Despite his willingness to walk Violet home after their date at White Skies, he did not at all enjoy walking alone in the dark, nor did he much care for walking the rather long distance from Keaton back to his apartment. He'd been walking all evening, you know...

I suppose this shows how much more of a gentleman he is, that he'd take the discomfort of walking Violet home and then walking home himself to make sure that she made it back to her dorm safely, rather than be selfish and walk home alone, leaving her to do the same. But that doesn't mean he had to like this part...

He was muttering things under his breath and kicking someone's empty beer can along the ground in front of him, hands shoved in his pockets and eyes on the sidewalk in front of him.

Dave was not in a very good mood, unfortunately.

The good thing about being in a bad mood is being able to say, 'Well, it could always be worse'. That was Darcy's take on it, anyway - but he wasn't in a bad mood at all. He was having a good old time, padding through the city, trying to get people to scratch his ears.

Yes, Darcy was being a wolf again. His reflective yellow eyes were lit up by a nearby streetlight as he hung about on someone's front steps. His furred ears pricked up, listening- someone was coming. His snout split into a wolfish (no wonder!) grin and he trotted off to meet this person. It was nothing but a silhouette at first,... but then he came into focus and Darcy recognized him.

Hey! You guy - whatsyourname - Dave!
Ever eager for company, he padded towards the human.

Ooohholyshit.

Big dog. Biiiiig dog.

I've mentioned that Dave's cynophobic, haven't I?

He froze, staring helplessly.

This was not a good night...

Darcy's enthusiasm kept him from noticing Dave's deer-in-the-headlights reaction until he was about a meter away. Then he stopped, lowering his head to the side and giving a curious whine. There was a very strong smell of fear coming from Dave.

Drat.

C'mon, it is only me, Darcy tried to look harmless, which was quite a feat for an enormous canine, I will not hurt you. See, I am nice. Do not look at me like that!

It isn't a rational phobia. There's really no reason that Dave should be so afraid of dogs--the bigger they are, the worse it is, though he has difficulties even with the small, yappy kind--and a big dog trying to look harmless didn't look any less like a big dog.

He took a step back, brown eyes wide and dark with fear. He was shivering, and not with cold, either.

"D-don't... d-don't c-c-come any c-c-closer..."

Right, like the big dog's going to understand him.

Okay, okay... he sighed inwardly.

Darcy copied him, taking a step back. Then he sat, to show that he wasn't going to leap on him or anything. He let his ears lay flat against his skull, bowing his head in a submissive pose. Do not be frightened...

Please?

The dog is in his way. He wants to go home, and the dog is in his way.

There's something very pitiful about a fit guy in his twenties, reduced to quivering terror by something so simple as a canine, lack of threatening moves or not. He looks like he needs a hug or something.

He's a little too scared to think of anything else to say, and he can't, doesn't dare turn his back on the animal. It might attack him. It might jump on him and tear his throat out.

... well, it might.

Jump on him and tear his throat out? Try, pounce on him and snuffle all over his face.

Already tiring of waiting, Darcy got up again and took a few tentative steps towards Dave. His head was still lowered, and he was giving the human his most sorrowful puppy-look. He gave a soft, pleading whine, trying to look pitiful and helpless (but not even coming close to matching Dave's portrayal of those characteristics).

C'moooon... How can you resist the face? No one can resist the face!

Dave can.

He yelped something vulgar and stumbled backwards at Darcy's approach... And promptly tripped and landed flat on his back.

His thoughts?

I am gonna die.

Only not quite that coherent.

Darcy was feeling quite hurt by this display, but he obviously couldn't say it Instead of doing the really nice thing and leaving, he padded around to Dave's side and planted his large paws on his chest. He gave another whine, lowering his head, intending to snuffle into his ear until he lightened up and started to laugh.

See? I am a good wolfie-dog, he thought, giving his big, teeth-baring grin as his snout approached the human's face.

