The Snuggly Duckling

Somewhere along the road between Magnolia and Crocus lays the tavern that every ruffian and mercenary has heard off. A place what most of them considering it their watering hole to lessen their thirst.The tavern's infamy is known through all of Fiore's underworld and upon entering you will come across some the toughest and brutal people that Fiore has offer. This place is called 'The Snuggly Duckling'

The Snuggly Duckling:

Spoiler:

This is also the place what Delvyn could call as the closest thing as his home. Seeing that he is always there when he is not out on a job.
It is maybe not one of the most luxurious places in Fiore. Or even the cleanest. But the food is good here and they somehow always seem to have enough to drink.

The bar is tended my a grotesque muscular lady in her late forties, named Anne Beth. Whom always speaks with a thick scottish accent that doesn't even sounds remotely lady like. She is a stern and brusk person that serves most newcomer gruntingly.
Her brother 'Vladimar' mostly functions as a bouncer even though he is just a regular mercenary as the rest of lot that always hangs around at The Snuggly Duckling. He is probably the biggest person in the tavern, but has a strange hobby of collecting ceramic miniature unicorns. It's just one of his soft spots that hides under his rough and mean exterior.

Vladimir:

wip

Kyll's Intro Theme:

After making her way back from the train station, Kyll decided to check out Crocus, but her thoughts were traced back to her guild. She couldn't go to Crocus at such a time. So she turned around and walked towards Magnolia to get more special spices. Kyll was a little tired and she looked up to see a rather large looking home. What got her attention was the beer cups on the sign. Ale... Kyll thought. Now there was something about ale Kyll loved. It just made her giggle. She wondered what she was getting herself into as she walked up to the door. When she opened the door, her eyes opened out of shock. Kyll never smelt something so strong before. Men... Everywhere... Men... She looked around and slammed the door immediately. "Nope..." Kyll said and then stood outside. "Need... a smoke..." Kyll said grabbing a pack of cigarettes out of her obi. She lit the cigarette with her magic and began to take a drag.

An awkward sudden silence came over the patrons from the infamous tavern 'The Snuggle Duckling'. As they watched at the newcomer that stood in the door opening. The girl that was being welcomed by an intense stare immediately slammed the door shut again. Which wasn't surprising, the regular patrons of the Snuggle Duckling were after all some the roughest and toughest men in Fiore. And were mostly brigands and mercenaries.

Delvyn was one of these regular patrons, and he was just coming back from a job when he saw a young woman smoking just outside tavern. Which surprised him, he knew that the Duckling didn't get a lot of newcomers and definitely not those of the female kind. Sure there were some female patrons but seeing how they act they could've just been men as well.
He decided to walk up to her and see why she was here.
'Well what does a cute thing like yourself doing all the way out here huh?'
Delvyn had a brusk voice, and sounded bit odd as he was talking with a cigar in his mouth.
'This ain't one of the prettiest places to be'

Kyll was taking another drag when Delvyn walked up. She wasn't really paying him any attention. She just needed to get her bearings up. Then suddenly a husky voice was heard. Kyll looked in the direction and her mouth opened, cigarette dropping out of her mouth. She was shocked. This man looked a lot like the man she was given to. She didn't know whether to punch him or just talk. "I... I was here... I was here to...to..." In fact Kyll couldn't get any words out. She shook her head. "I was here to get some ale, because it was the closest bar... But then..." She pointed inside. "Every one stared at me. So I left." Kyll sighed. "And I really wanted something cold. It would've been nice to get that on the way back to my guild."

'Huh!' You mean a beer right! Because we don't sell any of the expensive ale stuff here!'
Delvyn's face was absurdly close to that of young lady. And had a sudden anime thug look on it. Causing the smoke of his cigar to fly in her face.
'I better show you!'

He grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her back inside. And when he kicked opened the door he got greeted by the patrons almost immediately. And the hostile mood that Kyll had felt just before was entirely gone.
Delvyn dragged Kyll to a table and ordered her to sit there. The moment he and her sat down the bartender already came towards them bringing two beers in wooded mugs. She was a big and husky lady, and didn't contain any form of woman charm. In matter of fact she looked more like one of the guys in here then a lady.
'Thanks Anne Beth.'

