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 fire alarm blaring wasn't his idea of a nice morning. Here he had thought moving to his own place in the countryside would lessen his stress not add to it. He scrambled out of bead still in his Pjs and threw on a robe to shamble about the house in discoordination. Elrond had been living in the house a little under a year so he had memorized the layout.....but he was foolish enough to have not moved in all his boxes in the first month and thus kept stumbling over them. It was one of the casualties of tunnel vision, even in normal circumstances he found himself hip checking the doorframes and tables. Now that he was panicked he managed to bang into nearly every stray piece of furniture on the way to the front door.
It occurred to him that the house wasn't smoky. He hoped that was a sign that all this was a false alarm or maybe a bad dream. He stood outside on his own stoop feeling more than a little annoyed at the morning sunlight. It seemed like nice weather, if chilly.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Dec 3, 2023 6:56:03 GMT
Ever since the pick-up in wildfires over the summer and drier autumn seasons, the fire department seemed busier than usual, and it wasn't just the fires. There were more general emergency calls, be that a women trapped in her basement, a kid having a panic attack, a worksite accident, or just various smoke alarms. It was starting to wear at the Fire Chief's sleep schedule.
While the rest of the team stayed on standby, Ferris had opted to answer the country house call alone. For a smoke alarm without any confirmation, they couldn't not send someone to confirm right away. Especially as from the address, it was a home out in the country and the sooner they had someone up there to confirm, the sooner he could call for the whole engine if he needed it. Ferris just really hoped for the sake of that home and his team, that no one needed it. Even still, he used his lights at least, just not the siren.
As he pulled into the long narrow track to the house, he didn't see any smoke coming from the building. Nothing dark to suggest structure fire and nothing lighter to suggest materials inside burning. As he got closer and parked the red emergency services truck near the building, he could see a lone figure standing outside. Ferris grabbed his radio and attached it to his belt, chirping the siren as he got out. He studied the little cabin on his way over, surprised and relieved to see it wasn't some massive mansion. It was actually a really cozy looking home, reminding him a bit of the first house he grew up in.
"Morning, sir. Ferris, with the fire department. We got an alert there was an alarm going off?" He prompted as he walked up, glancing from the man to the house. Ferris didn't immediately recognize the man, which wasn't too surprising. He was wearing his standard light blue top and navy-blue bottoms work uniform that offered some protection, but really wasn't going to do much. He had some other gear in the truck if he needed it.
Daylight was when his vision was at its best so he did see the large red shape of the truck enter his sight as it drove up the lane. Then a blurry stack of blue and brown announce itself to be Ferris. The shape resolved into something much more human as Ferris came to stand within arms length. He sighed in relief and embarrassment. He was glad to find out that the fire department was so quick. "Ah..well.." Still it was a bit embarrassing to think he might have set his house on fire after only living it for a few months. Then again Fire was pretty bright he was confused he hadn't seen it on his way out of on the outside of the house. He couldn't even let that comfort him since the reason he was out here was that his remaining vision was unreliable.
It was possible that his mother had left a candle burning the last time she visited, or perhaps he had a faulty appliance spark up. At times like this he almost thought it would be easier to explain if he were totally blind. "The...smoke detector woke me..I wasn't sure so." He gestured to himself with an awkward smile "Here we are..." He realized then that he had left his cane inside next to the coat rack. So much for a sense of self-preservation. Not that he needed it in his own house but it was an easy way to say he was blind without having to admit it out loud. "I uh, I didn't stop to investigate." he explained.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Dec 4, 2023 2:04:46 GMT
He wasn't too bothered when the man didn't introduce himself. Being military and then emergency services, he was used to more formally introducing himself to others so that they were comfortable with him. He only really pressed those he helped for information when he needed to confirm some medical information, or family, or for information for a report. That would be necessary later, but for now, he needed to make sure the cabin was safe.
He could tell from the way the man looked at him that he was either not very awake at this hour (which Ferris didn't blame a sane human) or there was something else going on. Eying him up and down, he didn't look or smell like he was on anything. "You alright? Is there anyone else in the house?" Best to check on people first. He forced a smile. "That's alright, the investigating is my job," he reassured. "Mind if I take a look?"
Provided he was given permission to enter the man's home, he would step inside. It wasn't a very large place, and he could tell right away there wasn't any smoke. Which was a relief. He stepped around a few boxes and paused in the middle of the room to focus on where exactly the smoke detector that was going off was.
