Jaded Spider and Weaver's Web (Original work)

[theonlinehero]

So uh, two pieces of oc lore? I don't know, since it's for a Touhou oc... (has literally nothing to do with any canon events) ALSO possible mature content ahead I don't know this is my first time posting on a forum for things like this ;(

Folktale: Jaded Spider​

There was a palace that shined with gold, deep in the hearts of a village that had been ravished and transformed into a great city. The emperor, at the time, was worshiped by all that was aware of his existence. One day, he ordered his guards to go inside the city to find young women that were able to become maids. His wife was expecting childbirth soon, and the new addition to the imperial family was one that was of utmost importance.

The guards did as they were told, and brought back twelve maidens that were to be trained and ready to work to serve the royal family for the rest of their lives. They had been promised a generous salary and would be working hard each day and night to provide the needs and wants of the nobles, working alongside the other staff of the palace.

One particular girl was seemingly enraptured by an older shogun the emperor appointed, but saw him rarely often as he was constantly busy with his military affairs. She planned to get his attention by standing out amongst the other girls and worked her back off each day. Soon, she was walking with aches in her steps and a heavy but fit body, enough to warrant the intrigued and suspicious gazes of the other maids, who deduced she was trying to seduce the shogun. They became jealous and started to shun the girl away, leaving her alone. She did not mind this as she continued her pursuit of her potential lover.

On a particularly quiet day, the girl was bent over her table, sewing up a robe she hoped to give to the shogun as a gift of appreciation. She stopped to take a break, leaning her head to the side to stare out of the little window in front of her. A spider crawled out of the overhanging branches of a maple tree, and landed in front of the girl on her windowsill. The maid was at first terrified by the spider but looked closer upon seeing what was a green gem embedded inside the chest of the spider. Fearing that the arachnid was a bad omen, she reached out to shut the window but felt something stick to her hand. She grasped her hand away only to have a fistful of silk inside. A voice spoke to her inside her mind, calling her to come closer to the spider and bring it inside. The girl did as she was told on impulse, and the spider leaped forward. The girl could not yell or scream, her mouth was covered in a thick spread of webs.

The next day, the shogun was interrupted from his work by the lovestruck maid coming into his office to bring him a cup of tea and a carefully wrapped box. Upon opening the box, he found a delicately sewn robe with skillful crafting. He voiced his gratitude and admired the robe, but the maid insisted he try it on there to see if it was the right size. He agreed, and turned around to go to a secluded room to change but stopped when the girl came upon him, giving him a sultry stare and a hand placed on his shoulder. Acting in that moment, his desire overtook his mind as he was led into a closed room. Just when he had stripped bare of his clothing, the girl’s face cracked into an insidious grin and advanced upon him, tying his limbs to the wall with silk. He had been killed and skinned, and was rid of his blood so all that was left was his flesh and bone. Inside his mouth was left an intricately cut jade.

Eleven days later, for each day, one of the rest of the girls that had been recruited before met the same fate, all with a jade inside their mouth. Distraught, the emperor ordered an interrogation and purification of every staff member. Nothing was amiss, except the diligent girl that was suspected of adoring the shogun was missing. The emperor ordered his guards to search the palace as he suspected she was either hiding or ran away. The soldiers looked into every room and flipped through dressers and objects, but could not find the girl.

They stopped at one of the last storage rooms that had been unused for a long time. The men propped open the lock only to find a pile of small jade gems on the floor. In a corner of the room, unlit by the darkness inside, was a spider sitting on its web, stained red with blood and in the yellow robe of the dead shogun.


Weaver's Web​

There are not many things that scare her. Yes, the tales of youkai that her village whispers make her wary, but she had never seen one, nor was she outright terrified of them. There was always a felt distance; some unconscious gap that she recognized as being unafraid of something she has never experienced. She supposed one day she would meet one, but she felt too safe to think it would ever happen.

