Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

So I’m a student now, so what?

Hello!  Everyone’s favorite Magical Spider-Girl Shiro-chan is here!  I will eliminate evil with a wave of my scythe!

…

What?  Ms. Spider, are you trying too hard?  Ms. Spider, doesn’t it feel like you’re trying to avoid something?  Ms. Spider, could it be you don’t want to talk about how you transformed by accident?

…

No way!  Dear sir, dear madam, are you not too persistent in your questions?  Could you not allow a lady her mysteries? 

Though I’m not a lady, I’m a spider.

 …

Wah!  Fine!  I just got so used to not having enough power that I stopped paying attention to it!  I didn’t realize that I had finally gotten enough back to transform!  I didn’t realize it would happen automatically unless I was paying attention!

I haven’t been this embarrassed since I accidentally set my threads on fire in the middle region and killed myself…

Wait.  That never happened.  You didn’t hear that.  I still have my cursed eyes.  What did you hear?

You heard nothing.

…

Anyway!

So the spider is out of the bag at the Addams family!

And how did the deceived family react?  Was there anger at being used?!  Betrayal at being lied to!?  Was this poor spider girl chased into the cold dark world to live in shame?!

Have you not been listening to anything I said about the Addams?

***Scene Break***

“So dear,” Morticia began, sipping from a cup of tea.  Grandmama had outdone herself and there was just the right blend of cyanide and arsenic to add the perfect amount of bite to the warm beverage.  “Would you like to talk about how you came to be living with us?”

She was seated in the third living room which also doubled as the second dying room for special occasions.  Gomez was sitting beside her on the loveseat.  Fester had perched himself on the chandelier, though to be more accurate he was hanging from it by his knees.  Grandmama had settled herself in one of the darker corners, her eyes just barely visible and gleaming in the firelight.  Thing was with her, though he was mostly hidden behind her.  Wednesday had simply taken one of the armchairs, while Pugsley was lounging on the floor in front of the fire, just close enough for his hair to begin singing.

Lurch was cleaning the kitchen table.

In the center of the room, sitting seiza on all eight legs was Shiro in her Arachne form.  Her eyes were closed again and she had her head bowed and her hands folded in front of her contritely.  She was wearing the orange paisley bathrobe that Morticia had provided her earlier.

“Now, now, Tish,” Gomez chided her gently, gesturing grandly at Shiro with a cigar.  “No need to put the dear girl on the spot, is there?  Why, look at her, she’s positively mortified!  And not in a good way!”

“I know, Mon Cherie,” Morticia agreed, patting her husband’s knee gently.  She turned to address Shiro directly, who was nervously fidgeting.  “It’s fine, dear,” Morticia reassured her kindly.  “Take your time, and just tell us whatever you feel comfortable with.”

Shiro took a deep breath, and opened her mouth.  She stayed that way for several moments, before closing her mouth and exhaling the breath.  Then she instead began a series of confusing gestures to the normal observer’s sensibilities which involved what appeared to be several sentai poses, a series of irregular flailing, spelling the letters ‘YMCA’ multiple times, and finally a two-handed imitation of a bird flying away.

Gomez almost immediately took umbrage at the explanation.

“What!?” he roared, leaping to his feet in outrage.  “You’re being pursed by an evil god who wants to enslave you into their service!?  Outrageous!  I will not stand for it!  Thing!  Fetch me my ritual robes, cursed athame, and seven sacrificial goats!  No, make that thirteen!  The good ones, not the cut-rate sacrificial goats!”

Outraged at the indignity that had befallen the gorgeous creature in front of him, Thing immediately slapped a salute and raced off to begin gathering the requested items.

“Gomez, please calm down,” Morticia sighed, palming her forehead.  “Though this ‘D’ does sound like quite the character.”

Hands clasped under her chin, Shiro immediately nodded her agreement at the declaration.  Morticia made sure to give her a reassuring smile.

