[center][h3][color=darkgreen]Dalton[/color][/h3] [@TheNoCoKid] [sup]Misunderstood Understatement[/sup][/center] [hr][hr] [center][h2] [u] [b]Silverclaw Tribe[/b] [/u] [/h2][/center] [hr] Inara's response was...to laugh at him. Deep in the pit of Dalton's gut, a cold burning sensation surged. His fear and anxiety dulled, just a bit, as familiar memories ate away at him. This wasn't the first time a girl had simply laughed in his face. But, with the strength only an abused customer service representative can understand, he kept his expression completely neutral. Then she jumped up and grabbed his hand. Still giggling as she seemed to believe his behavior was incredibly unusual, she started to drag him in an unknown direction. He immediately stiffened, but it didn't really matter--she just kept going, oblivious, as his feet wore small furrows into the earth. "--perhaps I can convince our Alpha to let you challenge the Mouthclaw in the caves! Members of our tribe have been trying to claim that skin for nearly a century. I'm sure that will be perfectly worthy prey for the mighty skinless hunter!" "Oh yeah, sounds perfect!" [i]I HAVE FUCKED UP![/i] [i]Then again, she isn't hostile anymore, and that was our goal, correct? We've bought ourselves some time to think![/i] said his tactical side. [i]Aargh, I can't figure out if she's honestly making fun of us or not! She's holding our hand, though![/i] came the emotional side's response. But it was easier to repress those thoughts, because Dalton was still sulking internally about being laughed at and how pushy Inara had been thus far. If he had decided that he would live "differently," this time, then he didn't want to be anyone's doormat any longer. But the question was, what [i]exactly[/i] did he need to do to [i]be[/i] a different person? A branch whacked him in the nose just then, and as he rubbed at it with the hand not currently bound in Inara's iron grasp she prattled on to introduce herself. If she was in training to be the next Alpha, then not only was she probably way stronger than him, but she was going to have a lot of pull within this tribe. Staying on her good side was paramount now--or else, getting far, far away from the Silverclaws. They soon came to a place where the forest floor dipped among rocky cliffs, and Inara led him down the slopes of a rugged ravine. Apparently, the Merrick settlement was hidden--was it because they had other rival tribes, or because the monsters in the forest didn't fear humanoids? Dalton winced as the thorny vines prickled him, and tried to take note of the surroundings with a sharp attention to detail. He was reminded of a history class where they'd studied Native Americans, and the textbook had a picture from the Mesa Verde National Park. Within the cave dwellings, the Merricks had either built or carved a few primitive structures, but rather than just houses it seemed like these were more along the lines of strictly necessary things--kilns and stoves of fired clay; storage for tools, water, and food; and what seemed like a communal area for meetings or meals. Outside the cave, any other structures looked distinctly temporary--tents of thatched grasses or hides strung between wooden poles or bone spikes, simple bedrolls under lean-tos, and so forth. Dalton assumed that meant they were at least semi-nomadic, perhaps following the migration patterns of animals whose pelts they harvested most often? Speaking of pelts, Dalton felt even more naked now that he stood within eyesight and earshot of the first "people" he'd encountered in this new world. Just like Inara had implied, even some of the kids who didn't even look old enough to have gone through puberty still used small bits of animal skin in addition to woven grasses to cover themselves. Teenagers had clothes made entirely of pelts, and several adults even had capes or makeshift "armor" made from the layered hides of creatures. Some of the faces that now looked at him did so from beneath the visage of wolves, mountain lions, or boars that still had their tusks intact. [i]I think it's the "number" of pelts, rather than the strength of the creature it comes from, that determines their ranking...[/i] theorized the analytical voice as Dalton took in the other tribe members. [i]Great, so our bluff is for sure not gonna work! But we can't change tunes now, we've already somewhat convinced Inara! What do we do!? What do we say!?[/i] [i]Don't panic.