn't like who I was." She turns then to look at Thewlis with a grin in her eyes, if not necessarily on her face. "Maybe. I think his mom still lives here. We were going to come to Gray Harbor before we were married, but..." She shrugs, looking at her hands between her thighs. Right hand brushing fingers against the inside of her left. "We didn't."

Thew nods, brow knit again, "Sor-horry if. I mean." looking to her briefly, "If it. We c-c-an talk 'bo-out something e-helse if you want. " biting at his lip again, "Wh-wha-hat can you d-d-o... be-be-sides t-t-talk to them?" taking the initiative here apparently. "I muh.. I... Fix." his window drops a fraction and a smoke is tucked into the corner of his mouth, "Ah-and" both hands on the wheel he takes a drag and the cigarette lights itself.

He's done other things. But he's not proud of it.

"No, it's okay." Tara is quiet, smiling, but it's a shadowy expression. Her hands come up to brush her hair back behind her ears and her eyes settle down upon her bag laying in the floorboard, "I.. well I heal people. I can fix stuff too, but I try not to do either very often. I don't like to tamper with the natural order." Buddhist to her core. "Only when something is tampered with first and has to be fixed.. or one of those poor unfortunate souls who are stuck here. I just want to help people." She says with a sad smile, "Sometimes I'm better at it than others."

It's apparently a good day for Thewlis and the mountain of issues that crush down every day. He actually reaches out to rest a hand on Tara's shoulder, and give a slight squeeze, assuming she doesn't move away or block him.

"I've... he-huh-healed, but I d-d-don't get t-o often." he admits, lips pursed, eyes back on the road. "It'll be ok."

Optimism from him too. Banner day

"I haven't healed often." Tara admits, smiling at the reassuring touch to her shoulder, her own hand pats his wrist in a way that might indicate she appreciates how difficult that might be for him usually.. then settles back down in her lap with the other. "I cured a little girl of cancer... or I pushed it into remission." She's never told anyone that.. working her lips back and forth slowly, "I didn't realize what I was doing then, though. I just wanted it so badly and it happened. I've done smaller things since, but nothing like that." She takes a slow breath, "Mostly I just get rid of things that nature cannot get rid of. Someone has to keep the balance and I think that's what I'm meant to do."

Thew nods, hands on the wheel again, quietly oblivious of Merle playing on the radio. "I've... nuh-never done th-that." he chuckles as a memory bubbles up... "I blew up... ch-creatures... ch-ch-hay-hasing a ghost of a ch-hild." he admits. "Buh-biggest I've ev-ver done..." head tilting. "T-taught myself h-h-h-ow to... fuh-fireballs..." shaking his, "G-g-orram fuh-fantasy wh-wizard."

Tara grins side long at Thewlis describing his abilities and what he's capable of, "I would never want to blow anything up..." She says quietly, rubbing her palms along her cargo pants, "But I did whither some thornes in a dream last night.. that's where I got these." Running her fingers across the stitches and scraps on her face. "I felt terrible for hurting it though. I think it was just hungry.." Frowning and looking down, "I wish I could go back and feed it so it wouldn't be so angry."

"Some of th-th-those... They... They're not guh-hood." frowning again, deeper, "Muh-monsters. Kuh-kill you ah-has soon as luh-huh-loo-look at you." Rumbling the truck out towards the main drag to get out to the RV park.

"Some of... d-dreams... They." looking to her. "Buh-be careful." his expression earnest. "Puh-pe-people duh-die."

Tara nods understanding, right hand coming up to rub along her left bicep, "I know, but I still don't want to destroy it if I don't have to. It just seemed..." She shakes her head slowly and shrugs, "I probably sound ridiculous. Trying to save evil... but if we don't /try/ to make the world better, even the parts we don't really like.. we're only looking at half the story."

