Day 58 - Morning
I woke to crashes, thuds, and what sounded like someone apologizing profusely to furniture.
"I'M SORRY TABLE! I DIDN'T MEAN TO BREAK YOUR LEG!"
Aranyx. Still adjusting to her new strength, apparently.
I found her in the main hall, standing over a three-legged table with an expression of absolute mortification. Her spider legs were positioned awkwardly, like she'd forgotten where half of them were.
"Papa, I broke another thing. That's four things this morning and I've only been awake for an hour!"
"What were the other three?"
"Door handle, chair, and I think I cracked a floor stone but I'm not sure if that was me or if it was already cracked and I just noticed." She gestured helplessly with her two arms. "Papa, how do people function with bodies? I feel like a disaster!"
"You're not a disaster, you're adjusting."
"I'm a DISASTER WHO'S ADJUSTING!" Her voice pitched into teenage drama territory. "What if I never learn control? What if I just break everything forever? What if people are scared of me because I'm clumsy and dangerous?!"
Through our bond, I felt genuine anxiety mixing with teenage emotional amplification.
"Aranyx, breathe."
"I'M BREATHING! BREATHING ISN'T HELPING!"
"Breathing while not catastrophizing?"
She paused. Took an actual breath. "Okay. Maybe slightly helping."
"Good. Now, did you eat breakfast?"
"I forgot! I was too busy breaking things!"
"That's probably contributing to the clumsiness. Low blood sugar affects coordination."
"Oh." She looked sheepish. "That makes sense actually."
"Let's get you fed. Then we'll work on control."
"Promise I'll get better?"
"Promise you'll get better with practice. Can't promise it'll be immediate."
"That's fair." She started walking carefully toward the dining hall, concentration obvious in every step. "Papa, being a teenager is HARD. Everything is intense and confusing and I don't know if I'm supposed to feel this many things at once!"
"That's normal for teenagers."
"IT'S TERRIBLE! How do people survive this?!"
"Very poorly, usually."
"THAT'S NOT REASSURING!"
I found Dewdrop in the training yard, attempting to fly combat maneuvers that were previously impossible at her smaller size. She was doing... okay? Sort of? She kept overshooting turns and having to correct mid-air.
"STUPID PHYSICS!" she shouted after nearly crashing into a wall. "WHY IS EVERYTHING DIFFERENT NOW?!"
"Because you're bigger," Kas called from where she was supervising. "Your momentum changed with your mass!"
"I DON'T CARE ABOUT MOMENTUM! I CARE ABOUT FLYING PROPERLY!"
"Those are the same thing!"
"THEY'RE NOT!"
I approached carefully. "Morning, sweetheart. How's training?"
"TERRIBLE! I keep MISSING things because I'm BIGGER and it's STUPID!" She landed on my shoulder, heavier than before, definitely noticeable. "Papa, I don't LIKE being bigger! I liked being tiny! Tiny was EASIER!"
"But being bigger lets you do new things."
"I don't WANT new things! I want OLD things that I was GOOD at!" Teenage frustration in full force. "Why does growing up mean everything gets HARDER?!"
"Because growth is hard. But it's also worth it."
"IT DOESN'T FEEL WORTH IT RIGHT NOW!"
Through her bond, I felt the frustration mixing with exhaustion, she'd been training since dawn, trying to remaster skills she thought she'd already learned.
"Dewdrop, when's the last time you rested?"
"I don't NEED rest! I need PRACTICE!"
"You need both. Come on, breakfast break."
"But I'm not DONE... "
"Not negotiable. You're exhausted, frustrated, and pushing too hard. Food and rest, then back to training."
She pouted but didn't argue further, which told me exactly how tired she actually was.
Breakfast was chaos, but the entertaining kind.
Both girls were ravenous, growth spurts plus magic plus adjustment meant they needed significantly more calories than before. Aranyx accidentally crushed a fork while trying to eat, looked horrified, and Nyx smoothly handed her a replacement while continuing conversation like nothing happened.
Dewdrop kept forgetting she was bigger and trying to perch in spaces that no longer fit her. She'd attempt to land on the sugar bowl, realize she was too big, overcorrect, and end up somewhere completely different from intended.
"I'M A DISASTER!" she announced after landing in someone's oatmeal.
"You're learning," Lira corrected, helping clean oatmeal out of her hair. "We've all been through fairy growth spurts. It's temporary awkwardness."
