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?
Ah, the weekend. It was Nova's favorite time of the entire week. Her office was closed, she had no business to tend to and everything was as it should be in her personal little world. She sat as close to her living room window as possible, soaking up the sunshine, her newest read in hand. With the colder temperatures moving in, it was a close as she could get to reading in the park.
Taking a sip of her hot tea, a familiar rhythm of footsteps passed her apartment and her nose scrunched as she thought of which neighbor it could be. There was this one in particular that she'd started to avoid at all costs. At this point, it had been about 5 days since their last encounter and she was always dreading the next, hoping that it simply never came. But, in a town as small as Sweetwater, it was definitely bound to happen.
Nova turned her attention back to her book before slamming it closed in one hand. She sighed, removing the throw blanket from her lap and getting up from her seat. She grabbed her cup of tea and made way for the kitchen, her bare feet barely making a sound against the wood floor. Taking the last drink, she washed the cup, putting it away to dry before removing a few pans from the cabinets and heading towards the stove with some ingredients in hand. She had offered, after all.
Those footsteps? Yes, they were King's, the very man Novalynn was eager to avoid. It was a good thing. If she'd tried to interact with him it would have been a one-sided avoidance, and those were really hard. Though they couldn't agree while conversing, at least they could agree to not.
King had gone out for a ride. He sped around Sweetwater, tempting the sheriff, but ultimately slowing at just the right times to keep his record clean. He even ventured outside of Sweetwater, taking to the long, winding roads around the mountain, towards other towns. He never went that far. He always turned around before going through them. He didn't know the rules of the turf, so he kept to his corner where he knew what to expect.
Riding was always an adrenaline rush. The fast air whipping around his ears, the roar of the bike beneath him, the dueling sense of recklessness and security...sometimes he felt he could just ride for days and find a state of contentment. It was impossible, of course. The road always ended. The gas tank grew empty. Responsibilities piled up. Hunger gnawed at him. It was always something. Still, at the very least, he dismounted in front of the North Arbor Apartments will a wild, lively look in his eye.
With keys in hand and helmet under his arm, King made his way up to his apartment. He didn't have a key because they were lazy and hadn't had another one made, but it didn't matter--there was always at least one person home.
Usually...
King's heart sunk as he tried the door, only to find it locked. His jaw grew slack as he tried the handle again--in vain. With a quiet, defeated sigh, he let his head slump against the door once, twice, three times...then turned to press his back to it and slide to the ground. In that comfortable position he whipped out his phone and started texting his roommates.
She packed the last of the food into a plastic bowl, sealing it with a lid. It was something he wouldn't have to return to her so this could hopefully be their last interaction. Ever. But at least she didn't have to leave it on bad terms. He wasn't getting anything extravagant. A rather large burger - dressings, condiments, and cheese on the side - a hefty bunch of crispy fries, and - in a separate container - store bought mac & cheese. She began to hurry out the door when she remembered one thing; coffee.
Setting the containers back down, she quickly grabbed a classic roast k-cup for her keurig and threw it into the coffee machine, grabbing one of the many cheap on-the-go cups she had from the cabinet above. It was something else he wouldn't have to return. With the coffee finally finished, she made way for the door once more, though she seriously wanted to stay home and enjoy the food and coffee herself. Why the hell was she actively trying to be nice to him in the first place? He was always such an ass.
She closed the door behind her with a soft click, doing her best to juggle her full hands. Making her way down the hall, she tried to remember what he'd said his room was. The plan was set it down, knock on the door, turn and walk away. No interaction, no back and fourth, no-
She almost stopped in her tracks when she saw him sitting with his back against the door to what she could only assume was his apartment. She didn't expect to turn the corner and suddenly see someone just sitting there, and she'd be lying to herself to say that it didn't startle her. Reluctantly, she walked up to him, clearing her throat and holding out the things in her hands wordlessly.
King was irritated. He was hungry, needed to pee, and annoyed with his roommates for not being home. They were such moochers. He paid the majority of the rent every month, shopped twice as much as anyone else for groceries, and did basically all the cleaning. The others were adult-babies who had gone from their parents' homes to this apartment and King hated it. He grit his teeth and bore it for the sake of brotherhood this and brotherhood that, but he was starting to think that all that brotherhood stuff was just shit. What even was this biker gang? Sure, they packed heat, but beyond that...? They were just sitting here in this small town doing literally nothing.
Approaching footsteps had his hope climbing up his throat.
It plummeted at the sight of the girl from the stairwell. In fact, King sighed loudly and rolled his eyes away from here. What was she doing on his floor, anyway? And why was she holding food? He wasn't looking at her so he didn't see her approach. From the corners of his eyes he saw her holding her good out to him. He turned sharply and frowned at the food first, then her.
To be honest, it was quite annoying to her how he could call her a child for rolling her eyes that day on the stairwell, yet every time she came into his view, he was doing that very thing. It made Nova almost have to focus to keep from reciprocating what was apparently their 'special' greeting; eye rolling and sighs heavy with annoyance.
At his inquiry, she again resisted the urge to roll her eyes, instead closing them for a brief moment. Why was he being complicated already? Why couldn't he just take the damn food? She set the items next to him, standing back up straight and interlocking her hands in front of her. "Well, I offered you lunch - and a coffee." She replied in a monotonous tone. "Any particular reason you're sitting out here instead of in there?" She asked, pointing to his apartment door. Amused by the idea of him being locked out, a smirk threatened to break her nonchalant facade. Karma sure had a sense of humor.
King wanted her put the food down, eyes jumping to the highest part of her--dat booty--as she did. He'd be lying to say that underneath all this hostility he wasn't acutely aware of her body and beauty. It wasn't enough for someone like him to ignore her sword-like tongue and pin her to a wall, unfortunately. No, she'd need to be a little sweeter for all that.
He grunted when she reminded him that she owed him. Yes, that was very true. He picked up the cup of coffee, considered it, then took a sip. It took off some of the edge of being in the open air instead of in his warm apartment.
"Locked out." He said, kind of casually, but with an undertone of 'duh' in his voice. Why else would he be sitting out here like this? Then a thought occurred to him.
"Hey, let me use your bathroom." No, he wasn't asking, and he'd pee on her car before saying please.
When he finally began to partake in her offering, she felt a small sense of pride as he sipped the coffee. It almost made her feel accomplished. However, her skin prickled with irritation when he did not so much as thank her. She'd gone through the trouble after all. Then again, what did she really expect? Some drastic change of heart? Gratefulness from someone like him? That would only be wishful thinking, and that sort of thinking didn't get anyone far in life.
When he confirmed her suspicion of being locked out, a smirk finally broke through her facade and she cleared her throat to avoid laughing at his predicament. From this point on, she vowed to be the bigger person. Of course, that was all tossed out the window when he practically commanded that she let him use her bathroom. She huffed, crossing her arms across her chest in defiance at his words, but then sighing in defeat. Did she really want to continue to take the low road? She put herself in his shoes, just for a moment. If she really needed to go, would she not also at least attempt to ask? Perhaps that was the difference, she would ask, not command. "I suppose I'll give you permission to use my bathroom." She said, trying her best to not make a sour face at him. She really loathed the idea of him entering her apartment, but surely it would be nothing more than a quick bathroom break and then he'd be back on his not-so-merry way. Without a word, she turned on her heel, heading back towards her safe space that would soon feel invaded and contaminated with his presence. She immediately regretted agreeing to let him in, but even if she didn't want to do anything good for him, she did still want to at least try to be the better person. It seemed like quite the stretch, though.