Interspecies Potion Solution Part 2 Chapter 2

Chapter 2: “Web of Measurements”

By the time the trio returned home, Kirika was clanking like a mobile suit of armor, her makeshift metal bra courtesy of Cerea glinting under the afternoon sun. Miia slithered alongside her, trying to look innocent. Cerea marched dutifully behind them with a suspiciously judgmental air.

The front door opened with a soft creak—and almost immediately, Rachnera peeked around the corner from the living room.

“Well, someone had a dramatic morning,” the spider-girl drawled, sipping what may or may not have been a morning cocktail from a novelty goblet. Her many eyes locked onto Kirika’s shining chestplate with predatory amusement. “Nice armor, Kirika. Finally embracing the warrior maiden look?”

“Not exactly,” Kirika said flatly, stepping inside and immediately trying to make her hooves clop as little as possible on the hallway tiles.

Mero peeked in from the kitchen, blinking with curiosity. “Did something happen at the park? Oh! Was it a romantic accident~?”

“Define accident,” Miia muttered under her breath.

“It was… eventful,” Kirika said, already undoing the armor straps. “Also, does anyone have a towel? Metal is not breathable.”

“I shall retrieve one,” Cerea offered, immediately trotting off.

Rachnera watched her go, then turned back with a smirk. “Alright, I’ll bite. What happened?”

“Short version,” Kirika sighed, pulling off the breastplate and holding it like a medieval bikini top, “we tried something dumb, I fell into a bush, and Cerea’s clothes died a noble death in the line of duty.”

“Oof. May they rest in pieces.” Rachnera snorted. “So, what’s the plan? You want me to patch them up?”

“Can you?” Kirika asked. “I mean, I’d replace them myself, but if there’s a way to fix them, I’d rather not waste a good set.”

Rachnera clicked her tongue and stretched her arms with a lazy shrug. “I could. Not saying I should. But sure, I’ll do some surgical reweaving if I’m feeling generous.”

“You’re the best.”

“I know.”

She tilted her head from side to side, thinking deeply as she looked Kirika up and down again, slowly, like she was scanning a specimen for analysis. “But honestly… why not just go shopping for your own clothes?”

The whole group paused.

Miia blinked. “...Wait. Yeah. Why haven’t we done that?”

Kirika blinked, too. “True. I’ve been living in borrowed Cerea tops for a week.”

“I did mention the idea of shopping several days ago,” Mero chimed helpfully.

“Yeah, but you also said we should do it dressed like synchronized swimming fairies,” Miia retorted.

“...True.”

Rachnera grinned wickedly. “Well, if we’re finally thinking about dressing you properly… do any of you actually know her measurements?”

Cerea reappeared with a towel, and her ears immediately perked at the question. “They are likely to be exactly mine,” she stated confidently, offering the towel to Kirika.

Rachnera turned her head slowly. “Are they now?”

“Y-yes. After all, the potion copied my… our… physiology.”

“Oh? Then surely you’d be fine announcing your exact bust, waist, and hip size to the room? Down to the centimeter?” Rachnera asked sweetly, her eyes gleaming.

Cerea stiffened.

Rachnera leaned closer. “Or would you prefer to keep your intimate secrets a little more… ambiguous?”

A single bead of sweat rolled down Cerea’s temple.

“W-well… perhaps it would be wiser to have fresh measurements taken. For… scientific accuracy.”

Miia smirked. “Ohhh~ You’re blushing. I knew your waist was tighter than you let on!”

“Silence, snake!”

Kirika sighed into the towel, muttering just loud enough for all to hear, “This is going to be a long afternoon.”

As the laughter and teasing died down, Kirika took a breath, still clutching the towel around her chest. Her voice cut through the residual chaos.

“…So who’s actually going to help me take these measurements?”

Everyone turned to her at once.

Kirika shrugged slightly. “Look, I’m not exactly experienced with being a girl… or a centaur for that matter. Measuring all of this by myself is gonna be… next to impossible. I can’t even fully touch my own back and I turn like a bus in a tight alley.”

She gestured vaguely at the entirety of her four-legged, curvaceous frame.

Rachnera’s grin sharpened like a knife. “Well now, you’re in luck. Because I, my dear centaur-in-crisis, am exceptionally skilled with measuring tape. Multi-limbed precision. Artistic symmetry. Spidery senses. I could have your whole blueprint wrapped up in fifteen minutes flat.”

There was a beat of silence.

Then, like a wave breaking—

“NO!” Miia shouted.

“Absolutely not,” Cerea said firmly.

“That sounds unironically dangerous,” Mero added cheerfully.

Rachnera burst into delighted laughter, tilting her head back as her threads swayed lazily in amusement. “Oh come on. You all act like I’m some kind of perverted villain.”

“You tied up Darling to the ceiling for 'symmetry reasons’ last week,” Miia snapped.

“I wasn’t wrong,” Rachnera countered with a wink.

But despite the protests, Kirika didn’t immediately shoot the idea down.

