Arachne

Neri and I are traversing some corridors.
Considering the room we just left, it is surprising that there are nearly no spiders to be seen.

"Where are we going?" (L)

"I really need to talk to Masiabi, one of the sisters. She is in charge of the food. I thought that you’ve had nothing to eat for a while. And at the moment, I don't know what I could provide. My last gathering tour got... interrupted and the food here is... you need to get used to it. It shouldn't taste bad, but I need to make sure where it comes from." (N)

"Where it comes from?" (L)

Neri looks uncomfortably at the ground and I understand.
Spiders are predatory.
And the last income was my group.
She doesn't want me to be forced to eat this.
It would be terrible for me and she is concerned about my well-being.

In the end, we arrive at a room that resembles something like a dining hall.
Yet, it's empty.
We enter, but no one is here.

"It might take a while until she comes. Ehm, Masiabi is a hunter. She is not evil and has a soft side if she is not hunting. However, she is... special." (N)

I don't know what that means, but I’m not given long to ponder.
Suddenly, a gust of wind hits me, and the spot where Neri stood just a moment before is vacant.
I find her some meters away, held tightly by a blonde girl who seems to be considerably stronger than her.
And probably me.

"Ah, sister! I've heard you wanted to see me?" (M)

"Y-y-yes, urgh. I ha-had a re-request. Please... breathing!" (N)

She lets go of Neri and I can take a look at her.
Different than her sister, this one looks like a healthy girl.
If not for the protruding fangs at her mouth.

"And? What do you want, besides breathing?" (M)

"I really need a little bit to eat for Liana." (N)

"Isn't there more than enough? We just had..." (M)

"I know what we have! Please, anything but this! We cannot do this, it's wrong! This is the same as if you would eat your familiars. I cannot allow this!" (N)

"But I do! Food is food! So they still serve a purpose. You are quite fixated on this." (M)

She got us both with this comment.
For a creature like this, it doesn't matter where the food comes from.
Not consuming it is simply considered a waste, which can't even be considered wrong from her viewpoint.
Nevertheless, it's a very monstrous way of thinking.

"Please help me! It's just, I need to make it up to Liana. There are things I need to do to help her. It was all my fault!" (N)

"What are you saying? We had her group under surveillance the moment they entered our territory. They crossed a line where we agreed that they were done for quite some time before they met you. It was just not expected that you would, of all places, stroll there and meet them. It was your right to claim her. And she would be dead without you. Nobody forbids her to kill herself if she prefers that above the food." (M)

Their territory? Oh no, the silk!
That was a fence.
A fence for where they keep their livestock!

"I... I don't know about that, but I really need your help. I don't want Liana to have to do this. Please!" (N)

"Hmm… Okay. But only if you pay my price for this, alright? You know what I mean!" (M)

Neri is disturbed and hesitates.
I can see and feel it.
I am afraid to ponder what such a monster would demand.

"F-fine! I’ll do it!" (N)

She is clearly distressed but sets herself to do whatever she has to do now.
For my sake!

"Uhm, can you please help your little sister? Big sis?" (N)

I am completely dumbfounded.
That's it?
It is hard to imagine that such simple words are what this monster longs for.
On the other side, the blond girl is literally beaming.
Can a mouth really stretch this far?
She looks as if she would explode in joy at any moment.
And so she does.

"Yes!!! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! Sure! Your big sister would do anything for you! Oh my! You said it! I'm a big sister! Yeaaahhh! Okay! Okay! There is not much left that was left separated, but I will directly fetch something! Something should be found in this forest! Sure!" (M)

"Ehm, could I maybe get a little normal flesh for the kitchen as well? Big sis?" (N)

"Yes! Absolutely! Sure! No problem! I will be directly on my way, and if I need to flatten the forest and everything around it, so be it!!!" (M)

This girl gives the word affection a completely new meaning.
And I have a bad feeling the last thing was not just an exaggeration.
She would invade the capital, only to claim the princess canopy bed for her sister.
Talk about disturbing characters!

That girl immediately left to fulfill her task.
So it's just the two of us.

"And now?" (L)

"I... I don't know. It is difficult to come up with something. Oh, right! This I should prepare!" (N)

"Would you let me take part?" (L)

I try to not be harsh to her, yet the being enslaved part has the potential to poison a relationship.

"Y-yes. I... There is one of the sisters who I would like to ask for a room close to mine. She is good in making them and I thought you rather would like your own. I already asked Eritu, but she will maybe only do what’s necessary." (N)

Another one?

"How many sisters are there?" (L)

"Five. They are all rather different, but friendly, I think. I mean you've met two of them. Eritu has nothing against you in particular, and I doubt that Masiabi would be unfriendly to you. Then there are Kyroki, Talisa, and Akasia. Talisa is somehow in charge here, yet there are votes. She is very strict, b-but it should be fine as long you don't break the rules. Akasia is the one I'd like to meet. I think she is the friendliest one. Oh, and she likes humans! I-in the traditional way! Not as... you know. So maybe you could get along?" (N)

"This sounds a bit odd. I mean isn't she eating them too?" (L)

"Y-yes, maybe I was wrong. I mean she is still an Arachne! But she isn't this much against them. More when it's convenient. Y-yet she likes acid too and is rather strange. However, please don't make fun of her." (N)

Really?!
Does she think I would provoke some kind of big acid spider?

"Why should I do something this stupid?" (L)

"You know she... she likes to play princess or something like this." (N)

"What?" (L)

Okay, maybe imagining a spider monster in a princess dress is funny.

"Yes, she doesn't really know how to do it and it looks a bit ridiculous, but like I said she is friendly." (N)

"And this Kyroki?" (L)

"Well, you already heard a bit about her. She... She is scary. I try not to come too close. After all she did, I doubt she would harm either of us, as this would be contradicting her purposes. But if you see a small black-haired girl, it'd be best for you to get away!" (N)

A little girl?
You really shouldn't let appearance deceive you.

"So we are going now to Akasia?" (L)

"Yes, I thought so. Like I said, she is good with acid and could maybe etch a new room." (N)

What am I supposed to make out of this?
A room for myself is a rather good treatment for someone who is essentially a slave.

Like before, we continue traversing those white hallways.
It's distressing if you keep in mind that we are literally inside a giant spider web.
There might not be much to fear right now, but this is distressing by itself.
This calmness is affecting me.
Just another point of the changes they forced upon me.
Yet at the moment, these fangs that grow in my mouth are the most disturbing.
I can't stop touching that spot.

"I-I know it is distressing. I was also very anxious when I was told about them. B-but you don't feel them that much if you don't pay attention." (N)

"It's just that this is a bit much to deal with." (L)

"Uh huh, I know. But at least you don't have legs in your back that threaten to pierce out, as a constant reminder that you could fully turn into a spider. I am so scared that this might happen to me if I don't stay alert." (N)

Regarding the changes in physiology, she is far worse off than me.
It is not really hard to relate to her story when the same things happen to me somehow.
Like this, it is convincing, no matter how ridiculous it sounds.