THE WHISKEY-SOAKED WARDEN: DUCK ROMERO.
Highs and Lows, are all I know, I don't want to be a fucked up father.
"I'm Mallard Romero. I'm 40 years old, and the game warden for Huntsville. I'm a father of two, and a former military general, serving well until I was in my 30s. It was there I met Rusty Craven- Though I know him as Pete Boone. I'm a born and raised Huntsville native, and my family, the Romeros, are well known and respected among the townsfolk. I am ambivalent toward the Commune, and my most prevalent vice is alcohol."
Name: Mallard Cybil Romero
Aliases: Duck, Ducky, Warden Romero, General Romero, Mal
Age: 40 (May 15th) [Taurus]
Sexuality/Gender: Bisexual Biromantic Cis Male [He/Him]
Personality: Well known for being gruff and blunt, Duck is a hard man to love, and an even more difficult one to get along with without already knowing the fact his exterior belies a kinder, softer underneath. A loving father and loyal friend, Duck's harshness is likely just a defense against his own fears and concerns living in Huntsville. Given opportunity to let his guard down, he is full willing to lay his life down for his friends and often has since 2012. The death of his second wife Ophelia Romero seems to weigh heavily on his mind, making him more paranoid and overprotective of the townsfolk- though her loss doesn't seem to have kept him from his willingness to fall into bed with interested parties after a few shots- oddly charming, once one accepts that his face will likely always look like that.
Occupation: Former US Marine Corp General, heavily decorated with several tours overseas. Current Game Warden for the town of Huntsville, orchestrating and protecting hunting parties for the townsfolk and similarly offering his watchful eye to the people of the Commune, should they need it. Nobody knows the forests like Duck and his crew, after all.
Affiliations: The Townsfolk of Huntsville, The US Marine Corp (veteran), Monongahela Parks and Game.
Scent Profile: The lingering scent of cut cedar and pine sap, something woody and clinging. Faint notes of cigarette smoke, though he hasn't smoked since his son was born, it lingers on his person. The cloying scent of whiskey sticking to his breath, and gun oil on his palms and knuckles.
Aesthetic: A half empty bottle of whiskey and a fully loaded shotgun watching the sun drop low in a rocking chair on the porch of his longtime home. A dimly lit study and a book he's still not finished all these years later, photos of a family he used to have and has only part of now. Cards from his children made with crayons and colored pencils slowly growing more and more coherent taped to a fridge alongside a map tracking the movements of the ghosts that haunt the town.
A jaded man, with shaky hands, holding onto what he can't let go of, and now I'm terrified- that I'm holy ghosted.
CHAPTER ONE: LIFE IN HUNTSVILLE POST PARADOX.
The head of the skeleton crew that's become of the game and forest recreation board, Duck Romero now oversees the safety of hunting parties and deals with potential animal threats that may move into town from the woods surrounding. He and Rusty Craven provide radios, flashlights, firearms, and other supplies that may be required for hunting parties that either don't own them, or lack the repair skills, or money, required to provide their own. Due to this, and his own paranoia, Duck is one of the few people in town with a substantial backstock of weapons, ammunition, parts, and even explosives, things he gathered in his brief visits home before his long-term deployment in 2012.
One of nine children of Mary-Beth Romero and a number of men, Duck's family is a de-facto matriarchy, raised to be compassionate as he is confident and cutthroat, his children are being taught just the same. 18 year old Wren Romero and 7 year old Robin Romero having lived with their single father since 2017, Duck's alcoholism has long been a cause for concern for the family, made worse in his wife's death and disappearance, he has only recently cleaned up enough to be considered 'responsible' enough to care for his kids, leaning heavily on the kindness of Rusty, the church, and other friends and family to keep them all above water.
As much as he is the respected game warden, he's also well known as the town drunk, belligerent and sick to his core with his vices, it's a common enough sighting to see someone walking Duck back home after one too many to ensure he doesn't meet his end at the brutal hands of a ghost.