"Good would be totally impotent, without the contrast of evil." Thew apparently quoting something as his stutter fades, definitely movie quotes. "Ca-han't ha-a-ah-ave one wuh-whi-ithout the oth-th-th-ther eh?" head bobbing a bit to the music faintly playing on the radio. "Y-hu-hoo can ruh-deem so-homethhhh-hing sometimes... buh-but it'll bu-be replaced."

"No, but all evil needs is for good men to do nothing." Tara counters with a glance to the side at Thewlis, "I know that there must be, by the existence of good, the existence of evil... but we don't have to ignore the possibility that the two are interlinked do we?" Her smile flickers. "I feel like where one ends the other begins, but there doesn't have to be that sharp a divide. I was a very bad person who... changed." Her hands open on her leg, "Why can't anything else?"

A heartbroken look cracks Thew's features at that, and he takes his time to gather his thoughts, fighting down his stutter.

"You might have been a good person who did bad things, and then ruh-realized what you were doing. Good people trapped in doing bad thi-things all the time..." eyes on her again a moment, "Some of the best people did wrong before they realized what they were doing. A real person who is buh-bah-had... Th-th-he-hey kuh-key-key-heap do-oing it... buh-becau-caw-has they thu-think they're r-r-ruh-ri-hi-hight." something there putting fear back into him. Real fear. Facing the road, white knuckling his way out onto the highway. "Ah-ha-halmost th-there."

Tara turns in her seat to face Thewlis when he's finished speaking, but she doesn't speak all at once. Rather she just watches him. That shift from confidence, even distant confidence, into fear. It reminds her of Oscar when she first met the pup. "Someone hurt you." She says quietly, but she doesn't reach out this time. Likely she can appreciate the precarious and tentative hold he already has and she's already figured he is uncomfortable with touch.. if not specifically a woman's touch. "I am truly sorry that happened to you, Thewlis. Whatever it was.. I don't want you to think about it anymore, not with me anyways.. I wont bring it up again. You are a lovely man and very sweet!" She smiles softly and nods, turning back into her seat to look forward out the window.

"No-hah-hot your fu-fu-fault..." Thew manages. "Yuh-you. I. You... I." stuttering giving way to barely managing sentences again. "It. I. You... Fault. It's not. Nuh-hot yuh-oar fault..." sadness crushing past everything as he slouches in his seat. "Think... I. All the time..." eyes flicking to her, nervous. "No-hothing you duh-did..." a long, sharp, breath is taken to stabilize him, and Thew lets the silence rest for now, his mind full of screaming... or something by the way his head periodically jerks and ducks.

"Shhhhh..." Tara says quietly, this time actually reaching out to lay a calming hand upon the troubled man's arm. It's a light touch and one easily pulled away if it unsettles him, "It's okay Thewlis." She says in a soothing voice, her smile easy, if a little more distant than normal. "Whatever is troubling you isn't here right now. It's just you and me okay? Look at me."

Banner day indeed, he doesn't pull away from the touch, "Ca-can't... Driving..." he swallows and taking another breath. "Ma-Maggie Moore..." he bites out. "Wh-wa-hatch out..." taking more breaths, calming and pulling into the RV park with a steady hand on the wheel, even if the rest of him is still shivering. Thewlis looks to the rear-view, as if expecting whoever Maggie is to be there.

Tara pats Thewlis' arm lightly then looks out the side window as they pull into the RV park. One of the RV's is brightly painted with swirling angled arcs of color across the entire exterior.. This is obviously Tara's. "That's me." Confirmed. She heard the name and regards the troubled man for a moment. "She's not here, now. Would you like some coffee? Tea? I think I still have some hot chocolate?"

"Cof-hoffee is good... Yeah." nodding as he rumbles up and there's a genuine sort of smile when he sees the colors the RV. "I luh-lu-like that..." jerking his chin at it before the engine is killed and he's sliding out of the truck. "If y-hou need... I can heh-help down." landing with a thump and heading to get her bike down as well.

