Context: You are known as the Scarred Wanderer, a mysterious mercenary largely marching to your own drum and looking to make your fortune. You walk through haunted woods, tonight, and you know you're being hunted. You really do feel sorry for whatever has decided to make itself your problem this gloomy night.

Setting: Haunted Woods

Tags: [MM4F][Strangers to ?][Shy Drider Speaker][Hunter Speaker][Tsundere Mercenary Listener][Drider][Sweet][Shy Boi][Stutter][Fantasy][Protecting Soft Boi][Dog Companion][Lore Hints][CW: Violence/Fighting]

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***

H = a hunter

All unmarked text is Nathaniel the Sequined Drider

***

[Scene opens deep in a haunted forest]

[SFX: A campfire crackling and the brush rustling]

[You sit at your campfire deep within a haunted forest with your loyal Irish wolfhound Noah resting at your side. The brush rustles around you and you can feel piercing eyes on you, just before-]

“G-Got you, human!”

[You turn and deliver one Hell of a punch to a startled Drider, who promptly skids back, holding his face]

“Ow! Owwww, owie! Aggh, owww! Y-You hit way harder than most humans!”

[SFX: A dog growling]

“U-Uh… t-that’s a big dog. No no no, doggie! Good doggie! P-Please, please, I-I’m sorry! I was just trying to hunt! I-I’m sorry… I-I’m just so hungry…”

[Pause]

[The Drider pauses uncertainly as you hold out some of the buck you punched to death earlier]

“R-Really…? You’d share your food with a Drider?”

[Pause]

“...I-I guess I a-am less likely to a-attack you if I’m fed… T-Thanks, human…”

[He takes the meat nervously and you turn back to the fire, not caring what he does now. At least, not until you feel him still there after five minutes]

[Pause…]

“A-Are you sure I can eat with you? I-It’s OK? T-Thanks, human… The ghosts aren’t a-always good company…”

[Pause?]

“I-I seem small for a Drider? A-And sparkly? Aha, yeah… I’m a Sequined Spider, w-we’re pretty small but, ah… h-here. Let me turn my t-thorax a bit.”

[He does and the light catches in beautiful prisms]

“S-See? I-It’s translucent a-and sparkly and has lots of colors. I-It’s why humans keep coming out h-here, I think. T-The Duchess likes collecting p-pretty monsters… I-I don’t want to be collected…”

[Pause]

“O-Ohh! Y-You’re the S-Scarred Wanderer! Y-Yeah, the ghosts t-talk about you sometimes. T-They like keeping up with the, um, h-human gossip. So… you didn’t come o-out here to hunt me?”

[Pause]

“J-Just passing by… I see. Well… m-my name is Nathaniel. I-I’m a paranormal-researcher from M-Moonvale University. I-I came out to study all the hauntings of the forest. C-Can I ask your name?”

[Pause]

“O-Oh, your Irish wolfhound is Noah? C-Cute! And you…? Oh. That’s… O-OK, it’s OK, you don’t h-have to tell me. I’ll just, um, make a nickname for you. Like…Punchy!”

[Pause]

“S-Sorry.”

[The three of you eat in silence for a bit while you glare into the fire. Nathaniel talks on occasion, but your focus is elsewhere]

“Are… a-are you OK, Punchy?”

[Pause]

“O-OK, OK, I’m sorry!”

[He sniffles a bit and you sigh through your nose]

[Pause]

“...I-It’s OK. A lot of humans lose patience with me really quickly. T-They already are scared of me due to my appearance a-and poison, a-and I’m not sure but I think my mandibles c-clack a bit when I talk. A n-nervous clack, haha.”

[Pause?]

“I don’t know w-why I’m not more vicious… T-The people that raised me w-were really sweet. A N-Naga, and a legendary warrior. You r-remind me of her, actually. R-Ready to lay out a-anyone that was being unfair o-or cruel. I m-miss my family, but… but the forest w-will never rest i-if I can’t help lay these poor p-people to rest.”

[Pause]

“...Y-You think it sounds like noble work? Ah… that’s really sweet. It gets… l-lonely out here. It’s nice t-to talk to someone. E-Even after they’ve punched you in the face.”

[He finishes his meal and stands, still lingering]

“I-I, um… I’m in that cave just o-over there, if you r-run into any trouble. O-Or just want to talk! That’s fine. Y-You can even wake me up, OK?”

[Pause]

[He smiles bashfully and retreats back into the forest with a simple:]

“G-Good night.”

**[Time transitions by several hours]**

[SFX: Hunters approaching]

[You sit up with a start as you hear Nathaniel scream. Noah is with you seconds later as you charge toward the cave. It is surrounded by hunters]

[Pause!]

[H] “Hold, men! Who are you, mercenary?”

[Pause]

[The man’s eyebrows fly up]

[H] “T-The… Scarred Wanderer. We’re blessed, then! We couldn’t have asked for a better ally to help corral and capture this filthy spider.”

[...]

[H] “Aye, the payout is handsome. Happy to include you, my legendary friend.”

[...]

[You muscle your way to the front of the group and toward the lopsided wooden door closing off the cave and knock]

[SFX: Knocking]

“P-Punchy? P-Please! Please make them go away! I-I don’t want to be taken! S-S-She’ll kill m-me!”

[Pause]

“A-Any price, Punchy! Name it! Just please!”

[You turn back to the hunters and sigh through your nose. Noah sees you start wrapping your chains around your knuckles and perks, growling at the hunters]

[H] “Are you serious?! You’re going to defend some Drider just because he offered to pay more?!”

[Pause]

[The Hunter sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose]

[H] “Fine. Whatever. Take her out, boys!”

[SFX: A very brief but very pointed fight with rattling chains and barking]

[You punch your way through your problems, like always. It takes less than a minute]

[H] “G-Guh, run! RUN!”

[SFX: Retreating footsteps]

[Nathaniel crawls from his cave nervously, peering around]

“Are… a-are they gone?”

[Pause]

“Phew… T-Thank you, human. I… really appreciate it. Here. H-Here’s your payment.”

[He drops a massive cloth sack on the ground, overflowing with gold and gems]

[...?]

“O-Oh… is it a lot of money? I just think it’s pretty… There’s lots of it down in the caverns.”

[SFX: Coins rattling]

“You’re w-welcome, human. S-Say, um-! U-Uhh… w-would you… m-maybe stick around i-if I paid more?”

[Pause?]

“I know I-I’m a Drider a-and a really poisonous one, b-but I’m no good at f-fighting, a-and… a-and I’m scared, O-OK? C-Can’t you and Noah s-stay a while? P-Pretty please?”

[You and Noah exchange looks as thunder begins to crack above and rain begins to pour]

[Pause]

“W-What? Y-You will? Thank you! Come in, come in! Welcome!”

[The Drider ushers you both into his cave before you can hardly protest]

[To be continued]