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?
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Apr 29, 2024 20:12:50 GMT
"Don't you dare," he teased back, though he was much better at withold his own teasing smile than she was. But he was used to being a lot less expressive. Ferris enjoyed the banter with Darcy, trusting she wouldn't do anything that would make him want to take a diving roll out of a moving vehicle. Now he just needed to find a place and they had a day trip.
He gave her a look as she mentioned the musical she watched. "There's a sequel?" He made a slight gagging noise. No, definitely not a fan of that music, much less the musicals. "Normally I like jukebox musicals but that...no, thank you," he added firmly.
He always forgot she could tell when he was lying. That had to be a Darcy thing. Or maybe she just knew him too well. And here he had thought he was a decent poker face, but it hardly mattered when your best friend was a human lie detector. He scrambled mentally for a moment, her pressure of getting him to talk once he was drunk making him almost reconsider where he got drunk. But he too ordered another whiskey.
Ferris directed his gaze up to the tv again. "I started dating someone," he said and then couldn't help but look at her dark brown eyes, even with the feeling of concern in his stomach. They had said a lot of things about their relationship and he didn't think this would change their friendship so he wasn't nervous. But maybe she would think he was. "You remember the nurse? Valkyrie?" From that day after the hellhounds. "Just been on a few dates so far." Neither of them were using the terms boyfriend or girlfriend just yet. But maybe. He did like her but when it came to a committed relationship he was still nervous.
That wasn't why he was nervous now but maybe it would be enough to distract the werewolf for a while.
It was always entertaining to her how easy their casual banter and back and forth went. Even her conversations with Rhett had never been this easy. Typically when they weretalking, someone was annoyed or angry. And when they weren’t talking… but they hadn’t been that close in months. In fact, Darcy had spent quite a lot of time solo here lately, which wasn’t quite normal for her. But when there was really one person she wanted to spend time with, and he needed space; she tried to be respectful of that.
“Oh, it’s awful. But some of those songs are too catchy.” She admitted a bit sheepishly, though she had long since given up being too embarrassed by her taste in musicals. Hell, she watched ‘Grease’ at least four times in a year’s time. Just because the songs were catchy. More and more lately she could understand why she liked Rizzo and her song so much.
Darcy wasn’t trying to make him uncomfortable or put him on the spot, but she didn’t like feeling shut out with him. But there wasn’t a thing out there that could have prepared her for the words that came out of his mouth. And suddenly her drink couldn’t be refilled soon enough. Because of all the things Ferris could have said, that he had started dating someone… she hadn’t even considered that. Was that part of the reason why she hadn’t seen him as much? Was he trying to put distance between them to make it easier?
And of course, now she was spiraling.
But instead of displaying the range of emotions she was holding inside; she raised a brow and offered her best smile. “Oh, how exciting.” She offered playfully with a more relaxed and easy grin, giving a half nod to his mention of who. Of course he would be dating a nurse, it just made sense. That was exactly the decent sort of type he would be interested in being with.
Her opposite in so many ways.
Though that was merely where her mind went, after all; she was just his friend.
Fuck, she hadn’t expected that to hurt the way it did. A heavy weight felt like it was settling on her chest and Darcy simply focused on maintaining her breathing and pleasant facial expression. Because a friend would be excited to hear her friend had started dating, especially someone like Valkyrie! “She seems really sweet, maybe she can help you lighten up a bit ”
She ached, and trying to suppress the desire to excuse herself and just run was so very difficult. But she couldn’t do that. This was Ferris. He would know she wasn’t okay if she did that. Instead, she needed to just be supportive of his newfound relationship. It took everything in her to let the glass sit on the table once it arrived instead of immediately throwing it all back. But she wasn’t doing well enough to completely disguise her disappointment.
Just because she was a werewolf, didn’t mean she was an expert at holding in those big feelings. And while she thankfully managed not to actually cry, her smile definitely seemed rehearsed. Not her natural one. And her laughter felt a touch hollow now. Brown eyes dropped to the food and she made herself enjoy another boneless wing and a few cheese bites. Her appetite was absolutely gone. She was just doing it for show now. Whatever plans she might have considered for after the bar were drastically changing now. She’d have to text one of her pack members to remove the alcohol from her house before she got home. Because she knew exactly what her ‘go to’ move was going to be. And she didn’t need to do that.