"Oh, thank you." Tara gazes out the window at her RV, "It was so mistreated when I bought it, I felt that it needed a face lift." It's said in jest as she crawls down from the cab with a little grunt, "I'm okay." She assures Thewlis, stumbling a little when she lands, but managing to keep her feet. After she's collected her bag and closed the door, she leads the way to the RV. "Okay so Oscar can be a bit.. uh.. friendly. But I think you two are going to be instant friends. He's sort of been indicating that he was waiting for someone."

When her bike is set own, there's a restored U-lock with the key in it sitting in the basket. Unable to help himself sometimes it seems. See a need, fill a need.
At the mention of the dog he draws a pouch of treats from one of his pockets. He deals with Hans at the Art Gallery... He carries dog treats. Quiet and looking to Tara, Thewlis shrugs. "I'm good with dogs... we'll see."

Tara leads her bike over to lean against the RV and then reaches in a pocket for the keys to the door. On the other side, Oscar is already yapping happily. "Alright, but I warned you." She grins back at Thewlis and throws the door open. The big, shaggy haired golden retriever bounds out of the RV and in a big loopy circle as if chasing his own tail. He's clearly a puppy, maybe a year old at best. "Thewlis, this is Oscar..." The pupper heads over to start sniffing feets and hands.

Kneeling to a hunker when the dog comes bounding to him, Thewlis smiles and lets himself be sniffed, offering a palm of little dog treats. "Hey... hey. Who'se a goodn'?" head to one side, letting the dog go about it's dog business while giving occasional scratches and neck roughs. "Hey there."

He looks back up at Tara, "He's a f-uh-h-hrendly one.. f-sure."

Tara watches the interaction with a quiet click of her tongue against the roof of her mouth, but she's grinning all the same, "Well, that settles it, then.. I think he likes you." She winks at Thewlis, "He just drags me places looking for treasure.. I'll get his things." Motioning inside, keys rattling. "Or you can stay for coffee, either way I think you have a new friend and roommate."

"I... I co-c-co-ould do cof-f-ff-ffee." Thew nods and looks down at the dog, head tilting to one side before feeding him another treat and heading to follow Tara inside the RV. "Th-th-thank you." I mean, what else do you say to sudden free dog??

Oscar is a strange dog anyways. He hops around in happy circles after being fed treats, but pads along dutifully beside Thewlis. Which clearly astonishes the heck out of Tara... "How'd you do that?" Pointing at the obedient animal with a look of betrayal... She laughs then, shakes her head, and steps up into the RV. Her bag is set aside, temporarily forgotten while she gets a kettle from a cabinet to fill with water. "I don't have a coffee machine, so I hope you don't mind instant? I could do a french press, though... Uh..." Glancing around, hair tucking behind her ears, "Don't mind the mess.."

It's not a spacious RV, but it's modular. So some of the parts slide up out of the way to make a bit more room. There's no television, but there is an old Iphone docked between two speakers. Which begs the question why she carries a flip-phone right? "Make yourself at home though.."

Well, iphones are basically mp3 players anyway, so why wonder too hard. But he does look around slowly, "Ins-st-stant is fine..." Thew smiles a little as he looks around the RV. "TH-thi-hink you're right... 'bout Ah-hah-hah-hosker..." reaching down to rough the dog's ears again.

"Sur-v-v-v-vivors recognize... e-eh-ea-each-ho-hoh-other..." casually setting to picking up the area where they can sit without a word, organizing things up for her to better take care of later.

Once the kettle is full, Tara moves it to a hot-plate to bring to a boil. Which takes a little bit so she goes back over to her bag and pulls out both the box and the small black Buddha statue. The box she sets down on the center of the table, but the statue she craddles in her arm and makes her way towards the back of the RV to add to her shrine. Just barely visible kneeling infront of a traditional Buddha shrine with incense almost always burning. There's none now, but the smell lingers in the air.

