Drider Dates
Author’s note: This story is set in the same universe as my prior Drider stories, which explain the world, and the situation between humans and Driders. * * * It was an exceedingly cold night as Oiai walked down the street, drawing her coat tighter around her, wishing once more that the weather had been more pleasant and accommodating for the get-together. But luck was not on their side, as this winter had been far colder then normal. Humans could adapt to the cold, but it was much harder for her kind to do so. Drawing her coat closer about her, Oiai hurried on, her legs moving quickly across the pavement. At last, the lights of the bar appeared, bright and warm within the cold winter night. The door, while large, was still small enough that she had to squeeze all her legs together to fit through. But once she was through, a gust of warm air flowed over her, and she felt warm enough to take off her coat. After putting the coat on a nearby rack, she walked towards the back of the bar, passing dozens of other driders, and the humans walking about. There was a festive mood in the air, with both species seeking refuge from the cold, and finding it in their drinks, the food, and the company of each other. Reaching a booth in the back, she sat down. There were several faces in the bar that Oiai recognized: Co-workers, neighbors, but there was one in particular that she didn’t see. A large tarantula came up. “Evening Oiai.” Oiai smiled. “Good evening Wangh.” “What’ll it be?” “Nothing at the moment. I’ll order once my date gets here.” Wangh smiled. “Trying your luck again, eh? Who with?” “A human. Goes by the name Jack.” “I don’t know of any human by that name.” “Not surprised. This is his first time coming here.” Wangh nodded. “Well, I hope it goes well for the two of you.” “I hope so. He’s very shy about all this. Took me a few months just to encourage him to come out here.” “Ah, just be yourself, and he’ll do fine. Now, just wave when you want some drinks, and I’ll be back.” “Thank you.” Legs scuttling, Wangh headed back towards the counter, leaving Oiai to wait, and ponder how this was going to go. Though this was a good, logical place to meet someone for the first time, she wondered if perhaps another location would have been better. Someplace with more warmth, perhaps a family restaurant. There weren’t any drunks here, but if something got out of hand, it could potentially ruin the entire evening. Considering how much this meant to her, she didn’t want to risk screwing it up. The human sized door opened, and a man walked inside. He was of average height and build, carrying a suitcase and wearing a dark green coat…the same attire Jack said he would be wearing upon arriving. Oiai looked over in surprise. So this was Jack…a bit smaller then she had imagined. He looked nervous too, peering around anxiously, no doubt feeling out of place among all the locals. Standing slightly, Oiai waved her hand. Jack saw it, quickly headed over. Like Oiai, he was also surprised at seeing her for the first time in person. Both had seen photos of each other over the internet, but had never met face to face. “So…Jack, I presume?” Oiai asked. Jack nodded. “Yep. The one and only.” Oiai extended her hand. “Well, nice to meet you in person at last!” Jack shook, then took a seat. “So…you know this place?” he asked. “Oh yes. Come here frequently after work,” Oiai assured him, sensing that he more nervous then she had intended. Perhaps she was bigger then he had imagined. Or perhaps it was because she was a black widow spider, which, from what she had read, were among the most poisonous spiders to humans. Or perhaps it was just the fact that actually seeing her face to face was something unnerving. “Well, what would you like to drink?” she asked, wanting to break the ice. “Water? Tea? Something else?” “Oh, water will be just fine, thanks,” Oiai signaled to Wangh, who came over, took their order, and went to have it made. “So…this your first time?” Oiai asked. “At a bar like this? Yeah…never been in a mixed bar before.” He looked around. While there were many humans in the bar, there were far more driders, of all species and types. “Nervous?” “A little, yeah,” Jack said. “Being…I mean, just having so many different…uh…your kind around is a little unnerving.” “How so?” Oiai asked, curious. Jack blushed, nervous. “Oh, just uh…childhood fear of spiders, you know? I mean, nothing against you personally or anything…I just remember back before your kind showed up, when the biggest spider was just the size of a dinner plate.” “That would be unnerving,” Oiai said. “Yeah.” Wangh came over, dropped off their drinks. “So, you’ve never been in a relationship with others of my kind before?” “Well, not really.” “And what are your first impressions?” Jack looked her over, trying to figure out a tactful way to reply. “Well…you’re a bit older then your picture let on. And you’re a bit…bigger. Not that you’re fat or anything.” The poor human wasn’t having a good time, Oiai could see that. She had made a critical error, she saw that now. A mixed bar wasn’t the best place to visit; the atmosphere was just too informal. They should have gone to that family themed restaurant, where things would have been more structured and friendly. Here, he was taking in too many things at once. She had to try and diffuse the tension, and get him out of here before his personal comfort level bottomed out. “If you want Jack,” she said. “We could go somewhere else, where you’re more comfortable.” “Oh no, no, that’s okay,” Jack said. “I mean…I expected to be a bit nervous, meeting you for the first time and all…it’s just that…well, and it’s just weird to see the face behind the username. I mean, I shouldn’t feel that way. How long have we been at this, now? Five years online?” “Six.” “Six, yeah. I just didn’t expect to feel this nervous.” “If this is your first time, that’s to be expected,” Oiai assured him. “You’ll warm up to it.” “I hope so.” Oiai smiled. “You will.” Taking his drink, Jack sipped it. “Oh yeah, I don’t doubt that. It’ll just take time, I suppose.” ...