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?
Mikey swallowed a few resentful comments. Even though he had been getting a part for Ferris' car it was true the it might have happened the next time. Or even worse might have happened to Casey or his Sister looking for a part. That's why they call call them accidents after all. He also neglected to mention the bug because he didn't want to feel even lamer.
He nodded "Yup right haven't touched 'em." He still wasn't too thrilled about the notion but he could see Ferris wasn't going to leave it. Mikey reluctantly took Ferris' hand to help himself up. Then he followed Ferris over to the car without too much complaint. He thought about offering to let them take his car instead but figured he might be able to figure out an alternative ride home and ditch Ferris at the hospital if they took Ferris' car there. It was funny because he could probably get away with a few off color jokes. Now that Ferris was so obviously concerned for his health it was like the will make jokes had left his body. Woof. He was almost willing to break down and text his sister for a ride. The thought of giving her the satisfaction of bailing him out of another mess really stung.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Oct 30, 2023 3:19:08 GMT
Ferris got the feeling Michael wasn't thrilled with his intervention. It wasn't an attitude he was entirely foreign with. He'd helped a lot of people who didn't want to be helped. If the man told him to leave him be though, he would. He wasn't anyone's keeper and he didn't owe Michael anything. If the other man wanted to handle it himself, he could say as much. But he didn't.
He kept an eye on him while they walked to the truck, but he didn't help him beyond making sure the passenger door was unlocked. The lack of inuendo was probably the most telling about how out of it the guy was. "So, you just embarrassed, or did you hit your head so hard you forgot to sexually harass me now that we're alone in my truck?" He asked, for all the world like it was a serious question. It certainly wasn't a joke. Probably. But as much as he preferred to put distance between himself and Michael, his first order of business was making sure the man was okay. And unfortunately for himself, that meant not driving to the hospital in silence.
Once they were both seated, he turned the key in the ignition. The sound wasn't great, but it wasn't the same noise it had been making before. Ferris grimaced but went through the usual motions of putting it in reverse. Without thinking about it, he put one hand on the passenger seat headrest to help him look over his shoulder as he backed out of the garage and turned around in the lot.
It was true he could put up more of a fight. Certainly he imagined Ferris would leave him alone if he refused to get in the car. He considered getting right back out of the car when Ferris started up the engine and he heard the fan belt rattle. The pain of an un-finished job was nearly as irritating as the head ache. He was startled a little by Ferris' arm moving toward him before he realized Ferris was just reaching for the back of the seat. Mikey wasn't too sure why, just instinct.
He managed a half smile at the question "oh~ missing it already? I guess you could just say I'm not in the mood." Though his tone came out a bit less chipper and more sardonic than usual. As they pulled out of the garage and drove out he sent a short text asking his sister to close up the shop whenever she had some time. "I thought you'd jump at the chance that I might 'forget'. " He added only half-teasing. He was aware that he had stepped over boundaries with Ferris. It was just that even in their very limited interactions there was look that Ferris had given him that made him....worried. It was difficult to describe. Maybe it was the contrast of the night they met and the morning after that had shocked Mikey into projecting something dark on Ferris. Maybe Ferris was just a very grumpy guy with internalized homophobia. Or maybe he did just genuinely not want to see his one time awkward one night stand again. At the end of the day to some extent Mikey knew it was actually best for both of them if he went along with Ferris objections and pretended they were strangers.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Oct 30, 2023 5:10:43 GMT
He noticed the way Michael twitched but didn't think much of it, what with the accident. Probably he was just head shy because of his headache.
"There it is," he mumbled under his breath, gritting his teeth to try and smother the smile. It was good to know the guy was still aware and had indeed not forgotten like he joked. "Nope. Been enjoying the peace," he said a bit louder for Michael's benefit. Which was true.
At the unexpected follow up however, he frowned and his hands tightened on the steering wheel, knuckles pale. "Look, Mi- Mikey. I don't..." Ferris kept his eyes fixed on the road. He didn't want to talk about this. About them. Didn't know how. But the guy deserved something, Ferris owed him that much. Considering he had practically ghosted him for four years. Not that their one night stand was anything more than that. "I...nevermind."
How was he supposed to explain that he had both really enjoyed being with him and found it painful and terrifying. Drunk sex with another man had been fine. Waking up the morning after and being wholly conscious of not just the temptation he had given into but how he felt his had betrayed his best friend all on top of Michael being so much younger than him... He'd put himself in the hospital after that. But Michael didn't need to know that. It wasn't his burden to carry.
Mikey noticed that Ferris was genuinely relieved to have been teased again. He knew that it had to do with the accident mostly. Still the olive branch of Ferris using his nickname was...something. It was true that he was a little salty about Ferris not only not contacting him but going out of his way to continue without contact once they had realized they lived in the same town. Still he recognized that Ferris didn't actually owe him anything. It had only been one night. He was mostly just snapping at Ferris. Hearing Ferris strain to try to explain himself just made Mikey feel like shit. Maybe he could just let it go if Ferris had said that he didn't like it or that he just didn't want a relationship. There was more to it. He could tell. Or at least that was how he justified the amount of pestering he had done. Maybe now that he had Brooks in his life and he had re-connected with Gia it was time to let this go.
"It's alright. It doesn't matter." He added in a somewhat apologetic tone. "I should have known when to quit anyway." He turned to look out the window and pretend he hadn't noticed how tense Ferris had gotten. Rather than push Ferris to open up he realized that if Ferris isn't ready after all this time then maybe It's better to just leave the mystery unsolved.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Nov 1, 2023 22:53:09 GMT
Thankfully, as much as Ferris took Michael's teasing and jabs personally, he didn't hold it against him. The core of the probably was he didn't know what he wanted. Maybe if he just lied. Told Michael he hadn't enjoyed himself. Or that he never wanted to see him again. But the time for that had been years ago and in all that time, Ferris had continued to let things fester. He'd gotten them both into this limbo and he knew how to get out of it. He just couldn't seem to do it.
