Ficlet: A marriage proposal of sorts (Aragog/Mosag)
Title: A marriage proposal - of sorts
Pairing: Aragog / Mosag
Prompt: Challenge #1 - non-human
Rating: PG
Word Count: 500-ish
Summary: Aragog meets his… bride?
"Well, did you find one for me, Hagrid? Did you?" Aragog paced next to him, pincers clicking on the rocks as he scrambled closer.
"Shh," Hagrid whispered (rumbled really) and the box he clutched shook again.
"Do not keep me in suspense, friend Hagrid," Aragog said, waving one leg at the half-giant. "You've been gone all summer and I am anxious to meet her."
"Now Aragog, you must understand, I found you a pretty little lady, but it wasn't easy. I had to break into a laboratory and steal her."
"Why?" he asked, hissing. He remembered stories of such places from his youth.
"I think they wanted her venom. It took a lot of convincing to get her to come meet you. You need to give the pretty lady some room."
He folded all his legs beneath him, willing himself to be calm since Hagrid had never lied to him. He watched as Hagrid sighed and removed the lid, jumping backwards as a beautiful, tiny acromantula jumped out of the box, swearing in a language Aragog hadn't heard for years. She landed on top of Hagrid, knocking him over, and sat on his chest.
"Peace," Aragog said, rising quickly to all of his feet. She was perfect, even if only half his size and too thin. "You must not harm Hagrid, he has done so much for me - for us - already. Look, I brought you a gift."
The rabbit was only minutes dead, he'd been toying with it until he heard familiar steps approaching the hollow. He'd been lonely all summer, even playing with his food before eating had lost its entertainment weeks ago. Now though, everything changed.
She scooped the rabbit up with two legs, but didn't eat. Instead she continued to hiss, snapping one set of pincers. "He's no different than those other men," she said. "He'll try and put me back in that box, just you watch."
"I swear to you that he will not," Aragog said, moving closer. He caressed Hagrid's knotted hair with one leg. "He saved me, fed me, then released me into the forest here. He's never tried to make me leave and even promised to bring me a bride."
She stopped hissing long enough to turn toward him. "Bride?"
"You, my beauty. He brought you here to live in freedom with me, if you like."
Finally quiet, she jumped off Hagrid's chest and huddled on a rock, caressing the dead rabbit but not eating it.
"I'm not pretty enough to be a bride. Too skinny."
"Not for long," Aragog said, leaving Hagrid in the dirt to approach her. "There are all sorts of creatures here in the forest. You'll be perfect before long."
She looked so small, Aragog wasn't sure how many babies she could bear him. Maybe she'd grow in the future.
"Rules?" she asked, leaning closer to the rabbit.
"Only that you do Hagrid no harm. He is my - our - friend."
She glanced at the rabbit, then at Hagrid and nodded to herself before meeting Aragog's gaze. "Then I accept."
Pairing: Aragog / Mosag
Prompt: Challenge #1 - non-human
Rating: PG
Word Count: 500-ish
Summary: Aragog meets his… bride?
"Well, did you find one for me, Hagrid? Did you?" Aragog paced next to him, pincers clicking on the rocks as he scrambled closer.
"Shh," Hagrid whispered (rumbled really) and the box he clutched shook again.
"Do not keep me in suspense, friend Hagrid," Aragog said, waving one leg at the half-giant. "You've been gone all summer and I am anxious to meet her."
"Now Aragog, you must understand, I found you a pretty little lady, but it wasn't easy. I had to break into a laboratory and steal her."
"Why?" he asked, hissing. He remembered stories of such places from his youth.
"I think they wanted her venom. It took a lot of convincing to get her to come meet you. You need to give the pretty lady some room."
He folded all his legs beneath him, willing himself to be calm since Hagrid had never lied to him. He watched as Hagrid sighed and removed the lid, jumping backwards as a beautiful, tiny acromantula jumped out of the box, swearing in a language Aragog hadn't heard for years. She landed on top of Hagrid, knocking him over, and sat on his chest.
"Peace," Aragog said, rising quickly to all of his feet. She was perfect, even if only half his size and too thin. "You must not harm Hagrid, he has done so much for me - for us - already. Look, I brought you a gift."
The rabbit was only minutes dead, he'd been toying with it until he heard familiar steps approaching the hollow. He'd been lonely all summer, even playing with his food before eating had lost its entertainment weeks ago. Now though, everything changed.
She scooped the rabbit up with two legs, but didn't eat. Instead she continued to hiss, snapping one set of pincers. "He's no different than those other men," she said. "He'll try and put me back in that box, just you watch."
"I swear to you that he will not," Aragog said, moving closer. He caressed Hagrid's knotted hair with one leg. "He saved me, fed me, then released me into the forest here. He's never tried to make me leave and even promised to bring me a bride."
She stopped hissing long enough to turn toward him. "Bride?"
"You, my beauty. He brought you here to live in freedom with me, if you like."
Finally quiet, she jumped off Hagrid's chest and huddled on a rock, caressing the dead rabbit but not eating it.
"I'm not pretty enough to be a bride. Too skinny."
"Not for long," Aragog said, leaving Hagrid in the dirt to approach her. "There are all sorts of creatures here in the forest. You'll be perfect before long."
She looked so small, Aragog wasn't sure how many babies she could bear him. Maybe she'd grow in the future.
"Rules?" she asked, leaning closer to the rabbit.
"Only that you do Hagrid no harm. He is my - our - friend."
She glanced at the rabbit, then at Hagrid and nodded to herself before meeting Aragog's gaze. "Then I accept."