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?
A giant banner greets you outside the town square:
...Welcome to the 33rd Annual Spring Apple Blossom Bash: BBQ WARS III: The Pork Strikes Back!...
The Bartlett family had done it again putting together a spring festival that somehow rivaled last year's. The town center had turned into a hot bed for the 3rd annual BBQ Wars where local and even out of town folks came and tried to win the grand prize of $5,000 and the very coveted 'BBQ MASTER' trophy which until the following year gave them full bragging rights. Last year's winner was Harland Shaw and his cooks from the Ale House of the same name.
Several flower vendors had arrived in town over the years setting up beautiful displays of very spring like flowers they had grown; they sold seeds as well to all the garden growers around town. Local crafters sold pieces of their creations, old and new canners alike sold jams or canned vegetables, and don't forget the wine tents for the adults. A local farmers market with various farmers both local and even out of towners had been set up for various trade.
The children had a small carnival; games to win prizes, funnel cakes or candy apple stands, and the big attraction for them was the giant carousel that could ride up to 50 people at once! The fun started as early as 5am and as late as warranted!
Post by Klara McKinney on May 27, 2024 17:46:47 GMT
Klara was a vegetarian, but that wouldn't stop her from attending the BBQ wars. Her dad would certainly join the competition, like he did most years, and her mother would enjoy the flowers. Townies would fuss over her and ask her how she was doing. The news of her leukemia had spread, well... Like a disease. Everyone felt for her.
The high school student said goodbye to her parents and blended in with the crowd. She was wondering if she would see Calliope Bartlett there. She decided to send her a quick text with the question. They had certainly managed to bond over their love for plants, and the festival was a great opportunity to find new seeds.
Klara was mesmerized by a sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica), which folded its tiny leaves when touched (video because it's so cool). "Are they difficult to keep alive?" she asked the vendor. She really wanted this one, but she was scared she would kill it.
Post by Tristan Morrigan on May 28, 2024 21:34:15 GMT
Although the sheer amount of people was mildly deterring, nothing was going to prevent the werewolf from tasting as much BBQ as possible. A few weeks ago, he had brought home a flier about the event and showed it to his roommate, Elrond Toal, making his intent to attend perfectly clear. His enthusiasm was a bit harder to sniff out, but it was there, with the promise of pork and sauces and taste testing. If nothing else, this was a life goal of his for any food event.
As for entering himself...Tristan was a decent cook. But he was no chef and didn't think he could handle giving away something he worked so hard to slow roast. Besides, he didn't have much use for money or a trophy and just wanted to eat. If his roommate had other ideas about entering, however, he would make a good assistant. He'd do just about anything for food.
Tristan had gone for a run that morning, though a much shorter one than usual since he was excited, though he resisted nudging his roommate, not wanting him to feel pressured. Whenever they finally arrived, Tristan's first order of business was to find something to eat. There were food trucks and local vendors and he had to figuratively wade through the scents to find what he wanted. A collection of sweet and savory pastries from the bakery, specifically some that were a mix of cream cheese and different fruits. He ordered five of them. Breakfast acquired, he would allow Elrond to lead the way, though he was keenly aware of the cacophony of scents that mixed in the town square.
Post by Calliope Bartlett on May 29, 2024 16:32:05 GMT
One might assume that as a teenager she was likely to be sleeping in and not show up for the event until later, but as a member of the Bartlett family; Calliope was actively involved in a lot of the set up coordination with the vendors. She had been responsible for handling the reservations and showing people where their spots were during the days leading up to the festival, so naturally the first day of the event she had been helping vendors finish setting up their tables and tents, putting the finishing touches on signs and helping distribute the little fliers with the list of the vendors in attendance to some of the event volunteers to pass out to people as they started to arrive. And despite having been up and running little errands since 5am; Callie still wore a charming smile.
Her dirty blond hair fell in loose waves, somehow managing to look decent despite her early morning and running around. She was moving her parent’s vehicle to a parking spot after finishing offloading the produce for their little farmer’s market tent. Callie pulled out her phone and sent a quick snap to West Vanderson, adding the caption;
“better see you out and about today!”