Dave, well, cowered, hiding his face with his arms and shaking. If he was smelling of fear before, the scent must have increased in intensity exponentially, with his abject terror at being underneath an enormous dog with really fucking big teeth!

He whimpered.

No no no! No being scared! Darcy thought in dismay, giving a whimper of his own and pushing at Dave's hands with his wet nose. His tongue flicked out to give a gentle lick to Dave's knuckles, before continuing on so he could make that funny 'whuffling' sound dogs make when they're sniffing vigorously at something, into the human's ears.

Come on. Please? Laugh or something. I am nothing to be afraid of, honest! Darcy protested mentally, still snuffling.

Would it make Darcy feel any better if he knew that it wasn't anything personal, and that Dave would react this way to any canine that had him pinned on the ground, no matter how friendly?

His shaking didn't cease, nor did the terror. And instead of laughing, he tried to struggle away from the tickling sensation in his ear from Darcy's sniffing. That was rather difficult with Darcy still on top of him, though.

It would definitely help if Darcy knew it had nothing to do with him. He didn't know, so he gave a big sigh, and gave up the snuffling - either Dave wasn't ticklish, or he was too scared. He slid his paws back to the sidewalk, lay down, and leaned his warm, furry weight against Dave, fully intending to sit there until Dave stopped shaking. He didn't think that the shivering was from cold, but he hoped he might be able to help by proving that he was harmless.

Dave did not cooperate, sadly.

He rolled away and half sat up, eyes still wide, still trembling, still smelling very much of fear.

"... g'way...?"

He still doesn't expect the animal to understand him, but he doesn't think that his legs would support him if he decided to get up and run, so if he can get the dog to leave him alone, that would be a major plus.

Darcy looked quite hurt at being told to go away, but didn't obey. He wasn't an idiot - he knew his presence was seriously frightening Dave, but he didn't know why. He'd shown that he was nice. Dave could at least pat him on the head or something.

Suddenly afraid that he might try to get up and run away, Darcy leaned in and nipped into the sleeve of Dave's jacket, holding tightly with the very tips of his teeth.

Dave froze.

At least he stopped shaking?

Though, the wide eyed, 'are you going to eat me?' kind of stare that he was giving Darcy was probably not an improvement on cowering and shaking and trying to get away.

He simply wasn't moving.

(I'm not even sure he was breathing.)

He snorted, gave a faint tug on the sleeve, then let go and sank onto the pavement, nose resting on his paws as he gazed mournfully at Dave. Didn't it just figure that Dave would be afraid of him? It wasn't fair. You should not be scared. I will not hurt you, do you not see that?

Darcy gave a long, drawn-out sigh.
Zût.

Dave drew back a little further and ended up against someone's front steps. Where he stayed, watching the enormous animal and wondering when it would decide to either eat him or go away and let him go home in peace.

Not that he actually thought that in so many words, of course...

Darcy inched forwards, bit by bit, until his nose was almost touching Dave's foot. He looked mournfully at the human, his amber eyes wide and sad. We're friends. See, I am friendly. Don't be like this. It's not fair.

He whined again, as if that would help.

No, it isn't fair. And maybe if Dave knew that the friendly kid from the mall the other day was the same as this enormous canine, he might be less scared. Might being the operative word in that sentence, because he really has no control over this...

"G-go home now, d-doggie..."

He waved one hand feebly.

No,...

He gave another big, depressed sigh.

You are really scared of me, aren't you, he thought, finally giving in to it, And I can't make you not be scared.

Darcy got up, and pushed close to Dave so he could lick the side of his face.
I'm sorry.

Dave yelped and tried to move backwards, but there were steps in the way. So he settled for curling up sideways on the steps and covering his face with his arms again. He doesn't like having those teeth come so close to his face, you see.

The tongue is hardly registering at all, and he's never had a dog, and is unused to the idea that licking means friendly.

