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 colder weather settling in on the town was always Gemma’s favorite time of the year. It meant the days were shorter, nights here longer, and all her favorite movies were about to be playing non-stop. But the best thing of all, was finding more books to curl up with and ready on those days where you didn’t want to venture out into the colder weather.
Which is exactly why Gemma found herself at the Nook once again, though not at all a surprise. She was probably in there more than some of their own employees. Always finding new books to add to her collection, or just finding another book to get a little lost in.
Her long blonde hair slightly curled from the day before, a beige sweater and black slacks donned her petite frame as she walked through the shelves, not quite sure what she was looking for today. She stopped in front of a section of books on fictional ‘supernatural’ stories and it made her chuckle. She often wondered how many of these novels were penned by actually supernatural creatures. Gemma shook her head a bit and wandered along, not quite sure what book she was looking for today.
Post by Tristan Morrigan on Dec 9, 2023 0:38:38 GMT
The cold weather settling in on the town was quite endearing to the lone werewolf. He'd been to smaller, even more rural places in his travels, but this little Colorado town felt...insolated from the world around it without feeling left behind. He supposed that was why two packs had moved in here and how none of the humans seemed any the wiser.
His hunt for another werewolf to make contact with lead him through the center of town and toward the west side, where the older pack's scent was more concentrated. It was difficult to pick out one place in particular, with the number of werewolves around. Clearly many of them had been here for years, perhaps even grown up here. Between that and the human scents and that of other supernaturals (enough that he could tell there were others but he was focused elsewhere) it was difficult to pinpoint the Alpha. But he did pick up the recent scent of a female that he followed to a small bookstore cafe.
Tristan pushed open the door, glancing up at the little jingling bell and then let his gaze sweep the room. The werewolf wore an aged but cared for bomber jacket style coat and faded jeans. For someone who claimed to have walked and hitchhiked across the country, the treads on his boots were still sharp. It didn't match with the degree of fade on the leather. He paused on a woman in a beige sweeter wandering the shelves. He would stare long enough for her to notice and look at him and make eye contact for a solid few seconds, and then turned and got in line for coffee and something to eat. Confrontational, but not overtly challenging, especially because from what he could tell, she wasn't a leader.
Gemma could spend hours amongst the books, haplessly wandering and enjoying the calm the books offered. Picking one or two out to enjoy and add to her collection at home, or picking one to read while enjoying a coffee; she never tired of the familiar store. She took a breath in to enjoy the familiar scents, but her hand froze over the books as a new scent hit her nostrils.
Her gaze shifted from the books to take in the room, eyes falling upon an unfamiliar man. No, not just a man. He was a werewolf. One Gemma had never seen around town, or smelled for that matter. She eyed him curiously as he moved to step in line. Gemma usually heard about any wandering wolves in town from members of the pack, so she wondered if they even knew there was a new wolf in town. She’d have to tell Harland when she got the chance.
She was far too distracted to pick a book now, curious not only to meet him, but to introduce herself. Not simply because she was a wolf as well, but also as a deputy in town. Gemma made her way upstairs where it was less crowded, taking a seat at a table toward the back of the room and waited for the other wolf to find her.
Post by Tristan Morrigan on Dec 9, 2023 1:34:04 GMT
Her lack of immediate confrontation informed him she was not a ranking member. Of course, the older wolf's experience was with Old World packs. Not that there were not strict packs here, but he had learned many New World packs were much more laid back and open minded. He didn't need his decades of experience to follow the female's scent through the room without looking. In larger spaces or among multiple wolves, he might not be able to pinpoint her so well, but at least for the moment, it was just the two of them. It was a simple enough task to make a note of her warm floral scent for later.
Tristan ordered a small black coffee and some sort of melt sandwich with chicken and avocado. He browsed some of the lower shelves while awaiting his order. He enjoyed a good book, but now wasn't the time and place. Plus, he needed to be more frugal with his wallet. He retrieved his order and wandered his way upstairs after her scent. He would have preferred somewhere slightly more...secluded, but he did appreciate the space was still public. There would be no overt funny business. He appreciated that.
