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?
It had been a rather boring day for Callie, as nothing could quite top her experience at school the day all the firefighters showed up for an emergency alarm. But that wasn’t what had been exciting for her. No. She’d finally managed to get Principal Hollifield to break at least one of his rules, she got him to break his resolve and touch her. And damn, did he ever. Callie might have enjoyed the seduction game more than she would ever admit to people, namely because that was a side of her people weren’t typically privy to. And the few who did know this side of her, she was thankful they kept up her charade with her family.
Tonight she was going to meet up with one of her favorite ‘secret’ friends. Secret namely because their friendship being known publicly would ruin her progress with her parents. Plus, it added a level of excitement from knowing they weren’t ’supposed’ to be friends. Plus, West was also one of the few people she’d supply with her home grown goods, aside from Kota, not many people were aware of her little pet project in her walk-in closet at home. And because she was feeling nostalgic, they were meeting at an old hangout from her heavier party days; the Lament house.
Callie didn’t anticipate her family being home though, so she gave them some excuse about needing some extra studying time at the library, and instead hoped in her truck and drove through town. The winter weather was setting in, so things were rather cold. Callie wore a pair of dark wash denim jeans, a black v-neck shirt with her favorite sweater. Long honey colored hair lung in loose curls as she parked the truck and grabbed her purse, and made her way up toward the eerie looking house.
Smiling as she looked at the black shutters and ducked around the made her way around the side and toward the back. She found the familiar footholds and climbed onto the back porch’s roof, pushing open an unlocked window and climbed inside. She ran a hand through her hair, pulling a flashlight from her purse as she began walking into a narrow hallway and toward a room on the second floor. The windows in this room had been blacked out with spray paint and covered, the room looked like a place teenagers set up to hide away from wandering eyes. It was familiar, and that made Callie smile as she stepped over to light up an old lantern sitting on the table, turning off her flashlight as she did. She sent a quick snap to West to let him know she was already here.
It had been a long time since he visited the Lament house. West had been here a few times when he was younger, terrified to set foot on the lawn, dared to run up and touch the front door, petrified like so many other local kids of the 'ghosts' and 'evil spirits' that haunted the abandoned house. Which, as they got older and braver and arguably both smarter and more stupid, they figured out how to break in. He'd first done it with a smaller group that included Callie. Not that they were remotely the first to do so, finding plenty of carved initials and Sharpie dicks on the walls.
But recently, they didn't use the Lament house for much besides illegal transactions. Well, retail marijuana was legal. But he knew for a fact Callie didn't have the proper permits. Not in the least because she was nineteen.
West didn't have a problem getting away from the estate, at least on this specific evening. He killed some time with a pleasure ride of his metallic orange Harley-Davidson, taking one of the more scenic roads. It was maybe a little cold for a motorcycle ride, but he had to get them in before it started snowing, which was soon. He might not care about things like seatbelts and helmets, but even he knew being in the outskirts of Sweetwater in the snow with only two wheels was asking for trouble.
The bike's engine announced his arrival. Hilariously, he had brought a helmet with him tonight, but it wasn't for him, and he wasn't wearing it. He parked beside the house, tugging his black leather jacket closer around the grey hoodie he wore underneath.
He followed Callie's path around the back, pulling out his phone and viewing her snap but not bothering to reply. West hoisted himself up the back porch awning, pausing a moment as some of the beams creaked. It made that noise every time and sure, one day, it might actually collapse. But for now, it just scared the shit out of him and then he laughed at himself. The window was already open and he let himself in, not bothering with the light on his phone as he could see the door down the hall picked out in lamp light. "Honey, I'm home!" he called as he stepped up to the doorway. He leaned on the door jam, eying Callie up and down. He whistled softly. "Callie, you're the finest dealer I've ever met." He added, laying the flattery on heavy. "Who's the latest conquest?" Of course, he knew what she liked and it had been a while since they talked. He'd been to enough parties and made enough fool of himself asking that he had finally got it through his head that her picture didn't include him. But that didn't mean he couldn't still appreciate her tight jeans and sultry figure in the dark.