Darcy finished that drink and motioned for another. Please, just keep them coming. She couldn’t help but think as she ran a hand through her hair.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Apr 29, 2024 22:29:44 GMT
He suspected her 'how exciting' wasn't true excitement. He wasn't so blind to know she didn't enjoy being around him. But they'd set a line down and considering that they managed to hang out without sex, he felt comfortable that things were just as Darcy had expressed they were. No strings sex, and real friendship. At least, it felt real to him. He let her happy facade slide though, because it was better than trying to deal with her suspecting there was something else going on.
Ferris grimaced. Help him lighted up? Really? "Darcy, she's a nurse, not a therapist," he said flatly. One of those jokes that wasn't a joke, only made funny by the self-deprecation based on the fact that he really did need a therapist. But that wasn't why he had started dating a nurse. Largely it was because they worked in the same circle of first responders. Darcy did too in a way. Seemed most of his friends were similar services.
For the first time that evening, he felt the lack of Darcy's eyes on him. That, more than anything else, made this weird. He took a slow breath, longing for a cigarette. Their drinks were set down and it was quiet for a while. Ferris let his eyes drift back to the tv, twisting his watch uncomfortably, appetite forgotten. He didn't see her down the drink, but he heard the empty glassware hit the table and his jaw tightened slightly. "Well, that could have been more awkward, eh?" he said directly.
As much as the wolf in her wanted to tear out of her skin and go for a run in the woods at the news of him dating, Darcy was very aware that wasn’t how a friend would react. Especially not a friend who was happy for the forward motion and positive steps he was making. And she was his friend. Just because she loved him with every fiber of her being, and the thought of seeing him with someone else absolutely shattered her inside… didn’t mean she wasn’t also happy for the positive momentum. Because if anyone deserved to be making progress in life and finding ways to be happy; it was Ferris. If he was happy, she would be happy for him. That would always be true.
She had been a touch surprised, but she could recover. “Shut-up. I didn’t mean it like that.” Darcy scowled, rolling those dark eyes for a moment as she continued. “I just meant that you’re so serious, and typically people get a sort of… oh, I don’t know. Lightness, to them when they’ve got a new relationship. And I hope she gives you that, you deserve to not be carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders all the time Ferris.” And she truly meant it, every stupid fucking word. Because she wanted that for him.
She knew she should have paced that drink a little bit better, but it couldn’t be helped. But that he felt led to comment on the awkwardness, she couldn’t help but feel a tad guilty. “Sorry, I guess that wasn’t something I was expecting to hear.” She admitted, shrugging her shoulders slightly, but eyes moving to his face as she offered a soft half smile. “Really, that’s awesome. Valkyrie’s beautiful; you’ve got great taste.” Even as she gave the playful wink she could feel her stomach in knots. And while she truly meant it, she was just trying to steel her nerves against her own inner turmoil.
She had no right to be upset.
They were just friends. She had kept her feelings from him, so she didn’t get to be hurt or upset now.
She chose this, and she would stand by it. Because they were friends. And she was going to be the best damned friend possible. Because if he could find even a little bit of happiness; she would be thrilled for him. This time she put a hand on the bartenders arm and he did leave the bottle. Darcy drinking copious amounts of alcohol wasn’t new or odd. Her paced drinking would have been. So she was just going to continue being herself. And right now, she needed a distraction.
last edited Apr 29, 2024 23:56:19 GMT by Darcy Vance
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Apr 30, 2024 0:45:23 GMT
He'd heard the term 'lighten up' before. Plenty of times. Mostly from people who didn't know he had depression, but even before he'd been diagnosed, he'd gotten that a lot. So, he was serious, or people at least thought he was serious, a lot of the time. Nearly all the time. Most of the time, while it rubbed him the wrong way even more now, he let it go. Hearing it from Darcy, even as a joke, felt a bit more personal. Hearing her explain a bit didn't help much. Ferris wasn't really sure how to respond to her comment about him carrying the weight of the world either.