Merde. 'Ere, I will go now. Maybe you will not be so afraid next time, he thought, giving an inward sigh. After giving Dave a last friendly nudge with his nose, Darcy turned and trotted off, disappearing around the corner. If Dave was listening, he might hear a sharp yelp, followed by some rough, low growling - that would be Darcy changing form. He stashed the wolfskin behind a convenient dumpster.

And - voila - a human Darcy strolled around the corner, hands in his jeans pockets. His hair was dishevelled from being under the wolfskin (making him look like he'd been sleeping) and his eyes were a tad bleary, but otherwise he looked perfectly normal.

Dave was still sitting on that random person's front steps, apparently trying to get ahold of himself so that he could finish his walk home. He glanced up at the sound of footsteps and managed a very faint smile.

Humans don't bother him in the least.

"What're you doing out so late?"

This after swallowing a couple times; his mouth was annoyingly dry.

Darcy shrugged, "Couldn't sleep," he lied, flopping down on the steps next to Dave, "'ow about you, what are you doing out this late?... You do not look so well, if you do not mind my saying so. Are you alright?"

He avoided looking directly at Dave- his eyes had given him away before, and he was learning not to repeat such a silly mistake. Yellow eyes are hardly normal for a human.

A slightly less 'I'm going to faint in a minute' kind of smile.

"Took a girl to the amusement park, walked her home... Ran into a fucking big dog." He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself, as if cold. (Though the jacket would make that a bit unbelievable...)

He almost corrected Dave, - he was a wolf, not a dog, after all - but thought better of it. Seeing him shiver, Darcy patted him on the back.

(Just once.)

"Did it try to bite you?" he asked, "...Are you afraid of dogs?"

An almost laugh. Almost, not quite.

"'m cynophobic."

That means, 'Yes, I'm afraid of dogs.'

"Absolutely terrified of dogs. Any dog." A shrug. "Doesn't matter if it tried to bite me--I dunno 'f it did or not. Did grab my jacket with its teeth, though."

Ah, damn, Darcy sighed inwardly, Guess I'll have to keep away from him, when I am a wolf... Shoot.

"That's too bad," Darcy said, frowning, "...But 'ow do you that it was not, maybe, wanting to play? Also... I saw a large animal go the other way when I was coming 'ere,... but it was not a dog. It was a wolf. Do you mind wolves as much as dogs?"

He couldn't help but say that with the faintest hint of hopefulness. Yes, he was taking a risk in asking,... he didn't have to hang around his friends as a wolf, after all... it was just nice to know that he could be accepted either way.

"A wolf?"

There was a tiny hint of remembered fear.

"You're sure it was a wolf?"

Shiver.

"Look, put the wolf on some nature program and I'm fine. Stick me and the wolf in the same room and I go to pieces."

He shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Doesn't matter what it wants. 's one of those, irrational phobias. 's not like I had some kind of horrendous experience when I was a kid; I'm just scared to death of the things."

He nodded.

"I know dogs, and I know wolves, and it was a wolf," Darcy explained. He looked disappointed, but let it drop. "That is really too bad,... I like dogs. They are ... man's best friend, no? With good reason. It is really too bad you are afraid of them."

Sigh.

Dave shrugged yet again.

"Too bad, maybe, but I've never not been afraid of them that I remember, so I really can't say." He stood. "I"ve gotta get home; 's been a long day. Gonna walk with me or something, or you planning to head off on your own?"

"I will... um..." Darcy paused. He couldn't go with him and leave the wolfskin behind. He'd already taken the risk of leaving it behind the dumpster. "I 'ad better be going 'ome, as well. You will be alright, though?"

Dave nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. 's long as that crazy animal doesn't show up again." Remember, Darcy, he doesn't know that the 'crazy animal' is you. There's no reason to take any offense at that...

"See you later, then, kid."

"I am sure that h- it won't," Darcy replied, standing up and giving a little wave, "Goodbye."

He hung around for a little while, then took an alternate route to the dumspter to retrive the wolfskin. He sighed as he put it on, and was transformed back into a large canine.

Oh, well...

Sigh.

He couldn't win 'em all.