03.2023 | WELCOME BACK! Hello friends old and new! I'm so excited to welcome you all back to SITW! I've made some changes to the plot and added the ability to play supernatural charcaters! So come and check it out! I can't wait to jump back into this little town with all of you!
A strange history surrounds the town, it is a place where mysterious and supernatural things have been known to happen. The reputation of the town reguarly draws in visitors and newcomers alike. While some residents avidly believe in the supernatural, others are far more skeptical. What do you believe?
The weather was perfect for a day hiking, and with all the stress of these fires, not to even begin mentioning the unrest amongst the wolves… Darcy needed this time outside. Time in nature always helped calm her, especially with all these confusing scents in her normally very familiar forest. It helped her feel just a little more ‘in control’. She didn’t even bother with her car today, Darcy wanted as much time outside. So after finding herself in a pair of grey leggings, black crop-top with a green and black plaid flannel shirt; she began pulling on her well worn hiking boots. She left her wild curls down and strapped her Bowie knife to her ankle.
Darcy threw a her canteen in her pack and made sure her typical hiking supplies were still in the bag before she headed out the door. After telling a few in her pack where she was heading, Darcy set off toward her another one of her favorite hiking spots. Knowing all the best shortcuts, it didn’t take her very long to find herself deep in the forest just enjoying the sounds and scents of nature.
An hour later, Darcy leaned against the base of a large decayed stump, pausing for some water and just taking a moment to fill her lungs with the fresh air.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Oct 25, 2023 5:36:52 GMT
Hiking wasn't his usual escape. He preferred music or even riding. But with all the commotion recently, he thought maybe a casual walk in the hills and mountains and forests would turn up...something. Ferris wasn't rightly sure. But plenty of townsfolk had talked about the strange howls that he supposed maybe he wanted to know for himself. Not that he believed it to be anything other than wolves. Or a stray dog. Or some prankster teens.
Unabidden, his mind kept going back to that girl going missing for a month. Explain that one, why don't you.
He'd tugged on a thin cream textured hoodie and his lined flannel jacket, familiar enough with how cold it could get around here. He'd hiked more on the other side of the border, but since moving to Sweetwater, Ferris had been slowly familiarizing himself with some of the trails. He'd never struggled with the altitude and thin air, nor with a pack. It wasn't a metal oxygen tank, after all, just some general climbing and safety gear he usually aimed not to use.He liked to be prepared not just to take care of himself but to help anyone else he came across.
He was surprised to see someone else ahead of him on the trail, leaning against a large stump. The young woman looked mildly familiar. Her pack and boots, in addition to her hair, helped him connect the dots as he approached.
"Ranger Vance?" They had spoken on the phone a number of times and a few in person. Just a few days ago, in fact, at the last fire in the outskirts. "Fancy seeing you out here." His delivery was rather flat and it was difficult to discern if that was just his style of humor or if Ferris was terrible at jokes.
Her heightened sense of smell usually gave her the upper hand on anyone approaching her, but Darcy’s mind was in such a tizzy she didn’t hear or smell the fire chief as he caught up to her. She jumped a little, her hand moving to her chest as she shook her head and chuckled. Glad to at least have run into a familiar face. “Chief Felwinter, you’ve managed to startle me; not a feat many can claim.” Darcy admitted with a slight grin as she pushed herself off the trunk.
“I practically live in the woods these days.” She said more softly than she intended, then cleared her throat, extending a hand to the man as she did. “And enough of that ‘Ranger Vance’ nonsense, I’m off duty; you can call me Darcy.” Darcy was surprisingly glad to have encountered someone along the trail. It was nice to have someone to distract her jumbled thoughts.“I didn’t peg you for the hiking type, how are you liking the trail?”
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Oct 25, 2023 19:49:34 GMT
He realized after he spoke that he had startled the woman. The man had the decency to look a bit sheepish, if just for a moment. The moment was overridden by the way she continued. 'A feat not many could claim?' Seemed a strange way to put it, but he supposed it made sense and he didn't think she was the sort to brag. At least not without proof. As a ranger, Vance was familiar with the forests and mountains, the trails and travelers both animal and human, the sounds of the wind and the wilds. To be startled by a clumsy hiker like him was more of a note of her state of mind than any praise on his own abilities. Though the fire chief was quite the opposite of clumsy.
