[center][h3][color=darkgreen]Dalton[/color][/h3] [@TheNoCoKid] [sup]Oh God am I a furry now?[/sup][/center] [hr][hr] [center][h2] [u] [b]Penrithe Forest[/b] [/u] [/h2][/center] [hr] [i]Okay so Primal Rage apparently had some kind of intimidation effect? It didn't last long...[/i] Analytical Dalton rubbed his metaphysical chin. [i]Don't check the status box! We don't know if she can see it too, it might give away our weakness![/i] blurted out Emotional Dalton. The real Dalton twitched his finger a few times, until he found that swiping it to the right dismissed the glowing screen. "Just what ARE you? You smell like a Merrick, but you should have pelts based on the size of you. I already had three when I was half your size." She wore several pelts sewn together and he'd already seen the wolf transformation. So a "Merrick" was a creature that could use animal hides to shapeshift? He racked his brain for various fantasy creatures--werewolves, Norse berserkers, and a few witches in folklore were supposed to be able to become animals by using a magical belt or cloak made from fur, but he wasn't sure he knew of any that could use more than one pelt at a time. [i]Buy time to think by repeating back what she said.[/i] Right, that was something he'd learned both from self-help books and from working in customer service. But-- [i]Remember, no more Mr. Nice Guy! We play by OUR rules now! She already thinks we're a wimp![/i] That still smoldering anger in his guts was stoked again. Maybe it was wrong to take it out on this girl--but then again, she was about to attack him before, wasn't she? She hadn't even attempted to talk until he'd forced her to rethink the aggressive tactic! So Dalton shrugged as he gave the girl a smug smirk. [img]https://image.myanimelist.net/ui/BQM6jEZ-UJLgGUuvrNkYUPaRVUk5ZALvOh6YZPcqNYe0hyO3BdTBKp1Sr1UXn4IHgFAdUHG-mmZUhPa2TgPv-Q[/img] "Oh, wow--by the time you were [i]half[/i] my size you [i][b]only[/b][/i] had [i]three[/i] pelts? Well, I [i]suppose[/i] that's understandable..." But Inara countered by pointing out his near-naked state. Dalton crossed his arms, maintaining his fake arrogant countenance while [b]his eyes roamed the pelts she'd used to make her outfit--the outermost cloak seemed to be her wolf fur, but [u]what animals had been used to make the rest?[/u][/b] "If that's all you have on you, you should have died three times over. Especially if you've been living here in the Penrithe Forest! This is Silverclaw territory, and we're known for being the strongest pack!" Good. One thing Dalton had learned in his attempts to be less socially awkward was that he actually [i]didn't[/i] have to talk much more than he usually did. He just had to be better at [i]listening[/i]. People loved to talk about themselves, and with all her bragging about her clan, Inara was giving him good information about the area. And the whole time she spoke, his fast-thinking brain was working overtime to process and counter that information. [i]So this place is dangerous by this world's standards, and her pack is its ruling faction or at least one of such.[/i] His analytical side pushed their glasses up yet again. Why did anime characters do that so much? [i]Yet, she was affected by our Primal Rage's apparent intimidation affect, even if for only a short time...that's the skill that the voice told us was "Legendary," correct?[/i] [i]Yeah! So what if we don't have pelts, we have badass skills![/i] "...And yet, [i]you're[/i] the one who got [i]scared[/i]?" Dalton chuckled as he uncrossed his arms, placing one hand on his hip and loosely gesticulating with the other. "What, are you the Silverclaw's Omega or something?" He tried his best to put on a confident grin and clenched his fist. "Or, maybe...[i]I'm[/i] just that [i]strong[/i]?" Then he shook his head dismissively. But, on the inside he could feel panic raising the pulse of his heartbeat. Could she hear something like that? Or sense weakness, somehow? How would she read his body language? She was moving into an aggressive stance again. Whatever intimidation effect Primal Rage had, it was wearing off--was it always that short in duration? For a Legendary Skill that didn't seem right. So...if she had to metaphysically pass some kind of Saving Throw to resist it, that would probably mean her stats were higher than his, right? In reality, [i]he[/i] was the weaker one here-- [i]But does [b]she[/b] know that?