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?
Ferris paced off to the side of the urgent care doors, well away from the entrance to not interfere with any other emergencies.
His jeans were still soaked, his boots covered in mud, some of Price's blood on his shirt and jacket. He'd managed to clean his hands enough to handle his phone. The fire chief was exhausted and drained, but beyond some minor burns on his hands, he was surprisingly in one piece. Physically. Not that he deserved to be fore how stupid he was, trying to make nice with a hellhound and then shoving it into a stream.
While he'd followed the ambulance that the Sheriff had called to the UC and given his meager helpful information to the staff, Ferris wasn't family. Not that he wanted to go any further into the hospital, but he knew how much it sucked to have absolutely no one at your side.
He'd tried a few times along the way to call the boy's father, but his service hadn't worked in the woods. It was only once he walked away from the building and toward his truck that it kicked back in and he finally got a call through.
"Elijah. It's Chief Felwint- It's Ferris." It was more habit than a conscious use of his title and last name. "Price is in the UR for a broken leg. He's gonna be fine. He joined the Sheriff's...hunting party to investigate the fires. Things got...complicated." He could have said that so much better but he stuck to what he knew. To the point, don't sugar coat it. "Get down here and we can talk after you see him."
He glanced up toward the doors and tried to catch sight of his favorite nurse in black scrubs. And then toward the lot, expecting to see Darcy with Harland considering those burns hadn't looked pleasant. But...the location of said burns did make him wonder.
Darcy had spent at least fifteen minutes arguing with Harland before finally getting him to agree to be taken to the UR. And since he had ridden with her to the forest, it only made sense the he let her take him back into town… plus, she could guarantee he actually went and got his burns tended to. With his injury, she didn’t say anything for the drive. That, and she was absolutely fuming under the surface.
She wanted to strangle Ferris for how recklessly he’d behaved. And honestly, as his friend she absolutely planned to say something. She just needed to try and detach her feelings from her anger because she couldn’t decide whether she was going to hug him and just spill her guts about the stupid imprint bond…
Or if she was going to kick his ass and yell because of how angry she was.
Who tried to take on a hellhound by themselves without a plan?
Apparently the man she was in love with.
She winced at the thought. Yeah, she wasn’t ready to talk about that. Instead, she’d burry that for as long as necessary and just vent her frustration at him being so careless with his own safety. Especially considered there were other supernatural people present. Not that he knew fully about Giacomo being a vampire, and she didn’t know if he knew Harland was a werewolf like her. She tried not to give away other people’s secrets afterall.
It didn’t take long for them to reach the UR, and where Harland didn’t seem to need her assistance getting himself checked in, she dropped him off at the doors and then parked. She didn’t have to look to know Ferris was here. She could pick out that familiar heartbeat anywhere. But once out of her truck she could smell his scent and she fought the overwhelming sense of relief that threatened to bring up all those feelings she’d been keeping hidden from him.
Her hands and some of her shirt were stained with Price’s blood from when she found him the first time. She prayed he fared better than the last kid who encountered one of those beasts. Her wild curls were no longer held tame by a hair tie in a messy bun, having let it down during the drive to try and head ease the headache she had. She felt like an exposed nerve.
Darcy leaned against her truck for a second and bent over as she couldn’t help but throw up some stomachs bile. She was also hungry, what a lovely mess of emotions and feelings. It’s no wonder why she got sick, her body was just over all the stress. The forest fires, her imprint bond, the hellhounds… yeah, she was exhausted and trying hard not to go hunting a strong drink.
Post by Elijah Vanderson on Mar 1, 2024 23:07:09 GMT
It was a busy day at the office, Elijah had a least three houses to show and needed to finish finalizing one for an open house next week. It helped, distracting himself with work while he tried to figure out his situation at home. It wasn’t easy to keep acting like everything was ‘normal’, especially when even his kids seemed to all be finding ways to be away from home. Alexis even wanted to have him find her and her friend an apartment!
He shook his head, glad to be at work and not in his study with his favorite assortment of alcohols. And then his cell phone was ringing. Normally Elijah wouldn’t have bothered, since it was typically one of his siblings or his soon to be ex wife. But it was Ferris Felwinter. Curious what he could need, he answered the phone.
And nearly dropped the phone as he stood from his chair, grabbing his coat and car keys, not wasting any time with pleasantries as he headed for his car, just telling his secretary that he had a family emergency come up. He didn’t try to get answers over the phone, no. He needed to get to the UR and see his eldest son.