"How long is temporary?"
"Couple weeks usually."
"WEEKS?! I have to be a disaster for WEEKS?!"
"Or you could accept that learning takes time," Pip suggested.
"TIME IS STUPID!"
Through the bonds, I felt both girls' frustration mixing with determination. They wanted to be competent immediately, and biology wasn't cooperating.
"Alright," I said, getting their attention. "New plan for today. Instead of forcing yourselves to relearn everything immediately, we're doing low-pressure activities. No training, no pressure, just gentle adjustment."
"But Papa... " Aranyx started.
"No arguments. You're both exhausted and frustrated. Pushing harder will just make it worse." I looked at each of them. "Trust me?"
They exchanged glances, then nodded reluctantly.
"Good. After breakfast, Aranyx, you're with Velara. She's starting necromantic theory lessons... all sitting, no physical activity required. Dewdrop, you're with Mo. She's going to explain the physics of your new flight mathematically so you understand why things changed."
"MATH?!" Dewdrop looked betrayed.
"Math that makes flying easier. Trust Mo."
"Fine," she grumbled. "But if math doesn't help I'm going back to crashing into things!"
"Deal."
Lyria's Medical Check-In
Mid-morning, Lyria appeared at my workshop, I'd claimed a corner for instrument-making and had been working on a violin.
"Knox? Can I borrow you for a moment?"
"Of course. What's up?"
"I need to do medical check-ins on the girls. Make sure their transformations are progressing healthily." She fidgeted. "I was hoping you'd come with? They might be more comfortable with Papa present."
"Absolutely."
We found Aranyx first, sitting with Velara in the library. The older arachnae was explaining something about life-death cycles while Aranyx took notes with surprising focus.
"... and that's why understanding death isn't evil," Velara was saying. "It's part of the natural cycle. Necromancy just means working with that cycle instead of fearing it."
"That makes sense," Aranyx said, writing something. "So necromancers are like... death gardeners? Tending the cycle?"
"That's actually a lovely metaphor."
Lyria cleared her throat. "Sorry to interrupt. Aranyx, I need to do a medical check-in. Make sure your transformation is settling properly."
"Oh! Okay!" Aranyx set down her notes, stood carefully, still obviously concentrating on not breaking anything, and followed us to Lyria's medical space.
The check-in was thorough, Lyria's hands glowing with diagnostic magic as she examined Aranyx's new form.
"Carapace integration is excellent," she murmured, more to herself than us. "Bone density appropriate for new height. Muscle development matching mass increase. Organ function optimal." She paused at Aranyx's chest, frowning slightly.
"What's wrong?" Aranyx asked nervously.
"Nothing's wrong. Just unexpected." Lyria's hands moved in complex patterns, magic responding. "You have three distinct magical signatures in your system. Demon, dragon, and astral. They're not conflicting, they're... harmonizing? That shouldn't be possible."
"Is that bad?"
"No! It's amazing! It means you have potential access to all three racial magics!" Lyria looked excited now, her medical focus overtaking her usual nervousness. "Knox, did you know this would happen?"
"I had no idea. I just gave her everything during the ceremony."
"Well, you gave her literal chimera heritage. She's like a mini-you magically." Lyria turned back to Aranyx. "This is going to be fascinating to watch develop. You'll need training in all three forms, but the potential is incredible."
"I can do magic?!" Aranyx's eyes went wide. "Like, actual magic?! Not just spider stuff?!"
"Eventually, yes. Once your body finishes settling." Lyria smiled. "Though I'd recommend starting with one type at a time. Trying to learn three simultaneously would be overwhelming."
"More overwhelming than suddenly being a teenager?"
"Fair point."
After Aranyx left, bouncing slightly despite trying to walk carefully, clearly excited about magic potential, Lyria lingered.
"Knox, I need to tell you something."
"What's that?"
"Watching you with her just now. The way you were present but not hovering, supportive but not smothering, clearly devoted but not overbearing..." She flushed. "It made my heart do that thing again."
"The thing?"
"The thing where I want to be part of this family even more than I already did." She was fidgeting with her hands moving in nervous patterns. "Knox, I'm falling for you. Not just attracted, actually falling. The more I see of who you are as a father, as a partner, as a person, the more I want to be yours."
