Host of a Spider Girl

The refreshingly hot coffee washed down my throat as I sat at the breakfast table, staring out of the tall window to my side. The bright early morning sunshine streamed in, splashing the furniture. It was the only window in the whole house I liked to keep completely clean. It was a spot I could always retreat to when I needed to think.

This wasn't hard anyway, since the house was almost always quiet. Even though I lived with someone else, it didn't feel like it. A few months ago, I was approached via a letter I picked up in my mailbox about hosting a 'monster girl' - which was exactly what it sounded like. I figured I was chosen for the program because of my steady income and decent living space, but there were bound to be other factors.

It wasn't just monster girls, though. Less than a year ago, it turned out a whole world of monstrous people existed that lived completely isolated from us, coming from all manners of cultures - some even based on mythologies. Now, people are making efforts to try and welcome them into our society through government programs. I would say it was going well enough, though some species seemed more reluctant than others to integrate.

The girl I was chosen to host moved in almost immediately. Her name was Luceria, and she was known as an Arachnoid, specifically the spider variety. The only problem at the moment is that I've been nothing but kind to her ever since she got here, but she always closes herself off from me. She doesn't talk to me, and she hardly acknowledges me. I've tried almost everything to close the gap between us but she just won't budge.

When I checked my watch again I saw it was getting past nine o'clock. I drank the last of my coffee and stood up groggily to go take a shower. After dropping my dishes in the kitchen adjacent, I left and went into the wide hallway. The first door on my left was Luceria's room. It was closed again this morning, like always. I reached for the knob to open it but it was locked. I sighed.

Staring at it for a moment longer, I decided to try to talk to her anyway. I wasn't going to give up yet. I knocked lightly on the wood with my knuckle.

"Hey, I'm gonna be in the shower in case you need me for anything."

There was no response. To be honest, there was never any way of knowing whether or not she was even awake -- much less what her sleeping habits were.

Leaving it at that I walked away. I proceeded further down the hall and turned, where the bathroom sat at the very end of the corridor. I stepped in onto the cold tiles and closed the door softly behind me. I collected my towel from the silver rack on the wall and draped it over the top of the shower screen.

After getting undressed I pulled the shower knob towards me and the hot water came rushing out. I stepped underneath it and began to soak my messy brown hair. I was most likely due for a haircut, but I haven't been out as much lately apart from commuting to work.

I closed my eyes and my head rolled back. The water splashed down my chest as I stood there, my body heat slowly rising. My thoughts began to drift the more I relaxed and I was taken to Luceria. I said I wasn't going to give up yet, but in all honesty it was getting to the point where I worried we wouldn't ever connect with each other. Maybe we just weren't compatible; a bad match that couldn't have been predicted by the program. I sighed again longingly.

As if I snapped out of a daydream, I opened my eyes and drew my head back to the front. I rubbed my eyes as I drew in a deep breath. When I turned around to grab the bottle of shampoo sitting on the shelf I saw the bathroom door wide open, a giant, dark looming figure standing in the doorway. I jumped back into the wall, almost slipping over. It was Luceria, holding a towel over her arm.

"Jesus, you scared me," I said to her. What freaked me out more though was the fact I didn't hear her.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," Luceria replied. Her voice was gentle, as if it could be carried away by the wind, yet it was full of authority.

Only after recovering from being frightened did I process that she walked in on me having a shower. I quickly turned my back to her.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" I asked, clearing my throat of my light embarrassment.

"I thought I'd join you in here, since I realised I could use a bath anyway."

"Couldn't you've waited until after I was done?"

"Well, I suppose I could... I apologise. If it's too embarrassing, I can leave if you like. I only thought we might be able to spend some time together."

Suddenly I felt bad. It was the most genuine sounding thing I had heard Luceria say since I'd known her. And I definitely appreciated the thought.

"Um... No, th-that's okay," I took back. "You can stay," I told her after reconsidering as she went to turn away. Hoping she wouldn't notice, I secretly made the water hotter to form a thicker coverage of steam on the glass.

Luceria nodded and walked the rest of the way inside. There was enough space in the bathroom to accommodate her body comfortably, since that was the reason for her living her. She was far taller than me; two metres or slightly more if I had to guess, with the human portion of her body attached on her front, similar to a centaur.