After pressing ‘send’ Callie slid her phone in her pocket and adjusted her t-shirt. Today her attire consisted of a grey shirt with navy half sleeves that she tied to be slightly showing off her midriff, a pair of distressed jean shorts and her favorite worn out pair of white converse. She was just heading back to actually enjoy her time in the festival when she felt her phone go off for an incoming text. She smiled when she saw the incoming text had come from none other than Klara McKinney .
Of course girl, I just finished helping my parents set up at the farmer’s market. Where are you?
She pressed send and slipped the phone back into her pocket as she began to peruse the different vendors, stopping at a food truck to get some funnel cake fries.
Post by Gemma Tramell on May 29, 2024 22:13:30 GMT
“Okay, go ahead and relieve the officers working the traffic off the square, they're overdue for a break. Thanks.” The petite blonde werewolf sighed, shaking her head as she returned the radio to her belt. Of course she was working the town event, not that she minded. She was finally starting to feel like she had caught up in her cases and wasn't near as overwhelmed with the workload. It had only taken a few months and a lot of extra nights spent bringing home files to read and catch up on everything. And aside from work; Gemma had very little going on outside of things with the pack. So, it was nice to be working the festival, especially getting to enjoy all the delightful smells of cooking pork. Her stomach hadn't stopped growling since she'd arrived.
Aside from her belt and a vest that read 'Sheriff'; Gemma was dressed fairly casually. A pair of dark wash jeans, boots, and a band t-shirt. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a high pony-tail, and a pair of sunglasses rested on the bridge of her nose. After giving the officers their assignments, Gemma let herself stroll through the vendors, stopping at a little booth where a teenager was selling jewelry made from spoons… silver spoons. Definitely not something she would be able to enjoy wearing. But she did pick up a leather wrap bracelet.
Post by Ferris Felwinter on May 30, 2024 0:21:07 GMT
Chief Felwinter wasn't the festival sort.
It had nothing to do with the people or crowds or his dislike of BBQ or even his opposite of a cheery disposition. The fire chief had been to most of the town festivals since he moved here. Admittedly for work rather than play, but he preferred it that way. Farmer's markets and festivals and carnivals and the like held a lot of old memories. With his family or with his ex. Sure, the way to fix that was new memories, but he was terrible at those. So, he left the feelings alone and in return, they left him alone most of the time. It wasn't a perfect system.
But, as with many town events, the firefighters liked to be involved. It was a good way to connect to the community, to ensure people were doing okay and being safe and knew who he and the team were and to show that they cared just as much about Sweetwater as anyone else and put a lot of effort into helping everyone. Which in turn helped keep people from complaining about tax money spent on the station and other services.
Today, surrounded by food and crockpots and grills and fresh produce and crafts and local artists, that meant leaning against the town fire engine and a table with cooler kegs full of fresh water for anyone who needed a drink. He was more or less full gear despite the heat, though at present, a five-year-old he didn't know was running between the truck and the engine with his helmet. He'd probably get it back. Eventually. Ferris fielded questions from the station and upcoming events, to the string of wildfires last fall and the latest car accident, all the way down to where X was located in the layout of trucks and tents. That left some of the others on his crew to supervise kids sitting in the vehicles and handing out plastic firefighter hats and so on.
They were intentionally parked on the edge of everything, blocking one of the roads and facing out, on the off chance they needed to move. Ferris itched to be anywhere but here. But he didn't really have anywhere he wanted to be so...he folded his arms and watched people walk by.
Post by Klara McKinney on May 30, 2024 16:03:17 GMT
The vendor was responding to her when Klara felt her phone vibrate. She ignored it for the time meaning, nodding along to the man's explanation about the plant's care. "I see, thank you", she said with a soft smile. The vendor concluded the conversation with a nod and turned to other customers.
The teenager dug her phone out of her back pocket and looked at Calliope Bartlett's text.
I'm at the plant stall that is closest to the BBQ competition! Wanna meet up?
