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?
Friday. Bex and Darcy had set a date to meet up and now it was here. As Darcy knew far more about the area than Bex did, she had already told Bex where to meet her. Bex had no idea where exactly they were headed for their hike but it was more about the company than the destination so she really didn't mind where they were going regardless.
She rode her motorcycle to the parking area that Darcy had mentioned and got off the bike as she looked around for the woman, realizing quickly that she had got there first. She wore hiking boots, long dark leggings, a sporty crop top, and had tossed a flannel over top of it all. Cute but functional as well. She also had a backpack with a water pack, some snacks, and a few random supplies just in case.
She adjusted the side mirror on her bike so she could see in it and fussed with her hair, untangling it a bit from the ride she'd taken while she waited.
Darcy was making one of the last turns before seeing the open area for parking, and her lips pulling into a smile at seeing Bex and her motorcycle had already beaten her there. She;d be lying if she tried to say she had an easy start to the morning and wasn’t at all nervous about the day date. Honestly, Darcy couldn’t recall the last time she’d been on an actual date, with a man or a woman, though she could generally hazard a guess and say it was with a woman. She didn’t typically date men, she just had her fun with them. But she’d never been quite as nervous over a date with someone, as she was over her date with Bex. Which was completely out of character for her. But something about seeing Bex already here waiting brought some sense of calm to her fluttering stomach. She parked her truck and stepped out of the vehicle, a typical and worn out looking pair of hiking boots, a pair of dark grey socks peeking out the top, some grey shorts and a two tone shirt with three-quarter sleeves. Darcy grabbed a light hiking backpack from the passenger seat, double checking the contents before securing it to her back. It had a basic first aid kit, one of her typical outdoor ‘survivors kit’, large canteen with water and a map of the forest that was folded with a compass secured to it by a leather string.
“Hey there, hope I didn’t leave you waiting on me too long.” Darcy offered a smile as she secured a Bowie knife to her right ankle before shutting her car door and locking it, tossing the keys in her backpack. “So, I’ve got a few different walking trails I’m familiar with around here, about how intense of a hike are you looking for today?” She asked with a raised brow as she grabbed a hair tie off her wrist and pulled her hair back into a messy bun, adrenaline pumping heavy through her body as she considered the different trails with a smile. Being out in nature was Darcy preferred setting, she felt at peace with herself and was soothed by the familiar fresh scents.
It wasn't long of a wait before a car pulled up which she soon verified was Darcy. She turned from her bike and smiled as the woman got out of her vehicle. "Not long at all," she assured her, looking forward to their day really getting started now that they were here together.
"No holding back, remember," Bex teased softly at Darcy's question. "I'm game for any level of intensity." Yes it was a bit of innuendo but not necessarily a good one. "Whatever sounds the most fun to you," she added as she moved away fully from her bike to stand beside the gorgeous ranger.
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it.” She teased with a smile as she gently brushed her shoulder against Bex’s shoulder that was closest to her. She chuckled a little as she crossed her arms and tapped her chin, thinking for a moment about the various trails, then giving a nod as she decided on the one she considered the most fun. It wasn’t one that required crawling or any intense climbing that required gear, everywhere she aimed for them to go could be reached without any added gear. “I’ve got the perfect one in mind, come this way?” She extended a hand to Bex with a smile.
Even if she wanted to tone down her excitement, Darcy couldn’t help it. her inner wolf was absolutely giddy with delight at her spending more time in nature, and with Bex of all people! “I promise, I’m probably one of the safest people to venture any of the trails with, you might say I’ve got a knack for finding my way through the woods… I don’t think I could get lost if I tried.” This was an absolute fact, she’d be able to find her way out of any forest with little effort, thanks to her hidden nature.
Bex looked down at Darcy's hand as the woman held it out for her and felt a little flutter in her stomach at the unexpected gesture. Her lips curled up into a little smile and she took Darcy's hand. "Lead the way," she said, excited to see where Darcy chose to take her today. She was genuinely relieved that Darcy was so comfortable in the area. "Well, that's a relief. I did get it lost in the forest not that long ago actually, so heaven knows I certainly wouldn't be terribly reliable."
As they began to walk she spoke again. "How long have you been working as a ranger?" she asked curiously.