"Lyria... "
"I know, I know, courtship takes time, and I'm one of three, and you need to be sure, but I needed you to know that this isn't just casual interest anymore." She met my eyes. "I'm serious about this. About you. About wanting to build a life with your family."
Through her presence, I felt the absolute sincerity. This wasn't teenage crush or momentary attraction, this was genuine, deep interest.
"I'm serious about getting to know you too," I said carefully. "All three of you. I'm not making rushed decisions."
"I know. That's one of the things I like about you... you're thoughtful about commitments." She smiled, blushing. "I just needed you to know where I stand. So there's no confusion about my intentions."
"Crystal clear."
"Good. Now I need to go check on Dewdrop before I say something even more embarrassing." She fled, but paused at the door. "Knox? Thank you. For taking this seriously. For not just dismissing me because I'm clumsy and overly honest."
"Those are features, not bugs."
Her smile was radiant before she disappeared.
Dewdrop's Physics Lesson
I found Dewdrop in Mo's workshop, surrounded by diagrams and looking simultaneously frustrated and fascinated.
"... and THAT'S why your wing-stroke needs to adjust!" Mo was explaining enthusiastically. "Your mass increased by factor of approximately 3.7, but your wing surface area only increased by factor of 2.8! The ratio changed, so your thrust-to-lift mechanics changed proportionally!"
"So I need to flap HARDER?"
"No, you need to flap DIFFERENTLY! Harder would just exhaust you faster!" Mo pulled out more diagrams. "Look, if you angle your wings at 37 degrees instead of 45 degrees on the downstroke, and increase frequency by 12%, you'll achieve optimal lift for your new mass!"
Dewdrop stared at the equations, and I watched her tiny face scrunch in concentration. Then something clicked.
"OH! So I'm not BAD at flying, I'm just using OLD MATH!"
"EXACTLY!"
"And if I use NEW MATH, I'll fly BETTER than before because I'm BIGGER and have MORE POWER!"
"PRECISELY!" Mo looked delighted. "You understand! Math makes everything better!"
"MATH MAKES FLYING BETTER!" Dewdrop was bouncing with excitement. "Mama Mo is a GENIUS!"
"I'm adequately educated in... wait, did you just call me Mama Mo?"
Dewdrop froze. "I... um... I mean... you're not my official mama, that's Mama Kas, but you KIND OF feel like mama because you explain things and help me understand stuff and care about me learning and... " She was rambling nervously. "Is it okay if I call you Mama Mo? Or is that weird? I can stop if it's weird!"
Through Mo's presence, I felt a rush of emotion she wasn't prepared for, being called 'Mama' had hit something deep.
"It's not weird," Mo said, voice suspiciously thick. "You can call me Mama Mo if you want."
"REALLY?!"
"Really. Though I should note that I'm not prepared for the emotional impact of being called Mama. I'm going to need a moment to process."
Dewdrop flew over, much more steadily now that she understood the math, and hugged Mo's face. "You're Mama Mo now! You teach me things and help me be smart! That's what mamas do!"
Mo carefully hugged back, and through the bonds, I felt her usual analytical shields cracking slightly under the weight of genuine affection.
"I'm going to add 'Mama Mo' to my official titles," she said, voice still thick. "Right below 'Chief Logistics Coordinator.'"
"YAY!"
After the lesson ended and Dewdrop flew off to practice her new flight mathematics, Mo turned to me.
"I wasn't prepared for that," she admitted.
"The Mama Mo thing?"
"The emotional response to the Mama Mo thing." She was making notes, but her hands were shaking slightly. "Knox, I've been part of this family for months. Helped raise both girls in practical ways. But being explicitly claimed as a maternal figure... that's significant."
"You okay with it?"
"More than okay. Just... processing." She set down her notebook. "Knox, watching you father those girls, seeing how you've built this family through intention rather than biology, it's remarkable. And being included in that, being trusted with their development and education..." She paused. "It means more than I can adequately articulate."
"You're family, Mo. Of course you're part of raising them."
"I know. But having a four-year-old... sorry, teenager-equivalent fairy... explicitly declare that makes it real in new ways." She smiled slightly. "I'm going to need to update my organizational charts to include maternal responsibilities now."
"You're going to schedule motherhood?"
"I'm going to optimize motherhood. There's a difference."
"Of course there is."
Velara's Afternoon
I found Velara in the library that afternoon, organizing books on necromantic theory. Aranyx was gone, vprobably off attempting to practice her new coordination, leaving the older arachnae alone with her thoughts.