In fact, the moment she moved into the palace, Hara felt safer than anyone else out there. Her mother told her she was beginning a new life, and how true that was. Forgoing all the pains and toils of a humble existence, she quickly adjusted to this fresh start of serving royalty. She could be someone other than the working peasant girl from a poor village. She could finally stand out from the others. Taking great work, she dressed in the middle of modesty and extravagance, and acted more confident that she seemed. Appearance wise, she only added a touch of flair to her attire, since she was deft with the needle, yet she still tied her hair up with a pin. She never wanted to be dismissive but to be strong enough to make her own path, and although she knew the consequences, she wished to be different.

Despite the image she created with her efforts, her heart was still that of a maiden’s. She would never escape from the childish but hopeful yearnings of a better world, where everything could play out with no losers. There would be no dangers, no risk, only fulfillment. The palace only strengthened her vain argument on this idea. With a newfound comfort, she could pursue a subject she rarely thought of: the thrilling and riveting adventure of love. The emperor, His Majesty, had appointed several leaders of the army, and one of them, a Shogun by the name of Maeda Enso, captured her attention. He was a worthy general that attracted many girls, but his cold and stony aura kept them at a distance. There was little chance he would notice a girl from such a lowly village, but she wanted to take a shot. It would raise her up the steps of social hierarchy, for that is the goal of many girls in that period of time.

She sat in her room, at one growing evening, sewing away a robe to be received as a gift to the Shogun. She knew words and flattery would not be enough to make him aware of her feelings, so this was the best way to do so. The robe was gold, with a few touches of black for formality. She only worked on it when she had time to spend after her own duties, but now it was almost finished. The present box prepared for the garment was laid out neatly on the desk. As the day grew darker, the only lighting she had were the candles placed around her room, with the largest one in a holder by her table.

Taking a break from her labor, she got up and moved toward the window and placed her hands on the sill, watching the sun strew its warm colors across the clouds in the sky as it descended. Why, she wondered, this life wasn’t as promising as it first appeared to be. Domestic tasks only distract the need for achieving a meaningful existence. Perhaps, there were truer goals in life than what fate bestowed to her.

She snapped out of her thoughts as her eyes landed on something moving near her hand. It was a golden orb weaver, leisurely making its way across the sill. Not being so enthusiastic about insects, the girl moved back. She stopped, as the afternoon light caught something reflecting off the spider. On its body, placed on the abdomen near the top of its head, was an opaque and forest green jade fitted snugly into the arachnid.

Taken aback by the strange appearance of the spider, the only thought that crossed Hara’s mind in that moment was this was an omen, a sign of something impending in an uncertain future.

Sensing danger, she moved to shut the window from the side but halted as her hand touched something solid. Although there was not anything that was in her way, this thick and somewhat sticky mass stopped her from reaching the window. She shivered and quickly pulled her hand back.

Inside her palm was a thick mess of spider silk, white and glistening.

She gasped quietly. The creeping fingers of fear crawled up over her shoulders. She should run, get away, do something to remove herself from this terrifying situation, but a whisper, like the wind, sneaked up behind her and into her ear. The voice was soft but strong as it brushed against her mind. It wanted her to get closer, to take it inside, where it belongs.

She was an unwilling magnet gravitating towards the force field of peril, but no matter how much she tried she could not stop herself. The attraction was so strong, as if strings pulled her along. Hara reached her hand out toward the weaver, and abruptly, it leaped forward high. She could not let out any shouts of surprise, because in that moment as everything became a blur, something covered her mouth and left a wall of solid thickness behind and muted her noises. She fell to the ground, unable to keep herself level.

She tried to move and get up and scream and could not. A pair of arms wrapped around her, pulling her back into a foreign body and holding her in place.

“Oh, please do not struggle. It is going to make everything a lot worse,” a low and sultry voice breathed out from behind her. From the sound of it, the person practically enveloping Hara was a woman. Fear and confusion swelled up inside the girl. She fought hard to turn her head to get a glance at her captor, yet the latter only forced her head away.

“Do not look yet, I don’t want you getting more excited than you already are. You will just have to calm down first.”

Which was impossible, because the only thought on her mind was escape, most preferably out of the room and out of the palace too. Her inability to do anything to change her situation was eating her alive, she was about to throw the woman off of her or drag her along to the door.