“And you’re confident that you’ve managed to escape their attention?” she prompted the white girl.

Shiro started to nod, then froze.  Immediately she turned to her right, hands coming up into a karate ready stance.  Her eyes darted back and forth before her eyes widened, and she immediately whirled to the other side, changing her stance dramatically.  Again, she looked for signs of imminent attack.  Finally, she settled, before shrugging and giving a hesitant thumbs up.

“Ah, gotcha,” Fester nodded, arms folded in contemplation.  “So, they’re the type that like to wait until you think you’re safe and then dramatically revealing themselves, eh.  Yeah, next time don’t forget to check above you as well.”

Shiro cocked her head to the side, before nodding furiously and giving Fester a more enthusiastic thumb up. 

“Well, this just won’t do,” Morticia tsked.  “Of course, you’ll be staying here until that pesky god is out of the picture.  I insist, and won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”  She tapped her chin as Shiro threw here hands up in celebration wordlessly.  “Now, the only question is where we’ll be putting you up.  I don’t suppose it would be right to keep you in aquarium that Wednesday has made available to you…”

Surprisingly, Shiro immediately threw up a hand to interrupt her.  Morticia paused at the interrupting and Shiro produced a handful of spider threat from somewhere which she then knit between her fingers to make what appeared to be a cradle.  Then she rested her head on it and let loose a relaxing sigh.

“I agree,” Wednesday nodded seriously.  “I have watched you working on that bed for years.  I have to admit, even I think it looks exceptionally comfortable.  It’s no wonder you are loathe to leave it.  I presume you are able to return to your previous form then?”

Shiro gave a thumbs up again, and then clenched her fists, puffing her cheeks out as she concentrated.  With a poof a smoke a feeling of pressure, the Arachne transformed, returning to her original spider shape.

The scene was interrupted as the door at the far side of the dying room was thrown open and heralded a chorus of bleating as a small herd of goats stampeded in, Thing perched upon the head of the first one draped in a dark robe that trailed behind the goat he was riding and clutching an evil looking bone knife in his fist.

“Good show, old boy,” Gomez complimented the prompt appendage.  “Now, you start working on the pentagram, and I’ll get changed for the sacrifice!”

***Scene Break***

No way… is what I’d like to say, but after years of living with the Addams, I actually sort of expected something like this?

But what does me turning back to my Arachne form (in a totally purposeful and intentional way) mean?

It means that my god powers have returned enough for me to start using them!  Which means more training! 

Cue the montage!

No, not really.  Actually, of all my old abilities at that point I have only really managed to get three of them up and working.

The first: I really do have my evil eyes back! 

My power, it’s rising!  Tsk, be still my right eye!  It is not time for you to emerge!

… or something like that!

Really, I only have one of my eyes back at this point.  And, er, for some reason, the only one that seems to be working is my Evil Eyes of Rot…

Eh!  No way!  Use it?  Here?  Are you crazy?

The rot attribute was always one of the most dangerous, even back when I was in the system!  It was the power of death and decay.  Yeah, it would make anything it affected rot away to dust in an instant, but it also would always go out of control and affect the user!  Before, I would only use it in the worst situations, and always when I was prepared to sacrifice a limb or an eye for it.  Using it now, when I’m really mostly safe and don’t have any powerful enemies?

No way.

It is a bit weird that it was one of my first powers to return, actually.  I mean, the two areas I always seemed to excel at back when I still had my power were space and darkness.  Honestly, I always thought that was probably because I really am sort of kin to D.  I mean, she did reincarnate me with her memories as Wakaba, and I was using the system a lot which she made, and she was the one who helped guide my apotheosis when I swallowed that bomb and finally gained enough MA energy to be deified…

Er, I did escape D, didn’t I?  It’s not some sort of ‘resistance is futile, you will be assimilated’ thing going on here, is there?

…

Anyway, besides my evil eyes, the second thing to come back is my trade mark! 

I have my threads again!

