Gentleman in the Forest (old ver.)

Left alone, she looked at the bathtub as it heated up. She walked over and tested the waters, finding them still lukewarm but heating up quickly. She was honestly wary about getting naked, especially here, but her new calmer state had allowed her to think things through much more clearly and rationally. If he had wanted to do anything to her, he already had ample opportunity to do so. She figured she could probably trust him and besides, nothing could be worse than that soul-crushing depression. At any rate, she wanted to be out of her damned urine-soaked clothes already and that desire powered through everything else.

She quickly unlaced her boots and tossed them over by the entryway, then peeled her socks off and balled them together before tossing them as well. The next thing to go were her shorts and panties. She quickly unzipped her shorts and yanked them and her panties off in one swift motion, which revealed her most intimate area before bashfulness can take her. A part of her couldn't help but think about if Nathaniel entered the bathroom right at that moment, how he would react seeing the muscle tone on her legs go all the way up to her taut butt and whether or not he would think the well-trimmed pubic hairs around her womanhood were disgusting or not. She decided it was better not to think about it and placed her shorts and panties next to her shoes and socks, embarrassed at seeing the yellow stains on her panties.

She shook her head until she couldn't focus on her embarrassment anymore and quickly unbuttoned her shirt, throwing it off and covering the panties as her toned arms and stomach were exposed to the cool air. She glanced down at her abdominal muscles, a six-pack earned though countless hours of activity as she unhooked her bra and added it to the pile. Her C-cup breasts broke free of their constraint and she took a deep, calming breath. She went back over to the bath and found that it had warmed up to almost the perfect temperature, which caused a small smile to grace her face.

Felicity remembered all the things Nathaniel had gotten down for her from his shelves and took a look at them. First was a bar of soap, from a brand typically used by women. Perhaps he has sensitive skin? she thought, smirking a little at the thought of a spider monster having soft skin. Shampoo and conditioner had been laid next to the soap, both the same brand and probably unscented and a bottle of some kind of bath scent. She picked the bottle up, examining it. Lilacs and Lavender, my favorite. Well, back when I still used to use bath scents. She opened the bottle and poured some in, letting it flow into the bath for a few moments before she climbed in herself. The moment her feet entered the water, she felt she had experienced a small slice of heaven. She submerged herself in slowly, relishing the feel of the water over her skin.

It had never occurred to her before to bathe in a hot tub, since she'd only ever experienced chlorine waters in Jacuzzis as her closest possible comparison, but she felt absolutely wonderful as the tub slowly churned the water around and the scent of lilacs and lavender filled her nostrils. She quickly relaxed, all her previous troubles and worries drained away by the soothing waters. She'd managed to open her eyes in her new blissful haze and was reminded once again of the cleaning stuff Nathaniel had pulled down for her. After the day she'd had, cleaning off sounded just perfect. She grabbed the soap and started to work a nice lather in her hands with it, the bubbles quickly coating her hands.

She stood up out of the water so that she could apply the lather over her body, the water running down every nook and cranny of every single muscle as it went to go back into the tub. She rubbed her lather over her arms first, the bubbles getting lodged in the dimples of her musculature as she went up her arms, over her shoulders and around her neck until it was time for her chest. She had to work up another lather, then pressed it onto her breasts. She worked the soap onto them in slow, hard circles until they were completely covered before sliding her hands down to her stomach and around to what parts of her back she could reach.

She had lathered up again for what she hoped would be the final time, and started by soaping up her rear. A small, prideful smile graced her face as she felt firm muscle of it, with only the smallest bit of fat still on it. She worked her hands around, pressing the lather down her body until finished covering her most intimate area. Once that had been done, she took a seat and worked the last of her lather over her legs, the bubbles of the lather lodging themselves along every crevice in the muscles on her legs as she had finally managed to cover herself from head to toe. She placed the soap back on the edge of the tub and quickly submerged herself completely.

