Tarantula Tuesday

Ocellus learns a lesson from Fluttershy about fear.

From a Quills and Sofas Speewriting Contest: Bug Days of Summer. The story had to have a bug in it, but I included 2! The original was written in 1 hour and 15 minutes, but has since undergone some minor editing to make it presentable, though it did manage to win 2nd place in the contest.

Now with an audio reading!

Chapters (1)

Comments ( 11 )

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Yoshifan30

Yoshifan30 #1 · Sep 14th, 2020 · 1 · ·

Ever since I watched arachnophobia the movie I'm scared of spider 😰

Yoshifan30

Yoshifan30 #2 · Sep 14th, 2020 · 1 · ·

Gallus considered it for a moment. A very brief moment. “Yeah, no. I’m out.” And with that, he flew out of his seat and left, disturbing a few papers sitting on desks on his way out.

I don't blame him I do not like spiders at all I'm sorry fluttershy but I just can't

Yoshifan30

Yoshifan30 #3 · Sep 14th, 2020 · 1 · ·

Well then that was something So basically fluttershy tried to get every creature To not be afraid of spider Which it has a mix results but it worked out I guess But for me I can't do it I'll probly failed that class so badly I'm just so terrified of spiders and tarantula But this was a pretty good short story

Yoshifan30

Yoshifan30 #4 · Sep 14th, 2020 · 1 · ·

One more thing didn't yona face her fear about the spider? I was confused about that.

RainbowDoubleDash

RainbowDoubleDash #5 · Sep 14th, 2020 · 2 · 1 ·

This was a cute little read. It suffers from a general problem with a lot of speed-writes, that it’s sort of a scene more than a story, but that’s the nature of the beast.

How’d it do in the contest?

despite being a bug herself

Hmm...I don’t know why but this is setting off my inner pedant even though I’ve used “bug” to refer to Changelings too, as have plenty of other authors. Maybe because before I’ve always seen it used as slang, whereas here it’s presented as a matter-of-fact.

In any event, pedant time! Properly speaking only insects in the order hermiptera are “bugs”. This includes cicadas and aphids. Of course colloquially we use it to refer to any sort of creepy-crawly, even non-insects like wood lice (crustaceans), spiders (arachnids), and so on. Still, given that changelings are four-legged, unsegmented, probably endothermic, and probably have endo- rather than exoskeletons, I’m not sure they should really be considered “bugs” in a matter-of-fact way.

Then again that’s based on Terran life classifications and assumes evolution as we understand it. This is Equestria. Changelings here as far as we know come from bad juju magic, plants, insects, and unicorn bones and blood.

With it so elegantly put, she launched herself through the nearest wall, which led outside and was, thankfully, on the ground floor.

This would be pre-“What Lies Beneath”, then, most likely.

Behind the bravado, Smolder was just as scared as every other student.

Between the thick scales, the fire breath, and the option to take a lava bath, this is surprising to me.

Being underwater for most of her life had left her without the innate feelings of dread that land-creatures had for the creepy crawlies

This is another thing that surprises me, given the plethora of horrifying arthropods that exist under da sea. Especially in the deeps. The Undersea Vore Dimension.

Holtinater

Holtinater #6 · Sep 14th, 2020 · 1 · ·

10434389
This is before them being tested by the Tree, which is why Yona is still scared of spiders.

Yoshifan30

Yoshifan30 #7 · Sep 14th, 2020 · 1 · ·

10434391
Ahh i see got it

Holtinater

Holtinater #8 · Sep 14th, 2020 · · ·

10434390

How’d it do in the contest?

It was actually tied for second. I had completely forgotten about that, so thanks for reminding me!

Scyphi

Scyphi #9 · Sep 15th, 2020 · 2 · ·

I had a science teacher in high school who had a pet tarantula in his classroom, and occasionally he'd pull it out and offer if anyone wanted to hold it. Me, being very arachnophobic, was just content enough to be in the same room as the thing, so no, I never held it or ever came close enough to even touch it, despite seeing plenty of evidence that it was a pretty docile creature and a (very) small part of me feeling a little disappointed at myself for never saddling up and facing the fear anyway.

But of course, this also isn't Equestria--the teacher explicitly made it clear that if you were too panicked holding the tarantula, then you ran the risk of panicking the tarantula too, potentially motivating it to bite in self defense, and since tarantulas do tend to be rather venomous...

A nice little fic though, in that it does get you thinking about this sort of thing and whether or not you yourself could step up and hold the tarantula too.