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[Caralyn]

The slender form stepped up to the large wooden door that led into the tavern before her. She began to reach a black satin fur covered hand for the door and it burst open. With amazing speed and agility, she was hidden behind a large tree trunk. Caralyn watched as a large troll like creature staggered out of the noisy tavern, wobbling off down the path that led to who knows where. Shaking off her nervousness, she stepped out from the trees and moved back to the tavern door. The door swung open again, but this time she didn't move away. Brushing past a rather large......creature, she continued in. Definately my type of place The noise of the tavern was near defining; she wondered if she'd ever be heard. Cleaning her throat, she let out a rather high pitched cat like scream. To most, it sounded like a woman being brutally murdered. When all eyes were on her, she smiled politely. "Greetings all, my name is Caralyn."

[Gyrfalcon]

Daryl sighed contentedly and stretched out on his favorite rafter above the Pen Keep, in his human form for once. He glanced down at the crowd idly, watching people jostle as they leave and depart, but for the most part no one had been belligerent this evening. This was always to Daryl’s liking, and with a grimace he decided he’d probably be better off doing what bouncer work needed being done around here as a human. For some reason, people just didn’t take a fox seriously until they’re on the floor and trying to find out if all their limbs are still attached or not.

 

He glanced again at the doors, gauging who was coming and going, and saw a dark, cloak-swathed figure enter. It paused in the entrance way and surveyed the crowded tavern, and Daryl turned his attention back to studying the roof above him.

 

A horrible scream pierced his ears and he instinctively jerked, falling from his perch as the Pen Keep descended into silence in the wake of the scream. Daryl landed with a thump, crouched with a hand extended to steady him and facing the newcomer.

 

“Greetings all, my name is Caralyn.” the black-furred stranger said with what was probably a friendly smile. A few of the more normal patrons still paled and backed away a bit in case it meant “I’m hungry, and you look like food.” though.

 

Daryl rose and shook his head, thumping the heel of his hand against one ear to try to shake the ringing from them. “Well, since everyone else seems to be a little stunned by your way of attracting... attention... I suppose it falls to me to greet you. I’m Daryl, resident werefox and part-time bouncer for this lovely tavern. The bartender over there... the half-elf with the sword... is Gyrfalcon, he’s sort of my boss. If you want a drink, he’s the one to talk to.”

 

Daryl paused and eyed her for a moment before continuing. “By the way... please don’t scream like that too often, otherwise we’ll get a flood of heroic types coming in to see who’s being murdered and to try to stop it. While more patrons are great, heroes generally don’t drink too much when they’re on the job... except for dwarves... and Brute.”

 

Daryl gestured towards the bar “There’s some seats at the bar, and there looks to be an open table over in that corner there. Otherwise, welcome and feel free to mingle.”

[Caralyn]

It was nice to a fellow feline here in the Tavern. Caralyn let out a soft chuckle regarding her rather "startling" entrance. "Many apologies." She noticed that many of the patrons were still staring at her. She regarded them with a nod and a soft smile, then turned back to Daryl. She extended her hand to him.

 

"Please to meet you Daryl." She gave him a quick once over, hoping he wouldn't really notice. "Is it difficult being a bouncer here??" More of the patrons relaxed and the loud chatter had recommensed.

[Wyvern]

Wyvern strokes his scaly chin, observing Catalyn's paw movements from his stool in the corner. He clears his throat of a few ashes as Gyrfalcon passes him a bar tab, and plucks the paper up with a claw. The greedy lizard eyes the other bar stools for a moment, then pauses upon noticing Ugh the troll bouncer downing a bucket of Bruteweiser. Wyv breaks into a toothy grin and hops from his stool, the bar tab coiled in his claw.

 

"Scuse me, Ugh?" The troll grunts and lifts his face from his "lamb and a half" platter. Wyvern waves the bar tab in his face and points in the direction of Mira. "Sssorry to interrupt your feast, but I think that guy with the long hair and the nice hat over there is tryin to play a practical joke by passing you his tab."

 

Wyvern drops the bar tab onto Ugh's table. He snickers to himself as the troll spits the lamb ribcage he was chewing from his mouth and scowls at the paper. Wyvern rushes over to Caralyn and Daryl as Ugh lifts himself from his seat.

 

"Well, not really." Daryl smiles at Caralyn. "The Pen tends to be peaceful, so-"

 

"Daryl!" Wyvern barges into the conversation, pointing a claw towards the bar. "Looks like a brawl might be goin down, you better get over there."

 

Daryl casts a glance towards the bar, and frowns upon seeing Ugh rolling up his sleeves and storming towards Mira.

 

"I'll be right back."

 

Caralyn watches as Daryl heads towards the bar, then jumps as Wyvern slides up next to her.

 

"Welcome to the Mighty Pen." The lizard extends a claw in greeting. "I'm Wyvern, the Pen's most reliable source for finance and bussssiness endeavors."

 

"Oh." Caralyn hesitates at the lizard's sneer. "Nice to meet you."