She put the phone back in her pocket and focussed her attention on the stall again. She'd stay here another ten minutes or so, to give Callie the chance to read her text. There was a bench nearby, on which Klara sat down once she was done looking at the plants. She noticed a fire truck behind the BBQ podium, and tried to see if the man who had helped her with Holly was amongst them. If Ferris Felwinter was there, and he happened to see her, she would wave, not even knowing if he would remember her.
Post by Calliope Bartlett on May 30, 2024 16:19:09 GMT
The deliciously greasy, but oh so tasty funnel cake fries were just the perfect festival snack Callie needed to walk around with. She declined the caramel sauce to dip it in and just asked for the powered sugar dusting; and they were perfection. She smiled and chit chatted with a few locals, most asking about her college plans for the fall, some asking about the community greenhouse project. Thankfully her mother offered to cover the booth for her, wanting her daughter to enjoy the festival instead of spending it working all day.
Her phone went off in her pocket and she pulled it back out, a snap from West and text from Klara McKinney. She responded to West first, and then opened Klara’s text. She knew exactly where that was; one of the perks of helping the vendors set up and handle the space reservations.
oh sweet, I’ll head that way now!
Callie pressed ‘send’ on the message and slipped the phone back into that right back pocket, enjoying another funnel cake fry as she changed her direction toward the BBQ competition. It didn’t take her long to spot Klara over on a bench. Callie waved to her as she approached. “Hey! Are you enjoying the vendors?” She asked with a broad smile, then remembering the cup of funnel cake fries, she extended them to Klara. “Want some? I can’t resist getting some during festivals, it’s either these or a caramel apple, and I happened to find these first.” She couldn’t help but chuckle a little, pulling out one and biting half of it with a grin.
Ever since the hellhound attack Harland had kept himself away from work and away from the general mundane public while he healed, but he still maintained doing his duties for the pack. He had also been getting to know Kenna Shaw, after all he did say she could live with him.
Pulling out his flip phone he went straight to Kenna's number and began the long process of sending a text:
KENNA. IT IS UR DAD. AT THE BASH COOKiNG BUT AB2 FIND GEM AND BRING HER FOOD, COME FIND ME, I AINT HARD 2 MISS L O L
He hit send and folded the phone back up stuffing it into his flannel front pocket. He then set off with his two styrofoam trays full of meat searching for Gemma Tramell. It wasn't hard to find her because Harland could find his Gem he could find her in a field of a 100,000 people. As he approached her and if she caught his eye he'd smirk holding up the food.
Post by Gemma Tramell on May 30, 2024 19:36:16 GMT
Gemma didn’t even have to look to know Harland Shaw was in the area. She could pick up his scent anywhere. The second his familiar scent caught her nose, a rush of adrenaline and excitement coursed through her and she had to physically stop herself from running and throwing her arms around the large hunk of a werewolf. Especially since she’d been giving him and his daughter some space to get more acquainted. That, and she got the feeling Kenna didn’t particularly like her around. Still, she turned and couldn’t help the smile that eased across her lips as she spotted him; smirking as he held up the food.
Her mouth watered, but she couldn’t tell if it was from the thought of finally enjoying a bite to eat; or at the sight of the man bringing it to her.
Of course that line of thinking made her cheeks take on a soft rosy glow and she hoped he’d chalk it up to her being outdoors and ignore that if he wanted to; he would hear her heart racing a mile a minute. It wasn’t fair the affect Harland had on her, even her ‘serious’ college boyfriend didn’t make her insides feel all tingly at the sight of him. Which was precisely why he was an ‘ex’ boyfriend.
Not that Gemma had many to speak of, she tended to keep to herself and her books, when she wasn’t hanging out with Harland and Sookie. Even as adults; she and Harland were thick as thieves.
