"Liz got hurt."

The words snapped you from the dex; you glanced at Kat and frowned slightly. "How bad?"

"Diane should be able to handle it, nothing major. Got herself some deep gashes. There was a catgirl but things didn't pan out, I missed the ball and she got away."

You nodded slightly, rubbing your chin. "I'll warn the others so they keep an eye out since the feral might show up." A moment of pause as you frowned. "Where's your alpha?"

"Joane? She's balled." A hand waved dismissively. "Don't want her risking going through too much stress and evolve into a Minotaura like that girl back in her ranch had."

"I won't keep your girl from getting healed," you replied. "Diane's with Monica and Kiara right now, you can tell her that I mentioned healing takes precedence."

"Sure thing, thanks."

You'd been just about to hop back into checking over and trying to pore over a new dex entry when you glanced over at Raven. The monstergirl in her spider form was currently holding a shirt, simple and white. It was a rather minimalist design, and by the looks of it, it was complete. Her focus appeared to be on checking the seams, holding the shirt this way and that, and then yanking on it as if in an attempt to tear it apart.

It seemed the piece of cloth met her standards, as she nodded and carefully folded it, turning her attention towards a set of white pants and pulling out the needle. Her work was meticulous, and her focus supreme; she didn't even seem to notice you as you approached. You made sure to sit down a meter or so at her side, not wanting to get any closer and risk getting in the way of her large arachnid body.

Pulling out your dex, you waited while reading through the Buzzbreast dex entry and making some mental notes on their apparent light allergic reaction to standard pesticides. The entry also mentioned some details of the very slow process through which they could convert other monstergirls and humans into fellow Buzzbreasts. The breed was considered a menace because of this, and the confirmation of there being a queen would generally raise a lot of alarms.

Your thoughts were interrupted when you heard Raven gasp lightly. By the time you turned to look her way she was already wearing that plastic smile. "Master Rick, I didn't see you. Is there anything I could help with?"

"Not really, just watching you work."

"I have almost finished with your clothes, Master Rick, they should be ready before nightfall."

Nodding along, you kept your eyes to the dex. "I saw you testing the seams, it seems durable."

"Spidersilk is very durable, it is the foundation for dragonsilk after all." Her voice had the barest hint of pride in it. "These will protect you, Master Rick."

"I'm glad to hear that." A little nod. "What do you figure could be your next project?"

"Whichever you wish, Master Rick, I merely seek to be of use."

Holding back from groaning, you leaned down, closing the dex and crossing your arms, thinking. "I'm not myself. If these clothes help protection... would they help a monstergirl in a fight?"

"They would certainly prove better than wearing nothing."

"But how much would they last?"

"Not much at all for someone like Monica or Kiara. They would need constant mending. If I were able to make dragonsilk, I would highly recommend that for them to wear, Master Rick."

Nodding slightly, you rubbed your chin. "And dragonsilk required some special method, right?"

"Yes, it needs a Metalmouse to be able to make it, the silk would have to be treated properly so it could absorb the murisium," Raven spoke, the barest hint of wistfulness in her voice. "It is several times stronger than normal silk, and extremely hard to pierce through if weaved tightly enough."

With a little click of the dex, you added the Metalmouse to your reading list. "I guess it could be a possibility, find someplace to settle down... I'm sure we'd be able to eventually afford a loom." Her shoulders tensed as you said this, and her focus sharpened on the white pants as she slowed the movements of her hands. Her face turned into a frown, the smile forgotten. "I'm not very good with designs though, pretty sure you have much more experience in that regard."

"I... will do my best, Master Rick."

If before she felt focused, now she felt like she was thinking of things elsewhere; her hands moved on their own, and her frown deepened with every pass of the needle. You couldn't help but wonder about her previous tamer; it had been only a couple of months, had the relationship been that deep that she still grieved?

You sighed slightly- maybe that was just it, maybe you were pushing against a wound that still hurt. You knew you'd felt like shit for over a year back in your day, and it hadn't been death that had caused it. Clenching your jaw a little, you leaned onto your elbows, trying to think things through.