Post by Calliope Bartlett on Dec 6, 2023 4:16:25 GMT
The sound of an approaching motorcycle was enough notice to let Callie know West had arrived. He was one of the few people she knew who owned a motorcycle, against his parent’s wishes. She was a little jealous of how freely West embraced his wants in life, publicly and in private. Maybe she’d get bold enough to eventually do the same… someday. And maybe not ‘everything’. She liked her secrets after all.
Callie was responding to a few other snaps and texts when she heard West’s familiar laughter from down the hall, she tucked the phone back in her pocket and turned to look at him with a smile. “Oh gosh, you know exactly what to say to make a gal’s night. And I have to say, you’re my best looking customer.” She beamed, running a hand through her hair and then biting her bottom lip. Did she dare tell him? It was West, she didn’t really have any reason to keep things from him.
“Well, you know how I enjoy my secrets… but I am talking to an older man, one who doesn’t have a wife this time. He’s got all these rules and is trying to tell me I have to wait until graduation. But I’m determined to get him to break, already got him breaking some of his rules.” She eased herself up to sit on the table, grabbing ziplock bag from her purse and holding it up. “Got a little something for you.”
West sincerely doubted he knew exactly what to say to make a gal's night. Otherwise he'd be with one right now. But he had his priorities straight: getting high first. It made everything better. So did confidence.
"Kota might have something to say about that line," he noted with a laugh, though he did straighten up a bit at the praise, it only going to his head a little bit. Both Bartlett girls were lovely to look in his estimation, though Callie being the older of the two and more mature, certainly drew his attention.
He watched her bite her bottom lip in debate and he knew that she knew exactly what she did to him. "Fuck, that shit works on everyone," he groaned, stepping into the room. He leaned against the wall by the lamp, using the yellow light to pull out his wallet and thumb through bills. Sure, they were friends, but this was an 'investment in her higher education' as he called it. Now, whether that was for growing more or better plants or actual college or just whatever cute top she knew would lure her targets in, he wasn't to judge.
West looked up as Callie teased him with vague details, raising an eyebrow exaggeratedly at the lack of wife this time, like he didn't believe she had it in her to find an available man. "So magnanimous, not stealing some other poor girl's man this time," he teased. The word rolled off his tongue just as easily as a curse word would. She was one of the few people he showed off his expanded vocabulary too. He grinned. "Graduation?" That implied a teacher. "Am I allowed to guess?" The college and high school being so close, there were actually a lot more options to sift through that it wouldn't be easy.
He watched her pull the bag from her purse and while he did genuinely enjoy chatting, he couldn't help but stare for a moment at the prize of the evening. He grinned, shoving his wallet back in his pocket, cash in one hand. He stepped up to the table, holding out the money so she could take it with her free hand, and he could take the bag in his. But he didn't let go, nor did he try to take his 'little something' just yet.
Post by Calliope Bartlett on Dec 6, 2023 5:30:08 GMT
“Kota isn’t so much a customer as she is involved in quality control.” She teased with a grin, eyes taking in West as he stepped into the room. Any female in their right mind would find him attractive, and it wasn’t that Callie was impervious to his looks and charms, she just typical had her eyes on someone else, someone older. That didn’t stop her from being curious though. Or from admiring him when she was him. Those Vandersons’ seemed to all be blessed with looks.
A coy smile took her lips as she as he cursed and entered the room. She watched as he removed his wallet and began to count. “It was one time and you and I both know I didn’t know he was married.” But he also knew that the man being married hadn’t made her put a stop to things either. The smirk on her face when he picked up on the hint involving graduation sparked a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. He knew she loved a good game.