Kukuku!  While before, I could definitely make cobwebs, but they were a little ‘eeeeeh’, you know?  They were just normal cobwebs that I made like a normal spider.  But now, I can make my threads from any part of my body again, and they’re super strong!  I’m a bit out of practice with them, but I’m already practicing to get back in shape!

And finally, the third power I’ve regained is this: behold!

…

What’s that?  It’s tiny, madam.  I know, sir.  It’s white, madam.  I know, sir.  It’s a spider, madam.  I know, sir.

That’s right!  I’ve recovered my clones!

Though, again, they aren’t really useful for much right now.  Before, I had spatial clones, and attack clones, and monitor clones, and system clones, and mind control clones…

What was that last one, you say?  Don’t worry about it, don’t worry about it!

Anyway, I have clones now, but they can only perform one essential function right now:

Being adorable.

…

Well, be strong, clone-chan!  Fight on, clone-chan!  Rome wasn’t built in a day, clone-chan!

But Shiro!  What about the Addams?  Surely this dramatic reveal has altered the very fabric of your relationship with the family?  Surely, all the dynamics between you and them must be upheaved, tossed about on the storm of change?

…

Errrr.  No, not really.  I mean, yeah, certainly, somethings have changed… But to be honest, the Addams are pretty hard to shake up.

So yeah, it’s perfectly normal to not have to worry about anything changing!

***Scene Break***

Morticia cracked the door to her husband’s study.  The scene that greeted her was one of devastation.  Furniture was upturned, often outright destroyed.  Books were strewn about, loose leaves of paper strewn across the ground.

Her husband, Gomez himself, lay half on the desk with his feet propped up on a nearby chair.  He was snoring happily, an unlit cigar held perfectly upright in his mouth. 

From the ceiling, a confused jumble of webbing was hung, and laying upside down and entwined in it was Shiro in her Arachne form.  She was clenching a bottle of whiskey in both hands, nuzzling it as she snored.

“Another Tuesday night,” Morticia sighed, rolling her eyes indulgently. 

***Scene Break***

“Oh, they really do suit you,” Fester agreed, sounding impressed.  Instead of wearing his usual robes, he was currently decked in the sacred vestments of the pope, having recently broken into the papal palace in order to liberate them.

Shiro, on the other hand, was in her spider form, striking various poses in front of a mirror.  She was adorned with the crown jewels of house Savoy, the last royal family of Italy, and had various rings and necklaces draped across her.

***Scene Break***

“Calculations are all complete,” Wednesday deadpanned, wearing a white lab coat and blast goggles.

“Very well,” Pugsley nodded seriously, wearing the same.  “Is the subject ready?”

Shiro, again as an Arachne, took a moment to strap a pure white bike helmet on, and adjust her goggles, before giving a thumbs up, hunkering down seriously.

“Then it is time,” Wednesday declared, lifting an arm up and dropping it dramatically.  “Commence operation ‘Orbital-Spider’.”

“Commencing”, Pugsley hit a button.

Strapped to each of Shiro’s eight legs, rockets sputtered, and then began to flare.  Slowly, improbably, Shiro was lifted into the air, each of her limbs twitching as she tried to balance herself in the air. 

“The operation is commencing well,” Wednesday noted, nodding her head as Shiro began to drift around the lawn, the rockets scorching the ground beneath them.  “Shiro, are we ready to progress to phase two?”

Shiro nodded, before dramatically extending one hand above her head.  Pugsley pressed the button again, and the output on each of the rockets increased dramatically.  Whereas before Shiro was simply hovering, suddenly she was propelled with radical speed flying out of sight.

“All is proceeding as expected,” Wednesday nodded, watching as Shiro began flying around randomly before eventually crashing through a window into the mansion proper.

***Scene Break***

“Oh?” Grandmama raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised at the sight before her.  “Well, this is unusual.  What can I do for you dearie?  Are you finally ready to be cooked up?”

