Sui took the time to shower, and convince herself that a random assortment of fruit counted as breakfast after she rifled through her closet to find the oldest clothes she had that still fit… when the answer happened to be all of them she found the one that was leased used, which was a paint stained dress she couldn’t remember making or buying.

And where did the pain come from? I can’t even remember the last time we had paint in the house let alone the last time I used it. Let’s just pretend this can’t be more than three years old though… I probably should remake it if it’s any older than that.

This of course was blatantly ignoring the other close she had acquired over the years and new to be at least five years old. Nevertheless this wasn’t what mattered. Once she finished up her ‘breakfast’ she decided to chat with Ito some more.

“So what exactly do you eat?” asked Sui

Ito splayed herself out flat ‘I don’t know anymore’

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Sui

Ito sunk into her arm then popped back out a few times ‘I’m clearly a different kind of spider. I don’t actually feel the need to eat right now’

“Right… so what exactly should we do then?” asked Sui

Ito tapped the side of her face ‘You’re the brains of this operation you think of something’

“Fine, if that’s how you want to play, let’s do some work on Trina’s dress then-

Sui, wave 5 will be commencing in approximately 5:00 minutes, please ready yourself. Warning Wave 5 is considered the first milestone, be prepared.

Sui sucked in a deep breath. “Really, really? Ito we just dealt with wave 4, why is 5 already upon us. How is that fair?”

Ito looked at Sui despondent ‘Is that not life?’

“Yeah, yeah laugh it up once again. Well your stuck with me now, so we have to deal with this together” said Sui

Ito just slipped into her arm. Are you trying to tell me to deal with it myself? Ito popped up, shook her head and disappeared back into her arm. Oh shit it’s so I can move. Sui quickly got up and dropped her plate into the sink.

Ok… um what exactly do I need? What does it mean that it’s a milestone? Ito popped out and stomped around hissing at the air before pretending to be struck multiple times and falling down. Only to slowly crawl back up and hiss again before ‘taking’ another series of attacks. ‘Something big is coming’

“Well, shit. Do I need to risk the knives then?” asked Sui

Ito shook her head and pointed towards Sui’s room. Following her little spider’s advice she followed its leg until she got to her sewing supplies. Ito then enthusiastically pointed at her scissors. Shrugging she slipped it into the pocket of the side of the dress before it pointed to the one below that.

Opening it revealed a bunch of wound thread across a multitude of colours, but Ito was frantically pointing towards the back. Quickly shuffling things around so that she could actually find whatever it was Ito was pointed at eventually lead her to some old fishing line she’d once purchased at the dollar store by mistake thinking it was cheap thread.

“This really?” asked Sui as she examined the spool. Ito nodded repeatedly before grasping the end and sinking back down into her arm. To Sui’s surprise the line seemed to sink in as well. As Ito ran across her arm holding the end in her mouth the spool unwound as necessary and any slack seemed to pool at the area where Ito had pulled it in.

Sui tried to pull on the line experimentally but found that while she could move it, and even remove some from her skin, it was a vastly uncomfortable feeling. Not unlike removing stitching from your fingers, but still not quite right. Sui had more than enough knowledge on that exact feeling to know it was truly different.

“Right, this is cool and all, but what exactly can you do with it?” asked Sui

To demonstrate Ito jumped off the bottom of her arm. The clumped extra somehow contained within unwound as Ito dropped. When it reached, the line bounced once before Ito climbed back up. The entire process was completed in just a few seconds and Sui could see it making a decent surprise attack.

The best part was, that when Ito removed the string or played around with it, she felt no pain or discomfort it was only when she decided to manipulate it herself that problems started to arise.

“Hey can we keep other types of thread in my arm now?” asked Sui

Ito crossed her second set of legs ‘Now is not the time we are on the clock’

Sui pouted but the spider stood firm under her assault.

“Fine be that way. How do you want to store this thread?” asked Sui

Ito circled her front to legs over each other. Getting the gist Sui unwound the spool and started to wrap it around her wrist careful to make sure it wasn’t too tight. Ito seemed please with this result and returned some of the thread to be wrapped over. Once done Ito somehow managed to secure the string to when of the webs coating her arm before popping back out and tapping it twice causing the structure to vanish.

Ito then proceeded to climb onto Sui’s shoulder and settle into the crook of her neck where she had a slight indent. Seeing this Sui shook her hands lightly making sure the fishing line was secure before holding her scissors.

They comfortable in her hands. They fit her well and had been purchased after much deliberation. After years of use and careful maintenance they were a rather precious thing despite there plain appearance, but the thought of using them as weapons hadn’t crossed her mind.

Can I use this? Should I? These scissors are old, and very useful. I’m not sure I want to risk them breaking because I was too scared to use a knife. Sui felt Ito tapping her on the neck at these thoughts. Noticing her try and fail to look, Ito moved down to her elbow and Ito shook her head.

“Your saying I should be using them then? Why?” asked Sui

Ito mimed cradling something ‘Because they will serve you well’

Sui bit her lip but couldn’t argue. While I knife might technically be better in a fight, they had never felt right in her hands. Especially if her repeated failed attempts at using them in the kitchen had taught her anything.

Sure she could cook, but knives seemed to dislike her despite knowing all the proper methods of handling. Sui took another look at the scissors in her hands and gripped them tightly. Other than their years of service there is nothing separating them from a new pair of scissors. I didn’t get them for a special event, and they don’t remind me of anyone… so why do I feel hesitant.

Sui, wave 5 will be commencing in approximately 1:00 minutes, please proceed to the arena.

Proceed to the arena? As Sui asked the question, she felt her feet start to move. She could resist if she wanted, she could tell, but she let them keep carrying her. Where am I going? Following the feeling she was led out of her room and back to the living room. She half expected things to stop there but her feet kept going.

She was taken to the back door and stopped but could still feel the pull. Carefully pushing it open she felt her feet continue as soon as the door was mostly open. Sui stepped out into the backyard, the largest claimant of her grandmother’s free time.

There was a faint shimmering above the fences. Like there was something boiling beneath and distorting the air. The backyard was otherwise untouched, if a little unclean, though that part was normal.

As Sui wondered what was going on the message reappeared

Sui, wave 5 will be commencing in approximately 0:30 minutes, please be prepared.

Different again. Then a boom, and the space in the centre of the garden started to twist. The glowing intensified as the orb of light started to shift and change, rotating slowly but gaining momentum and colour.

The nearby garden looked to have been pulled in, stretching and pulling but everything remained in place. Once the orb had spun into a frenzy a blast occurred, like a gust of wind, whipping through Sui’s dress and hair. Ito had already retreated into her arm and when the light cleared Sui could only stare in fascinated horror…

Standing before her was a wolf. It looked somewhat cute. Big ears, big eyes, and a very fluffy coat. That’s where the cuteness stopped though. It had razor sharp teeth and was snarling at her… Oh and it was around eight feet tall.