She turned and looked Rachnera straight in her many, glinting eyes. “You’re serious? You could actually do it quickly and accurately?”

Rachnera blinked, surprised by the lack of sarcasm in Kirika’s tone. “Dead serious. I don’t half-ass symmetry. I’ve sized up more weird body types than I can count. Kinda important when tying up people, don't you think? Trust me, I’ve got this.”

Kirika nodded slowly. “Then let’s do it. I’d rather get this over with sooner than later.”

“WHAT?!” came the chorus of protests.

“Kirika, no!” Cerea stepped forward, looking scandalized. “You cannot seriously mean to leave thyself alone with her! She will absolutely tie thee up again! And most likely draw things on thy face!”

“I only did the face thing once,” Rachnera muttered.

Kirika raised an eyebrow. “Cerea. Do you think you can do it faster and better than her?”

“I…well… N-no,” Cerea stammered, face reddening. “But… but there must be another way! Perhaps a group effort!”

“Great,” Rachnera said, stretching her arms overhead. “But if we do it my way, I won’t need a spotter, a rope, or a protractor. Just me and my tape. Clean, efficient and thorough.”

Cerea looked like she might spontaneously combust.

But Kirika just exhaled and nodded. “Alright. I’ll trust you.”

That stopped even Rachnera.

“…Wait. Really?”

“Yup,” Kirika said, already trotting toward the hallway. “But fifteen minutes, alright? That’s the deal.”

“Cross my hearts and hope to tie you up~ Uh, I mean… try not to.”

Cerea looked horrified. Miia looked deeply betrayed. Mero just hummed thoughtfully like she was watching a daytime soap.

And before anyone could object again, Kirika and Rachnera disappeared down the hall together.

Leaving the rest of the household staring after them like someone had just walked into a dragon’s mouth voluntarily.

“…She’s doomed,” Miia whispered.

“I shall prepare the web cutting scissors,” Cerea muttered grimly.

—

It wasn’t long before Kirika found herself standing as still as she could in the middle of her room, towel now swapped for a simple wrap top that barely stayed in place. She had to brace her arms against the wall just to keep her upper body balanced while her lower half remained still. And even then, her tail twitched every time Rachnera’s fingers brushed somewhere sensitive.

“Lift your right arm,” Rachnera instructed, casually pulling another loop of tape from a dispenser mounted on her own wrist. “And breathe normally, not like you’re bracing for an earthquake.”

“I am bracing,” Kirika muttered. “You’re cold. And also extremely handsy.”

Rachnera grinned from behind her, tapping the measuring tape lightly against Kirika’s exposed side. “Cold? Darling, my fingers are a perfect body temperature. I just happen to use them efficiently.”

“And your definition of ‘efficient’ includes cupping both breasts to find the difference in slope?”

“Yes. I’m very mathematically inclined.”

Kirika groaned, trying not to shift too much as Rachnera moved around her flank, now crouching near the seam between her human torso and horse half.

“Now hold still. Gotta get the waistline-to-hip ratio. Also the tail anchor point.”

“Why do you need the anchor point?”

“You want dresses that don’t tug or pinch, don’t you?” Rachnera asked sweetly. “Trust the process, dear. I measure with care and consideration.”

“To be fair,” Kirika muttered, trying not to flinch as a thread gently pulled around her lower torso, “you are… surprisingly good at this.”

Rachnera smirked, but didn’t gloat this time. She just adjusted her tape with focused precision and started wrapping it around Kirika’s lower barrel, just above her back legs.

“Of course I’m good. I’ve had to tailor ropes and bindings for dozens of body types, sometimes mid-mission. Tying someone up is just tailoring under pressure.”

“Very comforting,” Kirika said dryly. Then, after a pause: “Still. Thanks.”

Rachnera raised a brow. “Hmm? For what?”

“For not… you know. Just tying me up immediately. Like everyone thought you would.”

Rachnera chuckled, standing and brushing her hands against each other to reset the tape. “Tempting, sure. But you trusted me. I don’t mess with people who actually trust me.”

There was a moment of quiet as Rachnera pulled another measurement, this time from shoulder to mid-spine, using a silken thread to line up the scale.

“So…” she said after a while, “how’s it feel? Y’know, being a centaur.”

Kirika let out a breath, steadying herself again. “Honestly? It’s… complicated.”

“Complicated how?” Rachnera asked, now moving behind her again, her many eyes scanning for symmetry.

“Well, for one, it’s exhausting,” Kirika admitted. “Four legs means twice the balance, twice the back strain, and hooves on hardwood? Nightmare.”

“Sounds about right.”

“But also… I don’t know. When I’m outside? Running? Feeling the wind? It’s actually kind of incredible. Powerful. Like I’m part of something wild and free.”

Rachnera gave a soft, thoughtful hum.

“I get that. Your whole body’s a system. When it works, it sings.” Her fingers brushed along Kirika’s lower back gently. “You don’t just wear this shape. You are it. That’s different.”