"How was the lesson?" I asked.
"Enlightening. Your daughter is remarkably intelligent." Velara looked up. "She asked questions I didn't expect from a newly-transformed teenager. Philosophical ones about the nature of death, the ethics of necromancy, why society fears what it doesn't understand."
"That sounds like Aranyx."
"She's special, Knox. Not just because she's your daughter, but because she has genuine intellectual curiosity combined with empathy. That's rare." Velara set down the book she was holding. "Teaching her is going to be a privilege."
"I'm glad she has you."
"I'm glad you trust me with her despite what I am." She hesitated. "Knox, I need to ask you something."
"Go ahead."
"Why aren't you afraid of me? Genuinely? Most people who know I'm a necromancer react with fear or disgust or both. You just... treat me normally. Why?"
I thought about how to answer honestly. "Because I've been the monster people fear. I understand what it's like to be judged for what you are rather than who you are. Seems hypocritical to do that to someone else."
"That's remarkably self-aware."
"That's remarkably self-interested. If I judge you for your magic, what right do I have to demand people not judge me for mine?"
She smiled, that rare, genuine expression. "You're consistent at least. Most people's morals are convenient."
"Most people's morals are bullshit. Present company excluded."
"Obviously." She moved closer, her multiple eyes studying me. "Knox, I need you to understand something about me."
"What's that?"
"I'm not good at expressing emotion. I spent years hiding, suppressing, pretending to be something I'm not because showing my real self meant death. That's created... barriers. To feeling, to connecting, to letting people close."
"I understand that."
"But I'm trying. With you, with this family, I'm trying to let those barriers down. It's terrifying and uncomfortable and goes against every survival instinct I've developed." She took a breath. "But I think you're worth the terror. Worth the discomfort. Worth risking everything I've built for self-protection."
"I'm courting you seriously, Knox. Not with grand gestures or emotional declarations like Lyria, not with practical efficiency like Thessia. But with genuine vulnerability, which for me is the hardest thing I can offer." Her voice was steady despite the admission. "I'm showing you who I really am, hoping you'll decide I'm worth keeping anyway."
Through her presence, I felt the depth of that vulnerability, for someone who'd hidden her entire life, this was monumental.
"I'm getting to know you," I said carefully. "Really getting to know you. Not just the necromancer or the scholar or the person hiding. All of you. And so far, I like what I'm learning."
"So far," she repeated, a slight smile playing. "I appreciate the honesty. Not promising forever immediately."
"Not making promises I'm not certain I can keep."
"That's why the promise matters. When you eventually make it, I'll know it's real." She stood. "Now go check on your other daughter. Dewdrop's been attempting to apply mathematical principles to combat maneuvers and I suspect Kas is losing her mind trying to follow the logic."
Combat Physics
I found exactly what Velara predicted, Kas looking simultaneously proud and confused while Dewdrop attempted to explain how angles and velocity affected strike power.
"... and if I approach from 37 degrees at THIS speed, the impact force increases by 12%! Mama Mo did the math!"
"That's... actually correct?" Kas looked at me helplessly. "Knox, your daughter is trying to mathematically optimize combat. I don't know whether to be proud or concerned."
"Why not both?"
"BOTH IS GOOD!" Dewdrop announced, then demonstrated a strike that was noticeably more effective than her previous attempts. "SEE?! MATH MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER!"
"Math makes flying better, fighting better, probably everything better!" She was bouncing with enthusiasm. "Mama Mo is teaching me to use my BRAIN to make my BODY work better! It's AMAZING!"
Kas caught my eye, her expression saying clearly: Our daughter is becoming a terrifying combination of Mo's logic and her own determination.
Through the bond, her pride mixed with slight concern about what we were creating.
"Just make sure you're also learning when NOT to fight," I said.
"Obviously! Fighting is for when NECESSARY! But when necessary, MATH makes it MORE EFFECTIVE!" Dewdrop did another strike, precisely angled, maximum efficiency. "I'M BECOMING UNSTOPPABLE!"
"Let's aim for 'very capable' before 'unstoppable,'" I suggested.
"FINE! VERY CAPABLE WITH UNSTOPPABLE POTENTIAL!"
"I'll take it."
Thessia's Evening Visit
That evening, after both girls were settled, Aranyx in quarters with Nyx, Dewdrop with Kas, Thessia requested private conversation.