Once she's returned, her hair is out from under her ball cap, but pulled up in a ponytail, "So you were saying your girlfriend is looking for a college friend? How long as she been searching?" It's a loaded question... while she's really got no inclination or belief that she'll find her fiance... It's easier to settle that in her mind if someone else has already tried and failed, right?

"Ju-hust before Hah-hah-hahlloween. Lot of d-duh-histr-tra-actions." Thew admits, petting Oscar's head which now is settled in his lap while he's seated at the table. "I... Not in... gra-hay-hayv-yard... th-thankfully..." looking thoughtful, "Muh-maybe... th-th-th-thhh-the Asylum..." as if such could still be open in this day and age.

The doggo has his full attention though, for a moment, watching the retriever's eyes, sharing a quiet sadness with Oscar and likely a fair greater deal of understanding before he looks back to Tara. "C-c--hood be... similar for T-t-t-thomas..." sniffing "It's... here... but n-n-nnot?"

"That's a long time for there to be no evidence.." Tara isn't a negative person by nature, but despite her optomism, she is a realist. She frowns a little and rubs the back of her neck, even if the smile quickly returns seeing Oscar lay his head in Thewlis' lap. It's the little things that seem to improve her disposition, "I want to think you're right, I really do." It's hard though.

The sound of steam blowing from the flapping top of the kettle draws her attention and she slids from the bench seat to pour boiling water over a pair of mugs with two scoops of instant mix coffee at the bottom. "How do you take it?" She adds two packets of sugar from a little box to her own.

"Wait a second, there's still an asylum in town? I thought those were mostly outlawed in favor of more humane facilities?"

"Ih-hi-hit's here... bu-huuh-hht not..." Thewlis notes. "Th-th... No ev-v-v-hi-dance isn't... an ind-d-di-cator in Gray Ha-hah-har-bor." hand resting on Oscar's neck now before he answers, "Buh-black is fuu-fuu-hine." swallowing and taking a moment to breath and concentrate.

"Ther-ere's th-things... in town, bu-hut not in town..." Thew frowns again, "Here... I-hi-hi'll show..." the glimmer starting to show around him... working on instinct, rude - but he's still flustered. But an image of Gray Harbor appears over the table, lifting and a darker, nastier, grimier version forming and then the two are almost merged together. Some areas outside of town just forest, and then places like the Asylum show in the darker version.

Tara returns with the pair of mugs, sliding one to Thewlis as he brings up the image of the two worlds sitting in a strange conjunction with one another like an overlap of shadow. She frowns at it, eyes dancing across the pair of bisecting images, "So parts of the city are brought over from this darkness?" Motioning, as an example, to the asylum with a glance up at Thew while sitting her coffee.

"Is it possible Thomas is in this other Gray Harbor?" She wonders... "And maybe your girlfriends college friend too? Heck, anyone that They took.." It should be a lot to unpack, but Tara takes it at face value. She does smile at the interaction between the older man and the puppy, though. The small things.

Nodding, Thew stares at the images he's creating, lips pursed in a sort of turtle beaked frown as the 'real' town lifts higher. "Th-th-hings are th-hin here..." he points to the space created between the towns now. "Muh-m-most places... l-lu-hike this..." they grow closer again, but with only a little intersection. "S-s-s-home like this... th-thin... But this t-t-town..."

The images go back to how they were at the start "Some g-g-get pu-hulled in... Some th-th-things come out..." Images of creepy pasta and horror creatures 'falling' out of some the bisections and cavorting around. Some of them grabbing people and dragging them into the holes.

Tara follows the diagram assisted explanation with a slow nod, "Is that why I hear more whispers here than I did on most of my trip? It's like the closer I got to Gray Harbor, the louder everything became.." Another sip of coffee and a glance out the window at the clearing where other RVs are parked. Mostly cursory, she looks haunted a moment, but quickly smiles and looks back to Thewlis. It isn't her usual bright expression, but it's genuine. "Did you feel something last night?" She wonders, spoken quietly.