“Oh, yes please! I’ll be so impressed if you guess correctly.” Though she’d already narrowed down some of the options be saying ‘old man’. She should have been more clever and let his mind really wander.
She watched as he approached, money in one hand. Callie would be lying if she said him approaching her sitting there on the table, didn’t cause her heartbeat to quicken. But she chalked that up to her thrill over the secret friendship and transaction taking place. Thankfully Callie had played enough games with emotions to have hers well managed.
She put the baggie in his grip and took hold of the cash with her free hand, brow raised as she looked at him.
West didn't look up at her, only rolled his eyes. "You keep saying that," he said. "But I know that you know that I know wedding bands only make you more interested. Your forbidden fruit kink is kind of obvious," he admonished playfully. Like it hadn't taken him a while to figure that out either. Of course, he was just giving her a hard time. She'd do the same in his place, but he wasn't so active in his pursuits at the moment as she was. Besides, like many other men in Sweetwater, he was a big fan of the Callie B. show.
He hummed thoughtfully. "Staff and faculty. Older man. Not currently married. If he's got rules, he's smart and keeps his distance," West mused. He had a few ideas, debating as he stared at Callie and throwing out some of his options that didn't at least overlap the high school. "Professor Cutler?" He was one of theart teachers for all levels of education. He fit her usual age range, was a bit aloof, divorced, and West supposed he'd use the word 'handsome' in a potential 'Daddy' sort of way.
He bet her gaze as he paused their transaction. Instead of letting go and pulling away, he took another step closer, upper thighs against her knees as her legs dangled from the table. He pushed both of her hands back slightly, pinning them to the table with just enough pressure to keep them there. He leaned closer, locking his eyes with hers, the dark silhouetting him and casting him in shadow. "One of these days, we'll break a few rules together," he said softly, grin just inches away from her lips. He so wanted to kiss her. But honestly, he was convinced that was just a residual effect of all those parties they had been so close during. West let go of the money and her hand, reaching up and pretending to brush his fingers over her cheek but stopping a centimeter short. He stepped back, plucking the bag out of her hand and rolling it between both his hands as he backed up all the way to the wall again.
"That perfume you got on..." West made a made a goofy 'magnifique' gesture, pursing his lips. He was convinced she could get anyone she wanted. Even him. Definitely him.
Post by Calliope Bartlett on Dec 6, 2023 8:30:11 GMT
Callie smiled, giving an exaggerated bow as she did. “Thanks, I’ll be here all week.” She teased, enjoying the jest. And then she gave a half shrug with a rather practiced innocent smile. “What can I say? It’s so much more fun when I’m not supposed to want it.”
He wasn’t wrong about her preference to the ‘forbidden fruit’ but they both knew that could mean more than simply someone who was unavailable. In fact, it could be applied to people who could be deemed inappropriate for her, or simply those whose public relations with her were frowned upon. Though the preference for an older target definitely seemed to be on trend the most.
Callie gave her hair a toss over her shoulder as she waited for his guess, shaking her head with a smile. “Solid effort, but nope. Guess again!” The delight in her eyes was infectious, she had missed getting to hang out with him. He always seemed to know how to make her laugh.
To say she was taken by surprise as he not only stepped close, but when he lightly pinned her hands to the table, Callie couldn’t help the way her heart rate fluttered and she was doing her best to manage not to blush completely at his proximity. She could feel the warmth of his words on her lips as he spoke. And just as quickly as he was there, he was stepping back and once again at the wall. “Oooh, you know how much I enjoy breaking rules, just say when.” She managed to quip right back, impressing even herself at how level her tone managed to be despite how much heat spread through her body.
Was it the familiarity, or perhaps the fact that there was always that question that seemed to hang in the air around them because they’d never actually done anything together. Nothing more than playful teasing, maybe that’s what made it all the more exciting; the fact that they both knew how to tease and provoke one another. She folded up the cash and placed it in her bag, lips pulling into another smile.