Ferris snorted softly at both her introductory sentences, casting his gaze up and over the trail and tree line, as if evaluating her new choice of home before looking back over at her and the stump she leaned on. He supposed the view here would cost more than his apartment. Maybe that was part of the appeal for her.
"Darcy," he corrected himself at her ask, though with a slight hesitation that made it clear he wasn't entirely comfortable with the change. Still, he understood the sentiment. He took her hand in his and offered a warm, brief shake. "Call me Ferris." At least even footing might make him feel better.
"I'm not," he said simply. "The hiking type," he corrected. He got enough exercise while on duty, either from working out or various search and rescues. "It's a nice change of pace. You should try it sometime, finding a hobby that isn't also your job," he verbally prodded. Maybe that was a bit scathing, but it was honest. She clearly enjoyed her job. Or at least where it took her.
Between work and her pack, Darcy felt like she barely had a free moment. Aside for the time she made to see Bex. Just the thought of her favorite bartender made her smile. The woman excited both her human and wolf sides alike. But often made for a confusing time of deciding if she should share her secret or not. For the time being, it was absolutely out of the question. All these distracting thoughts, it’s no wonder she didn’t notice his scent in the air. She needed to stay more alert, especially when there was still the huge question surrounding the wild fires of what was causing them. Darcy ran a hand through her hair as she forced herself to return to the present with Ferris.
“Oh, I already have that hobby covered; I enjoy frequenting the bar in my spare time.” Darcy’s tone was quite serious, but there was a playful gleam to her eyes, followed by a grin as she shook her head, curls moving wildly at the motion. “But you’re not wrong, it would likely do me some good to find a hobby outside of the woods.” She looked around at the forest trail and sighed. Was she just using her work and familiarity with the woodlands as another way to escape for everything going on? The woods were comforting and even allowed her the freedom to change and run in her wolf form, but was it freedom; or just another form of escapism? Darcy took a deep inhale and almost immediately turned her head in the direction of a snapping twig, watching with a soft smile at the deer pausing to graze on some greenery.
“Do you have any recommendations on potential hobbies?” Darcy asked, her eyes moving back toward Ferris with a quirked brow. Outside of their work around the fires, Darcy didn’t remember seeing much of him around town. But that was likely due to her only going around work, home and the bar. She definitely needed to get out more.
last edited Oct 26, 2023 14:46:21 GMT by Darcy Vance
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Oct 26, 2023 20:07:06 GMT
The bar. Probably she meant Harland's. Ferris had been there a few times, but he tried to avoid the college crowd. Besides, he gave into enough vices already. Though he certainly enjoyed drinking more than smoking. It was a wondered they hadn't run into each other there, but even then, he wasn't the sort to approach strangers while already out. Not to mention their relationship, even at this point, was professional.
He didn't hear whatever caught Darcy's attention, but he did follow her sudden head turn. Hidden among the natural autumn camouflage and the thick bracken and brush he spotted the deer she was looking at. So she heard that animal and not him? No wonder.
Ferris flexed his shoulders slightly and looked back up the trail. No time like the present to try out a new hobby, for one of them at least. "Don't think I'm qualified to answer that," he admitted, beginning to walk away from Darcy. He had just explained he wasn't out here to enjoy himself. "This probably counts more as work for me. Wanted to get some idea of the conditions out here. You know, when it's not actively burning down." His Canadian accent was more apparent the more he spoke.
Considering their prior piecemeal conversations, he didn't think she had any more information than he did on the cause of the fires. Nor was he specifically looking to solve that right this very moment, but investigations needed control variables. At the moment at least, this trail seemed rather normal. the entire situation irked him immensely, but with how much time they had to spend just managing wildfires and house fires, the firefighters hadn't made much progress on investigating causes beyond ruling out the usual human negligence, gas leaks, or angsty teenagers. Ferris was increasingly worried about a serial arsonist.
