Side story Voras

"That went well." Dríade joked placing herself in the corner of the silken nest and out of the way of Voras who was currently pacing back and forth in the middle. "And I even got the ability to create smoshberries from my tree with that quest."

"We must have been part of different conversations." Voras spat at her friend before returning to her pacing. "It's not hard right? All I need to do is talk to him. Easy. Just ignore all that I've gone though before."

Voras slumped down onto the ground."Why is it so hard for me to do the basics? Why can't I just say what I want to him without scowling? It's like I want him to be the enemy."

"Because you're a broken woman that needs some help." Dríade replied unhelpfully.

"Thanks..." Voras just stared at her friend.

As if she didn't care Dríade started to poke the hole in her leg. There was no blood, just a thick sap like substance that she used to move her limbs. It was hardening quickly and the Dryad would have use in her limb again soon. Perks of being able to control her body almost completely.

She was still a little sour that Clovek had picked Zeldi's tits over her own. She had spent so long figuring out the perfect bounce and jiggle for each movement she made, and how much extra weight they should have to not throw off her wings. Only for a milkmaid to beat her. Twice.

"Any other words of wisdom you can give me o lady of the forest?" Voras sarcastically asked poking a small hole in the silken nest to look at the others.

Tarakona immediately turned her head to look back at her in a silent warning that she knew she was watching. Voras nodded slowly to indicate she got the warning.

"Yip. A really good piece of advice actually." Dríade said stretching her wings. "Whatever you do you need to do it quickly. The falls you spoke of if memory serves is home to either Madu or Sirenë. And I don't know if you remember them because what I remember is that they were both starved for attention. Enough so that a male walking around with your seal of approval will turn them both into love struck kittens. Like to the point they will be begging him to join his harem."

"That's precisely the point." Voras countered. "She owns a Deed but has asked to remain alone until a potential owner of the Big Deed comes around."

"And you are hoping she's sees him and goes all horny. Then lets Clovek take the Deed and they all live happily ever after." Dríade dryly concluded.

Voras sighed. "It all seemed easier in my head."

"Then let it stay in your head Vorvor." Dríade threw her arms out in exaggeration. "Even I can tell those girls are right."

"Of course their right. But that doesn't change the fact that I can't..."

"Can't what Voras? Can't speak to him? Can't walk around him? Please you're not even trying, because if you were you would be sitting at the edge of the stream right now quietly being a part of their family while you build up the courage to actually do anything." Dríade interrupted. "What do you expect? I've seen some of the different breeds of your species. Are you hopping that if you present a gift to him you can breed while he unwraps it?"

"Wrong subspecies. And it's the males the give gifts and mate while the female is distracted." Voras corrected.

"Exactly. Wrong subspecies. Voras I love you as a friend but you are a massive pain in the ass right now. All you need to do is go over to them right now and just be with them. No talking, no interaction. Just live beside them. If you don't then nothing is going to change and you will remain the creepy spider who likes to watch."

"Could you maybe not word it like a sex joke?" Voras complained.

"Nope."

Voras let out another sigh but couldn't come up with any arguments as to why that was a bad idea. Dríade was right. She needed to do something but every time she started a pit formed in her stomach that seemed to suck all of her confidence.

"Look at them." Dríade said trying a new tactic when Voras didn't respond. "That Centaur will want to grow her harem as much as she can. In their culture it's a form of wealth to be able to sustain multiple partners, and it makes her look good as the head mare."

Voras looked and as she did, yearning began to grind through her body. The kind that couldn't be satisfied with a quick fling.

Zeldi had been given the ring and was trying to use it to wash Tarakona's face with Clovek close beside them. They all looked so happy. Just existing with each other.

"Voras it's now or never. You need to go over there by yourself. Don't talk because anything you say will screw you over but build up some type of tolerance." Dríade sighed coming up and placing a hand on one of her spider legs.

"Easy for you to say."

"It is easy for me to say but that doesn't make it any less true. You're afraid he might do something and rightfully so with what you've been through. But unless you want to stay in this nest you need to be the one to make the first move because everything he does will only look like he's trying to control you." Dríade growled before softening.

She turned slightly and ran a hand over the colourful silk on Voras's abdomen. "We all want to help. But you have to want to be helped. So go."

With that Dríade left. Not out of maliciousness but because she could tell Voras was using her as a reason not to go. Now that she was gone there wasn't anything stopping Voras from actually doing what had been said.

Voras hesitated. Of course she did.

Out there she wasn't protected by her nest. Out there she was vulnerable.

But she needed to show that vulnerability to actually get anywhere.

And so. She waited some more, hoping some devine power suddenly came to her... Nothing did.

Instead she watched while the ring they were using ran out of charge and Clovek and Zeldi switched to scooping up water to get parts of Tarakona they'd missed.

She could have helped. She could have made a silk bag that would have been waterproof. Instead she stayed in her nest where it was safe.

Her hand instinctively went to her missing eye every time she had that thought. Safety.

"Voras what are you doing?" She asked herself stupidity. She already knew the answer. "All you need to do is go out there. The Deed is even giving me a chance."

Still she stayed where she was, looking on longingly as the group started to drip dry on the shore. Again she could have spun a silk towel for them but that would have ment leaving the nest.

"Just one chance. Come on Voras, you know he won't do anything."

Her legs moved. Not a lot but progress. Small steps.

"He won't do anything." Voras repeated this mantra as little by little she moved.

First she got herself out of her nest. That was the hardest part. Now she just needed to not run back to it.

She was slow, and favoured any shadows that blended well to her carapace, her rainbow abdomen covering having been abandoned for stealth.

Not that it really mattered. Tarakona easily spotted her but apart from a single glance to say she knew where Voras was she stayed quiet.

Eventually, after what felt like hours to the Arachnid woman but was probably closer to ten minutes she was close enough that she could have said something.

Only she didn't.

Voras stayed quiet and placed herself just on the outskirts of their group. Far enough away she could make a break for it if need be, yet close enough to make a difference.

She specifically didn't look at Clovek as that would have either broken her completely or she would revert back to being snobby. Looking at the scenery while being close was... Helping. Sort of.

[A good start Voras. Do only what you feel comfortable. We will move at your pace.]

Voras smiled at that, some of the tension left her body. She could do this. Just stay close and get use to nothing happening. No axes or swords would be pointed towards her. No threats of her body parts being removed. Just companionship.

Tarakona must have passed a message onto Zeldi and Clovek as neither of them said anything to her and that was for the best. Voras wasn't sure she could look or even talk to Clovek without scowling just yet but... This was something.

Something she would definitely try to use.

Again her hand went to her missing eye. The phantom pain still there but just a little bit weaker than it had been.

Progress.