She made sure that her hair was as soaked as the rest of her before she popped her head back out above the waters, noticing as she did that the clothes she had left by the entryway were gone now. Nathaniel probably took them just now when I was rinsing off. I hope he didn't see anything. I can't believe I've managed to relax enough to zone out. she thought as she started to grab the shampoo off the edge of the tub and pour some into her hands.

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Nathaniel breathed a sigh of relief as he walked away from the entryway to the bathroom with the bundle of Felicity's clothes in his hands. Even just holding her clothes was enough to get his blood to heat up with the effects of mating season. If he had seen her nude, bathing in the tub...Well, he didn't want to think of himself losing control and giving into lust, but the threat was very much there all the same. Still, he thought to himself, it's a bit hard to believe I have such a beautiful woman bathing in my home.

He smacked himself as soon as he had thought that. He couldn't risk anything bringing any more heat to his body, not if wanted to keep control of himself. Focus on the task at hand, he thought and fished her shirt out of the bundle in his arms. He had told her he would find something for her to wear while he made sure that her clothes got washed, but he'd need to know what size shirt she wore first. He fiddled around with the shirt for longer than he would have liked, having more difficulty than he'd hoped finding the size tag until he finally spied the size measurement. Whatever hack had made this flannel shirt of hers had put the size in a faded white that nearly blended in with the light blue. He would have made sure it was a dark black so that it could be seen more easily, but grumbling about it now would do no good.

The tag told him that she seemed to wear a size 10. This was clearly meant to be a more casual fit, so he could probably go a size smaller if he needed to without the shirt being too tight on her. He continued on his way to the small alcove past his studio that he used for laundry and filled a large bucket with some laundry soap and water he had quickly heated up on the electric stove in his kitchen. He tossed in everything but her bra, since she would certainly need that and he couldn't really make another one for her. Not that Nathaniel wasn't willing to try, but he hadn't much experience in making underwear of any kind in his work and it would take a while to figure out how to make a new type of clothing from scratch.

Leaving her clothes to soak for a bit in the soapy water, he walked over to his studio. He knew all the sizes of each of his pieces by heart and shook his head at every shirt and pair of pants he came across. He knew wouldn't be able to put together a two-piece outfit from the pieces he hadn't been able to sell online yet, so he kept looking around. Perhaps a dress? he thought, looking around. His eyes came across a piece he was particularly proud of, and knew instantly it would be an almost perfect fit.

He scooped the dress up, carefully putting it on a hanger with the bra draped over the shoulders and marched on back to the bathroom. He took another look at the dress in his hands, painstakingly crafted in between many other projects over the course of three months until he had felt it was just perfect, and gulped nervously. He hoped that she wouldn't mind wearing a dress, but if she did then maybe she'd be okay with it if he just explained that it's the only thing he had that would fit her and cover her up properly. I'll just have to hope she likes it. It's one of the best pieces I've ever made after all. Nathaniel thought to himself as he reached his arm into the entryway and hung the dress and bra up on a hanging hook he had glued to the bathroom wall.

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The water in the tub had started to get cold and Felicity decided it was probably about time to get out. After she had finished washing her hair, she decided that there was no real point in trying to hurry out of the tub and so sat back and relaxed with her eyes closed. She had heard Nathaniel skittering about the cave while she did so, but she found that the skittering sound didn't really bother her much anymore. While the whole situation was still very weird for her, it had stopped terrifying her somehow.

She opened her eyes, finding a single towel neatly folded on a shelf next to the sink and climbed out of the tub to grab one. As she began to dry herself off she took another look at the bathroom, wondering how on Earth he had managed to get running water into a cave for a bath and sink. Did he make all of this himself? she thought as the towel made quick work of drying her naked body. Within moments, all that was left was her hair and she started to vigorously rub at it to get it dry. She would have to fix her hair when she felt it was dry enough, but she had easily-managed hair so she felt confident she would be able to look okay even just smoothing things out with her fingers.