“Oh, thank-you. I’ve been trying to decide if this is my new favorite ‘go to’ scent, or if this is just for special occasions.” She tried to ignore the soft rosy glow on her cheeks at his compliment.
Post by West Vanderson on Dec 6, 2023 22:16:22 GMT
Small town or not, Callie still had plenty of options when it came to what was forbidden. West was confident he knew half the guys she had been with but that still left a lot. Not to mention the parties she frequented more than he did, the ones with the upper echelon of founding family members like his siblings. Hell, she might have slept with his brother, or his dad. Both thoughts were unpleasant but largely because the young man had a healthy lack of interest in his own family members.
He changed tactics to the high school specifically, since the broader net he had cast seemed to get her attention but not connect. The delight in Callie's tone and the look she gave him made the game even more fun, wrong or not. "I for real don't remember that many high school teachers," West mused his thoughts aloud. Not that he had listened very much. The two he had liked and sometimes listened to had been women so they weren't options in this instance. He shrugged. He shrugged, figuring he should take a shot in the dark at a fantasy. "Maybe Principal Hollifield?"
"We'll see," he said with a casual shrug, looking up at her because he loved that thing she did with her tongue and her lips when she was feeling sassy and manipulative. But West was in control of this moment and he knew it. And he'd also be in control of the moment they did anything more than be friends. He knew that too. He thought for a moment, examining the Ziplock bag, opening it briefly to take a deep, but distanced breath. As much as he wanted it, he didn't want to get high here. "I like it, but I think it's for special occasions," he agreed with way more exaggeration than necessary on the words.
Finally, he slipped the bag into an inside jacket pocket. "You're amazing, Callie," West said, a bit back to their usual vibe, as if he hadn't just invaded her personal space. "You need a ride somewhere?" He hadn't seen a car when he parked. Probably not to her house, but then again, he didn't care so much about being seen with her. It was her parents they worried about.
Post by Calliope Bartlett on Dec 6, 2023 22:58:45 GMT
Seeing West almost always made Callie miss her drinking days, he was one of the only friends who didn’t completely drop her after she stopped ‘being as fun’. Thankfully he understood the issues with her parents, and still stuck around. So many of her best childhood memories included him. Ya know, those memories that parents would hate to know about, even after the fact. The parties, the alcohol, the drugs, the sex… okay, so maybe they didn’t have any memories of the last one together. But they had plenty of the others.
She was going to encourage him to keep his guessing going, when he said Principal Hollifield. Regardless of how well she could put on that poker face; West knew all her tells. It’s why she didn’t play poker with him anymore. Gorgeous brown eyes blinked and looked at him as she bit her bottom lip. Callie gave a half shrug and then shook her head. “Damn, I would have thought it might have taken a little longer for you to make the guess.” She chuckled, running a hand through her hair and she braced herself up against the table with her arms as she gave a bit of an exaggerated stretch, unable to resist the urge to arch enough that her chest stuck out much more obviously before she sat back up straight.
“Noted, I’ll do that then.” She said, and she truly would. Though what he might call a special occasion might differ from what she’d call one. This one might be for the special occasions where she got to see West for more than just a moment in passing.
“I know, but it’s always great to hear it.” She teased with her usual level of confidence back and in full swing. She raised a brow as she eased herself off the table. Black stiletto boots clicking lightly as she did. “Would I ever turn down the opportunity to take a ride with you?” She winked playfully. “Would you mind terribly if I wanted to stop by Munchies? Skipped out on family dinner and I could totally go for some onion rings.”
Post by West Vanderson on Dec 7, 2023 20:16:28 GMT
"Jesus, Callie," he laughed. It was arguably funnier that he had burst her bubble so quickly. It was the ultimate authority figure of the school he could think to name. "I did too, didn't think I was right." He grinned, trying and failing at getting himself under control. "That's some catch. I mean, kinda fucked up on his part, having a schoolgirl fantasy as a principal." West drew a broad grey area surrounding authority figures. Sometimes it felt really validating, know that a respected member of society had a darker side to them. Other times though, seeing a hero or someone else ruined felt bad. He'd never really connected with or had a particular problem with Principal Hollifield, so mostly he enjoyed the former feeling.