Her expression is struggling to stay on her face. Eyes go down to the two overlapping worlds, "It felt like the entire town turned around backwards.. I had a dream I was being buried alive..." Furrowing her brow, she shakes her head slowly, "No, it wasn't me.. someone else was burying themself. It was very odd.. and then everything was different."

"I c-c-ouldn't fuh-feel... I." he frowns. "Ha-ha-ad to... ha-ahd to re-learn..." mouth twisting around into a harder frown. "So-ho-homething happened... Ca-han't control fuh-fire anymore." letting the image of the town fade and sitting back with his coffee.

"Gr-ra-ahaveyard ch-changed... too." sniffing "Marker gone... G-g-grave cl-hean..." looking out the window as well, as if he could see the cemetery from here.

"I never tried to control fire before." Tara admits with a frown, shaking her head at the thought of how easily the strange things they get use to suddenly sweep around unnaturally. The more she thinks about it though, the more it actually ends up being kind of funny... until she's actually laughing quietly with a hand covering her mouth. "Can you believe us sitting here talking about this? I mean think about how absurd it is... and we're both upset that this odd shit is now different as if it was ever normal at all?" Her shoulders rock in another laugh, but it's soundless, "That's really funny.."

There's a moment of brief confusion before Thewlis is chuckling a bit, shaking his head and actually looking genuinely amused.

"Th-that's th-thing... For you... Odd." he rests a hand on his chest. "I g-g-grew u-u-hup here... Co-co-cuh-humpletely... normal to muh-me..." snickering and finally relaxing, truly. The tension running out of him like water. "I fuh-horget when I s-s-st-arted... but... It..." looking at the table with a wistful look. "I'd yuh-use it f-f-f-for wood bu-hur-hurning..."

"Yeah..." Tara is still laughing though, shaking her head, "I only just started a few months ago.. seven or eight I think." Time has all sort of blurred together for her, from a hospital to Gray Harbor in what seems like hours but has actually been half a year. "Sometimes it all seems so normal, like I've been doing it for years, and then there's times like right now where..." She starts laughing again and shakes her head, "It just seems crazy. How did I even get to this, why me? I had never even /heard/ of Gray Harbor until a year ago when I met my Thomas.." She hefts her mug to sip a bit more coffee, "I guess it made me a better person, but there's just no sense to it and I was really upset that things were some how different.. so for me, right now, that's really humorous."

"It's probably b-b-b-be-hee-cause of Thomas... T-t-t-own doe-huh-huzen't li-hike people luh-leaving." Thew's tone is grave. "It tr-tries t-draw in... people like us." sipping at his coffee again, apparently trying to consider how to word this better by the way his mouth keeps opening and closing

"Thomas..." Tara blows out a sigh and nods, "Several people have said that to me. Said I was naive because I was smiling and shit..." She takes another sip of her coffee, swalling happily with a little grin around the lip, "Poor man gave up everything to get out of here though. So if I have guilt about anything I've done over the last year, it's probably him.. not that he and I... We were on the outs long before he disappeared, but he definitely didn't deserve to be taken by Them."

The notion of 'Them' causes Thew to pale and his expression to strain for a moment "Say-haying it's st-t-toopid to smile.... buh-be opti-ti-mistic... Tha-hat's stupid." shaking his head now as he sets the cup down, both hands wrapped around it and looking down into the brew.

"WH-why were y-y-you oh-ohn th-outs?" head tilting "I-hif I c-c-can ask?" looking up, a sadness claiming his features now, different from his usual.

That brings more of Tara's usual bright smile back to the front, fingers sliding along the exterior round of her mug where hands are laid against either side. "It's a long story. I got really sick and he says that I changed afterwards." The mug comes up for a sip of coffee, "Which is true, but I hold that I changed for the better. Anyways, he said I wasn't the woman he fell in love with."

