//------------------------------// // What's a Blog? // Story: Ask Graceful Thread // by Robipony //------------------------------// "Hey, Thread!" Lemon Hearts called out as she entered the abandoned clock tower, "It's me, Lemon Heart!" Cobwebs covered the various supports of the tower's interior, it was dark with only a few lights illuminating sections of the interior. As Lemon Hearts gazed into the darkness, she notices that some of the larger threads begin to move either in response to the breeze or from something else moving along the web. The mare was very certain as to who it was. The floor was made of concrete, with most of the building being made from bricks with steel beams serving as a skeleton to support the large structure. "I brought you something!" Lemon Hearts informed as she pulls off her saddlebags. The webbing seemed to hum as something began to move forth from the darkness. "You are alone, right?" A purple mane began to become clear as what seemed to be a pony crawled down the web. However, as more of the creature's form emerged from the shadows, it become clear that while she has the body of a pony, the mare's legs were that of a spider, with a large abdomen where her tail should be. Glistening from underneath her mane are six red eyes, resting in between the mare's pony eyes. Her right eye had a large vertical scare. Her coat was a deep brown, while her legs shared a similar color, there were also segments of the legs that were a pale green, a strange almost fearsome looking pattern on her abdomen were colored in a similar fashion. Lemon Hearts smiled, "Of course, I know you don't like visitors." Graceful Thread eyed the saddle bag that Lemon Hearts was digging through, "Did you bring any... fish?" Pulling a large fish from her bag, wrapped in newspaper, Lemon Hearts tossed the fish to her friend, who happily grabbed the fish from the air with her two front legs and scurried back onto her web. While Lemon Hearts couldn't see it, she knew what the spidermare was going to do with the fish and she really didn't want to think about it. "I also brought something else." Lemon Hearts said as she pulled a laptop out of her saddlebags, with her magic. A cerulean aura enveloping the contraption. Looking around the room, the mare was pleased to find an electrical outlet that she could plug the computer into. There was an old wooden desk in a corner, with an outlet underneath. Resting the laptop on the table, Lemon Hearts plugged the computer in. A green light blinked to life on the left side of the contraption, indicating that it was receiving power. The spidermare's head emerged from the darkness to watch Lemon Heart’s actions, "What are you doing?" "You said you wanted to get out more," Lemon Hearts said as she turned on the computer, "this way you can talk to people outside. Maybe once they know more about you, they won't be so scared of you." Graceful Thread descends the web again to catch a closer look at the object that Lemon Hearts is working with. "What is it?" Thread asked, turning her head at an angle. "It's a laptop," Lemon Hearts answers, "there is a website on here called Phumblr, where you can create blogs and talk to other ponies." Lemon Hearts motioned with a hoof toward the screen. "What's a blog?" Graceful Thread inquired. It took the mare about an hour to explain how the computer worked to the spidermare so that she would be able to use it on her own. It wasn’t difficult teaching her how to turn on the computer; it was some of the more technical stuff that was the problem. “So you need the internet to access the web?” Graceful Thread inquired. “Yeah,” as Lemon Hearts answered this, the spider pony looked back at her own abdomen. “Why?” the spidermare asked, “I can just make my own…” “Okay, for one it’s not an actual web,” Lemon Hearts replied, “also I’m pretty sure the pony who created it didn’t expect an actual spider pony would use it. The point is that icon on the bottom right of your screen needs to be there, otherwise, you won’t be able to work on the blog.” Thread nodded, “Okay, and I access this web through a browser?” “Yes.” The spidermare’s eyes scrolled over the screen in front of her before looking back at Lemon Hearts, “It seems overly complicated.” A frustrated sigh escaped Lemon Heart’s mouth, causing Graceful Threads to smile. “Don’t worry,” the spider pony said, “I think I can figure it out.” Smiling, Lemon Hearts stood up from the dusty floor and stretched her legs. "You should really consider buying some furniture!" Lemon Hearts said as she rubbed her sore body. "Why?" The yellow mare was about to remark when she remembered Graceful Thread's webbing and decided to go a different route, "In case a friend comes over." "I could always make you a chair." Graceful Thread said, holding some webbing