 

"You know, you don't look like too innocent a kitten." Wyvern strokes his chin and grins, then reaches into his tunic and pulls out several documents. "And you have quite a voice, from what I've recently heard. What would you say if I offered you a position as the very first Almost Dragonic Brand Anti-Nightingale™? A few minor uninteresting little details in the fine print, but guaranteed guest spots on the most recent Racouolette albums and a strong Anti-Marissa Argentine orientation in the singing."

 

;-)

[Lord Panther]

Into the room wanders Panther, cloaked in his usual dark mage robes. With his hood pulled back and his nose extended, he seems to be following a scent. Judging by the perplexed look on his face, it must be a new scent to him.

 

Upon seeing Wyvern talking with another large cat, Panther realizes that he has been smelling a newcomer to the Pen. Seeing the gleam of geld dancing in Wyvern's eyes, he decides to cut in to say hello to the new initiate.

 

"Greetings to both of you! Um, Wyvern, I think your presence may be required in your office. I overheard a couple people inside talking about opening an Almost-Dragonic retail store in the next county over..."

 

With the prospect of piles of geld dancing in his head, Wyvern darts out in the direction of his office, almost taking out a few pennites with his wildly swinging tail.

 

"Well, now that you're safe, allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Panther a resident feline mage. You'll find a few more of us felines around, with their own stories to tell. I encourage you to seek them out."

[Caralyn]

Caralyn eyed Wyvern a moment as he rattled off about some sort of contract. She was about to kindly decline Wyvern's offer, when another fellow feline approached. He sent Wyvern running off in the direction of his office, a look of glee plastered on his face.

 

"Tis a pleasure to meet you Lord Panther." She extended her hand. "I am Caralyn, but please call me Cara." She gave him a warm smile. She glanced back at Daryl, who was standing between Mira and Ugh, trying to settle things peacefully. She could hear the occasional threat being thrown verbally between the two. So much for peaceful. She thought to herself.

[Mira]

"Ugh going to smush you like bug, puny human" roared Ugh at Mira. He probably would have done just that, if Daryl hadn't been there to prevent it happening. "Now now Ugh, there's no need for violence," said the Werefox in an effort to reassure the huge creature, and then turning to Mira he said, "What did you do to enrage this *fine gentleman*?"

 

"I didn't do nothin'." spat back Mira defensively, "This ugly brute must have just gotten bored and decided to pick a fight with me." Daryl shook his head and let out a small chuckle, he knew Mira well enough to trust his word, but he also knew him well enough to know what kind of trouble he got himself into. He was about to turn back towards Ugh to explain how the whole thing had been a misunderstanding when a large green fist connected with his temple and he collapsed to the ground. With Daryl out of the way, the Troll hurled himself at Mira with a mighty roar. Mira narrowly avoided a rather messy end by deftly jumping onto first a chair and then on top of the table he had been only a minute ago sitting at. Once Ugh was safely on the floor he said "I know its hard to believe, but I don't remember doing anything to anger this Troll. Unless he's a friend of..." he was cut short as Ugh violently grabbed two legs of the circular table and flipped Mira into the air. Mira hit the ground with a loud thud that knocked the wind out of him and filled his vision with black spots. The spots cleared up just in time for him to see the table coming down towards him and he rolled out of its path as it was pulverized into splinters against the floor. Before he could get up Ugh's rather large hand closed around his head and lifted him clear off the ground. Mira quickly found himself looking into a pair of rather beady, rather angry looking troll eyes. "Any last wordz before Ugh crushes your skull?" the beast growled. "Umm... uhhh..." stuttered Mira thinking desperately for something that might get him out of his current situation. But before he could come up with something useful, something else popped out of his mouth. "Your mother doesn't love you." The Troll's eyes narrowed and his face became even more twisted with emotion. And then suddenly to Mira's surprise, as well as the surprise of everyone else watching, Ugh began to cry. Bawl was a more correct word. He dropped Mira and fell to his knees bawling like a baby. "Ugh's Mother doesn't love Ugh." He sobbed between tears. "Ugh's Mother want Ugh to grow up and be big, strong, and mean, live under bridge and grind bones to make bread. But Ugh no want that. Ugh want to be traveling vacuum salesman. Live life on road. And then you give Ugh your tab? That too much for Ugh to take and he get mad. And when Ugh gets mad he gets angry. And when Ugh get angry Ugh smash.”

 

“There there big fella” Mira said patting Ugh on the back. “No need to get all down, I'll take care of this, just had me your bills and it will all be taken care of.” He collected Ugh's, Wyvern's, and his own tab and limped over to the bar. “Barkeep!” he yelled and when he had gotten his attention, he beckoned him closer. “That kind gentleman over there,” he gestured to the still weepy Ugh, “has offered to pay for the damage suffered to your establishment, as well as these three tabs,” and before the Bartender had a chance to respond Mira was rushing out the door with the intention of locking himself behind the biggest and thickest door he could find.