That information would stay between them. Less because West didn't like to gossip (the things he said while high sometimes) and more because he wasn't about to out Callie to her parents. As entertaining as it might be to share, she could share some things about him he'd rather didn't get home. It was a mutually beneficial relationship.
He grinned, quick to push himself away from the wall. He spread his hands out to either side, playfully inviting. "Come on, then," he started until she continued. He made a noise of debate in his throat. There was no rush to get anywhere, certainly not home. "Gives me time to figure out where I'm getting high tonight," he relented. Besides, he could go for a lot more than just onion rings. He gestured for her to lead the way out, turning off the lantern once Callie turned away to plunge them into darkness. He chuckled to himself.
Post by Calliope Bartlett on Dec 7, 2023 21:10:24 GMT
His amusement at guessing correctly was near infectious, Callie being unable to contain her own half smile as she shook her head at him. “I mean, I may be a touch biased; but when the schoolgirl happens to be me, I think it’s perfectly acceptable.” Callie wasn’t a modest girl by any means. She was beautiful, and she was confident in how she carried herself. And while West might tease her for being vain, but she knew exactly what she was doing when it came to her little games of seduction.
Most men were putty in her perfectly manicured little hands, doing anything she asked if it gave them a better chance at winning favor. She was so accustomed to being the one in control, that it was a great change of pace to have the tables turned. Principal Hollifield being the only man in town so far to play her game and hold out as well as he has. She’d been working on him since the start of the semester, and she’d only just gotten him to finally touch her. At this rate he might just hold out until graduation. Which definitely wouldn’t do for Callie.
All that aside, West was the only person who could flip the script on her and actually give her pause. Whether he was merely toying with her or serious was something she hadn’t quite figured out. Callie grinned at his words, glad they weren’t quite parting ways yet. She didn’t want to. Callie didn’t get to see West near as much as she’d like… though she’d never admit that to him. Saying things like that only served to make friendships like theirs weird. What they did worked for the most part, so she wouldn’t complain.
“Perfect, you’re the best.” She said, not a bit of insincerity or teasing in her voice. She absolutely meant it. Callie traced a finger under his chin as she stepped past him toward the door, only momentarily stopping when the darkness engulfed everything. She paused, using the darkness as an excuse to stay closer to him, stopping at the window and raising a brow, though he likely couldn’t make out her features in the dark. “Care to give me a boost?”
Post by West Vanderson on Dec 10, 2023 20:38:48 GMT
"You do you, Callie baby," West teased. He was nothing if not supportive of whoever his friend wanted to go after. He admired her in a way. And was a bit jealous and intimidated. Sure, she may not know what she wanted in the end either, but she knew what she wanted right now and that meant something. He might not understand why she was the way she was, but he identified with and respected the young Bartlett a lot. They had bonded over drinking and he had been one of the few people to stick with her through her learning to navigate the party scene before drunk and sober. West was pretty sure that had friend-zoned him pretty hard, but he would never stop teasing her.
He snorted. "That would be my brother," he said with a bit of light scathing. Mostly he was just jealous of the attention and how much shit the guy got away with. "I'm the best at being high and pissing off my dad," he pointed out.
West grinned, sticking his phone in his mouth and brushing against her to get to the window. He half stepped through, pushing it open a bit higher with his shoulder and then offered Callie his free hand to help her climb through. It was starting to get dark outside too, the line a bit blurred between ground and porch overhang. Once she was outside, he kept his hand out to her in case she needed it, turning off his phone light and shoving it in his pocked before pulling the window down carefully. "Don't you rock climb?" he jabbed lightly as he helped her make her way to the ground. The overhang groaned at both of their weights and he paused at the top before he half lowered himself and half dropped to the ground. He caught staggered to one side, but managed to keep from falling over. The young man dusted his hands off and checked that his phone and the weed were still in one piece.