He took a seat at the table to her right, his left, so that she was on the side of his good ear. Tristan was careful to pull the chair out without making that dreadful scrapping noise. He allowed a casual glance in her direction. She didn't have food or a book, despite this being a bookstore and cafe. He raised an eyebrow. "Nothing catch your fancy?" he asked in his smooth, heavy tone.
Gemma sat at the back table waiting patiently, mostly curious to know if he was just passing through, or moving into town. It struck her as a little odd just how many things that went bump in the night seemed to be drawn to their small little town. Having grown up here, she had her own reasons for preferring to stay. Namely, memories of her mother and loyalty to her pack.
She wasn’t kept waiting too long, and sure enough he did join her at the table, taking the seat to her right. His scent was an interesting combination of slate, frost and vanilla. She raised a brow at his question and shrugged. “I was a little distracted… you’re not front around here.” Gemma eyed him curiously for a moment before extending a hand. “Gemma Tramell, I’m a deputy here in town. And a member of the Shadowridge pack.” Her tone cheerful and friendly, in typical Gemma fashion.
Post by Tristan Morrigan on Dec 9, 2023 6:17:05 GMT
Tristan picked up one half of his sandwich after his question, closing his eyes and enjoying the smooth but tangy flavor of the sandwich. Whatever that condiment was...aioli perhaps? offered a pleasantly sharp contrast to the avocado that he hadn't been expecting. He did wish there was a bit more meat, maybe some bacon on the sandwich over some of the veggie toppings, but it hit the spot. She spoke of being distracted while he ate, only just paying attention.
He swallowed a second mouthful and glanced over at her blankly. "I am not," he affirmed. The other positive to his seating position meant that any others on the upper floor of the shop were on the side of his better hearing, that even from here, Tristan could hear their heartbeats and tell no one was within earshot, provided they kept their conversation low.
Gemma's introduction caught him taking another bite, leaving her with her hand hanging as he polished off the first half of his sandwich already in an impressively few number of bites. A Deputy? For a moment he thought that was a proprietary title in the pack, but perhaps it was simpler than that. Deputy like sheriff's second? Police. She had a squareness about her shoulders and a slight expectancy about her eyebrows and her scent. Hers was a position of responsibility and respect. Knowing the name of one of the packs was useful context. It helped define which scents belong to which pack. Any wolf he met going forward, he knew where their allegiance stood without them needing to say a word.
Tristan wiped his hands on a napkin and looked at her hand and reached for his coffee instead of her hand. "I do not shake hands," he informed her, not impolitely. "Morrigan," he said, his tone stoic but not quite monotone, in typical Tristan fashion. The wolf preferred his family name. Not because he thought it would mean anything to her or any other wolves out here. It was about setting a standard. A healthy distance that prevented anyone form casually getting close. They weren't friends. Not yet.
He looked her over, testing her scent again. She was young enough to be one of his offspring. But she had a mature and amicable aura about her. Confidence and easy comfort that came from being born and raised a werewolf in a strong pack. This was her home, her pack was strong, and she didn't have to worry about much, least of all a strange lone wolf. "Been a long time since I found such an old pack."
Blue eyes studied the man as he spoke, she gave an understanding nod and returned her hand to her lap, not bothered in the slightest. Not everyone was the hand shaking type, she was, but that didn’t mean it had to be reciprocated. “Fair enough.” She said relaxing her shoulders a bit as she watched him.
He was older than her, than a lot of the wolves she interacted with on the daily. She found that rather intriguing, especially for him not being from around the area. There was always something fascinating about meeting any older werewolf, typically they had some of the best stories around. Of course Gemma’s mind would go to fascinating stories.
She could tell from listening that no random passerby’s were paying them any mind. She took in his presence as she considered her response. “We’ve been fortunate enough to blend in nicely in this small town, though it’s gotten a little more tense over the last few years.” Gemma knew he had to be aware of their being multiple packs in the town, was he perhaps a member of the other pack? He didn’t seem to smell like he belonged to them.