Darcy gave a slight shrug, but chuckled. No harm in asking, after all he was the one who recommend she find a hobby. “Ill figure something out, it’s not like there’s not a town full of interesting people and things to try.” She admitted aloud, her gaze drifting to the deer one more time. Had she been in her wolf form, she might have given chase just for the sake of getting a nice run in. But then again, she didn’t want to just scare the helpless deer. Maybe she needed more wolf friends, people she could be herself with and not be afraid of being thought of as a beast. She somehow doubted Harland would care to go on any runs with her, being from an opposing pack. Maybe she could ask Casey, he was a young pup, so he’d make for interesting company.
“Well, we’re still chasing dead-end ‘leads’ on those fires. I know several are just due to the seasonably warm and dry weather. But not all of them.” Darcy recalled the distinct trail leading away from the fire and further into the forest. The signed trail was strange, and the scent she caught wasn’t one that offered any additional comfort. In fact, the unfamiliar scent really left her on edge. She spent so much time in the forest, it was strange to suddenly come upon a scent that was so foreign, and old. How could it be ‘old’ if she’d never encountered it previously in the woods. The whole ordeal left her quite unsettled, and was also why she seemed so eager to spend more time in the woods. She didn’t even know if the goal was to stumble upon the culprit, or to just look for my clues. Whatever the reason, she was chasing any lead and still didn’t have any answers. “I think we’ll all rest more easily when we can get answers about it all, I guess that’s why I’m constantly finding myself hiking the trails and such.” She admitted with a sigh and shook her head again.
Yeah, she definitely needed a hobby. She couldn’t even remember things she enjoyed outside work and drinking. Well, things she’d done other than that lately. Darcy used to have casual encounters, but in this town she’d exercised more self control simply to set a decent example for her pack. That, and she was working so much she barely had time to meet anyone, aside from Bex. And so far, she was taking that much slower than she normally did. “If I had driven my truck I could have shown you a collection of the data I’ve been tracking all season relating to the fires, but I decided on walking today.” Darcy laughed a little and then looked up again toward the deer as it took off in the direction furthest from them, the wind bringing their scent to where it was grazing. “But then again, you’re more then welcome to stop by the ranger station anytime to get a copy, or we can fax it over to the fire station.”
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Oct 26, 2023 23:44:49 GMT
Ferris had come to Sweetwater to avoid people, specifically ones he knew. Meeting new ones still wasn't his cup of tea. But his lack of social skills didn't impact his job of saving lives.
He nodded as she spoke about the fires. He'd done his best to keep up with the rangers' notes as well as his firefighters' investigations. "Matches with most of my notes," he agreed. He looked over at his hiking companion as they moved. The pace was a sort of leisurely focus. One he was certain he could keep for a while and one Darcy seemed unconsciously chopping at the bit about. Though whether her distraction was borne of the fires or something else, he was determined to figure out. "You feel like we're missing something?" He asked curiously, though it was more an observation than question. Might as well pick the brain of someone who knew more than him.
"That's fine," he said, turning his attention back to the trail and their surroundings. "Fax, eh?" He snorted. "Whatever's easier for you, I'll take it, even if I have to give you a ride back to the station," he said. He meant it whole heartedly. The sheriff might be in charge of safety and security, but this was Ferris' chance to do more than just clean up after the fact.
“Call it intuition, or a gut feeling or whatever you’d like, but something just feels off about the last fires… especially the one where that teenager was attacked.” She winced, just saying it aloud brought back the sight of the injured young man. She heard it was still up in the air whether or not he’d pull through. “I don’t know if you got to see him, but it was strange… he was covered in bite marks. But each wound almost looked as if it had been burned while being inflicted.” She shook her head, curls bouncing again as she did and shrugged.
“I don’t know, maybe I’m just overthinking it all or I’m too close and need to take a step back, I just don’t see what could cause something like that.” Darcy sighed, continuing along the hiking trail without even looking at it. She wasn’t looking at really anything in particular, but she felt like she was still seeing those wounds. They were definitely bite marks, but no wolf or bear she’d ever encountered could also sear flesh with their teeth. She paused a moment to fight off the momentary nausea she had thought herself into. Pulling her canteen from her bag she took a sip, swished it around in her mouth and spit it out. “Sorry, I probably sound crazy… perhaps I’ve spent a little too much time in these woods.” She forced a half hearted smile, but it wasn’t a very good one.