Once she had gotten her hair comfortably dry, the cool air of the cave hit her all over her body. Her nipples perked at the sensation and she gave a small shiver. Obeying her first instinct, she covered herself up as much possible with her arms and rubbed to put some heat back into her body. Nathaniel had said that he would find something for her to wear while she was in the tub, so she looked around and found what he had picked out almost instantly.

It was the dress. That beautiful red dress she had seen earlier when she was looking into his tailor's studio from above. She covered herself with the towel as much as she could as she approached it, awestruck at how much more vibrant it was up close. It had been hung up carefully with her bra draped over and there was a small note that had been attached, written in elegant-looking handwriting.

This was all I had that could fit you. I hope it's okay. Nathaniel Ashton

Okay?! she thought to herself. It's gorgeous! You'd really waste an outfit like this on me? she ran her fingers over the dress, feeling the softness of the silk that made it. She could tell that this had been hand-crafted and the quality of it mesmerized her. A small giddy thrill coursed through her as she traced the sleeves, the floral pattern, everything about this work of art in her hands. And I get to wear this?! she thought with a wide smile as she removed her bra from it.

She dropped her towel down and put her bra back on, being careful to make sure it was snug and wouldn't catch on anything when she put the dress on over it. Her hands shook as she took the dress carefully off of the hanger holding it up. She had always loved dresses, but there weren't really many dresses that didn't clash with her body. They were always made for slender, less muscular girls so half the time when she tried to wear a dress she would end up ripping it by accident. She didn't want this lovely piece to suffer the same fate, but it was either that or walk around naked.

She took the dress over to the large mirror and carefully slipped it on over her head, pulling it down slowly and gently over her entire body. The soft silk material felt amazing on her skin, like nothing she had ever worn before. It caressed her body almost sensually as she worked it down. She slipped her arms through the sleeves and marveled at how they pressed snugly at her skin. It wasn't constricting or tight at all liked she worried it would be. It was almost like having a second skin that stopped just short of her elbows and hugged her biceps gently. Next, she popped her head through the neck hole.

There was plenty of room, as the dress had been designed to show off the whole neck, including the collarbone, while keeping the chest modestly covered. She pulled her hair gently out of the dress and it cascaded down perfectly, messy though it still was. The dress continued to be a marvel to her as she slid it completely down. Once the dress had reached her stomach, there was more leeway for her lower body so that her legs were able to move completely freely.

She had to admit, it felt a little naughty having this dress on with no panties underneath it, but those feelings of eroticism quickly faded as she caught sight of herself in the mirror. The dress was perfect, like it had been made just for her. The way it perfectly hugged her arms, the accentuations of the chest that made her breasts seems more womanly instead of more seductive, the looseness around her legs as the dress went down just past her knees...she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so...feminine. She wet her hands down, running her fingers through her hair to fix it up as best she could and loved the slightly wild hairstyle she'd created for herself. Feeling as ready as she could, she gathered up the towel and threw it in a hamper that seemed to have other towels in it and walked barefoot out of the bathroom. She caught sight of Nathaniel in the kitchen, boiling some water in a pot.

"How do I look?" she asked him, a small nervous knot in her stomach as he turned his head towards her.

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You are the epitome of health and elegance in a scarlet red skin. Nathaniel thought as his jaw hung open and his breath caught in his throat. You are the most beautiful creature I've ever had the privilege to lay eyes upon. He could feel his body heat rising, the fever of mating season causing his blood to boil at the sight of her. He had given this woman, a prospective mate by the reckoning of his ancient instincts, a gift and she had accepted it and displayed it in front of him. His legs started to twitch and his eyes begin dilating. He had to fight with every inch of his being in order to retain enough of himself to not web up the beauty before him and make love to her until daybreak.

"So it doesn't suit me after all." Felicity said, her face clearly disheartened. Her perceived emotional pain was enough to shake him out of it. His instincts told him that he had done wrong by this mate and so Nathaniel was finally able to shake himself out of his heat enough to speak coherently.