“You are the sexiest thing I’ve seen all day.” She teased with a playful shake of her head as she looped an arm around him for a quick hug. And then pulled off her sunglasses and gave him a wink. “Oh, and you’re not too bad either Harland.” So she was in a bit of a playful mood, but she couldn’t help it. She missed him.
last edited Jun 17, 2024 21:21:25 GMT by Gemma Tramell
Post by Jasper Brekker on May 30, 2024 21:23:30 GMT
Being new to town, it certainly was entertaining to see how this festival came together. And somehow; the newbie ended up being off. So, what better way to meet people and learn about his new home than to stroll through this BBQ cook-off and take in the goods being peddled by the local vendors? Jasper couldn’t think of a more entertaining way to spend the day, so he took a quick shower in his motel room and threw on some jeans, a navy t-shirt and a pair of work boots. Red hair was given a quick towel dry before he grabbed his wallet and headed for all the excitement.
Of course, blending in at a festival in a new town was easy to do, as many people just assumed he was someone passing through and didn’t plague him with endless questions. Unless it was someone who’d seen him at work. Which thankfully, wasn’t many people. Though he had been texting the young woman he and the fire chief pulled from a wrecked vehicle his first day on the job. Iris was a local, and had been giving him helpful information about the town in exchange for his aid with her dog while she was on the mend. He’d almost considered getting a dog himself, if he wasn’t living out of his car and a motel room.
Jasper picked up some sort of fried meat on a stick street food that was a touch spicy; but so good. And enjoyed wandering from vendor to vendor, flirting occasionally but mostly just enjoying the environment. He spotted the fire truck and none other than the fire chief; Ferris Felwinter. After pitching his trash in one of the cans, he made his way over to the gentleman and raised a brow. “Well, don’t you look absolutely thrilled to be here.”
Post by Ferris Felwinter on May 31, 2024 0:53:44 GMT
His best friend's instigating texts were almost enough to distract him from his job. He felt mildly awkward about it, for a number of reasons, not in the least because there were so many people around and he was working. But also, he had started seeing someone. Sort of, though their schedules didn't line up. After spending part of his holiday with Valkyrie, he wished he was better at reaching out. But that was before the awkward encounter at the apartments that left Ferris finding any and all excuse to be working, fire station or equestrian center, it didn't matter. Once again, it meant he was neglecting people he cared about.
He pulled out his phone and texted Valkyrie Winter quickly. To at least say hello and ask what she was up to, if she was around the festival later.
And then Darcy sent him a video.
He spent more time distractedly answer questions then, glancing up a few times across the crowd. He recognized a girl(Klara McKinney ) who waved at him as being the one from the forest, whose dog had gotten stuck in a rabbit hole not long ago. He remembered Holly pretty well...Holly's owner... Ferris had never been good with names and faces, but he could do faces just fine. She seemed happy so that probably meant everything was good with the pair of them. He knew the girl(Calliope Bartlett) next to her too, the new photography intern with the newspaper who had hustled him into shooting a risqué firefighter calendar that he was still relieved had never come up again.
And then there was a second video. He couldn't help but feel that desire. He'd never had a woman send him sexy videos before. And of course, his best friend had picked the best/worst time and place for it.
He looked up at a voice, tucking his phone away. The Fire Chief looked over the young man. "You're the new EMT," he said simply, proving he at least remembered that much and their first meeting. The name...that didn't come so easily. Ferris shrugged and opened his mouth to answer when he felt a tug on his coat. He looked down to see a tiny girl with a mess of curls.
"Can I honk the horn?" At least she asked, though her tone was less of a question and more a statement. He raised her hands up at him and Ferris had a brief moment to wonder if maybe this was the kid he fell off the ladder for. It didn't matter.
He picked her up and helped her climb into the cab. Conner sat in the passenger seat to supervise, and he pointed out a few things to the girl. Ferris mimed pulling a truck horn at him and Conner grit his teeth but nodded and showed the girl. "Brace yourself," he told the man next to him. A second later, the air seemed to become solid for a second as the deep honk of the truck's horn blared across the square. It was a very long two seconds, the noise cutting through most of the crowd chatter.
Ferris looked back at Jasper. "What's not to be thrilled about?" he asked stiffly, returning the man's sarcasm with his own as he turned to help the small child out of the seat and back to the ground.