As I stood there I couldn't help but watch closely as she walked by the shower, peering curiously at her abnormal body: the whole frame looked sleek and elegant, even including the way she walked despite her many legs.

She had a large abdomen with a hard but smooth black shell covering it along with the rest of her body. Her eight slender legs extended out from under her, each ending in points that gripped whatever she walked on with ease. Her forearms, including her fingers, were made of the same hard exoskeleton as her body rather than flesh, and she had an extra pair of dark beading eyes on her forehead. Seeing her so rarely left me still unused to her appearance, but I didn't mind it at all.

Reaching down she turned on the bath against the wall on the other side of the bathroom. The water came gushing out of the tap and she held her hand out to feel the temperature, adjusting the knobs to suit her. When it looked like she was satisfied she pulled her hand away and suddenly the water's temperature coming from the showerhead over me dropped. I stepped out of the stream to avoid it.

After waiting patiently for a long moment, Luceria cut off the water to the bath and began to undress. She pulled up the oversized white shirt she wore up her body, leaving her back exposed. I felt my heartbeat quicken and I turned away from her to avoid looking.

Wearing people's clothes was difficult for Luceria, but I could tell she was managing. On a normal day she would walk around in a large shirt that covered her entire front, depending on how she was feeling. Underneath, I was fairly certain she wore normal bras. She brought her own clothes with her when she arrived but I've tried buying some for her in the past, usually as a token of friendship. It never really worked as I hoped.

I awkwardly stared at the shower wall, pretending to notice new details about the boring grey tiles despite the fact I wasn't able to see much anyway. When I glanced over my shoulder she had sat herself down inside the bath. The water was heavily displaced around her abdomen as it sank down in front of her, the underside of her belly exposed. Her legs were curled inwards as she rested her elbows on either edge of the bath while her long, straight blonde hair flowed down over her shoulders.

"How have you been lately?" Luceria suddenly asked me while I started to go back to cleaning myself.

"Uh - good, I guess," I replied, pumping body wash in my hand. The sudden interaction had caught me off guard. "Work hasn't been too bad so I've been able to stay here and relax a bit more."

She nodded. "I've noticed that. What do you do for a living, if I might ask?"

"Actually, I'm a graphic designer. For a product company in the city."

"Graphic designer...?" Luceria questioned back, puzzled.

I forgot that she probably wasn't perfectly acquainted with the outside world yet. "I draw stuff: logos, marketing pieces, that kind of thing," I rephrased. "Though I've been wanting to do more art in my free time -- maybe try different things."

"I see. You must be a creative person then."

I smiled to myself, a sense of pride filling me. "Yeah, I guess I am. I've never been one for following rules though, especially when I was younger."

"Are you carefree?" she then asked.

"Well... not anymore," I answered with a bit of disappointment in my voice. "I wish I could be a little bit. Things can get stale and sometimes I want to just get away and not have to worry about anything."

"I understand what you mean. I used to feel the same way. Diversity in one's life is a good thing."

"I agree." I was finished with washing myself and I rinsed myself off under the water. I was feeling a lot more relaxed after talking a little, and then it occurred to me that this was the longest conversation Luceria and I had ever had together.

"I've been doing some thinking lately," Luceria started back up, "and I want to apologise about being so cold to you since I've been here. I... I'd like to get to know you better."

Hearing the words shook me. Did that mean I finally did something right?

"Yeah. I'd like that too," I responded finally.

We went quiet for a moment. I'd already finished in the shower, but now I wanted to stay just to talk to Luceria, afraid it might be the only chance I got if I left the bathroom now.

"Aren't you curious about me?" she asked again, breaking the silence.

"Huh? In what way?"

"Everytime I meet someone new I can always see they have a million questions floating around in their mind, but I know they're too afraid to ask. Yet, you live with me and haven't asked me anything. Don't you feel the same?"

"I mean... I'm as curious as the next person, but I always try to respect your space, so I felt like bombarding you with questions was a bit rude..." I said back to her. Then, I could hear her giggle quietly in amusement.

