So I saw a cute AU by @prompto-cam and it inspired me to sit down and write something after so long. It’s probably a little deviant from their idea, but I tried my best. I just really thought this following scene was too irresistible not to write out, and honestly, I have a HUGE soft spot for Aranea.
It wasn’t unusual for creatures to come to her in desperation. Here in the darkness of her caverns, spiders had brought her knowledge for as long as she could remember. Whispered to her in words only she, an arachne, could understand. The spiders had taken care of her in this way, telling her what she could do with the information. They’d taught her that knowledge could be used. Selling it, trading it, giving it, all of that had originally served to protect her from harm when she was younger.
But now she was old enough not to need that protection. No. Instead she’d turned it into a weapon, a device for her to leverage what she needed from those who dared come to her. The knowledge was enough of a siren’s call that she never wanted for much, even with her reputation for ending those who dared disrespect her in her own home.
It became monotonous. They’d come, they’d ask, they’d die or leave.
So the day a centaur came into her cavern, she was braced for the same song and dance. However, there was something in his eye that caused her pause. She’d usually set the person requesting knowledge on a dangerous path, requesting things that she wouldn’t be able to get otherwise. The horn of one of Leviathan’s narwhals, good for protection for the horn never dulls. Things of that caliber.
But him? She liked him. He stood tall and did not cower. His eyes burned for the knowledge, and it was plain for all to see just how much he was willing to pay for what he asked of her. If she didn’t have a reputation to upkeep, she’d have simply given him when he’d wanted, Paid for by the passion in his heart. However, she couldn’t do that. So she requested something easy. Simple.
“Cakes.”
“Cakes?”
He’d questioned her price, and she promptly gave a stinging reminder that she could just was easily asked for something like werewolf blood, or pixie wings, or even a vampire’s fang. He let it go after that, which was good. She’d have hated to up the price on him.
It was only half a day later that there was another coming into her cave. She sighed and rolled her neck. She crawled silently along the cavern’s ceiling, watching and observing the small being that was carefully making his way into her home with six boxes in his arms.
Oh this would be fun.
She dropped down, landing with a soft thump, and said, “And just what are you doing here, Shortcake?”
“CAKES!” He shouted, panic laced in his voice as he held them out to her. “Gladio said you like cakes and I got you cakes because we need help and cakes are good so if you could eat these cakes and not me and maybe just tell me where we find this magical thing and I can be on my merry way and not die please oh god don’t eat me!”
If she’d know what he was carrying, she would have called him a different name. The panic on his face was clear, but still she could see the resolve in his eyes to help his friends. Even through his fear. Oh, what a gift the day was, meeting two people that she rather liked.
“Hmm…maybe I should add you to the price for what the centaur asked.” She teased. She’d never keep a live creature. She preferred her solitude, but he didn’t know that.
He was shaking like a leaf in the wind as she brushed by him, purposely trailing one of her legs across his back. She put the cakes off to the side and then went back to him. She sat on the floor, and ran her hands through his hair as she spoke. She told him where they could find someone to heal their friends, the paths to take, and the distance to go. And as she spoke she laced spiders webs through the strands.
It was late in the day and she’d assumed that as soon as she told him what he wanted to know that he’d run off. The webs would mark him as under her protection, at least until he reached the centaur. No creature of the night would dare touch him.
And as she’d guessed, as soon as she finished speaking, he thanked her and charged off. A laugh left her, and she found herself hoping that maybe they’d returned with another request.
Imagine Final Fantasy 