He knew his son had talked about seeing what plans the sheriff and rangers had for looking into the fires, but this just didn’t make sense! Had he fallen? How did he end up with a broken leg while looking into forest fires? He’d wait until he saw Price before he bothered Siobhan or any of his other kids, if only so he had more information to share than just what he currently knew.
The drive had never felt so long, despite being mere miles away from his realtor’s office in town. Elijah parked and wasted no time getting out of his car, noting what looked to be one of the rangers near her truck, she had blood on her. His eyes found Ferris and he approached him looking rather disheveled. Noting the man also seemed to have blood on his hands. “Thanks for the call, I’ll find you after I’ve seen him.” He assured the man, not trying to rush off but also knowing he had to check on his son. He gave a nod to Ferris before he headed into the UR doors to be directed to where he could find out more about his son.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Mar 10, 2024 5:11:39 GMT
No father was prepared for thay sort of call. Which was why Ferris tried to lead with what he knew, which as that Price was going to be okay. Elijah barely answered him on the phone but he didn't push him.
He used the moment after the call to collect himself and then was moving toward Darcy to make sure she was okay when Elijah arrived. He pat the man on his shoulder in an attempt to be comforting. "Of course. I'll be around." He wasn't aiming to go anywhere. He didn't particularly want to drive anymore than he already had.
Ferris walked toward Darcy's truck. "Hey, Darcy. Harland okay? You okay?" He asked both questions gently, especially when he could smell vomit. He was used to messed up events and trauma and death and injury and stress. The supernatural weirdness not so much, but the engine didn't care. The world continued to move and while he was here, there were people who needed him.
Looking up she exhaled slowly and grabbed a water from her truck, rinsing her mouth out and spitting a few times as she tried to forcibly calm her nerves. But that was unlikely to happen, especially not when Ferris was approaching her at her truck. “I think Harland is going to be fine, but some burns he’ll need to have tended to.” She said with a nod as she eased off of her truck and battled with a wave of emotions. Part of her wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him and just be thankful he was okay. But on the other hand; she was livid at how careless he had been.
So before she could really even make her mind up, her wolf made that call for her; Darcy’s hands gripped Ferris’ arm and shoved him against her truck.
Aggression was apparently the response her wolf had decided to act upon.
Which wasn’t an easy feat, considering in her current form she wasn’t particularly strong, and definitely not stronger than him. But she most certainly was angry. And anger was one hell of a good motivator. Not to mention she was running on adrenaline since the encounter in the woods.
“Me? I’d be a lot better if my best friend wasn’t trying to feed himself to a goddamn Hellhound!” Darcy wanted so badly to punch that perfectly chiseled jaw of his, but worried she might hurt her hand, instead she found herself just shoving him again. Clearly she was not okay.
“What the fuck was that back there Ferris?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?” She refused to let herself cry right now, she was much too angry and she didn’t want to come off as emotional.
Angry, yes. Crying; fuck no.
“It’s one thing to put yourself in danger for your job and people, but that… that’s a supernatural nightmare. We tell horror stories about hellhounds in our packs, you’re lucky to be standing here, and not lying in a hospital bed like Price, or worse!” okay, so she didn’t want to cry, but she couldn’t help it. Darcy kicked her tire in frustration and she smacked his arm in annoyance. “I’m so mad at you right now.”
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Mar 13, 2024 4:07:27 GMT
Ferris was on edge, burning fuel he didn't have after their escapades in the woods. But there were people that needed him to be focused and steady. Elijah namely at the moment. That was his friend and his friend's kid in there and the fire chief felt more than a little responsible for not being able to do more or do it better. He nodded at her words about Harland, hoping he was okay too and knowing the man was lucky himself after being alone with that hellhound.
His single mindedness left him wholly unprepared for Darcy to grab him and tug him over and slam him into the side of her truck. He grunted more from surprise than any pain and held up his hands in self-defense. He blinked. "Darcy, I-" She spoke loudly over him and he shut himself up. Ferris could tell from her clenched fists and how her agitated curls bounced and the fire in her eyes that she was angry, even without her raised tone. She shoved him again and accused him of trying to get himself killed.