He grimaced. Hearing the young man talk like that felt like a punch to the stomach. "I'm a grown man, Mikey, I know how to say no and I didn't." It wasn't out and out admitting that he wanted or liked the harassment, but he was willing to admit he hadn't tried to stop him when he could have. Should have. "I don't blame you if you hate me, but you do matter and I do care," he added quickly. Both now and in the brief moment they had shared together. He just wasn't sure if he cared for him as more than a friend, but even so, Ferris let his emotional trauma get in the way of any potential friendship. If nothing else, his actions spoke a lot more clearly of that care than anything he could put into words.
Talking was better than sitting in the truck in silence. Hell, maybe it was even good for him. Not that they had much further to drive.
"I never doubted you were." He replied, not so convinced it absolved him of any wrong doing to have not been told no. The second part had him much more conflicted. He wasn't really sure how to take that statement. He couldn't out right say he had never meant that statement to be about himself. There was a time when he very strongly considered hiding away with Giacomo. He would trade in his human life for a thrilling new adventure as the undead. That plan B was slightly less appealing now that he had some realistic idea of what the fall out of that would be. still he hadn't meant to imply that sort of thing to Ferris. He stopped looking out the windows to turn his gaze back to Ferris with a slightly touched if confused look. "I don't hate you, Ferris. You matter to me, too." He offered a slightly playful smile "I wouldn't bother to keep...teasing you, If you didn't matter. That doesn't really change...things." Mikey wasn't sure why Ferris was so afraid of defining their relationship or lack there of. Still He wasn't really prepared to have heart to heart either. He had only meant to give Ferris an out, if he wanted it.
He never questioned that Ferris cared enough to not want to see him hurt. The man had already saved him once even if he might have been on duty at the time. Ferris was a good man at heart, Mikey could smell it.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Nov 5, 2023 13:30:36 GMT
Ferris had enough poor personal connotations with saying something 'didn't matter,' that leaving what didn't matter so open ended made him uncomfortable. He implied that sort of thing to himself by default.
He might not know everyone in town personally, but they were all people he had seen before. Michael though...Michael wasn't just a friendly face he had sworn to protect. The young man was... Someone he had shared a much needed intimate moment with. Someone who he had been able to open up to. Someone he felt entirely too comfortable with and because of that, for his sanity and the personal image he desperately clung to, was also someone he couldn't stand to be around. Even still, if something happened to him, Ferris wouldn't just notice or care, he would actively miss him.
Hearing the sentiment returned to him was surprising. But there was no doubting the warmth in Michael's words. He sounded more sincere than Ferris had, but the fireman supposed he didn't have a lot of practice sharing honest feelings anymore. After losing Garret and then the fallout with Murphy, he was hesitant to even make friends. "And hear I sounded like an asshole when I said it. Never thought hearing someone say they don't hate me would feel so good," he said awkwardly, making very brief eye contact before (more from embarrassment than driver responsibility) looking away again.
It didn't change anything, whatever this thing between them was. He wasn't about to push for anything else, content with having cleared up that minor point. Far as he was concerned, what they had had didn't need a name and if it didn't have a name, less people would know. Or something stupid like that.
Ferris turned into the lot of the urgent care and parked as close as he could. Wincing at the sound of the engine. Thankfully he didn't have to go very far for anything around here. He got out of the truck and would wait for Michael, willing to lend a hand if asked.
There was a sort of cloud of mutual embarrassment and awkwardness hanging over them as Ferris parked. He let Ferris help him out of the car but stopped shy of the doors. "Uh look, you have important stuff to do right...chief. You don't have to wait around to see me checked out. I'll call my sis to come pick me up." He offered feeling like he'd already imposed enough. "Just don't forget to stop by the shop for that belt." He added because while it would be safe for driving around town the belt really did need to be replaced as soon as possible. Even though they hadn't talked too deeply about it, it did feel like they had both been able to get something important across. Unless Ferris told him differently things could just stay as they are, he'd relentlessly flirt when no one is around and lay off in public. Honestly he hadn't really expected more than that considering how hard Ferris had ghosted him in general. It was a surprise to him to find out that Ferris didn't mind it as much as his protests made it seem.
last edited Nov 28, 2023 21:48:25 GMT by Mikey Royce
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Nov 29, 2023 2:11:12 GMT
Ferris helped Mikey out of his truck and walked with him to the doors. He stopped in front of the automated doors and Ferris did too, the glass doors sliding open and then hanging gaping open was Mikey insisted that the firefighter on his day off had more important things to do.
Technically, that wasn't untrue. He had course work and personal chores like laundry to do. He also still needed to get his truck fixed. But for obvious reasons, that and everything else was easily put on hold. But Ferris understood Mikey wasn't asking. He didn't want Ferris to go in with him. It didn't really matter why. "Uh, yeah, I suppose I do," he acquiesced diplomatically, taking a couple steps back and sliding his hands into his back pockets. One awkward car right with some tiny amount of understanding was more than enough, he supposed.
What was he going to do anyway? If there was a real problem, Ferris didn't think he even counted as a friend, if the use of his work title was any indication. But he wanted to. He needed to be better about that. "Right," he said of returning to the shop. He'd have to figure out when that was going to be. "Uh, we should hang out sometime. In public," he said awkwardly. It was a sort of spur of the moment idea that hadn't quite finished forming in his head. Ferris grit his teeth and turned back to his truck.