"I'm fine, fine. It's just me here." He clarified and laughed a little as he realized that he hadn't actually explained the key component. "I don't see very well." He stepped aside so that the other man could get to the door better. "Please, by all means." The inside like the outside was a mixture of traditional and modern styles. A retro futurism mixture of state of the art tech and art deco style antiques. It was also clear that he liked bright colors given how much orange there was. The smoke detector going off was in the hall near the bedrooms. It was noticeably more humid inside the house than the dry autumn air outside but still cooler than a fire would suggest. Unbeknownst to Elrond the culprit was a large tank humidifier sitting on a table in the hall, emitting a huge plume not too far from the detector. It likely had been sitting there for some time judging from how low the tank was and that it had driven the humidity up enough to fool the detector. Elrond hesitated in the doorway not sure if he should actually enter after Ferris. After a moment he did so albeit slowly. "What's the verdict?" He asked uncertainly poking his head in from the entryway.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Dec 4, 2023 2:55:33 GMT
The cabin's interior, however, was not at all like the home he had grown up in. The copious amounts of orange and other bright colors were a bit much at first, but most weren't any shades too displeasing to look at. The art deco and modern vibe suggested its resident had money and also some interesting old school tastes. He also noted that most of the house was very orderly. Furniture set at right angles, surfaces relatively clear, pathways (except for some of the boxes) easy to move through. Which, considering the man said he couldn't see very well, was probably for his benefit.
He found the smoke detector easily enough from following the sound. He made a soft noise of understanding deep in his chest at seeing the steam cloud engulfing it from a too close for comfort humidifier. Ferris reached up over the table and slide the detector off the wall, resetting it to save both of their ears. He then turned off the humidifier as the man walked back inside.
"It's all clear. You were running a humidifier on high about three feet below the smoke detector. Some of these, if there's too much steam, can get their wires crossed." So to speak. "You should change them out for newer models. And move the humidifier if you want to run it." He kept his answers simple, but they weren't suggestions. Especially if the guy lived alone and couldn't see very well. Which, come to think of it, maybe he would need a hand. He grimaced, feeling a bit awkward for not taking that into account. "Uh, my apologies, sir. I can give you a hand with all that?" he offered.
Then there was a real sigh of relief to know that in fact there was no fire at all. Not that it made him less embarrassed. He stepped back into find Ferris and clicked his tongue. "Mother" he said under his breath. "I knew I heard beeping coming from somewhere....she has this vendetta against air conditioners. Says the air makes you sick. She must have 'neglected' to tell me she left one running before she left." He reached out to feel around the table. He could see it now that he was standing at the table looking down at it and knew it was there. It's off-white design had blended in with the wall enough that if this hadn't happened who knows how long it would have been before he noticed it was there. He shook his head with a laugh "I'd have shut it off sooner if I'd found it. "
Then he turned back to Ferris' at the somewhat awkward offer. He had to admit that it was a better idea than himself groping along the wall to find the white detector against the white wall and fiddling around with a pretty important system. He reached out a hand in Ferris' general direction "That might be a good idea. You can call me Elrond, Sir makes me feel a bit old." A warm smile on his face as he added "Though I'm sure you must be busy. I'm sorry to make you come all the way out here for something like this."
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Dec 4, 2023 3:55:34 GMT
Ferris raised an eyebrow at first as the man said something under his breath. Then as he explained further, Ferris snorted. "'Vendetta against air conditioners,'" he repeated in amusement with a shake of his head. Strange way to put it but his story made sense, even if he didn't share the guy's mother's opinion. Ferris got the feeling from how he spoke that this sort of imposition and lack of information was a regular occurrence.
He watched him examine the humidifier with his hands more than anything else. It proved to the firefighter than the man could clearly handle himself.
The Fire Chief reached a bit to the side to take the man's hand and shake it warmly. "Elrond it is," he said, also relieved to have a name rather than 'sir.' Especially since the man looked similar to his own age. "Was feeling a bit old there myself," he said, making an awkward joke.
Ferris shook his head, intending to say it wasn't a problem and he wasn't busy, but it was at that moment that he really needed to yawn. He pulled his arm up to his face and half turned. So maybe he was busy and in need of a nap, but that was just the way things were at the moment. "It's fine," he said. "This sort of thing happens more than you'd guess. Maybe ten percent of the time." False alarms of any sort were a solid chunk of any fire stations workload. But at least changing out the detectors was actively useful. "I should have a few in the truck. How many smoke detectors do you have in the house?"
It was a firm handshake. Not that he expected any less from a firefighter. Judging from the joke he guessed that the man must be younger than him. Though if he were older Elrond wouldn't have noticed. If anything the level of blur in his vision was very 'forgiving' in that regard. A bit like Vaseline on the lens even when someone stood very close in his line of vision. Still he could see enough to know that Ferris was probably very handsome. He sounded handsome at least.