The grip on Hara’s arms tightened significantly.

“If you do not stop, I will make this moment for you the most painful experience of your life. Trust me, we do not want that to happen,” the voice muttered in her ear. Hara paused, chilled to the bone. She realized no matter how hard she struggled, she was not going to live to see another day. Her fate was already sealed the instant she noticed the arachnid.

She slumped, losing all resistance. She had landed herself into the grasps of a youkai, but she did not dare think of what kind.

“Good, you already know it is futile, isn’t it? Now, if I let you talk, do you promise not to call for help? It will not work, anyways, and I’ll have to kill you if you do.”

There was not much of a choice for her, so Hara just nodded reluctantly. Shifting, the youkai leaned forward beside her and raised a finger to remove the webs, the girl realized, over her mouth. She saw a glimpse of the identity of the woman, which made her recoil back from instinct, accidentally pressing herself into the person she wanted to get away from.

“You look so frightened, hehe. But you do have a reason to be. I would be, if I was you.” The woman chuckled softly. Smiling back at Hara was a face that almost matched hers precisely, only it was much prettier and defined. The woman looked like the embodiment of beauty wearing her skin. The detail that made this experience even more surreal was she wore strange, bright, crimson markings on her visage that matched her eyes. They wrapped around the corners of her eyes and curved down around the sides of her cheeks in sharp points. Copper hair cascaded down and over her face, the tint redder than Hara’s own hair. Thankfully, she was not naked and wore a simple yukata. Modest, yet bold and alluring.

“You-You are a-” the girl finally stammered, losing her breath.

“-Jorogumo, yes,” the spider finished her sentence, grinning. “Are you surprised? It should have been obvious from the start.”

Hara stared at the youkai with mixed feelings in her chest. She had an unnatural urge to reach out and touch the woman’s face, just to see if those marks and her are real. She did not dare to move, however, and only continued to think furiously. She needed to find a way to distract the jorogumo, or to at least prevent herself from dying long enough to find a way to escape. The only idea that came her to mind is to ask questions, which was what she wanted to do in the first place.

“Why…why me? I am a woman. Don’t you eat men instead? Why pick me out of everyone else?”

“Why you indeed?” the woman teased with a smirk. “Well, I was not planning on it, not at all. Living for a long time, I used to catch all those little insects and such. They are so pitiful I think it of a favor to let them contribute to the cycle of life. But you, dear, you were the one who gave me the start of my true existence. I do have to thank you.”

A stone of despair fell into the pit of Hara’s stomach. It must be impossible. How could someone like her cause the birth of a youkai?

“What? What do you mean? I have not done anything, I saw you and you attacked me,” Hara said. The spider only giggled in reply, perhaps finding amusement at her brute ignorance.

“Don’t you know? I guess it would not matter if I told you. You were scared, terrified when you saw me. Of course, you knew I was different, my gem gave it away. But that delicious fear is the final straw that pushed me to this form. Fear builds on itself, you know? I never targeted you for any reason until I had seen you now. It was quite fortuitous that I met you. My stay around the palace was short, but I found plenty of food to catch. That silk you grasped was webs I recently made, nothing else,” the jorogumo shifted, placing a hand on Hara’s face to hold her chin. “Even now, I can sense the terror inside you. Your emotions fueled me and gave me life. That is why you are the first, and the only female I will ever consume.”

How fate mocked her now. She thought she carried a destiny greater than ending by a bloody and cruel death to the hands of a monster, but the gods proved her wrong. She gritted her teeth, avoiding the woman’s eyes as she felt the swell of oncoming tears. Pity and misery wallowed in the girl’s chest. There is no hope for escape, she is certain now.

The spider noted her anguish and smiled. She guided Hara’s face with her fingers until their eyes locked. Without her permission, a tear rolled down the girl’s cheek, and she bit her lip in shame for showing the woman her weakness.

“Oh, don’t cry, my dear,” she whispered, brushing it away with her hand. The gesture is not so comforting, but it does give Hara some reassurance. “You think I shall make your end come painfully, yes? That is not what I intend to do. Quite the opposite.”