in her front legs. "N-no, that's fine." Lemon Hearts had things to do and didn't want to be stuck in one of Thread's webs. The spidermare shrugged and put the webbing away. "Well, I have to go now," Lemon Hearts said as she made her way to the door, "one of my friends is back in town and the girls and I are going to meet her." "Okay." Graceful Thread said as she watched the unicorn walk to the door. "Make sure to create an account on Phumblr!" Lemon Hearts called out as left, "I'll send you a message tonight when I get home to see how you're doing?" As the door closed, the spidermare looked back at the computer before her. Thread examined the website before her and contemplated what to do with it... Graceful Thread sat worriedly in front of her computer. It was now complete. Her Phumblr account was up and ready to go. Nervously, the spidermare looked back over her bio. Hello Phumblr, my name is Graceful Thread, I am... well... a spidermare. My friend Lemon Hearts said I should try to socialize more, but since most ponies don't like it when I walk outside my home in broad daylight, I thought I might try social media. After all everypony else is doing it. Don't worry, there is no such thing as stupid questions. Wrong questions, yes. Questions that might result in me wrapping you in my webs and injecting you with my venom, yes. Stupid questions, nah! Just send me your questions and I will record myself answering them. Graceful Threads examined the bio. Personally, she thought it was very clever considering what Lemon Heart had said about it being connected to the interweb or something like that. She had also taken a picture of herself using the laptop's built in camera, which Graceful Thread had used for her Phumblr icon. Her face positioned in such a way that it showed over her mane and only two of her arachnid eyes. While it looked okay, the spidermare was worried that others might not... like it. What if everypony hated it and didn't want to talk to her? What if they were scared of her... on second thought, Thread didn't mind other ponies being scared of her. After all, that was how she managed to survive for so long. With a gulp, Graceful Thread refreshed the page and was surprised to see numerous questions on her Phumblr page. This was both an exciting and nerve-wracking moment. After spinning a web to make a comfortable hammock to lay on, the spidermare turned on the recording software and hit the record button. "Ummm... hello," Thread smiled showing off her fangs, "I'm Graceful Thread and I'm going to answer your questions. My friend, Lemon Hearts said it would be a lot more interesting if I recorded it. So I guess it's time to get started. Let's see..." Biting her bottom lip, Thread scrolled down the page to one of the first questions. Prism Heart asks: Hi Thread, could you describe the nearest town/village to your home? "Hello, I actually live in the city of Canterlot." Graceful Thread answered, "Apparently it's some royal city of some sort. I wouldn't really know though, I only go out at night when everypony is asleep." With a smile, the spidermare moved onto the next question. Jack Hammer asks: Dear Graceful Thread, I have a three-part question if you don't mind. What and how do you eat? How do you think other others should feel about this? And finally, How should prospective friends react to your talk of wrapping them up and biting them? Thanks and best wishes, Jack Hammer As she looked at the question, Thread noticed a similar question written by another pony. MarionBerryPunch asks: What do you drink? "Don't worry Jack Hammer, I don't mind," Thread smiled, "by the way those are some nice glasses you have on your icon." The spidermare stood up from her hammock and stretched. "I can actually answer both your first question and MarionBerryPunch's question if you will give me a moment." Moving along the webbing, Graceful Thread climbed up onto the web and plucked one of the fish, Lemon Heart had bought for her. The spidermare returned and sat down on the hammock facing the camera. "You see I technically eat and drink at the same time," Thread said holding up the fish with her front legs, "I have a few different types of venom in my fangs that I can use. I use one of these to help me digest my food. Like this." After activating her digestive venom, the spidermare bit down into the fish with her fangs. Once the task was complete, Graceful Thread pulled away from the fish and gave the camera a smile. "After a few minutes, the insides will be nice and squishy allowing me to drink the fluids inside." Thread continued, "Unlike regular ponies my kind can't gain sustenance from plants and fruits, meaning we have to eat the insides of other animals in order to survive." Having answered Jack Hammer's first question, Graceful Thread examined