“Oh goodness, I guess that means you shouldn’t go for those long strolls in the woods without me.” Darcy responded playfully with a coy smile and then chuckled a little and shook her head. “I guess you could say that I’m just… really in tune with nature.” It’s definitely wasn’t a lie, though it wasn’t the fully truth either. Darcy didn’t know if she dare tell her full truth, because it general meant making a big decision that she wasn’t even comfortable thinking about, let alone discussing. She quirked a brow and cleared her throat before answering Bex’s question as she led the way down a slight winding path in the forest.
“I did a lot of traveling and bounced around a bit before settling here, so. I’ve only been in my position for three years now.” She spoke with a level tone, guiding their way down a only slightly beaten path in the forest. the warm feeling of Bex’s hand in hers was not lost on Darcy either, she quite enjoyed the feeling. Women always had softer hands than men, and Bex was no exception. “I know it’s not a very ‘thrilling’ town or a flashy job, but I do really like it here. I don’t think I’ve ever grown so accustomed to a forest as quickly as I mastered these.” Darcy looked to Bex with an inquisitive smile.
Bex grinned at the suggestion that she not go without Darcy anymore. Perhaps that would be her new standard. She certainly wouldn't mind. She didn't question anything about the woman being in tune with nature, she certainly seemed at home here and with a job like a ranger it made sense. "I've always loved the outdoors, it's where I find the most peace," she said casually.
When Darcy returned the question she felt the familiar twist in her gut. She had first started traveling after her girlfriend was shot at a club in Florida. She never shared that part though. "A lot the same actually. I grew up in Florida and felt really...trapped there. So I bought my Airstream and hit the road. I've been traveling around for a few years, stopping in random places for random amounts of time before I got to antsy and left again. Now I'm here. Been here longer than most places too. It's a nice place. Quiet. Out of the way."
Darcy listened intently as Bex spoke, smiling and unable to stop herself from pausing on the trail and looking around, inhaling deeply in the glorious scent of the woods. Her heightened sense of smell also fixated on how alluring Bex’s scent was to her as well. She fought off the urge to just pull her towards her so she could nuzzle her neck and just get lost in her scent. It was so tempting, but instead she just looked to Bex with a wink. “If I didn’t work in the woods, I would likely find myself needing to live out here. I couldn’t handle a more ‘personable’ job.” Not when her duties to her pack required so much of her attention. Dealing with werewolves was one thing, people were a whole other ballgame. She continued on the path and made sure she wasn’t taking too fast of a pace to be able to keep talking as they went.
“oh wow, that sounds like an adventure on it’s own!” Darcy admitted with a nod, almost envious of the freedom Bex had to travel as she did. Darcy was a pack animal, she had never been bold enough to completely leave. Even when she left her family’s pack, she didn’t stay rogue long. She found the Bloodrose pack and was accepted into their folds, and now was their Alpha. She almost felt guilty for being envious of Bex. She loved her pack, but she still felt like something was missing at times. “I don’t believe I’ve travelled alone since I was seventeen.”
Bex smiled as Darcy explained that she couldn't work if she had to deal with people more often. Knowing what she did about Darcy, this made a lot of sense. Bex was very social and she enjoyed getting to know people but she knew plenty of people who would much rather avoid as much human interaction as they could get away with and there was nothing wrong with that. Not in Bex's opinion anyway.
"Definitely an adventure. Traveling alone can be nice for a while but it can also be...lonely...and isolating." As much as she had been trying to escape her past, she wasn't sure that being alone for so long had benefited her as much as she had hoped. Sometimes she wondered if it had only added to her depression and anxiety about everything.
“I guess one could say the group I travel with is kind of a giant family, we all moved here together three years ago, and sometimes I worry we’re going to end up needing to leave again.” Darcy found herself sharing, though she might have a difficult time at explaining exactly what she meant. She didn’t know if Bex was aware of the supernatural presence in Sweetwater, and eventually if she wanted to be completely honest with her; she’d have to tell her everything, or risk pissing her off by being dodgy. This was just one of the reasons why Darcy warned the younger members of the pack about relationships with humans. Not everyone could handle knowing about the things that go bump in the night. But that didn’t stop them from having their trysts or interest, Darcy was no exception to this either. “I bet you could recommend some amazing places to visit.”