"Yeah, well, some people like me serious. Like you. Ass," he noted, reaching for his glass and taking a sip. His slight smile was only a little forced. Because he did mean it as a joke. What was the point of a friend if they couldn't poke each other a little bit. It seemed rather apparent to him that his news caught her by surprise. Clearly, she hadn't noticed any unusual 'lightness' about him. But while he wanted to spend more time with Valkyrie, their schedules didn't line up well and they were still getting to know each other. They hadn't had some crazy bear and dislocated shoulder and werewolf situation to bond them together.
He snorted and shook his head, this one earning a real laugh. "I like to think so," he agreed, letting his eyes find hers purposefully. While yes, he'd spent some time with Valkyrie, most of his time had been full of work and classes and his other job. He was tired and lonely and really wasn't in a place to crawl to the woman he'd only just met and beg for attention only to have to admit what happened. If he couldn't talk to Darcy about it, he sure wasn't talking about it to anyone else. Besides maybe an actual therapist. And that was a terrifying thought for a number of reasons.
He watched the bartender set down the bottle and pressed his lips into a line. "How about, when we finished that," he didn't emphasize the word 'we', but it wasn't a suggestion, "We drive back to my place and finish the game there?" The hockey game was winding down in the last minutes of the third period and would be over before they got anywhere. "Or, better yet, somewhere without alcohol." While Ferris was relieved Darcy had stopped questioning his change in drinking habits, this was almost worse. She didn't need to say it for him to know she was upset. He just...wasn't really sure why.
Okay, so maybe she was going a touch overboard with her explanations, but she had a bad habit of rambling when she was uncomfortable. It didn’t happen often, but damn was she wishing she could be just about anywhere else in this moment. Which wasn’t normal for her. When she was around Ferris; there wasn’t anywhere else she’d rather be. But right now, she was torn. She wanted so much, and yet she couldn’t say anything. Because she’d ruined that for herself. But, it was something she could live with, especially if it meant getting to see her best friend happy. He deserved it.
His response actually made her laugh, only a slight hollowness to it this time. “I mean, you’re not wrong.” Darcy said with a gentle shake of her head, despite laughing, the mirth didn’t light up her eyes like it usually did when he made her laugh. She appreciated the sound of his laugh though, smiling warmly. Even her cheeks got a little rosy that time. Not because she felt that included her, no. She had merely been convenient when it came to the ‘benefits’ of their friendship. At least, that’s what she would tell herself to make this easier. She was the dumbass who imprinted on him and caught feelings beyond their friendship. And it was about time she learned to accept it.
Darcy poured herself another double shot and set the bottle down. At least pacing herself by a double at a time. “Ha, good luck finding a place with a tv, without alcohol on hand.” She teased with a shake of her head, taking a long pull from the glass in her hand before shrugging. “We could always just dump the alcohol at my place… I don’t have much on hand right now.” She admitted with a shrug. She had been cutting back significantly, and yet she had a sinking feeling that progress was about to be lost. She didn’t have a better hobby than drinking after all.
“Or we can just resist the pull of the alcohol at your place. I don’t know, there’s always the cabins but I don’t know if the game can be watched out there.” Darcy was trying to think of options, and not the idea of how difficult being alone with him would be moving forward. Because best friends didn’t need to snuggle up together and fall asleep watching musicals on the couch together. Not when one was dating someone. And she was suddenly regretting mentioning the cabins, because she didn’t need to be that alone with him right now. Not when everything in her craved his touch. This alcohol wasn’t helping with that either.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on Apr 30, 2024 3:58:07 GMT
Ferris grunted, eyes drifting up to the tv for the last few minutes of play. "Game's almost over anyway. The TV is optional," he said. Honestly, so was the lack of alcohol. while he trusted she didn't have as much on hand as normal, somehow, he got the feeling his place still had less than hers. He took another sip of his own. He did attempt to eat more, considering otherwise he wasn't driving anywhere.