the next part. How do you think other others should feel about this? "I mean it would be nice if they could understand," the spidermare spoke, "I mean it isn't like I choose to be a pony who eats meat. It's just what I am. However, I can kind of understand how they feel. After all my species haven't always been so nice when it comes to their dealings with ponies. So I guess, I'm okay so long as they don't try to hurt me." And finally, How should prospective friends react to your talk of wrapping them up and biting them? "Oh, I wouldn't want to hurt my friends." Thread answered, "I've only bitten ponies that have trespassed into my home." There was a slight look of euphoria in the spider pony's eyes as she remembered back to an incident, "admittedly some of them have been rather tasty... anyway. No, I haven't bitten any of my friends and I only wrapped one of them when we first met." Though thinking back on it, Lemon Hearts did always seem to try to avoid getting tangled up in Graceful Thread's webbing, ever since then. "Well, uh... let's go onto the next question." Kin, the Love Stallion asks: So... you are a mare? have a Colt-friend, or maybe a mare-friend? "I'm a mare," Thread said before scratching her chin with a leg, "I have a friend named Lemon Heart that brings me fish from time to time... does that count?" Graceful Thread wasn't exactly sure about this question but shrugged it off and moved onto the next. RarityDressMakerFan9000 asks: Do you put on cloths? "Well, I don't have much in the way of clothes," Graceful Thread replied, "though I do like stockings. They make my legs feel warm and fuzzy. I especially like stockings with strips or unique patterns. However, they always get tangled up in my webs. Scarves are also nice to have during the winter months." ThatBadGuy asks: Oh, graceful Thread. Tell me about Fashion! Tell me what kind of clothes can your people create. With your biological equipment which can create strong and flexible cloth, you must be very proud designers! I am sure Rarity would be thrilled! Or screaming in horror. The spidermare giggles in response, a slight blush on her cheeks, "Well, thank you. I haven't done much in the way of making clothing." Graceful Thread plays with a few of the silken strands that make up her hammock, "They are indeed strong. I think I have heard of some tribes of spider ponies in the zebra homelands that make clothing and even large structures with their silk. As for Rarity, I'm afraid I don't know her unless you're talking about the pony who asked the previous question." chucklefarts asks: Is your silk an anti-magic material?  (For those pesky unicorns of course!) Pulling out a strand of spider silk, Graceful Thread looked it over, turning her head to examine it further, "I'm not sure. If I find out I'll let you know. Next question." DefaultName7777 asks: What does it mean to be? A look of confusion spread across the spider pony's face, before she thought she knew what DefaultName7777 was asking. "I think you referring to what does it mean to be alive... right?" Graceful Thread's bit her lip as she thought about the question. "I suppose it depends upon the pony," the spidermare answered, "personally I like to think that we are all characters walking on a web, interacting with each other through the silken strands. Perhaps we are supposed to make the loudest vibration, to reach out to all the other threads. Or maybe we are supposed to be as quiet and as still as possible to avoid being eaten for as long as possible. What do you think?" Kinetic_Aesthetic asks: What kinds of bread do you like? "I'm not actually a big fan of bread. If I eat it like you ponies do it gets lodged in my throat and I have difficulty breathing. I can coat in my digestive venom but usually, it tastes really soggy and gross afterward." Arachna-Pie asks: Do you go to parties? The spidermare motioned with two of her legs to her surroundings, "Does it look like I go to parties? I have to hide in an abandoned clock tower during the daytime!" Graceful Threads shook her head. "Sorry, that was out of line." Basilisk40 asks: Do you know any other languages? "Nope," Thread shook her head, "just this one. To go into more details, I kind of learned how to speak from listening to the ponies outside. Occasionally I would have to travel to a new home and come to a school, where I could hide under the floorboards and listen. Eventually, however, I would have to leave out of fear of being discovered." LordoftheChickens asks: Egg or no egg? "I LOVE eggs," Thread smiled, "they're already squishy inside. Sometimes Lemon Heart will bring me one." Graceful Thread's heart sank a little when she saw the next two questions. LovelyCamera asks: Got any brother or sisters? Anonymous asks: What was your relationship with your family? "I used to," The spidermare answered solemnly, "most of us split up after we hatched. I don't know if any of them are still around or if any of them were... anyway, let's go onto next question." Using her right foreleg, Graceful Thread brushed away a few tears away from her eyes as she looked at the next question. QuestioningQuill asks: What part of you is pony, and what part is Spider? 