She raised an eyebrow in surprise as Shiro put on a serious expression, and nodded.  In front of Grandmama’s bemused watch, Shiro held one of her legs out in front of her, and with a quick slash of her scythes cut it off. 

Her second eyebrow raised as the limb almost immediately began regenerating.

“Why, look at that!” she declared, pursing her lips in contemplation.  “Finally decided to stop being so stingy?”

Shiro offered the leg with a determined expression.  Slowly, she opened her mouth.

“Am… I… delicious?” she finally asked, and Grandmama clapped merrily at the question.

“Ah!  Everyone asks themselves that at some point in their lives,” the ancient woman nodded in understanding.  “Don’t worry!  We’ll have you cooked up in no time and see!”

***Scene Break***

Shiro and Grandmama were both in the kitchen, staring at the plate in front of them.  Grandmama was rubbing her head, eyes closed on concentration.  Shiro herself was slumped over, a dazed look in her eyes.

“Shiro,” Grandmama began slowly, shaking her head as she tried to find the best way to break the news to the despondent Arachne.  “That was the worst tasting food I’ve ever prepared.”

“I am… not delicious?” Shiro whispered, crushed by the revelation.

“I can’t think of a single spice or flavor profile that could possibly salvage this,” Grandmama went on, not unkindly.  She patted Shiro’s shoulders gently as the spider girl reared back and then collapsed, as though the words were physical blows.  “You are, without a doubt, inedible.  I’m sorry to have to be the one that tells you that.”

Shiro sighed, accepting the words with resignation.

***Scene Break***

“Ah, my Tormenta,” Gomez grimaced apologetically as they drove through the wooded hills of Vermont.  “It’s not like it will be a bad chance for you.  Why, Nevermore is what made me the man I am today, after all!”

“Some of our fondest memories were our time there,” Morticia sighed happily, recalling how dashing Gomez was back in their youth.  And how dashing he is now.  And how dashing he’ll look in twenty years.  And how dashing his skeleton would be once they’ve been dead for a few centuries, interred in the same coffin, spending the eternity of death together….

Wednesday sat perfectly still, before turning to Shiro. 

“Shiro,” she began calmly.  “Please inform my parents that I am still not speaking to them due to this enforced academic imprisonment.”

Shiro, in spider form, turned to her for a second, before turning to Morticia and gesturing emphatically.

“Shiro wants me to inform you that she is still not talking to you for not letting her get involved with punishing Pugsley’s bullies,” Morticia interpreted dryly.  Shiro continued to gesture vigorously.  “Also, that you used piranhas, as they are a lackluster method of enforcing vengeance.”

“Mother, please inform Shiro that I deemed it adequately poetic, as they were part of the swim team,” Wednesday responded sternly.  “Now, they will spend the rest of their lives fearing something that they once enjoyed.”

“Shiro,” Morticia began, only for Shiro to hold up a scythe, stroking her chin for a moment.  Finally, Shiro nodded at Wednesday, and turned back to Morticia to begin pantomiming Wednesday’s original request.

“Thank you, dear,” Morticia sighed in exasperation.  Really, her girls could be so outrageous sometimes.

“My own parents are abandoning me, exiling me to the edge of the earth, forbidding me from escaping their nefarious prison, and conscribing me to a life of solitude, away from my pets and family,” Wednesday continued, before arching an eyebrow.  “I must say.  I’m impressed.  My only regret is that there is to be no accompanying iron mask or other physical torture to correspond.”

Shiro patted her shoulder commiserating, before waiving her scythes. 

“I appreciate the offer,” Wednesday responded, shaking her head with regret.  “But any mask made of your silk would be sinfully comfortable rather than the physical agony I prefer.  I must decline.”

Shiro shrugged.

“Oh, there seems to be some misunderstanding,” Gomez chimed in, understanding growing on his face.  With a paternal smile he continued.  “Shiro will also be going to Nevermore!”