Thew actually flinches at that last part, the sadness returning at that. "Th-th... I..." chewing his lower lip. "Th-th-hats a cruel th-thing to say... I'm suh-sorry." head canting to one side, "I me-muh-mean. I." shoulders falling again. "Wh-w-what happened? T-t-too ch-ch-hange?"

Tara presses her lips into a thin line, but it's still mostly shaped in the form of a smile, "Thank you." Nodding slowly, looking down at her coffee, "I have luekemia... or I did.. it's in remission.. my father is very wealthy, though and we caught it early." She blinks a few times, jaw tightening, trying very hard to hold onto her smile, but her eyes are bugging a little staring at the table top. "I spent a lot of time around the sick, other cancer patients, children.. and it changed the way I felt about everything. I couldn't be the person I was anymore without feeling like I was wasting what little life I had... It's like... it's like knowing that the milk is expiring tomorrow and deciding to use water in your oatmeal instead, ya know?"

"Muh-maybe from a... p-p-persp-sp-spehhhh-hective, but I can't nuh-know wuh-what it's like with-ho-ho-hout... well bu-being there." Thew admits at that. The motions of her jaw and expression breaking his heart all over again and Thew's fists ball up for a second, head moving as if he is yelling at himself.

He makes a decision though, standing up to move closer to Tara and actually rest a hand on her shoulder, his entire form shaking like a kitten in the rain at the notion of it. "An-han..and he... wuh-wanted th-b-bad guh-girl?" hunkering down to be eye to eye again.

"I wasn't ''bad''..." Tara was quiet for the most part, listening, but largely just living in a memory. There's a reason she doesn't think about these things and it has nothing to do with how bad it hurts. It has a clear effect on her that betrays the very person she's trying to become. Sad, forelorn.. She shakes her head, "I was just different. A banker, kind of a banker.. I did investment deals for corperations for my fathers trading firm. Lots of money, lots of less than ethical business practices.."

"I see..." Thew tilts his head again and gives another squeeze at her shoulder. "I'm S-uh-huh-sorry..." trying to catch her eyes, lips pulled into a line. "I-hih-hiif it mak-hakes a difference. I huh-hope yo-your new luh-life ma-hakes you happier." attempting a smile, but he's in contact with others and while he visibly wants to be comforting, it's driving his anxiety to such a point that even Oscar's head is up and looking at him.

To be fair, Tara doesn't look upset, at least not when speaking of the change to her life. To solidify that, however, she glances up at Thewlis with a smile, "Oh, it does." She assures him, hand coming up to lay atop hers on her shoulder. "Sometimes it takes a crucible to become the person you were meant to be and life isn't always fair. I learned that too.." She finishes her coffee in another swallow and slides out of her seat to wash out the mug and place it in a plastic drying rack. "We have to actively look for the trees in a forest or we'll miss them and I always want to be in the garden."

The phrasing is curious, and Thew gets clear when she gets up, head tilting as he picks up his mug to finish it off, and hold it there for now. "I... I uh-hunder st-stand that... " which part though. "Go-hood that y-hoo seem... Well." head tilting. "I'm buh-bad at luh-luh-looking at the tr-tr-r-rees." Head below walls. Safer.

Tara nods understanding back at Thewlis, "It isn't always easy." She admits, "Sometimes it's hard.. to see the silver lining in a thing when it's just black shadows and dark figures." Even her RV, as colorful as it might be, has shadowy figures bound into those rainbow like shapes. They're in everything, really. She just accepts them.. and maybe that makes it easier for her because she doesn't pretend they're not there? "You're a very sweet man, but I'm going to worry about you, I think."

"I gu-get th-th-that... a l-lot. Di--duh-hifferent wording... us-s-s-ually..." A weak smile offered. "We g-g-g-gotta l-look out foo-oo-or one an-no-nother." Thew sets the mug down finally, hands instinctively going into his pockets.

"Suh-huh-suh-survivors, right?" head tipped to the side, the man stands there, hunched and hiding in plain sight. Eyes out the windows from moment to moment now and then back to her. "I'll... Ha-ahh-have your b-back t-t-too."