"It's alright to be curious," Luceria said, looking up. "In fact, it's natural. I have a collection of my own questions about humans that I think about all the time."

"Really?"

"Of course. We're so different that we can't help but wonder. Don't you find that?" I looked at Luceria. Her black eyes blinked all at once.

I coughed, more out of reflex than anything. "Yeah, I guess so..."

"Then go ahead. I'll give you a chance to have your questions answered, and you can do the same for me," Luceria said.

"Wait, seriously?" I asked with a chuckle of disbelief.

"Yes, seriously," she replied.

Now that I was given such an opportunity, I couldn't focus on one of the many thoughts racing around my head. At that moment I pushed the shower knob forward and the water stream died, filling the bathroom up with stillness as the sound died with it.

"Okay then..." I muttered quietly as I thought about it. Finally, I settled on one. "Can you really spin webs? I was expecting to see them all over my house when I first took you in, but I haven't found one anywhere," I asked her, still facing the wall.

"Yes, I can," she answered, her voice rippling through the echoey room. "They're used for trapping prey, but in this modern world I don't have much use for them."

"Oh. Is that a bad thing?"

"No, not really. I enjoy the level of comfort that humans experience on a daily basis. Everything is so... convenient," she said.

"That's how everything is made. It's supposed to be easy."

"Obviously that's true. What's your next question?"

I thought some more and stumbled across one I was the most curious about.

"How heavy are you? I know you're not supposed to ask a woman's weight, but I can't tell if it's hard to walk around with your body, or--"

Luceria looked at me and laughed again. I stopped talking. I've never heard her laugh before, let alone smile. It sounded so entrancing, like I could listen to it all day and not get tired.

"It's alright. Actually, I'm not very heavy at all. If I were, I probably wouldn't be able to climb, or even support my own weight," she said. "Let's see, I think I'm around... ninety kilograms or more, if I use your measurement system."

Ninety kilos? For her entire body? I was almost eighty, and I thought I was doing alright. Suddenly I felt much worse about myself.

"That is really light," I said to Luceria. Hopefully the croak in my voice from my new-found insecurity wasn't too apparent.

"Would you like to know anything else?" Luceria inquired.

This time I thought more carefully about it. Out of all the oddities surrounding Luceria, there was one more thing I was utterly curious to find out.

I cleared my throat before speaking. "Actually, one thing I want to know is... What does your body feel like?"

She was quiet for a minute, and I knew I definitely weirded her out. Of course. What a stupid question. I stepped over the line and now she'd probably go back to hating me for as long as she knew me.

"...Would you like to find out?" Luceria said back. I lifted my head up, surprised.

"Wh-What do you mean?" I asked her nervously, my voice creaking.

"Isn't there only one way to answer your question?" she said.

A lump grew in my throat and it formed into a forceful cough. My bones began to tremble with nervousness as I stood in the now cold shower air. How was I meant to respond? Was it an invitation to go over to her? Not to mention we were both naked -- what would something like that result in?

I needed more time to prepare myself but I didn't want to stand frozen inside the shower for too long like an idiot, in case it made things awkward. I bit down on my doubt and pulled down the towel hanging above me and wrapped it tightly around my hips, tucking the corner of the towel inside. I slowly slid the screen door open and exited cautiously.

Turning around I saw Luceria watching on attentively like she was curious to see what I'd do next - the worst possible situation to embarrass myself. I peered down at Luceria's bare stomach; her breasts were floating about freely, mostly submerged in the clear bathwater. They were actually larger than what I'd noticed before, but then again I barely ever saw her before now. As I got closer, merely looking in her direction felt wrong.

Still, I proceeded to the edge of the bathtub and squatted down. I noticed she had put her arm across her chest before I went over, covering only the bare minimum. Her pedipalps and upper legs acted as a barrier to shield her private part from reaching my gaze. At least that was one thing I didn't have to worry about. All of a sudden Luceria extended out the closest leg of hers to me and I reached shakily over to it. My fingertips brushed its surface first, then I put my whole hand down on it, carefully caressing it.