What could you possibly do to help? You weren't sure you could even give more distance, not with the whole taming thing. In the end, the question felt heavy, and what annoyed you the most was how you couldn't ask it directly like you normally would. Raven would avoid answering altogether.

Or worse, stick to the 'ideal' answer with that plastic smile.

It was grating, but you hid it back, urging yourself to push through the awkward silence by continuing your reading and studying. The hours ticked by as the night sky began to make itself present. The first stars began to peek through the dark blue, and the night chill blew through the camp. Good thing that tonight you had tent privileges.

"It is done, Master Rick."

With the proclamation, Raven turned towards you, bowing her head as she showed the two pieces of silk clothes. Reaching out, you took them carefully. "Oh wow."

The smoothness of the garment was like water; the cloth behaved more liquid than solid, and it was thin, incredibly so. A part of you told you that you should be able to see through the garment, but even against the moonlight you could barely do so. It felt cool and yet there was a sturdiness to it as you tensed it under your grasp.

"These look amazing Raven, you've done a great job." The Arachnae's lips twitched a little, and she bowed. The gesture made you frown. "You don't think your work was that good?"

"I... could have done better."

There was a long pause. "And?"

That caused her to hesitate. "No, you are right Master Rick, I-"

"No, Raven, listen. Raise your head." You moved to sit in front of her. "I'm a teacher, I've had my fair share of students who had issues over not being able to be perfect."

"You... have?" Her brows furrowed ever so slightly.

"Too many," came the response. "Look, what I used to tell them is that perfection isn't a goal, it's a path."

That made the Arachnae frown further, lowering her gaze. "I do not understand, Master Rick, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, learning is a constant." A slight chuckle escaped you as you reached out to caress her hand; she tensed and relaxed her fingers into your palm a moment later. "Perfection should never be a goal. If you ever get to what you consider to be perfect, you'll never be able to grow further."

"Further... further?"

The question made you shrug. "It's better to fail and learn from failure than to never finish," you commented. "As far as I'm aware, no one has perfect awareness and understanding of things, so the moment they make something that they consider perfect then they've trapped themselves because they consider there's nothing else to learn."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Because they do not see how small the well is," Raven muttered, nodding slowly. "I see. I think I understand, Master Rick. I must make my well larger and fill it."

You weren't quite sure what that meant, but nodded anyway, mostly because it was the first hint of an honest smile you'd seen on her face in quite some time. Your fingers tightened slightly around her own. "I'm no weaving expert, but I'll try to help where I can."

"I appreciate your generosity, Master Rick."

"And I appreciate your effort." You bowed your head in return. "I wanted to reward you for it as well."

"It... it was my duty."

"I know, I insist," you replied, holding her fingers in your grasp, and watching her intently, waiting for a second.

She bowed slightly. "I will follow, Master."

Nodding in return, you moved to stand up, heading towards the tent, and feeling her fingers squeeze your hand ever so slightly. You glanced over your shoulder at her slightly bowed head and coloured cheeks. A little swell of confidence came through you, leading the way and opening the camouflage coloured flap of the tent. "After you."

Quietly, she nodded and stepped inside.

You followed, focusing on closing the zipper behind you.

Turning to Raven, you froze, finding her already entirely naked, her clothes neatly folded next to her as she knelt naked at the centre of the tent. "How...?"

"That is a secret, Master Rick," she spoke with a slight bow of her head. "Should I assist with yours?"

"No need." Carefully, you took off your shirt, noticing how Raven kept her eyes cast downwards. "I was thinking of a small reward for the clothes you did."

"It was merely my duty, Master Rick."

"I insist," you said, sitting down with crossed legs in front of her. "I noticed you enjoy rope play, I was wondering if maybe you would be interested?" As you said this, you pressed your wrists together in front of you. "I wouldn't mind it a bit."

Raven's cheeks coloured greatly. "I couldn't," she declared. "It is improper."