He thought for a moment closing his eyes "Should be just the two I think....this one and the one in the kitchen?" Elrond could tell from the man's tone that he was more being nice than not actually busy. he could also hear pretty plainly how tired the guy was. It was pretty early. "Would you...like a cup of coffee?" He offered with a helpless smile "Seems like the least I could do." It occurred to him that he was in the enviable position of having a handsome firefighter in his house. The sort of thing that might be the start of a very naughty sort of film. If he had the nerve to he might have considered flirting. He chickened out and instead sort of sidled past Ferris to head to the kitchen "any Cream or sugar?" Before the offer could be turned down he was already in the kitchen puttering about the counter. Making coffee was one of those things that he could do from memory so well that he had hardly had to change his methods at all. He loaded up the filter and set it to brew humming a little tune.
last edited Dec 4, 2023 4:41:46 GMT by Elrond Toal
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Dec 4, 2023 5:24:22 GMT
The cabin was small enough that two smoke detectors looked about standard. The hallway one here caught the bedroom and part of the living space, and likely the one in the kitchen covered the rest. Before he could take a look or say anything though, he was being offered coffee. Well, having coffee forced on him. Ferris winced. "It's that apparent, eh?" he said, forcing an uncomfortable laugh. It was a bit unprofessional of him, he knew, but that seemed to happen a lot in a small town. Both the overworking and the casual conversations with residents. He didn't mind the later too much, but sometimes he worried he was pushing himself a bit much. Still, someone had to do it.
"Ah, that would be great," he said. Admittedly he wasn't much of a coffee drinker. With all the odd hours and physical stress, he tried to lay off the caffeine. Even if he still smoked and drank more than he should. But he supposed one cup wouldn't hurt. "Uh, cream," he added belatedly, hoping that would cute some of the acidity.
"I'll be right back," Ferris said, walking back to the front door and walking out to the truck. He opened up one of the passenger doors, searching through the supplies until he found batteries and some detectors. They were running low in the truck. He'd have to check the supply closet at the station and see about ordering more. Most of the time, they charged at cost for them, but honestly, he wasn't too worried about it. He brought them back inside and set everything on the table, pulling a utility knife off his belt to cut open the packaging and start inserting the batteries to make sure everything was in working order before he went to the trouble of placing them on the wall. "How long have you been in Sweetwater?" He asked. Not that he knew everyone, socially aloof that he had been for a while, but the Fire Chief was mostly familiar with the locals by now.
By the time Ferris was back from the truck Elrond had finished making the coffee. He came over with two mugs in hand and held out the one with cream to Ferris. He heard rather than saw Ferris fiddling with the packaging. "Hot cup of Joe watch out." Elrond playfully warned as he waited for Ferris to take the cup. Elrond took his coffee black but he always kept cream and sugar just in case. He himself was actually feeling a bit restless from the lowered workload.
"ah..not too long. The city was getting a bit much so I bought this place oh...last winter? It's nice, very....quiet." It felt both like yesterday and an eternity ago. Though the first few months he hadn't actually lived out here since moving had been a pretty slow process. "How long have you been with the fire department?" He asked mostly because he felt it was polite to ask something when someone asked something about you. He still wasn't so good at small talk. It was a struggle many of his colleagues shared so he hadn't had a chance to get good at it. A few of them still called him from time to time to launch into long winded arguments about some thesis or other. Which was nice in a way, being argued with meant your opinion still mattered. He took a sip of his coffee and winced. still too hot.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Dec 4, 2023 6:22:53 GMT
He paused taking apart the packaging of the second one to relieve the man of the hot mug but the top, quickly setting it down on the table with a hiss. He then looked for a coaster or something if they were handy ro avoid being rude. "Thank you," he said easily, deciding to hold off on a sip.
Hearing he was a recent neighbor wasn't surprising. Hearing he was from a city was. "Quite the change. What pulled you all the way out here?" For a moment, he wondered if Elrond was...something else. Something not human. Ever since he met Darcy and she confirmed there were a lot of werewolves around, that he pack was drawn here, and then the strangeness of the fires and everything else...maybe their small town wasn't just a magnet to regular people like Ferris looking to get away. But Elrond didn't see like a werewolf, at least. No point getting suspiscious of a stranger doing the same thing he himself had.
"I moved here five years ago. Been with the department ever since. But I've been in this field for...about eight years." It was both a long time and none at all. "What sort of work do you do, Elrond?" It finally hit him where he had heard that name before. One of the elves in The Lord of the Rings. How long it had taken him to place was embarrassing. But he decided, from personal experience, against saying anything.
Both smoke detectors operational, he set them on the table, wanting to give the hallway a bit more time to clear out. "Where do you want this humidifier?" He asked, walling back toward the side table in the hallway.