The spider froze, shocked.  Wednesday raised an eyebrow.

“I was under the impression that pets were not allowed,” she asked, narrowing her eyes at the apparent contradiction.  “Otherwise, we would be accompanied by Nero as well.”

“Of course,” Gomez nodded.  “However, we adopted Shiro years ago, so she’s going as an Addams, not as a pet.”

The spider twitched at that revelation. 

“I was unaware of this,” Wednesday admitted, frowning at the new facts being presented to her.

“Oh, we wanted it to be a surprise, so we just never told any of you,” Morticia beamed at the two happily.  “Our dear Shiraori has been on the registry for some time now!”

The spider twitched again.

Wednesday considered this news, before finally nodding. 

“This is acceptable,” she decided, before turning to Shiro who was still frozen on the seat’s headrest.  “At least I will have one tolerable presence, big sister Shiro.”

The spider twitched again, and fell off the headrest, still frozen.

***Scene Break***

…

…

Wha?

Chapter Text

Wait, Ajax is sensitive!?

Larissa Weems was an imposing woman, and she knew this.  In fact, she had chosen this shape for precisely that reason.  Afterall, a shapeshifter always had certain discretion when it came to their appearances.  Larissa knew from the moment she decided to be a principal that the more imposing she was, the more likely her success would be.

Afterall.  She was going to be a principal for teenagers.  Outcast teenagers at that.  Normal teenagers on their own were hell bound monsters determined to wreak havoc and chaos upon the world.  Outcasts just had more tools to do just that.

She was especially happy for the choice as she took in the sight of the newest additions to her school and suppressed a shudder.

Addams.  One of the oldest and strangest bloodlines in existence.  Who had bred with just about every other outcast at some point in their history, who inherited and wielded occult knowledge accumulated through the centuries.

Who were also some of the oddest and most bizarre creatures in the world!  Based on the situation and the individual, and Addams was as likely to kiss you as to kill you as to rob you as to marry you.

“Ah, Larissa,” Gomez grinned opening her arms welcomingly as he greeted her.  “As lovely as ever.  In fact, every year you seem to grow more stunning!”

Larissa did not swoon.  Stupid, roguishly handsome and charming Gomez. 

“Indeed,” Morticia also greeted with a small smile.

Larissa did not glare.  Stupid, man stealing ridiculously lovely hussy.

“Warden,” the tiny, darkly dressed girl in front of her addressed her, tone hostile. 

“And you must be Wednesday,” the principal greeted her cooly, taking in the appearance of the girl in front of her.  Short, black hair and pale skin.  With her almost bee-stung lips, she at first glance could be called adorable, if you didn’t know better.

Larissa knew better.  The transferred academic records were… disturbing.  As were the criminal records. 

Still, regardless of her circumstances, she was now a student.  That meant she was Larissa’s responsibility, and under her charge.

Larissa was above all else fierce in taking care of those she was responsible for.

“Well, regardless of the reasons behind your coming, let me be the first to welcome you to Nevermore Academy,” Larissa greeted Wednesday formally, and the girl grimaced briefly, but remained silent.

It was then that Larissa caught sight of the spider.  It crawled out from behind Wednesday’s back where it had been concealed by her hair and body.

Larissa did not freak out.  But it was close.

It was hardly her fault that she was intensely arachnophobic. 

She could feel each of its eight, beady, soulless eyes as it regarded her.

Then she blinked as it waived at her, the move distinctly friendly.

It appeared the spider was recognized, as none of the Addams directly responded to the sudden appearance of an enormous, venomous creature which was poised disturbingly close to their daughter’s neck for Larissa’s comfort.  And suspiciously close to Larissa herself, for that matter.  Just being in the same state as that beast was too close for her comfort.

‘There are no pets in Nevermore,’ she reminded herself.  ‘They know that.  It’s in the records.  They most likely just brought the spider along so Wednesday could say goodbye.  They’ll be taking it with them when they leave.  You’re safe, Larissa, just hold on until they leave with it!’