Delvyn grabbed his mug and gulped down half of the beer down his throat. He put the mug back onto the table. And glared towards the young lady.
'So missy, welcome to the Snuggly Duckling. And as you can see, it is far from scary'

Kyll waved the smoke out of her face, but the next thing that "hit" her was the fact that she was being dragged into the bar. She squeaked as she was sat in the chair. Kyll really didn't know what to think. Just as the beer hit the table, she looked around for her cigarette. Turns out that she had dropped it outside. Kyll's glowing green eyes opened as she grabbed the mug. She took a big drink of the mug then sat it down. Her eyes closed and she winced a bit. She didn't know what she was going to taste, but it definitely was a home brew of some kind. "Wh-what is this?" She asked looked at Delvyn. She had come out of her shyness just a bit. This just seemed a little awkward to her. She put her hands on her face as she felt them blush a bit. She couldn't understand what she was tasting. It was great and bitter at the same time. "And by the way ALE is not an expensive beer. It's every type of brewed alcoholic beverage...." She stopped for a minute. "Other than wine... and spiced cider..." Kyll took another swig and giggled. "You get my point. So... Who are you?" Kyll sighed. "You look like someone I know, but you act nothing like him."

Meanwhile, sat at a table behind the pair was a certain mercenary mage with far too much time to kill on this particular day. Marick had been sat at this table for the past hour playing a variety of card games to amuse himself. At first it had just been him, his cards and his beer...but then he'd been rudely interrupted by another mercenary and his friend who had been eager to play a proper game; for money of course. After trying to fend off the duo for about ten minutes he had finally given in. He'd only been trying to help the two of them out, since there was absolutely no chance that they'd beat him in a card game.

Nearly an hour had passed by now and, naturally, Marick had won every single game. The pair of mercenaries were glaring at him from across the table as they put more money forwards for the next game. Marick sighed and shook his head, chuckling at the sheer tenacity. "If you'd asked me ten minutes ago I'd have said you were stubborn and tenacious. Now I'd just say you're being stupid. This is the last game. If you win, you take everything I've won from you, plus one thousand jewel. If I win...I'll buy you both a beer each. It's only fair after all." he said with a grin, seemingly oblivious to the growls of clear dissent from his opponents.

~

A few moments later and the two men were slumped on the table. Marick had won again. "Forget that Lady whojamajig, you guys haven't been able to read my pokerface all day! Alright, I'll get those beers for you both shall I?" he laughed, before walking up to the bar. As he walked up he noticed Devlyn was still there, but now had a woman stood beside him. She wasn't bad looking either. "Well hello there. What's a fine lady like yourself doing with Mr Wright over here?" he asked her with a smile before glancing at Devlyn, then turning his attention to Anne Beth. "Two beers for the hopeless cases over on the table, and I'll have one as well please Anne. Plus whatever this lady would like. I'm paying for it all." he called to her. He quickly turned his attention once again to Kyll and smiled. "I'm Marick. Marick Lowell. And what may I call you Miss...?"

'Whaha, well said girl! I am..'
Before Delvyn had even the slightest chance to finish his own sentence a familiar face showed up right in front of him. It was Marick Lowell a mercenary and also one the usual patrons of this fine establishment. However most of the people called him by his nickname Solitaire.
As Marick approached them he also finished his order with Anne, making Delvyn curious enough to look into the direction where his fellow mercenary was pointing at. It revealed a rather pitiful sight, two grown guys who were so down on their luck, that one of them even had laid his head on the table. Probably sulking over the loss he had endured.
'Hehe, they never learn don't they!'

Delvyn gave the young girl he had brought with him the chance to answer Marick's question, something that he himself had clearly forgotten to ask. Something that happened quite often with him, after all Delvyn lacked a certain tact in social skills.
'So Marick, I didn't know ya were back. I guess the job went by without a hitch then?'