Bex raised a brow in interest as Darcy talked about her pseudo family. She liked the idea of adopting a 'family' of your own based on who you wanted to be around but this dynamic seemed particularly...interesting. "Wow, you must all be very close to actually choose to all move together," she commented. She had met all sorts of people along her journey but this was a rare thing to see. The first thought she had was that maybe Darcy was polyamorous and was living with her little pod of lovers or whatever term they usually preferred, she couldn't remember. "Why would you need to leave?" she asked, wondering if perhaps the small town just wasn't progressive enough to accept that kind of relationship dynamic, if Bex's guess was correct. She had no idea that anything supernatural actually existed though she had decided over the years that she believed in ghosts. At least to an extent.
"Oh yeah, next time you're going somewhere in the states I could probably recommend all sorts of things to do nearby," she said with a smile. She'd seen most of it at this point.
The winding forest path wasn’t particularly a difficult one, but it wasn’t straight or even visible at times. But she knew these trails and areas better than most, so Darcy just continued to lead the way at a pace that didn’t make talking impossible. “Oh, you have no clue. A lot of the people I travel with took me in when I was a roaming and wild teenager. They offered me the structure and support I couldn’t find when I was around my actual family… my grandparents still write from time to time, but I just couldn’t stay around so many people who expected me to be like my mom.” As much as Darcy adored her mother, she was nothing like the woman. Her mother had been a docile, calm wolf who never wanted anything but to be a mother and follow her pack’s expectations. Darcy was wild, assertive and headstrong. It’s no wonder why she left.
“No specific reason, we’ve just got a lot of younger adults with our traveling family and you know how they don’t steer clear of trouble.” It was only half a lie, but she couldn’t just admit that there was the potential for a full out werewolf war brewing between the two packs. Not to someone who didn’t know about the supernatural elements at play. Darcy almost envied humans who weren’t aware, what with the whole ‘ignorance is bliss’ concept.
Darcy gave a chuckle, and smiled back at Bex. “I will absolutely keep you posted on any future trips… maybe you’d even like to tag along.”
Bex loved learning more about Darcy. They had seen each other many many times in the bar but it wasn't exactly the best place to talk, especially about things like this. Getting to know more about what made Darcy tick made her feel like she could understand the woman more and that was exciting, and also a little nerve wracking. Darcy was so beautiful and her life was interesting. After all that happened with Bex's girlfriend in Florida, this was where Bex usually clammed up. It was easier to walk away from something rather than try to let people in. After all, anything could happen to tear them away from you. It was a shield she had to fully be able to let go.
"That really is fascinating, what an amazing thing for you to become part of. I'm certainly glad you all ended up here," she said with a little flirty wink. At the offer that Bex might accompany Darcy on future travels she grinned. "Just say when. I'll be there."
The path wasn't too hard but it was good that Darcy was leading them because there were placed the path seemed to disappear and Bex was sure she'd have been lost at least a couple times already.
It wasn’t often Darcy found herself in situations where she was actually sharing things about herself, especially to a human. But there was something about Bex. Darcy felt like she could just talk to her forever. Which was a little intimidating and made Darcy want to throw up when she thought about it, because she wasn’t ever that girl. But Bex was fun and she made her want to laugh and enjoy things more. “Ya know, I never really stop enough and think about how thankful I am to have my adoptive family… and me too, probably wouldn’t have met my favorite bartender otherwise.” She admitted with a playful wink and then paused to look at some markings on a tree. She inhaled and was pleased to be met with distant scent of some traveling wolves. She took the break as a nice moment to release Bex’s hand and grab out her canteen, she offered it to Bex first.
“Just water for the hike, I promise just a little further and it’ll be worth it.” She smiled, excited to show Bex one of her favorite places to visit in this forest.
Bex grinned when Darcy winked at her. Damn she was so pretty. Bex felt like she could just stare at her all day and be totally content with her day. They stopped for a moment and she watched Darcy as she breathed in what Bex assumed was just the scent of the forest. It was a very nice smell, one of Bex's favorites, and she loved seeing how happy and at peace Darcy seemed when she was out here.
At the offer of water Bex tugged on the straw that sat on her shoulder that went into the pouch in her backpack. "I'm all set, wouldn't want to steal any of your water from you," she said with a smile as she took a sip. "I'm excited to see where you're taking me, but don't worry. I'm in no rush. I have plenty of...stamina," she added with a playful lift of her brow as she took another swallow of water. It really was such a perfect day for a hike, the cooling fall air felt so nice and refreshing while not yet being actually 'cold' yet.