She should not ask how she should die, but it was a burning question on her tongue.

“What are you going to do to me?” she barely uttered the words without a crack in her voice. The jorogumo leaned towards her, gazing at her face with a hint of enjoyment for what she was about to say next.

“I will suck the fluids out of you. I think it is much less painful than having your flesh consumed alive, for I would do that to anyone else. It is similar to those Western vampires, I suppose. You will not feel a thing, I promise.”

Hearing her reply only made everything worse, as part of her expected. She has no leverage in asking for such mercy, it had already been given to her by the circumstances. It was pathetic. She had nothing left now but to beg.

“Do you have to? Is it necessary? Please, I-I just…do not want to die…” she pleaded, ready to cry again. How pitiful she must seem.

“That is what the worm says to the bird, but it does not let it go. You understand death is only part of life, don’t you? The chickens and fish you eat are no different from us,” the woman sighed and let go of her face. She watched Hara with an expression akin to sympathy.

“Yet, you look so distraught all the same. There is no helping it,” she thought to herself. “Perhaps, I could offer you something that may appeal to humans like you.”

Hara perked up with a small wisp of hope in her heart.

“What? What is it?”

The woman eyed the girl with a hint of a grin on her face.

“Naturally, I use my body to lure the desires of men. But, in your situation, I can only offer it as a…service of sorts. You do not have to take it, but it is something I hope will make the last moments of your life somewhat satisfied, if nothing else.”

What a suggestion. The mere idea of being with a woman, much less a youkai, fills Hara with shame and humiliation. Nevermind that she was curious, the implications of this are immoral at best and revolting at worst. She had her own person she was pursuing, anyways.

But…what did it matter now, here in this moment? She would be dead by daylight, and nobody would be able to come and help her anyhow. What did it matter what she does? There is no one else there to judge her except for herself and her executioner. She thought of such thoughts before, but never have ventured far on the idea. Here now, what could stop her besides her embarrassment and the vestiges of her moral compass?

Was it better to get it over with, or to drag on this existence on the little time that she has? Is it better to die not knowing the things she could have done, if she had only pushed her pride away? This was not a matter of desire or lust, this was taking the opportunities that life threw in her way, in one final desperate act of defiance. No, it did not matter, and frankly, she did not care anymore. She would at least make a decision of her own facing the inevitable.

“I…I’ll try it,” Hara mumbled, her face beginning to grow warm. She wished she could swallow those words back down, but it is too late now. The spider smirked, as if she confirmed her own suspicion. She was enjoying this way too much.

“There is no need to be ashamed, curiosity gets the best of us at times. If you are sure that is what you want, I can do that for you.”

By now, her face was burning hot. She cannot believe they were about to go through with it. The jorogumo slipped her arms around the girl’s waist, pulling Hara closer until their faces nearly touched. She let out a small gasp of surprise.

“It is your first time, right? I will make sure to go slowly. If you want me to stop, just tell me,” she whispered, her gaze already on the young woman’s lips. With her body feeling heated, Hara accepted this conclusion and nodded, giving herself to her seductive captor.



----

---

Night fell quickly, and the full moon’s light streamed into the room, scattering its beams across clothes strewn around on the ground. The shadows casted by a lone candle could hide only so much of the two figures embraced, tangled up in their own limbs on the floor. Muffled moans and whimpers escaped through the girl’s mouth, which were only silenced by the lips of her partner. They grasped each other, gentle hands exploring places they have never touched before. As she promised, the woman took her time, letting the girl soak in every sensation her body experienced. There was little pain, and much pleasure. In the darkness of the room, her carmine eyes and marks glowed like an ancient constellation. The spider’s deft hands coaxed out buried desires inside her body and left her a squirming, sweating, gasping mess.

They laid on her futon, breathing heavily with their shoulders touching. The woman traced her finger over Hara’s bare stomach, making the girl shiver irresistibly. She turned her head to look deep into the spider’s eyes, getting lost in the face that reflected hers so similarly. Her voice was husky and came out a whisper.