Still, he wasn't going to say no to an invitation. "Either works for me." On second thought...he'd rather be at her place. Because Halah was too close for comfort. He'd actually stayed a few nights over at the station to try and avoid the woman while he figured out what the hell had gotten into him. Not that he was afraid to be in his apartment alone or anything but...it didn't make sense. "Rather drive somewhere familiar," he offered as his only input, gaze flicking between Darcy and the tv.
Honestly, he wanted to be close to someone he cared about right now. Had wanted that for a while but work and inner demons kept him away. And then whatever that was in the apartments. Even now, he wasn't sure that was a good idea. Not to mention he'd just told her he was in the opening stages of dating another woman. Probably she didn't want anything to do with him anymore, which was all the more frustrating. Ferris didn't see a problem with wanting to be close to Darcy. Or even doing more. But the moment he and Valkyrie started to seriously see each other (whatever that meant, it included sex and they weren't there yet), Ferris would be the first to draw a hard line of no intimacy. Until then, if Darcy's line was sooner, he could handle himself like he had for the last five years. At least like this, he and Darcy might actually finish watching musicals together. Maybe Valkyrie would be into joining them. Watching musicals, not the sex during them. That would be weird. Hot, but weird.
"Ready when you are," he said as the game ticked down the last thirty seconds.
Brown eyes traveled up toward the tv for a moment, then returned to Ferris as she gave a gentle shrug of her shoulders. “Well, then I guess it doesn’t really matter.” She let out a slow breath, then finished off the rest of her glass, not moving to refill it but instead reaching for her wallet to go close out her tab. She gave a noncommittal nod to his words about either working for him, and she still couldn’t help but feel like he wasn’t quite himself.
Shouldn’t someone who just started dating seem a touch more, well; excited? She didn’t like the feeling in her gut telling her something was wrong. Darcy ran a hand through her hair as she removed her legs from the seat beside him and eased out of the booth. “Okay, well my place it is. You can see how I’m faring with hanging the maps.” She decided to make the call for them, since he seemed a bit reluctant to decide. “Besides, my couch is more comfortable than yours.” She teased with a grin as she swiped one of his fries and gave a playful wink before she headed to the bar.
Sure his news about dating was disappointing, but at the end of the day; he was her best friend. She wasn’t going to let her decision to keep her feelings to herself, negatively affect that. Besides, she needed to figure out what was going on with him.
It didn’t take her long to close not just her own, but his tab as well. “Come on, I can come back for my truck tomorrow.” Darcy offered one of her softer smiles as she hooked her thumbs into her belt loops and waited for him to join her.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on May 1, 2024 3:28:55 GMT
What mattered more was spending that time with her, TV or no TV, alcohol or no alcohol. Though he certainly had preferences there. He was glad she picked a place, though he smirked as she explained her reasoning. "Debatable," he said, disagreeing with her. Sure, it was a nice couch, but he really liked his and considering the number of times he had fallen asleep on it, was intimately familiar with its comfort.
Ferris wasn't unexcited about his budding relationship with Valkyrie. But it was still far to early to say much on it other than he did like her and want to see her again. He hoped for more, but...he was still not sure if he trusted himself in a real relationship. It was a discussion they still needed to have, but not something he wanted to rush.
He watched her get up, shaking his head as she stole a fry and tried to polish off at least the fries he had ordered. He wasn't really interested in leftovers. But then he relented, figuring Carcy would appreciate it. He put a five on the table and got up to pay his tab and get a box and ended up only getting a box. "Thanks," he said, when the bartender explained Darcy had paid. "I've never had a tab open here before and you deprived me the pleasure of paying it," he teased seriously. He took the box back to the table, collected the wings and the fries and whatever cheese things (he had no idea what they were) into the box.
Ferris considered how many drinks he had had. Three? Any more than that and he probably shouldn't drive, but the food had helped, so he felt alright. He nodded and followed her out.
