sixthiterationlogs | Open: Twisted Fire Starter.

WHO: Thorfinn Thorsson
WHERE: Out back of House 8, in sight of the inn.
WHEN:November 8th
OPEN TO: OTA
WARNINGS: Cursing, and fire.
STATUS: Open

It had been nearly two weeks since Jo left. Part of what bothered him the most was he didn't even recall if he had spoken to her before she left. He had still been pretty drunk when he handed her the elk fur cloak he had managed to fashion together himself with some rawhide string and a knife. It had been planned as a gift for Yule but given before she left. He had to of been somewhat awake before she left to give her that. But he couldn't remember it at all. He just knew it was gone, Jo was gone, and then a box with her name on it arrived.

Finding Karen's shoe, and the meeting did little to improve his dark morose moods. He blamed himself for the death of a woman he didn't know. Maybe if he hadn't been drunk he might have heard whatever happened, been some kind of help but no. He had been inside, doing what every other bloody Norsemen does. He understood Askeladd in times like these, how he could hate something he was. It was a terrible feeling at times how much he had come to understand the man who ruined his life. Or hearing the echoing of Canute's words 'You talk like Askeladd now. Maybe Four years is long enough to change a man's nature.' Thorfinn knew the truth of it though, he had not changed, not really he just found better ways to take his aggression out.

Like he was at the moment.

The wood pile was all around him. The usual bit of stump used to split the logs. But he was bringing the axe down harder and harder, The handle he had fashioned threatened to split with the force he was using. Sending each chunk of wood flying. He was angry at everything around him. Mostly at himself for letting his anger grow that high. So many things he had done wrong. So many things he could do better. Swinging the ax down hard again a crack was heard as the handle finally gave way, and with it Thorfinn finally screamed with the rage he had been holding back for days, turning on one foot to kick the half split log off of the stump. AS he did there was a fizzle then a pop. The wood around him started to lick up with flames. The flames starting to roll up Thorfinn's arms as he took heavy breaths. A moment, just a moment before he realized, one, he was suddenly on fire, at least his arms and it wasn't burning him... and the wood was burning.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" He called out loud in Norse backing up. Luckily the wood was too wet to keep burning. The snow falling didn't help either but as Thorfinn's arms slowly went out he was still backing away from the wood pile with terror racing through him.

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It's the smell of the fire that brings her running, but the shout is quickly behind. "Thorfinn, what is it?" Peggy asks in alarm, given that there's certainly a situation going on. The whole village has felt tense lately and suddenly, this fire out of nowhere, well, it's a touch alarming. It would be more alarming if she hadn't come across Thor in a somewhat similar situation and she has to wonder, now, if this is something contagious.

"Stop," she says gently, bracketing him with both arms at his elbows to hold him in place. "It's all right, you're safe. Calm down," she instructs, in case this is somehow a panic reaction that could just get worse.

The sound of Peggy's voice and the feel of her holding him in place makes him settle as his eyes stayed wide watching the fire burning through the wood he had been splitting.

"Peggy, ég veit ekki hvað bara gerðist! Hvar var eldur frá? Gerði ég uppnámi guði? Ég er ekki gert af göldrum sem aðra. Ég er bara maður."

It came out fast and jumbled even as he didn't fight against her it was clear he was more scared at the moment than angry, his anger subsiding for the fear he so rarely felt. He started to take deep breaths flexing his fingers out then into a fist over and over. Simple ways he had found of keeping his temper at bay when he swore off violence.

It's an onslaught of words she couldn't possibly hope to understand, coming at her like a tidal wave. She tames her reaction and tries to keep it calm, staring at the fire and then at Thorfinn, wondering if this is going to be something they'll all get to deal with this season. At the very least, it might prove to offer some warmth. "Thorfinn, I don't understand," she says calmly, trying to diffuse the situation and reduce some of the tension that she thinks is spilling over.

Obviously it's not a normal situation, but the last thing she needs is Thorfinn panicking, especially if he now has the ability to set things alight.

Thorfinn's eyes stayed wide, his back stiff in as she held him back. His fight or flight instincts in full gear as he tried to not yank his arms away and run. He had told Canute that was what he would do, no more violence, he would run as far as his legs would take him, and yet here he was watching the wood burn, slowly going out because of how wet it was inside.

He took deep breaths hearing her words. He forced himself to relax, something in his form changed in her hold as his shoulders relaxed he tipped his head to the side with another deep breath. Shoving it all down inside. The same thing he's done for years for years, the old habit that broke him years ago.

"...I'm fine." It came out as thick as ever, anything but fine, there was not a drop of emotion to it, just thick accent. His heart was still racing and he was still frightened by what had happened but he forced himself calm. He was a time bomb.

Peggy tips her head to the side as she rests her hands on her hips now that she's let him go, because he might be calm enough to speak in English now, but he's certainly not any level of fine that she's willing to accept as the truth. "Really?" she deadpans, giving him a pointed look that says she doesn't believe him. "You never forget to speak English to me and the look on your face a moment ago was certainly not fine."

"Thorfinn, it's okay," she assures, stepping forward to rest a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently to keep him calm. "Tell me what happened, maybe I can help."

Thorfinn stepped away just a bit to judge one of the charred logs with his foot. Assessing the damage... it could at least be burned more into charcoal for them to use at the smith. He wanted to be rid of the evidence this had happened, to pretend it hadn't.

"I will be though, do not worry for me."

Feeling her hand on his shoulder he reached up, taking her hand and moving it to the other shoulder looking at her. "That one hurts when it is cold. Touching makes it worse." He explained, still looking a bit dead inside. "I do not know what happened... I was splitting the logs, a though crossed my mind and next I knew there was fire all around." He had been in the woods when Thor had his journey with fire. He didn't know anyone but the dead woman, Karen could do things with fire. "I don't usually fear fire... but it was unexpected."

"You can't expect me not to worry about you when I have little else to do and you're one of my friends," Peggy informs him in the matter-of-fact tone of voice that implies that he's going to simply have to deal with it. She gives him a brief nod to apologize for touching the shoulder that aches, retrieving her hand back to avoid the impropriety all together.

"What thought?" she asks, choosing to focus on this, of all the things he's mentioned. "When the fire came, what were you thinking about?"

"...You have a point." He replied before he nudged his foot again finding the charred axe head and sighed. Least it wouldn't hurt it. He was going to have to fashion a new handle again.

"I was thinking about my life here... how I can do little I wish to do." He admitted. "My own faults and problems." He explained with a shrug as he kneeled down even though the metal was still hot it didn't hurt when he lifted it to toss it over in to a snow pile, the snow hissing and melting when the ax head landed. "I am not happy in this place." He admitted as he remained kneeled by the charred wood. "I've made many mistakes."

Peggy watches him with worry, though with every additional word he speaks, she understands entirely what he means. After all, isn't she the same? She's far from happy here, she knows that this isn't a place that she wants to stay in, but what can she do about it? Apparently, it might manifest in fires and strange powers. "What mistakes?" she prods, because while she doesn't think anyone is innocent, she also can't recall anything that Thorfinn might have done that would be so terrible.

"And I think you and I should find some snow," she says, already formulating a plan. "It'll be something to stick your hands into, in case it happens again."

Open: Twisted Fire Starter.

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