Something was stirring within the huge cocoon hanging high from a great oak tree. The time for it to hatch was nigh.
Drifting closer and closer from the land of dreams it was awaking.
“Wha- where am I? Why’s it so dark?”
Not quite fully awake yet, Alicia’s mind was still foggy and disoriented.
“Am I in some creature’s stomach?” Startled by their own imagination ‘he’ started to panic and started to thrash wildly. Although the pupa was considerably durable, from the inside it was soft and fragile. Easily being torn and ripped by ‘his’ reckless movement, it’s structural integrity was failing. Eventually as ‘he’ fought ‘his’ way through, the webbing gave way and finally snapped.
“Huh?”
And ‘he’ plunged into the ground face first.
‘He’ got up, hands clutching ‘his’ head in pain.
- “Ow ow ow, my head is killing me. Ow…”
Coming to, eyes focusing on ‘his’…
- “Hands...? Hands! I have hands!”
Shocked by a girl’s voice coming from who knows where ‘he’ started to look around.
- “Who’s that?”
As ‘his’ mind cleared up and finally finished processing the situation. ‘He’ understood the voice of the ‘girl’ was ‘his’ own.
- “This is weird…”
Still ‘his’ voice was a minor detail compared to the joy of having regained arms and legs. Though the legs felt a bit off.
Feeling ‘his’ face;
- “Wow, this skin is soft…”
‘He’ noticed that ‘he’ had silky platinum hair with subtle waviness that hung freely from ‘his’ head, reaching down to ‘his’ waist. It was then ‘he’ also found that ‘he’ had extra ‘tissue’ on ‘his’ bust, but what had ‘his’ attention was what was underneath. A shrill scream echoed through the forest.
Huge fangs covering a mouth. And following it down, it was connected ‘his’ body, meaning it was a part of ‘him’. And true enough when ‘he’ tried to, it moved the way ‘he’ wanted it to. Still continuing to examine, ‘his’ body was held up by thin legs of a spider. All connected to a bulbous abdomen. ‘He’ was connected by ‘his’ waist to where a spider’s cephalothorax should be. The scream was only partly because ‘he’ was scared of ‘his’ new form; other factors played into it of course, but none was as impactful as ‘him’ seeing that ‘he’ was in a birthday suit - with an ‘undeniable’ proof of a female.
After spending some time looking around in paranoia and calming down while later, she remembered her dream or what felt like a dream. It was deep into the night.
“I need to cover myself. I mean I don’t think there’s anyone here that’d care if I was nude or not, but still I would rather not go around streaking. Especially now that I have… feminine parts… and the wind is very caressing without clothes, maybe a bit too much for my comfort. I always thought that it was unusual for a male to have the name Alicia - dominantly feminine name… I think I now know why… Gods why have you forsaken me?
Still, where am I going to find clothes...?”
Looking around there were only torn silky webbing all around the place, remnants from the cocoon.
- “These will do… Actually, I can just make one for myself… Is what I'd like to say, but my spinnerette is in quite an unfortunate place, and I don’t have needles to use my silk with.
“And my sewing skill are is subpar at best; The last time I tried to was when I was a kid and grandma taught me how to crochet and sew things when I broke my leg.”
- “Seems less probable the more I think about it… What else can I do...”
While she was in thought something reached out to her.
- “...help…?”
- “Wh- Alice? Was that you? You can talk to me now?”
- “...can? ...can!”
Even with her odd intonation she could tell Alice was happy.
- “...do...help…?”
- “Do I need help? Ah, I was thinking about making some clothes, at least a wrap or a shirt, but I don’t I think I can.”
- “carapace...skin...?”
- “An attire, I mean you could say they’re carapace humans use. Do you think you can help?”
- “know… it… can… do...”
- “Then, if you will that would be helpful.”
- “mmh...”
After Alice’s answer her body - more specifically her lower body - started move as if it had a will of its own. It didn’t feel intrusive or uncomfortable. It moved as if from muscle memory, movements familiar and smooth. She hung upside down from the oak tree with a thread after effortlessly climbing up and started to weave with her silk. Like fingers of a trained musician strumming a stringed instrument she deftly used her spindly legs as needle, her silk as a thread, and her mouth with vicious fangs as scissors to cut and sometimes eat and recycle the silk from the cocoon, not wasting a shred.
After a while a loose fitting, white, fluttery shirt was crafted from silk. Alicia wondered how she managed to stay upside down for so long without the blood pooling to her head. After it was done Alicia noticed it’s design was the same as what her younger sister used to wear at home. It wasn’t the durable PPE that she was comfortable with, but…
- “Better than flashing someone. Thank you, Alice.”
Though no affirmation, she felt some subtle tingly feeling from the inside.
- “Guess she’s happy…
Dawn is still a ways off… so what happened…”
“Ah… I think I need more than a morning to figure this out.”