Kyll looked at the two. She was... Surrounded. "Oh no..." Kyll whispered to herself. She immediately grabbed her handkerchief and put it to her nose. Splurt! The napkin turned a crimson red from her napkin. The closed eyes mage giggled nervously. She had never been surrounded by so many men at one time. Especially those who were so rough looking. Bad boys. They were her weakness. "Surrounded..." Kyll said to herself. After her embarassment she grabbed her mug and placed it on her mouth. Gulping down all of the yeasty beer. It was rather good for a lager. Kyll wasn't a fan of swill, but this just hit the spot. "Oh my..." Kyll said slamming the mug down. "This is rather good." She looked at Marick and pointed to herself. "Kyll.. Kyll Vie. I'm from Eclipse Soul." She nodded to Delvyn. "What's your name? I didn't catch on." Kyll smiled generously at the two.

Marick watched Kyll's sudden reaction in amusement, which was only amplified into laughter when he saw how embarrassed she was. He couldn't help it. She was a cutie as well as being lady-like. She was as much his weakness as he was hers, which was a gamble he certainly wasn't too fussed with. He turned his attention to his fellow mercenary and took a large gulp of his beer as it arrived. "I got back a couple of hours before you did. Decided to crash in some other tavern on the way home last night, rather than try walking straight back. The job could've paid my bill for the night ten times over hahaha!" He took another gulpful and looked back at the two guys he'd left on the table. "Those two learning anything would be a novelty." With a chuckle, he grabbed the two untouched beers that Anne Beth had put beside his and took them over to the table. One of the men had lifted his head up and had begun looking through Marick's deck, earning him a firm smack on the wrist from the Solitaire. "What have I told you about touching my cards without my permission?" he warned, taking his cards back and putting them into his deck holder before he rejoined Delvyn and Kyll at the bar.

"Kyll Vie...I've heard of you. And of Eclipse Soul too. That's the guild Zeno Sombras built up isn't it? I've got a lot of respect for him." Marick suddenly became lost in thought as he drank some more of his beer. Master Zeno was a fellow Card Wizard, and had already achieved what Marick himself hoped to achieve one day in the future. That was more than enough to earn the respect of the Solitaire.

'wait did you just say Eclipse Soul Marick? So that means you're kinda famous right?!
Delvyn turned from Marick towards Kyll with a surprised look. It wasn't that weird that mages from guilds had a certain fame, after all performing jobs all over the country would build up some reputation. Some of the mages had grown even so famous that that magazines would pay good money for an interview with them. And while their fame would grow so would their guild's, but some guilds didn't even need that. Guilds as Eclipse Soul had made a name for themselves a long time ago.
'I've tangled with some of those mages once on the battlefield, and I have to admit. They are quite a though bunch whahaha!'

Delvyn let out a tremendous burst of laughter, one that definitely fits with his huge posture. But after that laugh Delvyn suddenly fell silent and his face turned serious. For there was one thing that he needed to know, something that all men always wanted to know. If Kyll was famous, then she probably had some sort of appearances so every now and then. And he always wondered why girls would do that.
'So ehm.. if you are famous then I gotta ask. Have you ever done a photo spread in Sorcerer Magazine!'

Kyll grabbed the second mug of ale as the two were talking. Then Delvyn asked if she ever did a photo spread for Sorcerer's Magazine. A cross vein appeared on the right side of her forehead as the subject was brought up. She was rather sour at the magazine. They actually did write a couple articles about her from what her friends stated. Only they were not the best in the world. Just about how much she wound up destroying everything around her to get a job done and yet Fiore still loved her cooking. "Well... I didn't model." Kyll stated with a smile. She sighed. "They covered my cooking more so than me. I'm just a mere cook to them, but I never read the magazine anyway." Kyll giggled and the vein disappeared as she chugged the mug down. She slammed the mug down and her face was flushed from the alcohol. She let out a deep belch and shook her head. Ex-excuse me..." Kyll said laughing. "It's soooo bubbly! MORE BARKEEP!" Kyll slammed her hand on the table three or four times when she spoke. "I wouldn't say I'm famous. The only thing I have done notable was destroy a wedding in Rose Garden! And get this! The people absolutely loved the show!"