“Are you looking to make Sweetwater your next home?” She asked curiously, crossing her legs over one another as she sat up a little more comfortably in the chair.
Post by Tristan Morrigan on Dec 9, 2023 7:25:26 GMT
He could tell she was studying him, starting to understand who and what she was dealing with. He wasn't some pup who had stumbled into town tripping over himself. He might not have a pack, but he wasn't afraid of making himself known. He'd lived through quite a lot and knew how to handle himself. While not near the end of their life span, some wolves didn't make it even the near century that he had.
Tense was an interesting word, one he mulled over as he started on the other half of his sandwich. It confirmed that the two packs were not in agreement. Perhaps an uneasy peace? Her words also suggested the timeline of when this new pack showed up and that was the most interesting part. If Shadowridge had known about the intrusion on their territory, why had they allowed it? Normally such a thing would be cause for conflict. A swift dealing of justice to make an example of the outsider's Alpha, assimilate the new pack into their own, and kick out or otherwise deal with any dissenters. And yet, years later, there were still two separate packs. New World traditions made no sense. "Why?" He asked simply.
The direct question earned Gemma his attention again, licking a bit of avocado from his fingers. He struggled to tell if she was curious or threatening him. Her body language was difficult to read for him as ever, but her scent was still relaxed. Likely she just wanted general information from him, like he wanted from her. But as usual, he got caught up on word choice. "I am not looking for anything," he stated. Especially since he had found shelter for the moment, oddly enough. "It has been a long time since home was a...place." He did try to answer her question to the best of his ability, at least as he understood it. His home was the wilds. His home was his heart. He was just as comfortable as Gemma was because he trusted himself and his skills and his experience and his simple joy of being.
His simple one word question was not one she expected to be asked. And Gemma wasn’t quite sure how to respond. While she was a deputy in town, she preferred to keep a less demanding roll within the pack. She did help where she could, but her work with the police department generally kept her pretty busy.
“I’m afraid I’m not the best person to ask about all the politics of the packs. All I know, is the pack is tired of this younger pack’s presence.” She spoke in a soft, but level tone. Not wanting to be overheard. Gemma ran a hand through her blonde hair, eyes scanning the room for a moment and returning back to him as he spoke.
She gave a slow nod, respecting the answer. He wasn’t breaking any laws passing through the town, and if he decided to stay he was completely within his rights to do so. Gemma knew of a young man who was backless in town. She wasn’t part of recruiting, she left that to Harland. He was better at that sort of thing. Pack politics just weren’t her favorite topic. “I do hope you enjoy your time in Sweetwater, if you need any recommendations involving things around town I can make a few. we might not be very big, but we tend to stay busy.”
That was an understatement, especially with the number of forest fires they’d been experiencing this year, and whatever was causing them. There was quite a lot of unrest in the town.
Post by Tristan Morrigan on Dec 9, 2023 17:22:25 GMT
Just because he could tell she wasn't involved in pack leadership and direction, he had not automatically attributed any lack of knowledge. He accepted her answer with a nod. He appreciated her honesty. It was also a clear suggestion that he abandon the topic with her and ask someone else. Though her follow up, a speculation on how the pack as a whole felt, invited he asked another question, though more personal than his broad one-word question. This one was two words. "Are you?" The 'you' should have held a lot more emphasis than it did, but inflection was not his strong suit. He did continue to look at her, however.
Tristan was wholly unused to such casual acceptance of his presence. But then again, Gemma had made it clear she was not involved in pack politics. While he had no doubt she would protect her home and her demeanor was friendly enough, she was not going to proposition him into joining. It was a refreshing stance from the standard 'join or get lost' attitudes he often encountered. He relaxed a little, though still very careful to keep tabs on the movement both upstairs and down. He scarfed down the rest of his sandwich, even carefully wiping up the bits and crumbs he had dropped on the plate, leaving hardly any indication there had been food there moments before. Definitely in need of some bacon.