“How do I make underwear for spiders…? These things were not taught to me in The Principles of Design courses…”
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That chart has a nice organizational schematic. I kinda wish other novels would adopt something similar to that. Also, needs to get a little creative if she wants to make undergarments to cover her lower extremities.
And there it is, the reason for the name
Also pretty intrigued by the split consciousness thing going on here with Alicia and Alice, looking forward to more!
I don’t know I’ve always rather dislike that in stories
Not sure if all the male pronouns used at the beginning really need the quote marks or not, you could remove them and have it work fine since at that point Alicia still thinks she’s male still, and the switch to female pronouns after she realizes can be more subtle instead of very blatant with all the quote marks around the male pronouns before it
that's going to be more easier to use and update. -> be easier
from the land of dreams it was awaking. -> “awakening” as another option. “awaking” does work though
Startled by own imagination ‘he’ started -> by ‘his’
Although the pupa was considerably durable -> Although the exterior of the
‘He’ got up hands clutching ‘his’ head in pain. -> up, ‘his’ hands
Wow, this skin is soft… -> Wow, my skin
that ‘he’ had a silky platinum hair with subtle waviness that hangs freely from -> had silky....that hung
had extra ‘tissue’ on ‘his’ bust but what had ‘his’ attention -> bust, but
And following it, it was connected ‘his’ body, meaning -> maybe “And it was connected” ?
body was held up by thin legs of a spider. -> thin spider legs
new form, other factors played into it of course but none was -> form; other...course, but none were
seeing that ‘he’ was in a birthday suit - with an ‘undeniable’ proof of a female. -> maybe “was in ‘his’ birthday suit...showing undeniable proof of being female.” ?
Moments later after calming down from looking around all paranoid and remembering her dream or what felt like a dream. -> maybe “A few moments later she calmed down from her panicked looking around her, she remembered her dream. At least, it felt like a dream.” ?
It was deep into the night; -> night.
care if I was nude or not but still I would -> not,
and the wind is very caressing without clothes, maybe a bit too much for my comfort -> maybe “wind is very stimulating/noticeable without clothes... Maybe a bit to much for comfort.” ?
have the name Alicia - dominantly feminine name… -> maybe “have the predominantly female name Alicia...” ?
Actually, I can just make one for myself… -> make clothes for
what I'd like to say but my spinnerette is in quite an unfortunate place, and I don’t have needles -> say, but...place and
is subpar at best, last time was when I was a kid -> best; the last
Seems less probable more I think about -> probable the more
clothes, at least a wrap or a shirt but I don’t I think I can.” -> shirt,
Though no affirmation she felt some subtle tingly feeling from the inside. -> Though she got no affirmation, she felt
So, Alicia is some kind of Arachne now? Though apparently she also has a spider mouth...that’s going to be a bit awkward
Hmm, actually... The description reminds me of Quelaag from dark souls
Happy news to see Alice can talk to Alicia now even outside of dreams.
Wow, Alicia got one heck of a boost to agility and dexterity
And even her strength is nothing to sneeze at, honestly, please turn around, if you have to sneeze, it's unhygienic...
So he's a trans guy now? Or maybe Alicia will feel comfortable deciding to be a girl later on. I wonder how big he is now!
Thank you for the chapter.<3
Picked this up a bit late but am absolutely in love with your status boxes
im out
I accompany you brother, everything was going so well, this gender bender took me out of everything.
@Gtmaxter you mean..... the female name wasnt obvious?
@Nari Now now, no need to be passive aggressive. Granted at the time I haven't included the Gender bender tag.
@Auratic wasnt trying to be passive aggressive, its just confusing how someone can see a clearly female name and not guess they are female
@Nari I took it as a peculiarity of the character, there are names that are feminine but are used by men, even though I will not deny that the story is good and has its good moments, I cannot identify myself with the character who is technically half a woman
@Gtmaxter you literally wont read novels because the MC is female?
@Nari In part, I like to read novels where the protagonist is a man because I know how a man acts, but when it comes to a woman he identifies himself, it is very difficult, besides I feel that the character It is more versatile when it comes to playing with the world although layers are my prejudices, although I love the story because of the effort it takes I feel that an incredible opportunity was missed
@Gtmaxter an opportunity was missed because the MC isnt male? is that really what you want to say?
Why are you even on scribblehub and not expecting genderbenders?
@0xFFF1
Exactly, it is what else is here, also for me it is neither a gender double nor a trans because it is the only novel so far that being a man in his previous life does not affect his worldview, at least for now, by the way, I usually read stories with a female character because generally those of male protagonists are all bland, also, I read to read something that I am not, not what I am from different perspectives, that's why also.
@Auratic umm could you give a pic on how she looks I'm a bit confused about how she looks
@Dragondrive1717 I'm terrible artist so the best thing I can do is point you in the right direction. Try google image searching 'Desert queen zagara cosplay'.