[/i] A rapid heart beat could mean excitement or anger too. Trembling in the limbs could be tension and anticipation of bloodlust, not just fear. If the animal kingdom was all about displays, then he needed to display [i]dominance![/i] "I'm not wearing any pelts, because I didn't [i]need[/i] any." He furrowed his eyebrows, wrinkled his nose, and changed his expression from one of smugness to one that he hoped screamed [i]make my day, punk[/i], as he faced Inara head on. "You already saw it yourself--all I needed to throw you off was my own Skill. And I've got [i]more[/i] where that came from." He gestured out towards the forest around them. "You said the Penrithe Forest is dangerous? That the Silverclaws are the strongest? Good!" He suddenly smiled. His mother, rest her soul, had often told him something whenever he had trouble with aggressive people in life. She had always said, [i]Just smile, and make them wonder what you're thinking about.[/i] Of course, she meant it in a non threatening way--be nice to people, even when they're rude to you, and throw them off because they're not getting the reactions they want. He still hadn't understood that until much later in life. But now, in this new life, he would use it in another way. He wouldn't live under anyone else's rules--if people weren't going to treat him with decency, then he was going to treat them the way they [i]deserved[/i] to be treated! So he smiled. A wild, madman's smile. A malicious grin. [b]"That's why I came here! I wanted to find [i]worthy[/i] prey! If it doesn't have a chance to kill me, then its skin isn't worth wearing!"[/b] He actually felt like he was hyping [i]himself[/i] up now, and starting to genuinely feel excited. [i]Whoa there bud can we [b]not[/b] volunteer to get ourselves killed here?![/i] [i]I am in agreement! We're veering a little into the overdramatic, yes?[/i] [i]Shaddap and let me cook![/i] Dalton stared straight at Inara's forehead. He'd read once that when two dogs were about to fight, the one who looked away first would be acknowledged as the weaker. He'd also read that when humans looked each other in the eyes, there were a lot of subtle cues that could be picked up on. But, by staring at someone's forehead instead of their actual eyes, it created the [i]appearance[/i] of eye contact. He didn't have to worry about Inara's cues triggering fear in him or making him lose his focus--and as a result, the only cue she'd read from him was a contrasting, [i]intense[/i] focus, like a laser sight from a sniper rifle being placed directly between her eyes, unwavering and constant. "I saw you coming a mile away." he said in a voice that he tried to make low and growly. He was referring to how his [Combat Sense] had detected her, even though he'd literally only learned that himself in the same moment. "So I decided I'd offer to [i]let[/i] you help me, since I'm not here to invade the Silverclaw's territory. I don't care who rules the area--I'm just doing my own thing. Surely, if they're so great, they won't care about one guy keeping to himself, huh?" He snorted by blowing air through his nose, then--at a risk, but knowing he had to take those in this new life if he wanted to get anywhere--he released the tension in his stance. Instead of crouching with fingers curled into claws, he stood up, and let his arms hang in a relaxed gesture. Once again, he put out his hand--as if he were asking a dog to perform the "shake" command. He allowed his facial expression to soften towards Inara. "So, what do you say? Show me around a bit--local watering hole, maybe a good hunting ground? No harm, no foul?" [i]If this doesn't work, we're gonna die again.[/i] His intellectual side sighed. [i]One step at a time. All we have to do right now is make her non aggressive. We can't waste time worrying about what might happen next until we get there![/i] [i]Godspeed, you magnificent bastard.[/i] His more emotional self bid them all a farewell salute. [hr] [hider=QUEST/ACTIONS] Quest(s): N/A Action(s):[list][*]PERCEPTION CHECK - WHAT PELTS IS INARA WEARING? [*]CHARISMA CHECK - THE KING ENGINE IS REVVING! [/list] [/hider] [hider=INVENTORY] Equip:[list][*]Grass Skirt [*]Woven Sandals[/list] [/hider]