"I was trying to keep that thing," he couldn't bring himself to say the word, "from hurting anyone else," he said evenly, tone a practiced calm like she'd asked him about the weather being so-so. The gall of him to say such a thing when the real answer to her question was painfully well known to both of them. He wouldn't lie to her. But he would sidestep to tell the truth. A truth that happened to omit the fact that in protecting his friends he had endangered himself. He was respectfully quiet as she spoke, still holding up his hands in case she wanted to be more physical with him rather than her truck, but he made no move to stop her. She was allowed to let her emotions out. All the more reason for him to keep his in and let the engine keep control. "I'm alright," he said. "People need protecting from supernatural nightmares too."
Did she have any right to be as angry as she was with him?
Probably not.
But she wasn’t about to hold back right now. In fact, she doubted she could if she tried. Not when she uncorked that bit of unbridled rage. His calm nature and tone made her grit her teeth as she exhaled slowly, trying her best to count backwards from ten.
Ten.
Nine.
Eight...
Fuck that!
“I can’t believe you… ya know, just because you don’t think you matter, doesn’t make it true.” Darcy shook her head, curls bouncing at the movement and her dark eyes flashing a look of, wait… was that hurt? “Mara, Rory, Quincy, Kaelan, Mikey, Ethan, Cisco, Elijah…”
Me.
“Those are just the few names I’m personally aware of. You have a lot of people who care about you… who would be devastated if anything happened to you.” She shook her head, shoulders dropping, if only for a moment before she kicked the tire once again. “I-i…” She inhaled deeply, shaking her head.
Seven.
Six.
Five.
“I’m a fucking werewolf… and I have never been more afraid of anything in my life, then when I saw you talking to that.. thing. Because for a minute there,” Darcy paused to take a breath. Her anger dropping and being replaced with something else. That hurt obvious on her face now. “I didn’t know if you even wanted to make it away or not.” Having exhausted her anger and trying not to get emotional, Darcy crossed her arms to comfort herself as she resisted the urge to punch his shoulder. Instead, just turned away from him, shaking her head.
Four.
Three.
Two.
“Ya know, I meant it… when I said I wasn’t going anywhere. When I said that you’re my best friend...” She sighed now, shaking her head as she looked at him. Tears rimming those dark brown eyes, but she’d be damned if she let any loose right now. “And I’m not asking you to promise the same thing, but maybe just try and care a little bit more about your safety too.”
One.
Darcy ran a hand through her hair as she looked up, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. It would be so much easier if she just told him. Right? But she couldn’t, not like this. Not now. Not when anything she said just sounded like some desperate attempt to convince him to care. “Or at the very least, leave the supernatural nightmares to the supernatural creatures around.” Because that’s what she was. A supernatural creature… a beast. At least; part of the time. She couldn’t ever tell him. He deserved something ‘normal’, and she was far from that.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Mar 21, 2024 23:55:22 GMT
With everything that had happened, he was more than ready to try and defuse the situation. It was just surprising that 'the situation' was his best friend taking out her anxiety and fear and anger on halfheartedly beating him up. Ferris took a breath and pushed aside the need to defend himself, since this wasn't about him, it was about her. Darcy was allowed to feel how she felt and to let that out. He could handle it.
Until she started dropping the names of his sister and her kids and his other friends. That hurt. On one hand, he was glad she cared about him, but on the other...that hadn't been what he was trying to do. Had it? Sure, it was stupid, but he'd made that choice to try and help people. Had there been better options? Probably, but it was too late now. If he was a smart man afraid of danger, he wouldn't be a firefighter. While he could tell she still had things to say, he kept quiet and watched her attentively. As much as it hurt to hear her say it, she wasn't entirely wrong about how he felt other days. He winced a little as she spoke about werewolf horror stories and then more directly accused him. "Darcy, it's alright. I'm alright," he said, patting himself down as it to show how much in one piece he was. "I wasn't trying to-" kill himself, he was going to finish before she continued about them making promises. He sighed and nodded. If that was what she needed, he would try.
"You know I can't do that," he said as she told him to leave the supernatural threats alone, voice soft but stern and perhaps a bit sad. "This is my job, Darcy. Sure, maybe I am just a man and already responsible for enough safety concerns, but from the moment I saw you in the forest, I've been responsible for a hell of a lot more. For you, your family, and for everyone else in Sweetwater." This wasn't a responsibility he had chosen, to know about werewolves, hellhounds, and whatever the hell else was most definitely out there. But with what little he did know, he had a duty to protect others. Ferris straightened up from leaning against her truck where she had shoved him and stepped toward her, reaching out to her elbow intent on pulling her into an embrace, if she would have anything to do with him. "People need protecting from supernatural nightmares too," he repeated once again.