"N-no, no!" He stuttered out. "I'm just very surprised is all. I thought that it might be a little too tight, but it fits you perfectly. It's a bit surprising, since that was a passion project and not a commission." A blush started to spread on his face and he quickly turned away to hide it from Felicity. "By the way," he said quickly over his shoulder, desperate to change the subject. "I've got your laundry soaking in some soap in the laundry area, just past my studio." He pointed to a small alcove that she could barely see just past the tailor's studio.

"Oh, thank you. You didn't have to do that for me." she replied, brushing a stray hair behind her ear.

"It's not a problem at all." Nathaniel said, managing to regain more of his composure. Once he was sure that he'd gotten rid of his blush, he turned back towards her. "So how does spaghetti with sausage sound for dinner tonight?"

"Spaghetti...with sausage?" she asked, looking and sounding a little confused.

"Oh is that not okay? I can make something else if you like."

"Oh no, I'm just...surprised is all. I didn't expect dinner to be so...normal, I guess? Sorry if that's offensive I just thought you might have a different diet from...well, you know... humans." She explained, rubbing her arm.

"Oh, no offense at all. I understand. I'm part human at most, so I understand that you might think that. But no, my diet is largely the same as human's." He explained as he walked over to a cabinet filled with an absurd amount of canned protein shakes and pulled one out. "I just need a lot more protein is all." As soon as he had finished speaking, he popped open the can and quickly drank its contents, eliciting a small chuckle from her.

"You know, I don't really know anything about you or your people. I hope you don't take offense if I say something stupid, Nathaniel." She said to him, easing up a bit.

"Well, if you're worried about it then why don't we get to know each other? Ask questions while we cook. Maybe make a small game out of it. I could ask a question and have to wait to ask another one until I answer one of yours? It would be a good way to pass the time while preparing dinner regardless." He suggested as he put on an apron hanging on the fridge, then started to pull out a pan and some spaghetti. Nathaniel heard her snicker behind his back as he walked around with the apron on, but could only smile at her improved mood.

"I would like that." she replied, her voice still jovial from snickering. She flashed him a small smile as she looked around the kitchen. "May I start?"

"Please, go right ahead." He said, pulling out some marinara sauce.

"So how did you afford...well, all this?" She asked, gesturing to everything in his home.

"Like I told you, I'm a professional tailor." He said, gesturing both to his suit and his studio further back in the cave. "I make my own clothes, as well as other people's and sell them online. I just have people send me their measurements and what they look like, take pictures as the piece is in progress to make sure it's what they want, then mail it to them when it's finished. I never have to meet face to face with anybody, so I can make money without risking my safety. The only things I never really make are underwear, since...well, my silk is made out of my silk. I'm not really comfortable thinking about something that came out of my body...down there."

"Wait, you use your webbing as silk? Like, this amazing dress I'm wearing is made out of something that came out of you?" She asked with disbelief in her voice. Nathaniel nodded in response and she laughed loudly. Nathaniel blushed, trying and failing to hide his mixture of admiration and embarrassment by turning his face away from her. "Definitely weird, but still tailor sounds like a fulfilling job. Much better than my dumb job at a call center for customer service. Plus this dress is amazing!"

"Alright, my turn." He said as he pulled out and started to cut up the sausage, blushing and smiling pleasantly at her praise. "You told me you were walking through the woods when you came upon my home. Now I assume this walk was for recreation, so my question is what else do you do for fun?"

"Oh, I like all sorts of things. I'm pretty energetic most of the time so most of my hobbies are athletic. Hiking, bike riding, indoor rock climbing. You know, those sorts of things. Not that I don't enjoy sitting and watching a movie, or playing some games but I just have a hard time sitting still without a specific reason to. It doesn't help that I have so much pent up energy that I'm just itching in my seat at work to bounce around and move."