“Fair enough.” She gave him a shrug, not about to turn it into an a debate. Of course she enjoyed the couch in her own home. But she also enjoyed his. It smelled like him, and it was comforting. Perhaps that was why she chose her place, because his familiar and intoxicating scent wasn’t so obvious there anymore. She truly had missed him, sexual frustrations aside; he literally made her day so much better.
Clearly something weighed heavy on his mind. Something other than sharing with her he had started dating. Something that stole from what should have been an exciting topic for him. Perhaps she was mistaken. Perhaps her less than glowing reaction to his news aided in this odd weight he seemed to be carrying. Or perhaps she was just fucking crazy. Whatever it was, she was looking forward to getting to a more familiar and comfortable setting.
“Sorry, I figured since I had asked you to come out the least I could do would be covering the tab.” Darcy shook her head, then raised a brow. “Are you driving or am I?” She asked as they made their way out to the parking lot and toward his truck. Of course she'd downed a few more drinks than him, having had five in total; she wouldn't be surprised if he preferred to drive. Though alcohol didn’t affect her as easily as it did a human, she wasn’t about to argue or make any such insistence of her being the one to drive.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on May 1, 2024 6:21:04 GMT
Her words earned a roll of his eyes. If everyone who ever invited him anywhere paid for it, he'd be a lot richer. Of course, he knew that Darcy knew that he was sometimes strapped for cash. But never in the way that he couldn't afford his own guilty pleasures.
Ferris hesitated as he fished his keys out of his pocket. That she had to ask, after implying as much, made the man reconsider his decision. Sure, he had had more drinks, but her werewolf metabolism meant she was less drunk than he was, all else being the same. "Maybe you should drive?" He asked, sounding almost like he wasn't sure he should ask. He was plenty willing to offer up his keys. It wouldn't be the first time. But her truck was right there too.
"Probably best we take yours actually. I'm supposed to take mine to the shop next week. Something about a belt. I dunno." He slid his keys back into his pocket. The truck drove fine, it just...sounded a bit off. The winter hadn't seemed to affect it much thankfully but now that it was warmer out things behaved differently. He bite back the urge to tell Darcy he shouldn't be driving it all.
Ferris did stop by his truck to grab the pack of cigarettes out of the console and his lighter. He tapped one out as he waited for her to pick the car and then light up. "I hate smoking when I drink, but I can't help it," he grumbled.
She hoped it didn’t bother him too much that she covered his tab. It was just a few drinks and some food, which between the two of them; she’d likely be the one finishing up. That insatiable werewolf appetite could be a touch annoying at times, and useful at others. And while sure, a forest ranger’s salary wasn’t all that impressive, with all the end of life care for her great grandfather happening; she was receiving a lot of express first class mail from his attorney, documents detailing assets being transferred into her name, accounts and such. It had been a lot to stomach and she might have spent the first day absolutely wasted when she read it all.
It was just another topic she wanted to talk to someone about, and Ferris was who she wanted to talk to. Maybe get some ideas of ways to donate money into the community or something. Darcy did a good job of looking like she lived a very modest, but comfortable, life. She didn’t need to be flashy with her spending. Her most expensive habits were her truck and alcohol. And the later hadn’t been too pressing the last few weeks.
Darcy’s attention returned to Ferris as he suggested not just that she drive, but that his truck might not be all that safe and she couldn’t help but chuckle a little with a shake of her head. “Hey, safety first.” She teased gently as she rummaged through her bag for her own keys. She unlocked the vehicle and watched as he went to retrieve something from his truck. Cigarettes. Why that made her smile a little, she couldn’t help it. It was so very him.
“No judgement here, just don’t make yourself sick.” She said with a gentle shrug, leaning against the tailgate of her truck while he got his nicotine fix. “Oh, if you’re still up for tagging along with me on that trip to Switzerland… it’s getting close.” Darcy cleared her throat a little, letting her fingers absentmindedly tap against her thigh as she continued, keys to her truck clinking slightly with the movement. “He recently started his in home hospice care, they’re supposed to give me a call when he, uh… passes.” While she might not have been all that emotionally attached to the man, he was her great grandfather on her father’s side, an elder in the pack she fled. She honestly didn’t understand why he was leaving her anything. He had a great-grandson out there somewhere, as well as a grandson; why her?