Darcy found herself wondering just how much Ferris knew. Did he have any knowledge about the supernatural parties at play, or was he blissfully ignorant like many in the town? It was getting more difficult to be around people she couldn’t just openly talk to about these things, especially with these fires and the attack. She shook her head, not particularly at him or anything said, mostly to shake the thoughts from her mind at the moment. “Either works for me, I don’t often use our fax machine so I’m not sure how reliable it is. But I’m fine giving you a copy directly… would be nice to have another person’s opinion of these things.”
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Oct 27, 2023 1:26:43 GMT
Ferris had been off duty the day of that particular fire. The one where they found the kid. But he'd read the report and seen a few pictures. Not for the faint of heart or stomach. Not much of a nurse or doctor himself, and while he had seen a bit of combat in the air force, none of it was like this. He wasn't certain what might have caused such injuries. A large dog or a bear, sure, but then for him to be burned so badly? Not animal could do something like that, not alone, anyway. Someone had to be behind this, surely. Some piece of scum who wasn't just content with starting fires now, but was using some animal to torture kids. "Twisted too," he murmured as she used the word strange. He shook his head at her suggestion of being crazy. "Sometimes you have to keep throwing ideas at the wall til something sticks. A normal animal itself would do that sort of damage, between the bites and the seared flesh. Let alone attack a person."
He stopped short after a few steps, realizing Darcy had paused to collect herself. He frowned and rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. Maybe talking about that so graphically was a bad call. A normal person might apologize. "You squeamish, Vance?" He asked instead, using her last name as a (playful?) jab. Though he did refrain from saying anything further. Sometimes he forgot not everyone dealt with traumatic events on a daily basis.
The look Darcy gave him made it clear whatever was bothering her, really truly bothering her, she wasn't going to share with him. It irked him a little, on the grounds that she knew something about the fires she wasn't telling him. "We'll look it over when we get back," he said firmly, taking a drink of water from his own pack before starting them moving again. The forest had turned into a brilliant blaze almost overnight, the natural orange and amber and red hues, normally a pleasant sight, now full of foreboding.
Darcy nodded as he spoke, but still seemed deep in thought. She didn’t dare give away more about the paths they found or the scent. How could she even explain discovering a scent to someone who didn’t know about werewolves? She’d sound absolutely insane!
She couldn’t help but chuckle at him noticing her taking pause and his question to her. If he only knew what she was capable of. “Not at all… I’ve normally got a stomach made of steel. This was just… different.” She paused, her mind recalling several occasions where she’d come across the occasional animal attack victim, or even the images of her slaughtering animals in her wolf form. If he only knew. Shaking her head, Darcy gave a shrug. “I used to think the worst thing I’d ever scene was a group of campers that got mauled by a mountain lion, but damn if this kid didn’t too that.” She almost visibly shivered, but managed to steel herself instead.
Darcy followed Ferris as he led the way on the trail, glad they were moving again. She caught the smell of a bear in the wind, probably still a few miles out, but she’d rather not come upon it. Not with only her knife on hand. And it was t as if she could tell Ferris what she ‘smelled’. “Sounds like a plan, but only if you let me treat you to a meal, I feel bad for disrupting your peaceful hike and talking ‘work’ when we’re off duty.” She chuckled again, realizing just how limited her socialization was as of late. “You’re right about me needing a new hobby, all I seem capable of talking about even when I’m off duty, is work.”
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Oct 27, 2023 2:32:51 GMT
He nodded in understanding. It was one thing to see expected brutality and bodily fluids. Quite another when one wasn't ready for it. Or couldn't explain it. He'd thought seeing his own blood and guts on a few occasions had made him immune to such unease, but it wasn't until he had to help his co-pilot after a nasty crash that he learned how to really set that discomfort aside in stressful situations.
Mountain lions were no joke. Usually skittish though, so hearing about an attack on multiple people suggested either cubs nearby or rabies. It made him wonder if that was an option in their current case, but he threw the idea out on the grounds that while an infection, rabies didn't melt skin. At least, he was pretty sure it didn't. Poor kid. "You see a lot of animal attacks out here?