“So we have Wednesday here,” she bravely went on, glancing around the family in front of her, searching for the second girl.  “And where is Ms. Shiraori?  Did they get lost on the grounds on the way up?”

“Not at all,” Morticia denied immediately, “Dear Shiro is right here.”

She gestured towards Wednesday, and Larissa peered around her, checking to see if anyone was somehow hiding behind the small girl.  As she did so, the spider scuttled to the side, keeping herself dead center in Larissa’s line of sight, and waived again.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” the principal admitted, as she failed to detect a second child in the room, a terrible suspicion beginning to form.

“This is Shiraori Addams,” Wednesday declared, gesturing at the spider, and Larissa felt her stomach drop as the suspicion proved true.  “My sister.  She is called Shiro for short.”

“She… is a spider,” Larissa offered, hoping the sheer ridiculousness of the statement would somehow alter the reality in front of her. 

“Larissa,” Morticia chided, sounding genuinely shocked at the taller woman’s reaction.  “I’m certain you’ve had other adopted children in these halls!  For shame, there’s no need to be indelicate about it.”

“You adopted… a spider,” Larissa again needed to repeat this to ensure that she wasn’t just being screwed with.

The spider… Shiraori, Larissa corrected herself, shrugged as though to say ‘whatcha gonna do?’ and then snapped a cheerful salute, bouncing on its spiny legs.

Freaking Addams.  Of course, they would adopt a freaking spider.

At least it hadn’t married into the household, she reminded herself.  It wasn’t unheard of, in that family.

“Well, let me be the first to welcome you, Ms. Shiraori,” she declared, steeling herself to make up for her early slip.  Delicately, she offered her hand to it, and it took it with one scythe like limb, giving it a brief shake. 

She managed to keep from screaming, and was unreasonably proud of herself for doing so.

The spider gave several wiggles in response.

“She says you can call her ‘Shiro’,” Wednesday translated.

“Shiro, then,” Larissa suppressed a sigh.  She was no way near sober enough to deal with this.

***Scene Break***

Enid was quietly freaking out as she waited in her room. 

‘Okay, Enid,’ she hyped herself, shaking her hands briefly as she bounced on the balls of her feet.  ‘Okay.  This is your first interaction with the girl who you’ll be living with for the next few months and or years.  You got this. Now, go over the plan.  Step one: make a good impression.  Oh god, how do you make a good impression?  Should I be super polite or friendly?  Handshake or hug?  Think Enid!’

Enid knew she had a problem: her self-esteem was not really the best.  Her family life wasn’t really the best, on account of her extremely late (only late, it’ll happen, she just had to give it time) wolfing out.  While she wouldn’t say her home life was bad, it’s not like her mother was beating her or keeping her chained in the basement or anything, but the weight of disappointed expectations definitely lent to a strained air in her household.

Add in that her lack of wolfing also caused her a lot of social issues interacting with other werewolves.  Whenever the conversation went to turning, there wasn’t much she could really contribute, and those that were aware of her circumstances would sometimes fall into awkward silence when they remembered.

Prior to Nevermore, Enid had been the quiet, withdrawn kid who didn’t have many friends.

Sure, despite that Enid did her best to soldier on.  The first rule of changing yourself was to act in the manner that you wanted to change into.  If you didn’t, no matter how uncomfortable it made you, then you would never get the experience that you need for it to become comfortable.

She had done well, if she had to say so herself.  She had used her high school debut to transform herself from a shy awkward girl that was always on the edge of any werewolf gatherings to a bright, well received social butterfly.

She enjoyed being sociable.  She liked the friends she had made over the years.  However, that didn’t mean she still didn’t have occasional freak outs in private.

And it was because she was so caught up in making sure she gave the best first impression that she didn’t even notice when her new roommate arrived.