"I know you do." Tara barely knows Thewlis, but she sounds like she genuinely believes that. Maybe she's just a really good judge of character or maybe it's a higher calling. She's certainly no mentalist, but she gets a feel for things quickly.. then again she could just be naive. "I don't pity you, though. You're stronger than most.. I think that's why I worry. You'll shoulder everyone elses burden and ignore your own."

That comment seems to briefly take him aback, considering the notion. Everyone else's but his being taken on. Eyes down, hands flexing a little where they hang from his pockets. He swallows and something flashes behind his eyes as he peeks at doors he prefers to keep closed.

"Tuh-Taking on oh-huh-huther's is ee-e-easier?" trying to make eye contact again. "Puh-people are muh-mean... usually. Ev-even if the-th-they don't intend... I'd r-ruh-rather buh-be nice."

Tara smiles at Thewlis, but she nods knowingly, "It is, isn't it?" It's her turn to reach out and lay a hand on his shoulder now, squeezing it softly, understandingly even, "They are horrible, but we don't have to be like them. I wont, anyways. Never again. I will always help people who need it.. and I think you will too. Even if we don't really know how to help ourselves.." Her hand pats lightly then begins to drop down to her side to tuck in behind the front of her overalls.

Accepting the squeeze now, apparently growing more comfortable, Thewlis nods again but when her hand starts to drop Thew actually reaches to take it and give it a squeeze. He doesn't speak at first but there's the look in his eye as he considers something.

"If y-y-you guh-get... chance... To d-do things with... like the." he looks to the table as example, though the illusion is faded and gone. "C-c-han talk..." tapping his head. "If y-y-you need... Ea-easier sometimes."

He then makes a few gestures with a head tilt, maybe asking if she speaks sign.

"Oh, I will certainly contact you if anything like that happens to me." Tara promises with a big grin aimmed at a big man, "No, I'm afraid not.." She says with hunch of her shoulders, "But I'm available by all modern means of communication.. which is to say text message." She has a flip phone! She even pulls it out to show him.

There's a chuckle and he holds up his phone, displaying her number on it. "Yu-hup... I'll keep i-hi-hin t-t-touch too th-that wh-wh-way." shaking his head with a shrug. "I-hif you nuh-need help w-with s-s-s-ome learning." looking to his coffee mug and casually levitating it over to the sink with a show-off grin.

"Show off." Tara says with a bemused grin and a twinkle in her eye. Before the mug makes it to the sink, however, she takes it from the air and begins rinsing it out to sit upside down in the plastic dryer with her own. "Thank you for today.. and for the ride home. I'll have to come out and meet your girlfriend, I'm sure she must be lovely."

Thew smiles and nods at that, looking down as Jade is brought up. "Y-yeah. She i-his..." actually toeing the ground for a moment. "I kn-no-know she'll like you... Y-y-you're b-b-bo-hoth nice puh-people..." head ducking a bit and then looking to Oscar for -some- sort of distraction... "I su-hu-huh-pose I should g-get b-b-bu-back to her."

Tara bobs her head into slow nods, "Safe trip home, Thewlis.." Walking him the very short distance to the door, she does reach down to pet Oscar who pads along with the man as if he already knew he was going along. "Oh, hold on." She turns and heads back into the room to grab a big bowl, with Oscars name on it, and a leash along with a big bag of dog food. Carting it all along with her to give to Thew, "Here you go.. I knew as soon as I saw you that you two would be best friends."

"Th-thanks... Really. You'll ha-have to c-co-come see him." Looking down at Oscar and patting the dogs head before offering to take the heaviest stuff from her.

"I h-ho-ho-ope you... I mean." he looks down at the dog. "Find... yo-you know."

"I wont." Tara says with only a flicker of sadness in her smile, "But I hope I find out what happened... you know." She stands in the doorway, waving to both Thewlis and Oscar, happy at least that she's united two kindred spirits!