"Uh, sure?" For the first time in their conversation Ferris seemed caught a bit off guard. Was that a gesture of good will? A serious offer made by a normal human to hang out with him? It was a bit unsettling. He'd managed to live here for years without any close friends or even very many close social encounters. This hike or casual conversation at the bar, or with one of his employees was as close as he usually got. He processed the rest of what she said. "It's not just work, this is public safety," he began before catching himself and reminding himself to shut up. Hell, he sounded like a stiff. "Maybe we both need a new hobby," Ferris admitted.
“Unfortunately, not everyone likes following the camping recommendations and we get the occasional group of teenagers who think they can handle anything, or even just the stubborn hunters who think they’re ‘above’ the rules. ” Darcy admitted with a shrug as she recalled a few occasions where she found people camping or hiking in off limit areas. Of course she could really correct them, as she was in her wolf form at the time and simply chose to scare them a little instead.
“I mean, sometimes it can’t be helped. I’d rather be known for working hard to keep people safe, than be known as someone who stood by when I could have done more.” She shrugged at the thought and looked back up at Ferris with an amused gleam in her eyes. “I’m thinking I might give pottery a go.” she gave a playful wink as she smiled and shook her head. Despite her smile and the lighter mood, she felt uneasy in her core. Her wolf was restless and on edge from the conversations about the fires.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Oct 27, 2023 3:12:32 GMT
He hummed softly. "Rules meant to be broken, as they say," he chuckled mirthlessly. "Those sorts give you a lot of trouble when you lay down the law?" He hadn't heard much about police involvement in such things so he doubted she had too many issues, but the idea was interesting. Patrolling all by her lonesome out here likely required a lot of grit, confidence and authority. He had heard of the frequent wolf sightings in the area. But like many, this was written off as a few local packs. they seemed to stay away from the farms, so most people didn't have a problem with them. Ferris rather liked the idea of a local wolf population. He'd always found the animals impressive. Which was just another reason why he mentally avoided the idea that this was the work of a simple wild animal. None of it made sense.
That hit a chord with him. And he sort of hated it. Admitting to the idea felt...silly. But he knew it to be true. He couldn't help it. It was why he was a firefighter. Why he was an ex-soldier. Why he kept so much to himself and focused on others instead. Once a protector, always a protector.
"Pottery," he repeated blankly, looking over at her and belatedly catching her eyes. His expression dropped slightly as she winked. He narrowed his eyes at her. Clearly she was being sarcastic, but her tone was on point. Without looking at her, Ferris wouldn't have caught onto the bluff. the man made a note to be careful around Darcy if they ever played cards. "Fishing," he stated as an alternate sarcastic suggestion. Because from how they were talking about 'actions' and 'doing' sitting around seemed far from their strong suits.
Darcy could’t help but smile a little at his comment, but she shook her head. “Occassionally I get the jackass who’s just trying to show off in front of his friends, but they don’t stay brave once they see a badge… or the rifle I’m usually packing.” it really wasn’t terrible, and it definitely wasn’t any of the locals. It was always tourists just visiting the area. Most didn’t believe there were wolves in the area. Which is usually when Darcy would either scare them herself, or call some of the pups from her pack to strike a little fear in the arrogant travelers. Being that most of the wolves in the area belonged to one of the two packs in town, they didn’t often see ‘wolf attacks’ in their forest. Most were decent about following rules set by their respective Pack Alphas.
“Ya know, I think they just like to push their limits with me because I’m not all that intimidating. Shit, in uniform I feel like it’s even harder to get them to respect the area at times.” Damn, did she really just phrase it like that? She hoped it wasn’t something he hyper fixated on, perhaps it would just give over his head or he’d chalk it up to her having an odd way of speaking. What other way would she be able to intimidate other that in her uniform? To a human who didn’t know she was an Alpha werewolf; the statement would t make sense. She tried not to dwell on it too heavily and just shook her head a bit as she kept walking.
“ooooh, yeah I could see you getting a little boat and trying your hand at fishing… but only if you wear one do those cliché bucket hats.” She responded in such a level tone, you’d think she totally bought into his suggestion. But one look at her gave away her vast amusement at their exchanges. “Hey, what about an instrument?” Darcy tapped her chin as if deep in thought for the moment. “I could totally see you mastering a tambourine.” Try as she might to maintain her serious tone and expression, even she couldn’t completely hold back the amused chuckle at the thought of Ferris playing a tambourine.