“But hey, if that’s not enough notice, I can handle going solo. I don’t wanna put you on the spot or leave the guys at the station in a bind.” She quickly added, wanting him to know he had an out. She knew not everyone had as flexible schedules, but fuck; she wanted him to go with her. She couldn’t leave the pack without their alpha and beta, so asking Rhett was out of the question. And not many other wolves in her pack knew of her connection to the Swiss pack.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on May 2, 2024 2:42:10 GMT
Ferris nodded. Would be safer if he didn't drive it at all but thankfully nothing was too far apart in town.
He leaned against her truck as he took a breath of smoke, enjoying the nicotine flooding his body. If the alcohol made everything fuzzy, smoking didn't make it sharper but it did help him relax and not fight the feeling. Of course, it also made him feel like more of a mess. Especially because he was trying not to smoke and here this was his third today already. But it helped keep him from thinking too hard about the other week. He snorted. “Not smoking is what makes me feel sick,” he noted. Cravings were hard to handle and withdrawal was a bitch.
He took another breath, letting it out away from Darcy out of habit. He grimaced as spoke, reading between the lines to know her great grandfather wasn't doing so well. “Count me in,” he said softly and then inhaled again and held his breath. “You don't want to visit before that?” He knew she didn't much get along with the man, family or not.
Ferris shrugged about work. He did hate not being there for his crew and the community but, “They’ll be fine. Besides, I've never been to Europe.”
The night air was soothing after the warmth of the bar and the alcohol. It was nice out, not cold like the previous months had been. Winter was finally relinquishing its hold on the town and it made the shewolf feel so very alive. She was definitely feeling the effects of the Spring weather, like most animals after a tough winter.
“Withdrawal can be a real bitch.” She sighed, shaking her head as she let her dark eyes look over him. The man had absolutely no right to look that good in a simple tee shirt and jeans. When he responded with the ‘count me in’ she couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of relief wash over her. As much as she might insist she could make the trek solo; she didn’t want to. She hadn’t seen any of these people since she was fifteen… and despite thirteen years having passed; she was uncomfortable about being back ‘home’.
Who was she kidding, that place had stopped being ‘home’ before she ever left.
His question made her laugh, but not out of humor. “No, I feel like I’m pushing my luck even agreeing to be there for the funeral and reading of his will.” She shrugged a little, her gaze dropping as she moved some loose gravel with the tip of her boot. “And I only agreed to that because his attorney said that he’s got some sort of safety deposit box I have to go in person to retrieve.”
Now, his admission on never having been to Europe made her brown eyes find his grey ones, an excited spark lighting them up again. “Oh my, well then you simply must join me. Depending on the flights we book, we can arrange to make a stop or two for leisurely purposes.”
Post by Ferris Felwinter on May 2, 2024 3:34:55 GMT
”You can say that again,” Ferris grumbled as she echoed his thoughts. He'd tried so many times. But nothing worked and he always found himself back in the same hole. It didn't help that smoking was one of his coping mechanisms. And right now, he really needed that crutch to help him avoid his darker thoughts. The only reason he hadn't dragged in Darcy like he promised was because he was still in denial over how he felt. Nothing was wrong. Technically.
Ferris nodded. He understood that this wasn't something she wanted to deal with. Which was exactly why he was going to deal with it along side her. “Is now a bad time to remind you planes stress me out?” He said. Joking, of course. Probably. He was a pilot, after all. He'd been on public transit before, obviously, it wasn't like he had debilitating panic attacks. But he’d panicked plenty of times and was nervous and uncomfortable all the others. “But sure, if there’s somewhere you want to visit.”
He finished off the cigarette rather quickly, considering a second as he walked it over to the front of the dinner and the ash tray on the outside trash can. But he could wait. Ferris rounded the passenger side of Darcy’s truck, ready to get moving.