[Romance] You roll a 1 (required 10). Critical failure.

Faced with dangerous beasts, you decide to do what you do best: flirt! After all, if it speaks...

Putting on your most seductive face, you gently push the diamond dog's spear aside, and offer to give them a whole different kind of hat instead.

Diamond dog: "Huh? No! We want gems."

When you are met with confusion, you decide to try a more direct approach. With a hoof gently stroking its furry thigh, you tell the large dog in front of you that if the two of them are good boys, then you will take good care of their jewels. Strangely enough, they do not seem to be sold on the idea.

Diamond dog: "Pony wants to... take our gems?"

You figure that your advances still aren't getting through their thick helmets. Dropping any kind of subtlety, you turn around, wave your tail, and say that you'll give them a nice pony ride if they show you how it's done in the authentic diamond doggy style.

Diamond dog: "... Ohhh! Wait. Pony wants... diamond dog?!"

Finally feeling understood, you grin and nod enthusiastically. In return, the diamond dogs look to each other in hesitation, then back to you.

Diamond dog: "Err... pony can keep the hat."

Victory! You begin to think of all the things you can try with your large new friends, and consider inviting the bat pony to join in, when you notice the two dogs diving underground.

And just like that, they are gone as suddenly as they appeared.

Moonflower: "Whoa! I guess it worked!"

B-but... whether or not it worked, this is certainly not what you expected would happen. Have you just been stood up? By diamond dogs? After a moment of stunned silence, all that comes to mind is: what the hay?

Moonflower: "Aww, it's okay! Maybe dogs got different rules when it comes to that sorta stuff."

You concede that there might be something to that. You recall your first meeting with Snap the seadog in Amblerta. Either way, with them gone and the area now clear, you resume slowly climbing the mountains ahead, and make your way up to what turns out to be a small patch of white flowers.

Moonflower: "You were right, this is wild blue yarrow! Gimme a sec, and I'll go pick one of 'em."

You nod. While Moonflower gathers the flower, you begin to replay the encounter from earlier in your mind, still unsatisfied with the outcome. It seems that you have much to learn in the ways of seduction. Yet, you can't quite figure out how to improve. Were you merely unlucky, or perhaps not their type?

Then, a dreadful possibility strikes you: what if you don't actually know how to be seductive? What if, during your previous attempts at flirting, you were the one being seduced all along?

With the shadow of doubt cast upon your confidence, you being to mull over the idea that you may not be the charming adventurer you once thought you were. You are simply a mare, unable to sway the hearts of the disinterested.

Thankfully, Moonflower snaps you out of it as she returns with a freshly picked flower in her satchel.

Moonflower: "Got it! Ready to go back?"