Hearing Kyll talking about her experiences with the Sorcerer Weekly left Marick with two very different thoughts. On the one hand it was nice to meet someone who was somewhat famous, but wasn't stuck up their own rear ends. On the other hand, it did leave a bitter taste in his mouth. "No-one gives a damn about us mercs. You wizards in guilds get the attention, whilst all we get is a mention on the back page, usually of a band of mercs doing something stupid or threatening." he muttered, the words barely audible. Chances were that Kyll didn't hear it, although if she did then it wouldn't have been all that clear.

After his mini-rant to himself, Marick took a particularly large gulp of his beer, downing the remains. Almost as soon as his glass touched the bar counter there was another filled glass in its place. He was about to drink some more when there was suddenly a loud belch from beside him. Initially he looked to Delvyn, his eyes shooting a 'we have pretty company' look. He was surprised however when Kyll apologised, then told the two mercenary mages about her events in the Rose Garden causing the Solitaire to roar with laughter. "Miss Vie, you sound like a very interesting woman indeed! Another drink for the lady Anne Beth! Put it on my tab!" he called out, before downing more of his beer. He'd already had two pints prior to this point, and it was strong stuff. He was likely to start feeling the effects of it after this pint.

He was about to drink some more when he suddenly froze. Something didn't feel right. At first he couldn't put his finger on it. He should've been more than happy; he had beer, he'd won money, there was a beautiful woman in the bar with him and he was surrounded by other people like him. And yet there was something missing. His fingertips tapped the bar a few times and then it hit him! "WHERE'S THE MUSIC?!"

Out of nowhere two musicians, one on the piano and one with the violin started to play a cheerful tune that was directly met by a cheer from the patrons. While laughing Delvyn shared in their cheer and raised his mug.
'Hah! Finally some music, good! it started to become dreadful serious in here!


ooc: could only come up with this sorry

((language warning))

Kyll smiled happily as the tavern went into song. Then a musician walked up to her. "You have a song ma'am? Rest assured I know all the major chords." He handed her a tambourine. Kyll smiled and took the tambourine and walked up to the stage.

She pulled a sheet of paper out of her obi. "I know a song... It's rather slow, but I think you would like it." She handed the paper to the musician and played the intro to this specific song and Kyll began to sing.


The music stopped and the musician smiled and looked at Kyll. "Now... you do know that there are more lyrics to this song?" Kyll shook her head as she nervously went back to her seat. "Well then let's finish this song."


At the end of the song the entire tavern sang with the musician then applauded for more. The musician put the guitar away and the entire band stood up and stomped on the stage. Kyll shook as she drank her next mug she had no clue what was coming at all.

((Language Warning))

Marick stood at the bar completely paralysed and entranced by Kyll as she a song he knew all to well. She had a stunning voice - or perhaps he was just so drunk that he was tone-deaf - and the fact she knew one of the songs that was regularly sang by himself and the patrons pleased him immensely. Of course, she wasn't aware of some of the more vulgar lyrics within the song. She came over to the bar and sat there shaking as the rest of the patrons sang the remainder of the song. Clearly she wasn't used to this kind of an atmosphere. As the song finished there was an almighty cheer all around. Marick downed the remainder of his beer and slammed the tankard onto the bar counter. The band looked over him and a grin formed on their faces. They began to play as Marick walked over to them calmly. Suddenly he opened his mouth and began to sing happily

First Half of Lyrics:

As Marick finished singing and the band started playing an instrumental, the two men from before brought over two large tankards of beer and put them on the table in front of him. He looked around the entire bar. Slowly but surely a chant began to break out throughout the building as he picked up both tankards

Chant:

Marick caught the eyes of both Kyll and Delvyn, winked, then without warning he began to down both tankards in one go, not spilling a single drop down his front. As he finished the contents of both drinks and slammed both tankards down on the table, the bar went wild once again. He immediately got back up with the band and they kickstarted once more. Needless to say though that Marick was beginning to sway a little, as the man stomping on the floor stood beside him to keep him steady.

Second Half of Lyrics:

The pub applauded once more, although whether that was for the singing or Marick's drinking skills wasn't exactly clear.

Do you guys have a room for me? I am Zeth the Dark Dragon Slayer. My dad is Nightwing.