[/i] Dalton futilely told himself. He crossed his arms to try and hide a shiver that passed through him. [i]How many assholes did we know before who got by solely by talking out of their ass at every opportunity? If lying and cheating is what it takes to succeed no matter what world we're in, then that's what we've got to do![/i] "Well, you weren't lying after all!" He said to Inara, trying to project his non-existent confidence with a smirk. "Compared to where I came from, everybody here at least looks like they can handle themselves!" "I told you so!" Inara put her hands on her hips and grinned wolfishly--pun intended. "Now, let's find my--" "Inara! You've returned!" Both the wolf girl and the newcomer turned to see a male Merrick, somewhat older than Dalton and a fair deal more muscular, swaggering towards them. The Otherworlder couldn't be sure, but he made an educated guess as to what the man was wearing: deerskin leggings and breechclothes, a vest of something like buffalo or yak hide, and a badgerskin cap. In addition he had a belt that looked like some kind of snake skin, and a few other trinkets like bone necklaces, leather pouches, and more. Dalton couldn't be sure just how much of a pelt was needed to transform, but he was certain this guy probably had at least four, maybe five "combat ready" forms and at least one or two others that weren't immediately obvious. "How was your hu--what?" He blinked when he registered Dalton standing next to the female Merrick. He and Dalton locked eyes for a moment. [i]Standard isekai flag--make your bets! Jerk With a Heart of Gold? The Rival? Red Herring?[/i] Intellectual Dalton once again metaphysically pushed his glasses up on his nose. [i]He's giving us "new fish in the prison block" eyes! And it's gotta be BAD if it's this obvious, because we've never BEEN to prison![/i] "Who is this outsider!?" boomed the man, drawing even more attention from those who hadn't yet noticed Inara's guest. He pointed at Dalton, who turned his chin up and stared, once again, dead center at the man's forehead. "Why're you bringing him into our camp unannounced?!" "Stop shouting, [b]Reidun[/b]!" Inara growled, wrinkling her nose. "Your bellowing is more likely to give the camp away than anyone I've brought!" She swept her hand towards Dalton. "This is Darutan, a lone hunter! Listen to this--" She smiled again as she laughed, "He doesn't have [i]any[/i] pelts, because he says he hasn't met prey worthy enough to wear! Isn't he interesting?" "Interesting? Him?!" Reidun's dark eyes narrowed. "And...what do you mean, he doesn't have any pelts?" Now the bigger male laughed at him as well, as he looked Dalton up and down. "She means, I'm strong enough they don't make a difference." The Otherworlder wrinkled his own nose. He had to stick to his story, and stand up for himself. It didn't seem like Inara would let this guy attack him outright... "Nothing I've hunted before was enough of a challenge--why wear its pelt if it barely benefits me?" He made a show of looking at Reidun's own pelts with a snort of disdain. "If you stack a bunch of weaklings up on one another, aren't they still weaklings?" "Hah! Do you mean to say you think you're stronger than I am?" Dalton lazily dug a pinky finger into his ear while closing one eye, in the hopes of giving the illusion that he was completely unconcerned about the bigger Merrick. [i]This dumbass is gonna take everything we say with hostility, but what do we do if he swings first?! He's DEFINITELY stronger than us![/i] [i]Primal Rage's intimidation effect will probably work on him at least temporarily, like it did with Inara, but what if it affects the rest of the tribe too? Do we know its AOE?[/i] "I don't really care how strong you are, bud." he quipped to the bigger Merrick, whose face started to redden. "Inara just brought me here to introduce me to your Alpha." To his internal self, Dalton added, [i]And if he doesn't want to offend the Alpha-in-Training, or whoever their leader is, he'll have to back off, right?[/i] "To introduce you...?" Reidun's expression changed again as he looked at Inara, and Dalton caught the slight quiver in the man's jaw. "Inara, what are you thinking?! Surely, you can't be--!" [i]Oh shit. Did he just jump to the conclusion I think he jumped to?[/i] [i]An Unsuitable Suitor, then.[/i] His analytical side sighed deeply. [i]That bastard! Stay away from Wolf Waifu![/i] With his own sigh, which he actually did in real life, Dalton repressed his emotional personality. "Reidun, you are being too loud again! Unless you know where my grandfather is, get out of our way." Inara seemed to bristle at all this questioning. But, just then, all three of them heard the rustle of beating wings and a shrill cry! A falcon landed on a small tree growing out of the cliffside just above them, its roots clinging steadfast to the rocks. As they watched, it transformed into a [b]Merrick scout wearing a feathery headband![/b] "Inara! Where is your grandfather!?" said the wildling, as the branch he'd landed on cracked when the weight of his original form replaced that of the falcon. Just when it was about to snap, however, he nimbly leaped and turned a somersault before landing like a cat in front of the young woman. "I must report to him immediately! Orcs have been driven into the