Kirika nodded. “Yeah… that’s exactly it.”

Another pause.

“Has your opinion on us changed?” Rachnera asked. The question came lightly… too casually to be random. “Y’know us Extra-species girls.”

Kirika looked down, watching Rachnera’s thread trace along one of her legs. “Yeah. It has.”

“Oh?”

Kirika adjusted her posture slightly, and Rachnera paused to give her space.

“I always tried to be respectful, you know? Listening to your needs, making accommodations. But I still… saw everything from the outside. I didn’t get it.”

“Get what?”

Kirika exhaled slowly. “How much the world isn’t built for you. Us. I mean, stairs, doorways, chairs, clothes, cutlery… everything assumes a certain size, a certain shape. It’s not hostile on purpose, but it’s… quietly exhausting.”

Rachnera’s smile faded just slightly.

“I used to think, ‘Oh, we just need to be understanding and flexible.’ And that’s still true. But now I get why even the smallest things can wear you down. When every basic task comes with friction, it adds up fast.”

She paused.

“I knew that. But I didn’t feel it. Not until now.”

Rachnera didn’t reply immediately.

Instead, she gently unfurled a silk line to Kirika’s front leg, measuring down the cannon and fetlock with practiced, professional grace.

The silence stretched. It was soft, not uncomfortable.

“…You’re not wrong,” Rachnera finally said. “Most humans either pity us or fetishize us. The ones who respect us still don’t really understand.”

“I didn’t either,” Kirika murmured. “But I think I’m starting to.”

Another soft hum from Rachnera. “Well, don’t get too thoughtful. I might start thinking you’re sincere.”

Kirika rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll throw in a snarky one-liner before this is over.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

She finished the last measurement with a confident flick of her wrist, then stepped back.

“All done,” she declared.

Kirika blinked. “Wait… seriously?”

“Fifteen minutes on the dot,” Rachnera said with a grin, holding up a scroll of notes. “Told you. Efficient. And no extra webbing.”

Kirika nodded approvingly. “You really did. Thank you very much.”

Rachnera held up a small, suspiciously webbed triangle. “But there is still one thing left to do before I can present you to the others.”

Kirika sighed. “You are a menace.”

A pause.

“But a professional menace,” Rachnera said with a smirk.

—

The door creaked open.

Waiting just outside, Miia, Cerea, and Mero stood side-by-side in a row of impatient curiosity. Behind them, Papi hovered upside-down from the hallway ceiling fan like a bat, and Lala stood ominously in the shadows, dramatic as ever.

Rachnera stepped through the doorway with the flair of an artist unveiling a masterpiece. “And voilà! The work is complete.”

She handed a rolled-up parchment to Cerea with a smug little bow.

Cerea arched a brow, unrolling the document with skeptical hands. But the moment she laid eyes on the contents, her eyes widened.

It wasn’t just numbers—it was a detailed sketch of Kirika’s centaur form, complete with measurements, ratios, fabric notes, and annotations for muscle tension, hair density, and tail flexibility.

“This… is absurdly detailed,” Cerea muttered. “Down to the quarter centimeter? Thou even marked her spine curvature…”

“I told you,” Rachnera said with a lazy stretch of her arms, “I’m a professional. When I work, I work.”

Cerea, begrudgingly impressed, narrowed her eyes. “Still, I shall double-check these…”

Rachnera smirked. “Be my guest.”

She began to crawl away down the hall, arms casually folding behind her head as her back legs carried her upside-down along the ceiling, clearly satisfied with her craft.

That’s when Miia tilted her head. “Wait a second… Where’s Darling?”

Rachnera didn’t even stop crawling. “Still in the room.”

Five heads snapped toward the doorway.

The door creaked open just a little further—

—and there, hanging like a silk-wrapped chandelier in the middle of the room, was Kirika.

Her arms were bound above her head, her legs gently suspended with symmetrical threads, her hair cascading down like a fancy gift ribbon. She blinked upside-down at the group. Her ears twitched in protest.

“…Hi,” she muffledly muttered through her mouth binding.

Rachnera, without shame, called over her shoulder, “I might have lost control a little at the end.”

“You what?!” Cerea cried, already reaching for her sword. “You vile spider! Have at thee!”

Rachnera shrieked with laughter and scrambled down the hallway on all eights.

“YOU WON’T ESCAPE JUSTICE!” Cerea bellowed as she galloped after her.

The others just stood there.

Miia sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Every time…”

Mero clasped her hands and smiled dreamily. “Ah… like a princess trapped in a web castle.”

Papi hovered upside-down next to Kirika. “Whoa! You look like a decoration!”

Lala raised her hand slowly. “This is clearly the work of the dark web…”

Kirika exhaled with all the grace of someone entirely over it. “Can someone please cut me down before I get mistaken for a modern art piece?”

Miia groaned. “Alright, alright. Let’s get our Darling down again…”

—

Rachnera and Darling alone in a room together? Can that even go well?