He could tell there had been a lot of commotion recently. While he had smelled the linger scent before, he had never directly dealt with such creatures. Finding them here was honestly surprising. Though it did perhaps explain why he himself had been draw here. Not because of those hellish beasts, but like them, there seemed to be something in the water here. So to speak.
"Thank you, Gemma. I am," in need, he meant. Tristan spoke slowly after he finished his meal. "Firstly, I am looking for employment." He needed a way to pay rent. "Secondly, I need a car. To both ends, my driver's license is in need of updating." She seemed sharp enough to know he was much older than he appeared and being a deputy, he hoped she might understand his predicament of having a license claim he was born sixty years prior when he didn't look a day over forty.
The question shouldn’t have caught her off guard, but she wasn’t expecting it. Namely because most of the wolves just sort of defaulted to assuming and accepting that they all just wanted the other pack gone. Gemma didn’t quite know how she felt. “I’ve met the Alpha from the other pack because of our working relationship, and she just seems to want to find somewhere safe for them. She’s young, very young in comparison to most that hold that position. I don’t think she wants to see a turf war, so I admire that.” She said, carefully choosing her words.
“Aside from that, I just don’t want to see the town suffer because of pack politics. I’m loyal to my pack, so I’ll do as I’m told, but this is my hometown and I worry about the people here too.” Plus, on a more personal level, she didn’t enjoy seeing how Harland seemed to dislike this other pack. She missed seeing his smile more, and he stayed fairly busy with pack business on top of his alehouse, and she selfishly missed having more of his attention to herself. Not that she’d voice that to a complete stranger.
Gemma cleared her throat lightly, giving a nod at his words as she considered me his predicament. Finding work would be easy enough, the little town always had postings and openings. But as far as the issue with his license, that would be a touch more tricky. Doable, but tricky. As an officer sworn to uphold the law, she had a little internal struggle when it came to falsifying documents. But as a werewolf who would have to go through a similar process someday, she understood it was necessary.
“I can get you in contact with a friend at the clerk’s office who can help with the driver’s license, and it probably wouldn’t hurt to talk to Seung Royce at the Fix-It Auto Shop to find out about any vehicles that might be available… maybe even know someone who’s willing to work out payment arrangements.” She shared, pausing to look him over and then raising a brow. “Anything specific as far as the type of work you’re looking for?”
Post by Tristan Morrigan on Dec 9, 2023 23:51:25 GMT
Hearing that the other Alpha was a young woman and she worked with the deputy in some way was interesting. It would help him locate her, at the very least. That she also seemed amenable to a peaceful solution was interesting too, but Tristan knew a lot of werewolves. 'Peace' was scarce between packs and within them. While he did not understand the general attachment to the town that seemed just as strong as to her pack, the older wolf had learned to value subtly. Not that he was particularly good at it. For example: "Is your Alpha or Beta available?"
Tristan nodded as Gemma said she could help with his license. Based upon his own character, he disliked lying and falsifying documents as well. But it couldn't be helped if he was going to draw less attention. He tried and failed to use context clues to determine who this Seung was to the deputy. "Seung Royce. Pack member?" he asked. It was less that he was guessing and more that it was the fastest way to get a yes or a no answer. More mental notes about the name of the auto shop.
The question of what type of work required a more complicated answer as she asked for clarification. "Nothing specific," he said at first, taking a drink of coffee. It wasn't the worst he had had, which was always a win in the world of coffee. He'd drank so much of that in his life. "Physical labor, cleaning, something with nature or outdoors," he listed a few simple, humble things that he knew he could easily handle. "Nothing with food." As much as they could both eat, he knew it best to remove the temptation.
“I’m sure either would be more than willing to meet with you, but I’m not at liberty to arrange such a meeting. Pack politics, you’d need to talk with one of our Sentinels to get a meeting arranged… I can introduce you to Harland Shaw, he handles matters like that.” Gemma admitted, her tone changing slightly at the mention of the other wolf’s name. Her heart even fluttering a little, causing her to clear her throat slightly.
“Well, yes. She’s is also a pack member. But I thought she might be able to help you with finding a vehicle too.” She admitted with a little shrug, sorry she couldn’t be of more help in regard to the vehicle.