Post by Klara McKinney on May 31, 2024 19:37:31 GMT
It didn't take Calliope Bartlett long to locate and find her. The brunette smiled at her newest friend as she got up from the bench. Before she could even respond to the question, Callie held out cup of funnel cakes. With an excited little grin she took one and took a bite. "Oh, I definitely am!" she then said, in regards to the question about the vendors. "Between the plants and all the food, I don't know where to go first!" She laughed and took another bite, finishing the funnel cake. "What are your parents selling this year?" she asked curiously. They were known to host a stand. It was then that the horn of the fire truck sounded over the square, making Klara squint. "Jeez", she said while laughing, looking over her shoulder at the truck. "Have you ever met that firefighter before?" Meaning Ferris, of course. She gave Callie the chance to sneak a peek before continuing. "He had to come out all the way to the mountains for me last week, because my dog got stuck. He's pretty cute, but too old for me." She giggled s bit.
Post by Calliope Bartlett on May 31, 2024 23:17:59 GMT
Callie smiled when Klara accepted some of the funnel cake fries, grinning widely as she nodded, glancing toward the vendors for a moment and then pulling a vendor map from her back pocket. “Well, dad has a booth set up in the farmer’s market for the family Orchard, but my mom is selling some homemade jams. She also offered to keep an eye on the community greenhouse’s booth so I could enjoy some time checking out the festival.” She pointed at the different booth locations on the map and then jumped at the sound of the fire truck’s horn, dropping her map and then chuckling at herself.
“At least it was the map the fell and not the fries!” Callie shook her head, dirty blonde hair as she bent to pick up the map and raised a brow at Klara’s question. Her eyes moved to spot the familiar firefighter and she bit back a grin. “Yeah, Chief Felwinter, he’s a bit serious. My boss at the Tribune, Francisco Irwin; is a volunteer firefighter and I had my interview for the photography internship there.” She chuckled and couldn’t fight the slight blush that crept into her cheeks when Klara admitted he was ‘too old’ for her.
Oh, if she only knew Callie’s very… specific history with older men. Particularly significantly older men. Ferris was what; thirty, maybe thirty-two. Which okay, for a typical teenager an age gap like that was a bit much. But The man Callie was currently seeing was thirty-six. And she couldn’t talk about him to Klara, being that the him in question was their principal. In an attempt to cover her blush and sudden quiet; she nodded back in the direction of the fire truck. A redhead she had never met stood near Ferris chatting.
“Oh, what about him? He’s cute too! I wonder if that’s the new EMT, he and Ferris were mentioned in an article about an accident, girl named Iris, she graduated three summers back I think, but she wrecked her car in town. I wasn’t there for the pictures, but Tate Parrish was.” her phone chirped from her pocket, a Snapchat from West. “Oh, if redheads aren’t your speed, I think West Vanderson might be here later.” Though there was a pin prick of jealousy at the idea of someone else flirting with West. But he was just her friend. Besides, she couldn’t help but wonder if Jack Hollifield would be making an appearance at the festival.
Jasper's phone buzzed again, distracting him momentarily with a quick response from Iris. He wondered if she and Tank would be making an appearance, or if he should offer to bring Tank out for some air and let her rest.
As he tucked his phone away, though he noticed the Fire Chief had seemed a touch distracted himself. "You're the new EMT," the Chief said simply, his tone matter-of-fact. Jasper nodded, trying to project confidence.
"Yes, sir. Jasper." He replied.
Before the Chief could respond, a little girl with a mess of curls tugged on his coat. She had wanted to honk the horn, and the Chief was red no time in picking her up and helping her climb into the cab. Jasper did exactly that, bracing himself as the deep honk of the truck's horn blared across the square.
Jasper chuckled softly, appreciating the Chief's dry humor. "I guess you're right, Chief. Gotta love the enthusiasm." He said, glancing around the crowd. His eyes landed on two young women who seemed to be Looking in their general direction. Not that he was surprised, it was difficult to resist the chance to stare at a man in uniform, and Ferris was just that. The pair seemed less amused by the horn incident though.