“I still have a lot of questions.”

“I will answer them the best I can.”

Hara rolled over until her body faced the woman’s. The latter snaked her arm around the girl’s waist, inviting her to come closer.

“Why do you look like me so much? Is it part of your tricks?”

“Tricks, hm?” the woman chuckles. “You were the first person I originated from, shouldn’t I honor a woman as pretty as you?”

The girl glanced away, a warm flush on her cheeks.

“Not really.”

“Hehe, you do not need to be so shy knowing what we just did.”

She did not reply. They lingered in that silence for a long moment, with the spider caressing her skin softly. Hara sighed, looking at the jorogumo’s neck. There sat a necklace with a small, smooth jade about the size of a coin.

“I never heard of a jorogumo with a jade before. Is it that common?”

“No, not exactly,” she reached up to fondle with the gem. “I do not actually know when I found out it was within me, but I suppose it was one of the fickle whims the gods decided for me. It is a somewhat useful tool, as when I take it off I look as normal as any other human.”

Sitting up, Hara stared at the woman.

“Is that true?”

“See for yourself,” she said and leaned up, slipping the jewelry off her neck, and in an instant the bright markings on her face melted off. She looked startlingly beautiful, almost mystical. Before the girl could fully etch the image into her mind the woman already placed it back on, the lines growing back on her face. Hara slumped, feeling disappointed. The urge to reach out to touch her face resurfaced, but this time she had nothing to hold her back from acting on it.

Hara leaned forward, slowly reaching her hand up to place her palm on the woman’s cheek. All amusement faded from her face, and the spider glanced at her hand, staying oddly quiet. The girl was too absorbed in fascination to notice her change in demeanor, brushing her thumb over the streaks on her face. The touch is warm, too warm for the jorogumo’s liking. She felt herself getting pulled into a kind of feeling she did not want and slowly pulled away, looking slightly irked. The girl shifted back, biting her lip.

“I’m sorry, I could not help it.”

“No, it is fine. I…” she was at a loss for words and simply let the conversation die there. The air was awkward, until the girl decided to speak again.

“I have never gotten your name, but I guess it was rude to not give mine. I’m Motoyo Hara.”

“How strange to introduce yourself after this time. I do not have a name, most youkai do not anyways.”

“No name?” She shifted, confused. “But you should have one. If youkai come from humans, then it is fitting for you to have a name like I do.”

“Is that a requirement? Well, a name would be nice… perhaps you can do the honors to give me one.”

“Give you one?” Hara asked, startled. “That is a huge decision you are giving me. Are you sure?”

“Why not? If we are to follow your logic, you should be the person to define my existence. I do not have any ideas, so it is entirely up to you.”

“Ah, then…” the girl thought hard, trying to find a fitting name for the woman. Should it be a typical one? But no, she is quite special on her own. What would be a name suitable for a spider like her? Her eyes traveled across the room and landed at the table near the window. The midnight moon shined on the broken strings of the web near the edge of the frame, the breeze lifting and making the threads flutter lazily.

“Ito…” Hara murmured, connecting the points together. “Hari...me. Harime Ito.”

She turned back toward the woman with wide eyes. The spider met hers looking pleasantly surprised.

“First try?”

“Yeah…yeah,” she let out a laugh and covered her mouth. “Do you like it?”

“’Harime Ito’. A very literal person you are, but it is good. I suppose the surname was just an additional touch, for I do not have any family. ‘Motoyo Ito’ would sound interesting, though.”

“I think the first one is better,” Hara said, covering more of her face as it burned up.

“Then that shall be the name I live with forevermore,” Ito replied, smiling. Hara dropped her hand and smiled back at her. Somehow, the distance between them did not feel so wide anymore.

“Say,” the spider got up, still uncovered, and moved toward the window. “Who were you making that clothes for when I first saw you? A robe that intricate can’t possibly be for yourself.”

“Ah, that.”

Hara rose, slipped on her kimono and stepped to the table, sighing. The gold robe still lay there, unfinished.