“Okay, well… the general store is looking for a new manager, the library is hiring, the Tribune is hiring writers and another photographer, and if you like being outdoors or around the woods the forest rangers could use more people.” Gemma brushed some hair behind her ear as continued. “The young Alpha, she’s a Forest Ranger, Darcy Vance. I don’t know their preferences on meetings and arrangements, but you might try meeting Rhett McCoy, he’s her pack’s Beta.”
Post by Tristan Morrigan on Dec 10, 2023 8:43:23 GMT
Tristan nodded. He got the feeling Shadowridge was a large pack, both from how she spoke of the town as home and from the numerous scents. Simply walking up to an Alpha or even a Beta wasn't generally easy to do. Not to mention it was in poor taste. That sort of thing was more equated to making a Challenge. He'd fought for rank in his original pack and in another, but he wasn't interested in leading. Though, living alone, he was his own Alpha and he didn't hide that fact. Carrying himself on equal footing like that tended to make other Alphas anxious.
The term Sentinel was not a new one to him. Though their function often varied. From enforcers to recruiters to defenders to advisors... From the sound of it, this Shaw could get him more information about Shadowridge specifically. He looked up at Gemma, keenly aware of how her heartbeat changed as she mentioned the other werewolf. She had strong emotions for the Sentinel. "Perhaps later," he said simply with a nod of appreciation. He didn't want to appear too keen to confront anyone.
He had understood she meant to suggest the auto shop for finding a vehicle, but he had simply wondered what Royce's relationship was and what sort of conversation he would be having. Tristan didn't generally avoid certain topics when around humans, but he did his best to filter what he said to be vaguer.
He cocked his head slightly, looking off at a shelf as she listed off a few available options. Retail or managing people was not appealing. Writing wasn't a strong suit. Photography he had never tried. Which mostly left the library and rangers. He had been hoping for something...simpler. Although Tristan had multiple degrees (granted tow were in art, he had still attended college for many years) and was not stupid, he would have preferred a much stupider job. Maybe there was a construction crew around. Or a delivery position. Or he could simply go door to door offering himself for manual labor. He did perk up as Gemma continued, however, mentioning the other pack's Alpha. That she was a ranger made sense why Gemma would know her as a deputy. No wonder the two had talked. He noted the other name as well, though from the sound of it, the deputy didn't know as much about where to find him.
"I might look into the rangers," he said simply. Though not before hopefully running into a member of the other pack first. He didn't want to accidentally confront the other Alpha either.
"Thank you for the information, Gemma. Is there something I can do for you in return?" She had given him names and a few places to start. It might not seem like much, but knowing who was who in a werewolf community that was scattered amongst a small town was quite a lot of information. Information he wasn't sure the other werewolves would be pleased she had given him, especially the other pack.
Post by Gemma Tramell on Dec 10, 2023 15:28:32 GMT
Gemma gave a nod, then figured it might be helpful to tell him where he could run into the Sentinel should he want to. “Oh, Harland owns the Alehouse. He’s there most days, should you find yourself looking to meet him.” That was if he wasn’t sent to meet him first.
She didn’t know if she was truly being all that helpful, but she was trying her best. Chalk it up to her small town charm, she was always trying to help where she could. Probably why she ended up working with the police department in town.
“Im sure there are other options, you might check some of the local posting at the bulletin boards at some of the businesses in town. I think the fire station is looking for more full timers as well.” Gemma added with a soft nod, eyes trailing to the book shelves momentarily before she looked back at the man with a half smile.
“Oh, more than happy to be of assistance. And I don’t think so.” She said as she gently moved to stand, a work call ringing through. “I’ve got to take this, but if you have anymore questions or need half from me, you can get my contact information from the police station… best of luck Mr. Morrigan, and welcome to Sweetwater!” She offered politely with a warm smile before putting the phone to her ear and heading downstairs to step outside.
[End of Thread]
last edited Dec 10, 2023 19:06:32 GMT by Gemma Tramell