"oh well....a couple of things.." He said waving dismissively and trying another sip of coffee. "It's a bit cheaper to buy out here...and the streets aren't so busy...and the mountains give very good views of the night sky I'm told. " He nodded with a little smile as Ferris told him about moving to Sweetwater. He wondered what Ferris had been before being a Firefighter. It was the sort of job that when someone told you they were one you just sort of assumed they had always done it. At the question of his own work he pointed to a large print hung near the hall. A canvas print of a rendering of a binary star system, two bright stars surrounded by a stream of lit gases and debris. His name and a few colleagues names were embossed onto the canvas in a raised gold in the corner. It had been given to him as a going away gift by a friend he published a paper with. A study on the formation and life span of the system. "A researcher in Astronomy, That's one of the systems we studied there. " He couldn't see the fine detail but he could see the colors and general shapes enough to let his imagination and knowledge of binary star systems fill in the rest. "These days I mostly peer review other researcher's work. Someone has to check the math, eh?" Though he still yearned to be the one peering out of a massive telescope if only he were still able.
Even though he didn't know Ferris had recognized the name he would have been glad for the lack of comment. Not that it gave him too much trouble. Lord of the rings was popular but it was one of the less popular elves so it wasn't that common people asked him about it. Even so there wasn't much to do but laugh awkwardly and shrug when people pointed it out. His parents had were eclectic in their interests to say the least. He was told by relatives that there was a large list of potential names before it was narrowed down. Each more bizarre or artsy than the last. Most people were surprised to hear it was his mother's idea, but less surprised that Legolas was higher on the list before it was deemed too silly by several relatives.
Elrond had absolutely zero idea about the stranger parts of the town. He had also been told (before he lost his sight ) that he was remarkably unobservant for a scientist.
So he hadn't really caught wind of any of the rumors. To him Sweetwater was just a nice little town with wonderful mountains. His eyebrows raised at the question about the humidifier. He supposed it would be wasteful to chuck it in the garbage. "hmm.....I suppose if you unplug it you could put it into the storage closet with the linens."
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Dec 4, 2023 20:46:45 GMT
It was easy to nod along with the man's reasons without digging too deeply into them. Though he did falter a little at Elrond's wording of seeing the night sky. It was rather spectacular, especially way out here.
He looked over his shoulder at the large print with the names in the corner, having seen it but not really looked at it when he first entered. In fact, now that Elrond pointed it out, he noticed there were quite a few depictions of or allusions to the stars decorating his home. Ferris couldn't help a small smile. "That's amazing," he said. "I wanted to be an astronaut once. But that was before I figured out I was no good at theoretical or hard sciences." He forced a chuckle through his disappointed tone. It was a nice dream. One he imagined Elrond had once had himself. Now, from his tone, to not be able to even just gaze upon the star anymore...Ferris couldn't imagine. He nodded, catching himself finally with realizing that wasn't very accommodating of him. "Binary star system. Very cool. Hopefully you keep those morons focused. Probably be lost without you to keep them pointed the right direction." He hesitated. "A smarter man than me might make a gravity or orbit pun." As it was, Ferris simply shrugged.
His radio chirped then, the other end of the line asking for an update. Right, he forgot. "Ethan, false alarm. I'm changing a few detectors. Let me know if you need me. Over." And got an equally standard operating procedure confirmation. Ferris moved back to the humidifier with a smirk. "You got a personal vendetta against this thing? I don't blame you," he joked. Not after it woke the man up so early. He tried a door in the hallway and found the bathroom first, but the next one was a linen closet, with plenty of space on the floor. He hefted the humidifier up and settled it down there with a soft thud, taking the nearly empty tank out and dumping it down the bathroom sink.
“Don’t we all? Though being a firefighter is still pretty high on the list of childhood dreams I would guess.” He replied with a warm smile, remembering some of his own dreams. He had met some of them in a way and while he did regret, he wasn’t bitter.
He had met genuine astronauts in his line of work and they were all vibrant people. They worked so hard and their talent shined so bright it was hard to be jealous.
He chuckled at the notion that he could keep anyone in check. “I had no choice but to be good. My father was a mathematics professor.” He tried to think of a gravity pun but where Ferris lacked in vocabulary he lacked in humor. So he couldn’t think of an amusing way to phrase it.
He drank his coffee and listened to Ferris move the Humidifier. “Well I can’t imagine I’ll go through the trouble of using it.” He grumbled with a shrug. He could be pretty set in his routine.
Though he couldn’t deny that the pleasant little chat he had gotten out of it was worth the scare.
“Thanks again for this Ferris. I really appreciate the extra help.”
It really would be nice to have another pair of hands around the house more than twice a year or so. It occurred to him that it might be time to look into renting that spare bedroom he was using for storage. It would be nice to have someone to help if there really had been some kind of emergency. Also it would be nice to talk to someone face to face more than once a week.
last edited Dec 5, 2023 3:24:26 GMT by Elrond Toal