Darcy wasn’t typically the type to become so emotional and angry. Okay, so maybe angry was a regular emotion for her. But acting so emotional and venting to someone was not typical for her. Rhett had known her for years and only seemed to witness those ‘emotional responses’ when she was either drunk or post hooking-up. But when it came to Ferris…
She couldn’t help it.
And she knew he was right. As much as she would have preferred to find some way that kept him away from the supernatural nightmares and such, she knew it wasn’t in his nature to sit back and do nothing in those situations. Of course she knew that. She’d known that since that hike in the woods and their encounter with a bear. Because he hadn’t left, even when she wolfed out.
He stayed.
And when she turned back from a large werewolf back into a female with a dislocated shoulder and wicked cuts on her thigh, right before his eyes…
He stayed.
So, as much as she was angry, she also admired his bravery… or stupidity. Whichever it was that kept him from taking off in those moments of heightened stress.
Darcy was very aware of Ferris moving closer to her, and try as she might to want to just stay angry. She needed the comfort of feeling his heart beating in his chest. Reminding her he was still here. Still safe. Still alive.
So, when he reached for her elbow to pull her into him; she didn’t pull away. The woman could have melted into that embrace and just cried in relief, soaking up the familiarity that was the feel of her body against his. “But… so do you.” Her voice didn’t even sound like her own.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Mar 27, 2024 1:34:01 GMT
Ferris let out a breath, relieved Darcy didn't shove him away for a number of reasons. She was his best friend. He didn't hold it against her, her caring or being upset with him, even her shoving him around. But her pushing him away would have hurt a little. But he was also glad to know she was calmed down.
The Fire Chief pulled her close and held on tightly. For twenty-two seconds, at least. "That's what I have you for," he said with conviction.
He released his friend and looked her over. "So...speaking of. I have a request to make. Of the rangers and your family." Darcy might feel comfortable throwing words like werewolf and pack and hellhound around, but that was her prerogative. Ferris erred on caution. "We need to canvas that region of the woods. Anywhere you have mapped with these fires. Make sure there really were just the two."
The wave of relief that washed over her as she soaked up his warmth was immediate, and Darcy felt a touch foolish over her outburst. But not enough to take it back. Because she hadn’t said anything that she didn’t believe to be true.
The fact that he was giving her a long hug wasn’t lost of her, and she couldn’t help but smile a little at that. Whether or not her needed it, Darcy wouldn’t dare try to assume. But she certainly needed it. And then his words.
If he only knew just how true that was. How she felt the danger he was in earlier with that hellhound. The completely agony she felt when she couldn’t immediately go after him. She couldn’t help but pull herself a touch tighter against him, before he released her and she raised a brow as he started talking again. She crossed her arms to sort of hug herself as she listened to him.
“Oh, yeah. I’ll have to talk to some of them and get the maps together, but it would take too long if we kept the groups small and checked the areas one at a time.” She nodded, looking down and frowning a little. Darcy was used to having her own blood on herself and her clothes… not usually someone else’s. “A few of my family members shouldn’t mind joining… might be a good time for you to meet Rhett.”
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Mar 27, 2024 4:03:28 GMT
The Fire Chief wasn't in a state where hugs really touched him, but he could tell his friend needed one and he was happy to oblige. He'd remember appreciating the long moment later, but for now, he was still very focused. Or trying to be. It had been a long day already and he wanted to get everything wrapped up here so he could set up a plan and have patrols out tomorrow. Make sure this was done and over with.
It wasn't lost on him that Darcy didn't oppose him. Even after she had just finished calling him a suicidal idiot who needed to focus on himself more and other people less. It showed she was listening to him a lot better than he was to her. "I want to plan a sweep for tomorrow. I'll check with the sheriff, but probably Ethan and the couple other full timers will help. You and maybe two other rangers. Teams of two on the ATVs. Your family can check the outlier areas. I don't know what's going to be reported and I don't want anyone getting jumpy, eh, so either keep the noise to a minimum or don't change." Weird, being much less worried about a werewolf hurting a person and more worried about a human hurting a werewolf. Pop culture was so messed up.
