La Taverne Forge au Feu - The Forge Fire Tavern.

Roy walks into the tavern with Vera. He's heard that this place is good, but he's never been here himself. Finding a small booth, he sits down and flips through the menu.

"Vera, do you know what an es-car-gott is? I've never heard of such a thing. It must be a Gaulish specialty."

He looks through the drinks menu as well, even though he usually doesn't drink (due to financial reasons).

"Hey, they have a chocolate drink! I wonder if that's any good."

"Huh."

Roy looks through the menu, finding no mention of what "escargots" actually are. Probably some kind of mushroom, he decides. After all, if it were meat, Vera wouldn't eat it. He decides to order the escargots and the rabbit, as well as the chocolate drink.

"I'm thinking about getting a job at the library, Vera. Do you have a job?"

It isn't long before Roy's plate of escargot, and Vera's soup are brought out, accompanied by the chocolate stouts. The escargot is arranged in a tasteful circle in a pool of melted garlic butter, and comes with a special fork. Despite the fact that they are obviously snails, the also smell undeniably good. Accompanying the server with the food, is a handsome middle aged man. He is clean shaven, with slicked back hair, and he is dressed in red and blue finery. He pulls up a chair sitting at the edge of the table between Roy, and Vera.

"Vera! How have you been girl? It's good to see you, and with a boy no less! Is this finally the end of Vera the ice queen. An odd title, because when you weren't shooting down guys you were downright fiery. Where are my manners though!"

The man speaks quickly, not impossible to follow but difficult. He thrusts his hand at Roy.

"Nice to meetcha, I am Zaræn Viddik. This my bar, you may just be the luckiest guy in the room. Vera has broken more hearts than most. Though I guess she could be letting you down gently."

Vera rolls her eyes when Roy says, he still doesn't understand what druids do. She had explained it as best she could, but he seemed to want specifics.

"I work for the earth, I sort of get paid for it, and I do a lot of things. The most important thing I do is defend the earth. There are evil mages out there, who use magic that causes permanent damage to the earth. My job is to stop them, I also repair any damage they do. In exchange the earth gives me strength, and if I need something, like say a diamond to pay tuition."

Vera trails off and shrugs. It was then that there food and Zaræn arrived, she grins at the older man.

"No Zaræn, this one is different. I asked him out, I think he's cute. And Roy just try them first, I will tell you what they are after."

"Ehh?"

Roy waves vaguely towards Viddik as he leaves, then turns to his food.

"It's got some kinda shell...is it like a hermit crab?"

He takes the strange, skinny fork and pokes around, managing to pull some of the meat out of the shell. He takes a hesitant sniff, then puts the little morsel in his mouth. It's a little chewy, but overall pretty good.

"Hmm...it's buttery."

"Ehh?"

Roy almost chokes on his snail, but ends up swallowing it.

"These things are snails? Really? But snails are so...so...slimy."

He looks suspiciously at the snails. They are certainly tasty and buttery. After a long hesitation, he takes another bite.

"They're alright, I guess...for snails, I mean."

Roy chews on the snail thoughtfully. They certainly don't give you very much around here. Good thing it's just an appetizer.

"Yeah, I suppose so...still, it's strange. My gran used to have the gardener make sure there wasn't a single snail on the shrubbery. I wonder if he ate them. I doubt it, but you never know."

He chuckles.

"That poor man was so overworked until Gran finally agreed to hire a proper gardening staff, rather than just him."

Roy nods.

"Mm hmm. She had to be, with...oh, 40 or so grandkids running around. And about sixty staff. Sweetest old lady you'd ever meet, though. She was just a little harsh on the staff, and could be strict when she needs. I miss her. I should go visit someday."

He takes another bite of the snails.

"Who thought snails could be so tasty? What's next? Lobsters?"

He gives an exaggerated shiver. Those oversized water bugs always gave him the creeps.

"Uh..."

Roy thinks. What is the most exotic thing he's eaten? Human blood? Nah, everyone's accidentally bitten their tongue before.

"I used to go to the fair with my uncle and aunt and cousins, and they would buy me these fried cake thingies with cream inside...deep-fried twinkles on a stick, or something like that. I suppose that would be it."

He shrugs.

"I never did get out much. What does a lobster taste like? They're creepy. Like immortal water bugs that pinch."