"And? Plenty of things are, I'm sure," you commented with a grin. "No one's watching anyway, it's just us here."

Your words clearly had an effect- Raven hesitated, lips thinning ever so slightly, and her pearly white skin becoming a flushed pink as her gaze remained fixed on the ground. She appeared quite nervous, so you leaned slightly forward and caressed her hand. "Hey, this is my offer, if you don't want it, I'm not going to get mad or anything."

"I... understand." Raven nodded for a moment, taking a deep breath as she did, rubbing her wrists. "Would a blindfold be... too much, Master Rick?"

A blindfold? This time it was you who hesitated, feeling that little pang of uncertainty within you. Your hand nervously reached up to scratch at the back of your neck. Was there really going to be much of a difference? She was a monstergirl; a blindfold or some rope really wasn't going to change how dangerous she was.

That was really the core of everything. Even if Kiara or Diane hesitated, from your perspective you were entirely at their mercy, so one little bit more or less really didn't matter to you.

"I guess, yes."

Raven relaxed at your proclamation, nodding once, though clearly not entirely comfortable. "Then..." You saw her pull out thread from under where she sat. How had she gotten it there? You arched a brow. "Excuse me, Master Rick," the Arachnae whispered, leaning closer and draping the rope around your wrists.

It was loose, so much so it might actually fall off accidentally. You could only arch an eyebrow at this, looking at the silk rope and then at Raven. For a fraction of a second, you considered pressing her to push further but held back on the thought. She was making an effort, no need to rush things. Easing things, you nodded. "And the blindfold?"

"Yes, Master Rick." She leaned to the side, pulling out a strip of silk cloth, just as white as the shirt had been, albeit appearing to be slightly rougher. "Please lean forward, Master Rick."

With a careful touch, she placed the ribbon around your face. Your vision became a world of grey, in which it was impossible to really determine much other than the vague shape of the stronger sources of light. Only able to chuckle softly, you went back to sitting down. "Now how do we proceed? I don't believe I can do much in this state."

"Please lay down, Master Rick."

You followed along, laying on your back and becoming still, and kept your hands against your chest- at least for the time being. Carefully, you waited, closing your eyes, and forcing yourself to breathe deeply and relax. That didn't quite keep you from twitching when you felt her hand caress your chest.

"Are you alright, Master Rick?"

"Yeah, no, just not very used to this," you said with a chuckle. "Feel free to continue at your own pace."

"Yes, Master Rick."

Her chitin covered hands felt as if she were wearing leather gloves- soft, but with an odd firmness to them. She caressed her way down your chest, to your gut, barely a tickle, and then slowly made her way back up. You felt yourself tense slightly, raising your hands above your head and relaxing.

Raven clearly knew what she was doing; she kept the caresses soft and reassuring. They were calm, patient, the monstergirl making sure to race her way up and down your chest, your belly, and your flanks. It was almost ticklish, but not quite. It would be another minute before your shoulders began to ease up, your legs opening slightly, and your breath slowing down.

Only then did her touch venture past your torso, reaching up, caressing your arms, your face, and your neck. It almost reminded you of being teased with feathers. You sucked in a sharp breath when her fingers continued down and teased your nipples. "That's... ticklish," you couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yes, Master Rick," her voice came out barely a whisper, and you squirmed slightly.

The blindfold shifted a tad, and it let you peek under it just a bit. You could only really see your chest from the current angle however, so you really didn't have much there. Raven's hands kept teasing their way across your upper body, and it almost felt as if she were making you more sensitive. A little chuckle left you when she touched your flanks.

The monstergirl appeared satisfied. Wordlessly, her hands moved downwards, catching the edge of your pants and helping you wiggle them downwards. And... nothing. You frowned slightly, feeling slightly very naked and not having much anything happening. For a fraction of a second, you hesitated, until you felt something goopy and cold touch your semi-hardened cock.