Her leg felt exactly as I expected it to, yet it was a completely new experience: to start, it was completely smooth to touch but it was solid, like rock. It had a glossy sort of a feel to it, with an ever so slightly bumpy surface.

"Wow," I gasped in amazement. Gradually I eased into the act until I was comfortable. I took my hand back. "It feels so nice," I admitted.

"Do you really think so?" Luceria said, sounding a little bit flattered. "I thought that would be the last thing you'd say..."

"I mean, I think everything about you is beautiful," I said to her. I saw her expression change to one of total bafflement. "Oh, crap- Th-That's not what I meant! I meant your body - I don't find it weird, that's all!"

As I tripped stupidly over my words it seemed Luceria was finding a way to react. I dropped my face in my hands. "I'm sorry, that's not what was I supposed to say..." I apologised, overwhelmed by embarrassment.

"But, do you feel that way about me?" Luceria suddenly asked me.

I looked up. "What do you mean?"

"Do you... like me?"

All kinds of feelings spawned inside me. Was there a correct way to answer this? I've heard women do this sort of thing, but I didn't think that's what Luceria meant by the question.

"A little bit," I responded. "I can't say I don't, or that I don't wonder about it sometimes." It was the truth -- I was just hoping it didn't end badly.

"So you'd be willing to try it?" she asked again. She sat up higher now, sending gentle ripples through the water as she stared at me. I was beginning to get confused as to why she was asking me all these questions.

"Yeah, I-I guess I would." I scratched the back of my head, baffled. I looked back at Luceria and both of us had become locked in a stare. Her four shiny black eyes began to grab a hold of me until I was swallowed up by them.

My heart skipped a beat when she gently brushed her fringe behind her ear. In the feeling of the moment, I got closer and leant in to kiss her. I knew I surprised her because she pulled back slightly, but she came back around and I lightly touched her lips with mine.

I realised what I had done and suddenly a shade of ashamedness came over. "Sorry," I chuckled with remorse. "I probably shouldn't have done that." I started to stand up but felt a grip on my wrist.

"No, I didn't mind it," Luceria told me. "In fact... I'd like you to do it again."

A blush formed on my cheeks and my heart started to pound. "Well... Maybe we should get out of the bathroom first? This isn't the best place to do it, I don't think..."

"Right," she replied. Suddenly Luceria began to lift herself up with her arms, using the edges of the bath as leverage. Reacting quickly I turned around again to let her get out.

I cleared my throat. "I'll just, uh, let you get dressed. I'll meet you in my room, if that's okay."

"Sure. You can go," she told me.

I scooted out of the bathroom with my towel and went straight to my bedroom down the hall. I picked out some fresh clothes quickly without thinking too much about it.

I sat on the side of my queen bed in wait, wondering what I should have been expecting. We were only going to kiss a couple times more, right? That's all we said, but the situation felt a little different than that.

Luceria appeared again in the doorway, fully dressed again. Her damp hair was bundled on her shoulder but this time I noticed a distinct lack of bra under her shirt: her boobs were hanging more freely and they were pulling the fabric this way and that.

She crawled into the room and joined me on the edge of the bed. My chest pounded nervously.

"How is this usually done?" she asked me, her voice sounding more vulnerable in that moment than I'd ever heard.

It was a good question, as I didn't have very much advanced experience myself. I leant in closer to her and she put out a hand on the sheets, approaching me likewise until we kissed again properly. Enthralled, I closed my eyes and put a hand on the top of her frontmost leg. I felt her react slightly but she didn't move from her position. We stopped and pulled away.

We stared into each other's eyes for a second and I could feel her enjoyment, and I hope she could feel mine as well.

I began to edge closer to her and she moved her body to let me in. We initiated another kiss and Luceria suddenly picked up my hand and laid it on her shoulder. I decided to go with it, sliding my hand progressively down until it was resting pleasantly on her collarbone. Our kiss became more passionate and Luceria pulled her chest closer to me. We were both breathing deeply, my lips overlapping hers in long, supple kisses. All of a sudden I felt the squishy surface of Luceria's boob press lightly against me. She moved in even further, beginning to dominate the space between us until it was non-existent. Her chest was so incredibly soft, but I was hesitant to accept her advances. I drew back quickly.