forest by an elvish attack, near the shoreline!" Dalton, in the manner of those who spend too much time analyzing every little thing that happens to them and who lacks the social ability to properly express their feelings, froze with a completely neutral look on his face. "I'm sorry, [b]Havardr[/b], but I've only just gotten back. I'm looking for him, too!" "Then let us hurry!" Havardr the Scout said with a nod. But once again, Reidun stepped in front of Dalton, who simply continued to stare at the man's forehead. "I will keep watch on this outsider, Inara!" declared the warrior. "It seems the Alpha will have more important matters to attend to!" "Get out of the way, Reidun--Darutan is [i]my[/i] guest!" The girl's eyes turned into bestial slits, and the larger Reidun took a step back as she growled. [code][Combat Sense] has been triggered.[/code] [i]Wait, what?![/i] [i]The Skill's description said "potential attackers" would be detected! In game terms, our reputation with this NPC just flipped to "hostile!"[/i] [i]We're not even doing anything! Inara and this scout are both on our side, aren't they?! So why--[/i] [i]That's it! He's outnumbered and Inara outranks him! I think we can safely assert ourselves without worrying about him causing any more of a scene, and get past this already![/i] Reidun looked between Dalton and Inara, and gulped. "In, I-Inara, I only meant that--" "Didn't you hear her, pissant!?" Dalton suddenly shouted, putting his hands on his hips and puffing his chest out. "I'm here by [i]invitation[/i], and now there's something else going on your Alpha needs to know about. So stop your whimpering and GET! OUT! OF MY FUCKING! WAY!" [i]Yeah, channel everything we've ever wanted to say when we get cut off in traffic! This is our new life in a new world--no more Mr. Nice Guy![/i] [i]It's a bit pathetic we only feel we can act like this when we outnumber the opposition, though...[/i] Unbeknownst to Dalton, however, Reidun's reaction towards Inara was not [i]entirely[/i] due to their difference in rank. In fact, his thoughts went more along these lines: [i]Inara brought another Merrick to the tribe? A male? She thinks he's interesting? She wants him to meet her grandfather!? She can't...she can't possibly be thinking of taking him as her mate, could she?! This peltless fool says he's stronger than me!? He wants to meet the Alpha--he can't possibly be pursuing Inara as a mate too, could he?! No! I'm the one who's going to win her over! Why's Inara angry at me? I'm trying to help her by keeping track of this outsider! What if he's a spy from another tribe?! Does she REALLY like him better than me!? He tells me to get out of HIS way!? As if he has a right to see the Alpha?! If he's so determined, then he really must be after Inara! She invited him! Me? Whimpering?! He really does see me as weaker! I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN![/i] "Inara, I shall go ahead--" Havardr, clearly having no patience for this kind of thing, spoke up. For an instant, Inara turned away. Reidun let out a sudden roar, launching himself at Dalton. But Dalton already knew he was hostile, thanks to [Combat Sense]. With that tenth of a second of forewarning, he ducked out of the way! Reidun was in mid-transformation--great horns began to grow from either side of his head, and shaggy fur sprouted all over his back, as his bare feet began to twist into hooves-- Then he hit the wall of the cliff the three of them had been standing next to. The impact shuddered the rocks, and caused Reidun to reel back! His transformation was canceled as angry red bump swelled on his forehead. [i]OH GOD WHAT DO WE DO WHADDA WE DO!?[/I] [i]We have to defend ourselves, we don't have a choice! There's not enough room to run past him and Inara's behind us, we can't let her get hurt![/i] [i]Activate Skill, please! Primal Rage! Please work![/i] Reidun whirled on his opponent--and Dalton, once again, had frozen up with a completely blank expression. Any other fighter would know that once shit hit the fan, the only options were to fight, or flee. Freezing would only get you killed. However... The branch that had cracked under Havardr's weight, earlier, had been shaken completely loose by Reidun's charge slamming against the cliff. Just as the man raised his fist, his face already beginning to sprout fangs as white fur bristled and two black stripes appeared running down his eyes, the wooden bough came down. Again, a dull SMACK echoed from Reidun's skull. And by that time, Dalton had actually decided on what to do. With a sudden scream as his whole body flushed red, the Otherworlder stepped forward and threw a punch. It was a wild swing, uncoordinated, undisciplined. Dalton had never taken a martial arts class or really ever worked out, after all. However, his opponent had just taken two stunning blows to the head. A punch that anyone else would've seen coming, he didn't see at all. Then there was the matter of Dalton's punch, in and of itself. His new body was not as weak and unathletic as he had once been. On top of this strength, he had the true intention to [i]hurt[/i] someone--he was done with playing by the [i]rules[/i], with trying to be [i]civilized[/i]. He wanted a NEW life, a BETTER life! What was more, was the boost given to him by Primal Rage. [code]Primal Rage: (Active/Legendary) - You turn your anger into a weapon. When activated, you can impose fear upon any creatures weaker than yourself. Stronger creatures lose the will to fight for a brief period. When used in combat, your strength will grow in proportion to your anger.