Post by Calliope Bartlett on Dec 10, 2023 23:23:31 GMT
West was one of the only friends Callie allowed herself to not be filtered or less herself around. She knew he’d tease her when he wanted to, and she quite enjoyed that. And perhaps it was just familiarity, but she was sure he only saw her as a friend. Which she could accept, though would be lying if she said she never wondered what things could be like. But no, West was the type of guy she could see herself falling for seriously, and that was just not where she was at. She wasn’t ready for real or serious. She liked her games and fun, it was easy and she could walk away whenever she was bored or done. Actual relationships took more work, thought and effort; things Callie wasn’t in a position to be offering.
“Well, not that it makes much of a difference, but you’re my favorite Vanderson.” Callie offered with a shrug, glad for the darkness around them at the mention of his brother. She hadn’t told West about that last party at the Vanderson Estate, and that wasn’t quite something she wanted to talk about. She’d been frustrated and Price just happened to be there. It was transactional, but she didn’t feel like she could tell West without him viewing her differently. So she kept it to herself, just praying Price wasn’t the type to talk about his flings with his brother.
Callie didn’t mind him brushing against her, it made her smile. She accepted his hand and help getting to the porch’s roof. She accepted his help and hand anytime he offered it to her, but raised a brow at his question. She smiled sheepishly, making a clicking sound with her tongue. “Yes, but not in stilettos.” Callie chuckled, tossing her long hair over her shoulder.
Post by West Vanderson on Dec 11, 2023 0:15:30 GMT
West grinned. He knew Callie was familiar with his family and especially his siblings. How close she was with either of them he wasn't really sure and he didn't really care. Alright, he cared a little, just not enough to want to bring them up. The Vanderson children weren't in the habit of ratting on each other. They all knew once one domino fell, so would the rest. Better to be a unified front, so to speak. "That's better." Even if it was a lie, he liked it much better than the previous statement. "You're not bad for a Bartlett," he teased. Wholt prepared with a "You're my dealer, of course you're my fucking favorite." and a cheeky grin.
He shook his head. "How the fuck you get up there in those then? You Wonder Woman or something?" he asked once they were both back on solid ground. He supposed the footholds were pretty apparent and they had done this enough times, but still. He didn't get why girls wore heels. To be taller and show off, sure, but they seemed so impractical and it made them walk funny. Maybe eventually he'd get it.
The young man let the way over to his orange motorcycle, pulling out his keys and sitting down. "Thought you might like a helmet," he gestured, turning over the engine and kicking up the stand as he waited for Callie to get settled. There was room for a second person on the back raised part of the seat, but it would be a close ride. Just the way he wanted it.
Post by Calliope Bartlett on Dec 11, 2023 0:38:54 GMT
“Oh, I better be. You know how competitive I can get otherwise.” She gave a playful wink, enjoying how easy conversation with him always was. Callie looked down to her heeled stiletto boots and shrugged. “Maybe, I’d tell you; but then I’d have to kill you.” She teased. Slowly bringing a finger to her lips with a ‘shh’ and a wink.
“Besides, these heels make my ass look great.” Callie said confidently, her steps practiced and smooth from years of wearing heels. She followed him to his motorcycle and smiled at the sight of it. Her father would have an absolute fit if he ever saw her riding around with him, but she truly didn’t care. Right now, she could think of nothing she wanted to do more than climb on the back of his bike, press herself as close as she could against his back and go for a ride. Okay, so many there was one thing she’d like to do more than that, but this was definitely a close second.
Callie accepted the helmet, putting it on as she moved to straddle the seat behind West, sitting down and pressing herself slowly against his back. She wrapped her arms around his torso, smiling with delight as she readied herself.