As for meeting her Beta, emergency responder Ferris didn't care. "He's probably more capable than most," he agreed simply.
Post by Valkyrie Winter on Mar 27, 2024 15:13:39 GMT
The flurry of activity when everyone arrived was a situation that didn't happen all too often in Sweetwater but was also the nature of being in the Urgent Care so Valkyrie was able to take it in stride with focus and calm when others around her were flustered and panicked. She hadn't been near enough to the door to see Ferris but had heard a passing comment that the fire chief was there. It took her a few moments to get things organized with the nurses who worked under her before she made her way outside.
She spotted Ferris Felwinter and a woman she didn't know by a truck and jogged lightly towards them. She didn't want to interrupt but the more information she could get, the better. "Ferris," she called out to get his attention so at least the pair would have a warning before she was suddenly in the middle of their conversation. "What happened?" she asked as she reached them, tucking a stray piece of her light hair behind her ear. "Were you there?" she looked between Ferris and the woman.
As much as she was still frustrated, it was more so the easiest feeling to focus on at the moment. So she didn’t find herself reduced to tears or trying to press him against her truck and kiss him.
No. That was definitely not what she ought to do. They were friends, and while they agreed to their ‘no strings attached’ fun (she was still kicking herself for being the one to insist on no strings) something like that in such a public setting, after her outburst… it would feel so much more personal. And she couldn’t do that to him.
“That sounds like a good idea, I’ll make a few phone calls and see who I can get involved.” She said with a nod, running a hand through her hair. “I trust him with my life.” She said with an almost sad smile. She had very few people she could say that of, but Ferris and Rhett were definitely at the top of that list.
“Ferris, I think-” Darcy’s words stopped at the sound of a female’s voice calling out his name. Her dark brown eyes took in the approaching woman. She didn’t know her personally, but she’d seen her a few times when she’d brought in injured campers or hikers. Darcy bit her bottom lip, of course Ferris knew the attractive woman. She looked so delicate and sweet… words one would never use to describe Darcy.
“Yeah, it was… intense. I’m Darcy, I’m one of the forest rangers.” She offered a half smile to the silvery haired beauty, not wanting to offer a hand to shake while she was still needing to wash Price’s blood from them. While it was likely just in her head, Darcy felt quite out of place and cleared her throat a little. “I-I have some phone calls to make and should probably find the deputy to give my statement to… I-I’ll text you.” She said feeling a touch awkward with herself as she gave a smile and made a beeline for the entrance. Pulling her phone out and punching in one of the few numbers she knew by heart.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Apr 11, 2024 20:45:55 GMT
Ferris nodded as she agreed, sighing and feeling a little bit of the weight off his shoulders. Good. That reassured him immensely to know she'd help clear the woods. No more surprises until after winter. Or ever, though he couldn't shake what Giacomo had told him. Attracted by the supernatural energy of the town. He hadn't the slightest clue what that meant except that it meant more strange things. He folded his arms, both unsettled and determined at the thought.
He would swear his life was normal until he went hiking with a werewolf.
His storm grey eyes settled on Darcy as she began to say something only to hear a familiar voice call his name. He turned and couldn't help but take a step in Valkyrie's direction as she approached. He uncrossed his hands and slide them into his pockets, at once more anxious and relieved. He too had blood on his hands and his jacket, but it wasn't much and had dried by now.
He let Darcy explain by way of not explaining anything and then excused herself. "Sounds good. Let me know when and where you plan to start tomorrow morning," he said firmly, watching her turn and leave. Her departure was sudden, but he had just asked her to get a few people together.
"Uh, yeah," he started, a bit apologetic as he looked back to the platinum blonde and her lovely cheekbones. "The Sheriff but together a posse to investigate the fires and...well..." he glanced around them. There was no one else in the lot anymore. "It's ...hard to explain." It sounded so crazy in his head and out loud. He hadn't decided yet how to say it. He wanted to cover it up and smooth things out, avoid bringing up anything supernatural or magical, but everyone had seen the bite marks and the burns by now. Hard to unsee.
Harder to lie about. Especially now that he could feel his edge wearing off. No emergency and things being dealt with meant Ferris could let that wall come down. Only he didn't want to have a meltdown in the UR parking lot. Granted that was probably a pretty good place to have one if it was going to happen, but he would try to keep it together.