[/code] Dalton already had anger building beneath the surface. He'd just DIED, after all, because of stupid people, after getting yelled at by other stupid people all day. [code]Primal Rage Active: 0.02s - Anger is building...[/code] Then some girl had just ATTACKED him out of nowhere, just because he happened to be in her "territory," and now he was being dragged around and involved with a bunch of shape-shifting cavemen! [code]Primal Rage Active: 0.04s - Anger is building...[/code] And NOW, just like every other bully he'd ever dealt with in life, some stupid meathead who wanted to cause him problems wouldn't leave him alone! [code]Primal Rage Active: 0.06s - Anger is building...[/code] Dalton had more than two full decades of repressed, untapped, utterly cringe-worthy anger to draw on. [code]Primal Rage Active: 0.08s - Anger is building...[/code] Reidun blinked--and then Dalton's fist collided with his face. [img]https://media.tenor.com/14n-XvLpHhMAAAAd/mashle-mash-burnedead.gif[/img] Specifically, by little more than sheer luck and the fact Reidun hadn't been able to defend himself, Dalton had gotten him square on the chin. And as the Merrick Warrior's head rocked back, there was the cliff right behind him, yet again. Dust fell from the rocks as the man slumped to the ground, barely conscious, his eyes rolled up to reveal blank whites. Dalton stood there for a moment, fist outstretched--and, again, aside from his widened eyes, his face was completely blank. This time, rather than freezing up, it was more that he was [i]completely shocked[/i] at himself and his behavior. Unbeknownst to Dalton, however, it didn't quite look like that to the outside observer. Havardr, a particularly sharp observer befitting his status as a scout, happened to be thinking along these lines: [i]I didn't register him at first, despite the fact that he should've clearly stood out--he has no pelts, even though he's an adult! Yet when I arrived, he didn't flinch at all--he was completely calm, with a stony expression. When Reidun stepped up to him, he never once broke eye contact. And his expression remained unreadable--to be completely unphased, despite facing a warrior with several pelts like Reidun, even if he's a bit of a braggart... And when Reidun attacked, he moved like he'd already seen it coming! Not to mention...did he [b]intentionally[/b] move towards the wall, knowing that if Reidun hit it, it would dislodge the branch I broke earlier? That's an impressive level of environmental awareness--and to come up with such a keen strategy in an instant! He knew Reidun would be distracted, and so he put all of his power into a punch that would've been too obvious otherwise--sacrificing technique for strength, yet with the full confidence it would work! Without a single pelt, he felled one of the famed Silverclaw Tribe's warriors with only a punch![/i] "Inara...who have you brought to us?" he asked, as Dalton stood stock still over Reidun. The falcon scout had seen that kind of look before--a wise predator who knew that the moment they became complacent, the prey might suddenly spring to life again. Just how many life or death struggles could this Merrick have survived, to reach such a level while wearing no skins? "His name is Daruton!" Inara grinned, as if she were proud of herself for some reason. "I think grandfather will like him!" Then she called out to the Merrick in question. "Daruton! Let Reidun sleep off his stupidity! We need to go!" "Y-yeah! Sure!" Dalton snapped to attention and jogged after the two of them as they continued deeper into the encampment in search of the alpha, leaving some of the other tribe members to gather around Reidun, all talking among themselves of what had just happened... [i]We fucked up.[/i] [i]Did we, though?[/i] [i]Oh we absolutely fucked up, but it was AWESOME![/i] Except now his knuckles hurt really badly. Absently, he rubbed them and hoped he hadn't broken anything. [hr] [hider=QUEST/ACTIONS] Quest(s): SPEAK TO ALPHA Action(s):[list][*]MORE BLUFFING [*]LUCKY PUNCH [*]SEARCHING FOR INARA'S GRANDPA [/list] [/hider] [hider=INVENTORY] Equip:[list][*]Grass Skirt [*]Woven Sandals[/list] [/hider]