“Ms. Sinclair,” it was the voice of the principal that brought her back from her nervous internal monologue.  Enid would have groaned and slapped her face at being caught off guard, if she wasn’t too busy jumping in surprised embarrassment for being a space case.

And so she turned, saw her new roommate, and accidentally said the first thing that came to mind.

“You’re adorable!” she blurted, taking in the sight of Wednesday Addams for the first time.  Shorter even then Enid, pale like a doll, standing with dignified poise and unconscious grace, Enid couldn’t help but think that her future roomie was nearly unreal.  And pretty.  Very, very pretty.

Then Enid realized what she had just said, and wondered how quickly she could find something to kill herself with.

The vision she had just embarrassed herself in front of merely cocked her head to the side, considering Enid for a moment, before she simply nodded, and turned to the large spider on her shoulder Enid just realized was also present.

“It seems you have an admirer,” Wednesday told the spider.  The spider raised its tiny legs in victory, and began preening.  “At least my cellmate has suitably discerning taste.  Perhaps she might even be tolerable.”

Enid saw an out, and she took it.  Before, she never really had an opinion on spiders.   Like, yeah, they existed, and were sort of weird to look at, but they kept out pests, and werewolves were naturally exposed to a lot of nature so tended not to be as freaked out by things others might consider ‘gross’.

Now, Enid decided she loved spiders, and that was a hill she was willing to die on.

“They’re adorable,” Enid hurriedly repeated, nodding furiously as she skipped over to the girl and her pet.  “Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen one like this before.  What species is it?  What’s its name?”

“This is my sister, Shiraori,” Wednesday introduced the spider.  “She says you have permission to call her Shiro.”

Enid blinked, cocking her head to the side as she considered the response.

“Sister?” she had to ask just for clarification.

***Scene Break***

‘This day,’ Enid decided as she led Wednesday and Shiro across the quad, ‘cannot possibly get any weirder.’

First, they had stopped by the registrar in order to pick up Wednesday’s special uniform.  Apparently, her new roommate had a literal allergy to color and thus got to wear a pure black uniform.  That would have been odd enough, however when Wednesday had come out, changed, Enid realized that at some point Shiro had also gotten changed, and was now wearing a tiny white version of the school uniform as well.

It was mildly disturbing to realize, but Enid actually found it strangely adorable.  She had made sure to compliment the spider, partly because she did look good in the uniform, and partly because it reinforced her earlier lie about thinking spiders were cute.

Then Ajax had come over, and made an idiot out of himself by gossiping about Wednesday, not realizing the target of his gossip was right behind Enid.

She had moved out of the way, and that was when things got weirder.

“Wow,” Ajax muttered, staring at the black and white duo.  “It’s like a living selfie filter…”

“Actually,” Wednesday had responded, deadpan, “I fillet the bodies of my victims and feed them to my menagerie of pets.”

“Whoa,” Ajax said, sounding nervous.  Then he looked at the spider.  “Like this one?”

“No,” Wednesday corrected.  “I said pets.  This is my sister.”

The spider in question was waiving its legs, and Wednesday gave it a quick glance.

“Shiro says she doesn’t eat people.  Not anymore.”

Enid found the fact that there had to be a qualifier on the statement to be slightly unnerving.  Ajax, on the other hand, focused on something completely different.

“Ah, man, I’m sorry,” he immediately apologized, seeming genuinely contrite.  “I shouldn’t have made any assumptions.  That was super insensitive and racist of me.  So, you two are sisters, then?  I guess I can see the resemblance…”

No, Enid bit her tongue to keep herself from speaking out.  No, she could not see the resemblance at all.  There was no resemblance.

“Thank you,” Wednesday responded, her tone far less hostile at the statement.  “You have a discerning eye.”

“So, do you like turn into a spider, too?” Ajax asked, scratching at his beanie.  He had never personally heard of an outcast species that could change into spiders, but hey, the world was a big place.  Big enough for there to be were-spiders or something, right?