We met in the fortress's evening gardens, quiet and peaceful under stars.
"Your daughters are adjusting well," she said without preamble. "Aranyx is handling the physical changes with grace despite frustration. Dewdrop is channeling her adjustment into learning. Good signs of resilience."
"They're remarkable."
"They have a remarkable father." She settled on a bench, gesturing for me to join. "Knox, I wanted to discuss something important."
"I'm listening."
"I've been leading the arachnae caravan for five years. Kept everyone alive through Empire persecution, found safe routes, made hard decisions about who we could save and who we had to leave behind." Her voice was steady but carried weight. "Leadership means understanding when to fight and when to retreat. When to stand firm and when to adapt."
"That's wisdom."
"That's survival." She looked at me directly. "Knox, I'm standing firm here. With you, with Ashenhearth, with this family you're building. This isn't retreat or adaptation... this is choosing where to make my permanent stand."
"That's a significant commitment."
"I'm aware. I'm also certain." She shifted slightly closer. "I've watched you lead, watched you father, watched you build community from chaos. That's the kind of leadership I want to stand beside. Not behind, not in front... beside. Equal partners building something unprecedented."
"You, Lyria, and Velara are all pursuing me seriously."
"I know. I've spoken with both of them." She smiled slightly. "We're not competing, Knox. We're each presenting ourselves honestly, letting you decide who fits best with your family's needs. If that's all three of us, excellent. If it's one or two, we'll accept that with grace."
"You've discussed this? With each other?"
"We're arachnae. Direct communication prevents misunderstanding." She studied me. "Knox, I'm not asking for immediate decision. I'm establishing that I'm serious, committed, and planning long-term. The courtship is just confirming what I already know, I want to be part of what you're building."
Through her presence, absolute certainty. No doubt, no hesitation. She'd made her choice and was following through with characteristic determination.
"I appreciate the directness."
"I appreciate that you appreciate directness. Saves time." She stood, prepared to leave. "One more thing, your daughters are going to need strong female role models as they mature. Nyx and Kas have claimed them as mothers, which is excellent. But having aunts, mentors, additional maternal figures would benefit their development."
"You're volunteering?"
"I'm offering. If you accept courtship seriously, I'm part of their lives regardless of romantic outcome. Might as well establish those relationships properly now." She met my eyes. "I'm good with young people, Knox. I've raised several in the caravan who weren't my biological children. I can help guide Aranyx and Dewdrop through adolescence if you'll let me."
"I'd appreciate that."
"Good. Then expect me to be around more, spending time with the girls, establishing trust and relationship." She smiled. "Consider it dual-purpose courtship... showing you who I am while simultaneously proving I'll be asset to the family."
"Very efficient."
"Very practical." She moved to leave, then paused. "Knox? Thank you for taking all three of us seriously. Most males would choose quickly or dismiss the complexity entirely. You're doing the hard work of genuine courtship. That matters."
After she left, I sat alone in the garden, processing the day.
Two teenage daughters adjusting to new bodies and emotions. Three arachnae women seriously courting me with increasing intensity. An entire family supporting the chaos while contributing their own complications.
My life was ridiculous.
But watching Aranyx discover magic potential, seeing Dewdrop apply mathematics to flight, feeling the bonds with my partners strengthen as we navigated parenthood together...
Ridiculous was working out pretty well.
Through all the bonds, I felt my family settling for the night. Girls exhausted from adjustment, partners content with the day's progress, the three suitors each processing their courtship advances in their own ways.
Tomorrow would bring new chaos.
But tonight, everything was exactly where it needed to be.
Complicated, messy, overwhelming, and perfect.
[TEENAGE ADJUSTMENT: ONGOING CHAOS]
[MAMA MO: OFFICIALLY CLAIMED]
[THREE SUITORS: MAKING SERIOUS PROGRESS]
[ARANYX: DISCOVERING MAGIC POTENTIAL]
[DEWDROP: WEAPONIZING MATHEMATICS]
[KNOX: DROWNING IN COURTSHIP AND PARENTING]
[FAMILY: EXPANDING IN EVERY DIRECTION]
[NEXT: MORE COURTSHIP COMPLICATIONS]
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~~~Author's note: If you are enjoying my story, have any ideas or suggestions, please comment! Thank you for giving it a try!!~~~