A shudder ran through you. "Wha-"

"Merely lubrication, Master Rick," her voice declared, still using the same whisper as before. "It should help make things feel better."

She certainly wasn't wrong, as once her hands began squeezing and stroking, it was only a matter of moments before your breath began catching on your throat as you held back from gasping. Raven's touch was a soft delight; it certainly felt as if she were igniting a fire within you.

As she kept her strokes firm, you felt her shifting her position, and straddling your stomach. For a second you hesitated, wondering, and you leaned your head back a little to confirm she was facing away from your head. With your hands above your head, you couldn't really do much, at least not without letting yourself loose from the rope, but you certainly wished you could grab at her ass. It was round and firm, taut, and from your current angle quite tempting.

Raven, appearing unaware of your musings, kept slowly stroking your dick, her long white hair swaying from side to side as she gently began to press your shaft against her pussy. Slowly she ground against it, using her fingers to press against it from one side while her sex did so from the other. It didn't take her long to start settling onto a rhythm.

The monstergirl was quiet, barely a whisper. She'd hold slight small gasps and groans, sighs and hiccups, but without it you wouldn't have heard her voice at all. Bit by bit she was speeding up, the sound of her panting breath becoming more intense. "Sensei," she spoke the word, her hips bouncing slightly against your lap before she stopped.

With her fingers wrapping around you, she raised her body ever so slightly, changing the angle, and thrusting down. She was tight, the feeling like electricity, hot, and warm. You gasped as Raven immediately began to bounce harder than before, pushing herself up and down, harder.

The shift was nudging your blindfolds off, and you became able to see. Raven was caressing her body, eyes tightly closed, biting her lower lip and letting out tiny whimpers. Her hands moved up her curvaceous figure, grasping her breasts, squeezing them as if in a presentation to an invisible lover, her head flinging back.

Harder, her hips began losing control over the rhythm; her mouth parted and a gasping breath escaped, barely contained, and she covered her mouth with one hand, as the other kept groping her chest. Raven's face contorted into one of deep concentration as she kept bouncing. "Sensei," she repeated in a barely audible whisper, moving harder, losing herself.

You couldn't hold back, and you felt yourself reaching your limit, your body tingling from the sensation as the peak ran through you like a shower of sparks. You shuddered, feeling your breath catching in your throat. "I-"

Raven wasn't listening, and she bounced harder, faster, pushing herself closer and closer. The sensation was overwhelming you- too sensitive, you groaned. Fortunately, you needn’t hold on for too much longer, as Raven reached her peak not much long after, squeezing her body hard and letting out a low moan.

"That..." She breathed hard, shuddering as she removed herself from your lap, caressing her thighs and slumping at your side, her back turned towards you as she lay her head against your shoulder.

You pretended to have your eyes closed. "You enjoyed it?"

"Very much, Master Rick," she said, breathing in deeply, and pressing her back against your flank.

Nodding and feeling a wave of tiredness running through you, you glanced her way. "Do I take off these restraints or...?"

"Oh, excuse me, Master Rick." Raven turned the bare minimum to reach the restraints, her hand removing the silk from your wrists and head with incredible ease. She didn't even need to look to do so. Now 'free', your arm moved down to wrap her into a hug closer against you. She didn't shy away from it, leaving you laying on your back, and the lithe white-haired Arachnae with her back against you. She was warm, still breathing slightly hard from the experience, as were you.

"Question, what does 'sensei' mean?"

Raven's entire body stiffened for a fraction of a second before she relaxed. "I am sorry you heard that, Master Rick. It means 'teacher'."

"Huh. Don't mind me."

Weird choice to call you, but maybe it was a sign of things going better? You nodded at yourself, relaxing and using your free hand to caress Raven's back. The monstergirl relaxed further, sighing and nodding a little, squirming slightly closer against you as she used your arm as a pillow.

"Thank you very much, Master Rick."

Her words left you nodding, feeling the drowsiness overtake you.

And yet, just as you were about to fall asleep, you could've sworn you heard the sound of Kiara laughing.