“No, sadly I lack that capability.  We are not the same species,” Wednesday admitted, obviously disappointed by the confession.  “Shiro was adopted into the family.”

“Ah, that’s great!” Ajax enthused.  I mean, no one liked being an orphan or anything, right?  So, isn’t it great that Shiro had managed to get a family?  Sensing that he had somehow managed to create a growing bond of familiarity with the two transfers, he decided to make an offer.  “Hey, do either of you smoke weed?  If you do, I might be able to help you out later…”

Enid watched as the spider immediately perked up, raising a scythe, only for Wednesday to reach up and gently lower it.

“Shiro,” Wednesday began, her tone scolding.  “You know how you get once you’ve had libations.”

Shiro sagged in disappointment.  Ajax, in a move that he probably thought was discreet but everyone present saw, leaned over and mouthed ‘talk to me about it later’ and winked.

Shiro perked again, and Wednesday rolled her eyes.  She gave the boy in front of him a once over before huffing a small sigh.

“You seem to be an inoffensive member of the beta-male species,” she announced.  “You are allowed to initiate conversation with myself or Shiro in the future without repercussions.”

“Ah, thanks bro!” Ajax cheered happily.

“What did I just witness?” Enid asked out loud to herself, not quite sure what had just happened despite having seen it herself.

***Scene Break***

Yoko Tanaka had initially had mixed feelings when she had been told that she would be getting a roommate soon.  Yeah, it would suck to have to share space, but depending on who the roommate is, it could have been a lot of fun.

So, when she was visited by a lone Larissa Weems later, the vampire perked looking to see who she would be welcoming to the room.

She was quickly disappointed.

“I do apologize for the misunderstanding,” the principal assured her patiently.  “But it seems that due to… circumstances the new student who was slated to join you will instead be staying with their sister and her roommate.”

“Er, is that even allowed?” Yoko had to ask, wondering just what had happened to let them break the rules and have three people in the same room.  Wasn’t it supposed to be some kind of fire concern if you had too many in each room?  And wasn’t that unfair to Enid to force her to deal with two people in her space?

“It normally isn’t, however one of the new students, well, to be frank, is not humanoid.  It is in fact,” and here Larissa sighed, trying her best to suppress a shudder of revulsion, “what appears to be a hyper intelligent large white spider.”

Yoko froze, briefly, before she nodded slowly.

“So with that in mind, I do apologize for taking up your time,” Larissa apologized, and then made her exit.

Immediately, Yoko pulled out her phone and dialed a number.  After several moments, someone answered and she began to speak.

“Dad?  Yeah, it’s me.  No, sorry this isn’t a social call.  You remember a few years ago, when you got super upset that some apparent historical treasures of the family were stolen?”

She was quiet a moment, listening to the response before she took a deep breath.

“I know.  And remember how you decided that the white spider thief responsible would be the enemy of our clan forever?  Well, a new student was just admitted.  Apparently, it’s an intelligent white spider.  It might be our clan’s ancient enemy…”

Yoko paused, eyebrow raising as she was apparently interrupted.

“Wait, don’t do anything?” she asked, surprised.  “I mean, you were so upset when it happened and everything…” she paused again, listening carefully before rolling her eyes.  “But dad, shouldn’t we at least try to recover whatever it was they stole?  I mean, you never actually told me just what was taken…”

She paused, before throwing a hand up in exasperation. 

“I mean, it’s great that you managed to replace whatever it was that was stolen, but how does mom being happy about it matter in this situation….” She stopped, rolling her eyes again and held up a hand in surrender.  “Fine, fine, I’ll let it go.  Just thought you should know, if you ever want to, you know, avenge the honor of the clan and all.”

With a huff, she hung up the phone.

“Well, even if dad doesn’t want to,” she said to the empty room.  “I still remember the honor of my ancestors.  Spider, whatever it was you stole, I won’t rest until I get it back!”