1'mN0tScr3am1ng asks: Can you walk on walls? "Well, most of my body and head is similar to that of a pony, with the exception being my eyes," Thread motioned with a leg to the six small, crimson eyes that were between her large pony eyes, "then I have eight arachnid legs, which yes I can use to walk on walls, sadly not while wearing stockings, and an abdomen." The spidermare's abdomen wiggled a little for emphasis. "I guess my fangs are also like that of a spider, which now that I think about it," Graceful Thread tilted her head as if listening for something, "I think my meal should be done soon." GamerPony asks: What board game do you like? "I haven't really played any board games," the spider pony said eyeing her fish, "maybe I'll ask if Lemon Hearts can bring some... though I'm not sure if she'll want to play." Anonymous asks: What's your favorite color in the alphabet on a scale from one to ten? "I didn't know we had colors in the alphabet," Thread pondered, "however I can list off my favorite colors. I like black, purple, green, turquoise, violet, lavender, red, gray, yellow and blue. The last two I just added to make ten, as they are kind of okay colors, but I really like the first eight in that order." OctoPonyTavia56 asks: What song do you like? TheDizzyDan asks: Do you like to sing? "I really like Vinyl Scratch’s music," The spidermare answered, "sadly I don't hear it all that often, but perhaps now that I have access to this... computer thingy, I might be able to hear more of it. At least that is what Lemon Hearts told me." Picking up the fish, Graceful Thread's inserted her fangs and began to suck out the fish's liquefied insides. "As for singing, I really haven't had much of a chance to try it," the spider pony replied, "however, maybe sometime in the future I will try to sing a few tones. Maybe I'll even record it for all of you to enjoy." CreepyPastaSalad asks: How did you meet your friend Lemon Hearts? Graceful Threads let out a yawn and stretched her legs. "It is a long story, I would love to tell you all about it, but I am feeling a little tired," The spidermare said as she blinked her many eyes a few times, "don't worry, I'll talk about it in my next blog. I promise. Have a good night, everypony." With that said, Graceful Threads turned off the recording. While she was tired, the spidermare was very happy. It had gone so much better than she thought it would. As Graceful Threads was about to turn off the computer, a new message popped up on her Phumblr page. If it wasn't for the fact the username belonging to Lemon Hearts, the spider pony would have just ignored it and left it to be answered the next day. Clicking on the icon, Thread saw Lemon Hearts' message. 'Hey Thread, how did today go? From the looks of it, your Phumblr page has been pretty popular the last few hours.' Graceful Threads smiled, she really had had fun with her blog. Before heading off to bed, the spidermare gave one last reply. 'It is going great. Thank you very much, Lemon Hearts for doing this for me.' After shutting off the laptop, Thread crawled up her web until she was in the center of a circular pattern of silk strands and lay down to sleep. Dreaming of cameras, making new friends and eating more fish organs. A stallion mumbled as he opened the door to the abandoned clock tower. His horn glowing a sickly vomit green as he walked inside, the magic illuminating his way. "Wow, Spring Rain wasn't kidding, this place is a mess," the stallion said as he stepped deeper inside. Looking around the unicorn spied a laptop resting on a wooden table, his eyes growing wide at the sight. "Oh goody," the stallion smiled as he walked over to the computer, "well, finders keepers..." Opening his saddlebags, the unicorn prepared to take the laptop when something sticky latched onto his right foreleg. The stallion attempted to struggle as another stand gripped his left foreleg. Then in a matter of seconds, the stallion found himself suspended in the air, almost like a puppet, his two hind hooves barely touching the ground. "Losers weepers." Out of the corner of his eye, the stallion saw a purple mane lowering itself, the face behind the mane turning with multiple blood red eyes. "It's not nice," the creature spoke, "to take what isn't yours." Before the stallion could protest, he felt something biting into his shoulder. The unicorn's magic flickered as he slipped into unconsciousness.