“It was a gift to a shogun I liked. But I do not think that matters now anymore,” she said with a hint of regret. Ito watched her face and looked down at the robe again.

“I can finish it for you.”

“What?” the girl turned toward her. “Why? Do you want to wear it?”

“Hm. Maybe.” The spider said cryptically with a smirk. Hara heaved a breath and shrugged.

“You can have it, I have no use for it.”

“Thank you, I am grateful for your gift,” Ito said, already putting the robe on.

“Wait, you do not want to finish-“

“That I already did.”

Hara stared at the corner of the robe, where the unfinished pattern had already been completed. She never saw her move her hands or pick up a needle.

“You really are talented,” she said. “I could never do that as quickly as you can.”

“Not talent, just a skill I was born with.”

“But that is what talent means?”

“I am a youkai and you a human. I do not think we have the same definitions of what talent is.” Ito shook her head, grinning. She stood with her back against the window, tying up the obi and fastening it. Hara felt her heart beat a little faster and clenched her chest. For her, she should not be feeling this way. Ito was a monster, albeit an unexpectedly generous one. Yet, her kindness, no matter how twisted it was, reached her and tugged on her heart strings.

“How do I look?” The woman asked, facing her. The robe truly made her look like royalty, refined and elegant.

“You look beautiful,” Hara whispered in awe. Her heart practically leaped out of her chest. Curiously, the spider’s face turned warm, and she clasped her hands together in front of her.

“Good for attracting the men, presumably,” Ito said with a wry smile. Hara took a step closer towards her, making the woman back up to the sill in surprise.

“You are not as cruel as you try to be, are you?” she stared into her eyes. Ito stared back with a poker face, pressing a hand against her chest.

“And you are not scared of me as you should be. Why is that?”

“I think we both would like to avoid answering those questions,” Hara replied, grabbing Ito’s hand with her own. “I really am wrong about you, I apologize.”

“You should not assume, even if we are exceptional from other kinds, I can and will end your life as easily as anyone else.”

“Do not try to scare me anymore,” Hara muttered, moving closer to her face. Her heart was racing. She should not be doing this. “I already accepted my fate.”

“You do not know what you are doing,” Ito’s face hardened, but she never pushed the girl away.

“I…” Hara swallowed, tightening her grip.

“Do not. Please, do not ruin this moment,” her voice strained. The girl took in a breath, about to say something but Ito cut her off and kissed her. This one felt completely different than before. There was no sexual desire, only a mingling of unacknowledged feelings that ran together. There was no need to say it, because its existence would topple the fragile relationship the two built upon. They wrapped their arms around each other, feeling desperate. This would be the last act, for when the sun rises again there would be only one left.

---

“Are you ready?”

It is almost morning. The day would break very soon. The girl laid on the spider’s lap, like she was about to take a nap.

“Mhm. Like going to sleep, right?”

“Yes, a sedative to stop your breathing. You will not feel anything else after that.”

Ito bit her lip. Hara looked up at her with a tired smile.

“Thank you. I know I still do not want to die, but you gave me some insight into a life I never knew about.”

“Do not talk like it is your end, the heavens might not take you in,” Ito smiled back bitterly. The girl sighed, closing her eyes.

“Yet, heaven should not want me after what I have done.”

“Then you shall haunt me for the days I continue to live until hell,” the spider leaned down, holding her chin. She stared at her neck, hesitating.

“Thank you for taking care of me,” Hara said. Ito winced. She forced herself to open her mouth to take her flesh inside her. She did not bite down, she was stuck in that moment.

“Do it, Ito.”

She bit down, her teeth sinking into the skin. A few seconds passed as the poison flowed into her bloodstream. Soon, her breathing slowed down and eventually stopped. The spider removed her mouth, slipping two fingers up to check for her pulse. Gone.

Her breath hitched. She swallowed, carrying the girl in her arms. She knew what to do. The box was still empty, but soon it would be full.

It would be full of the weight of her selfishness and her sins, but for now, she still had a gift to give. Was she not the lovestruck girl chasing after the shogun?