Most girls like her didn’t like the way they looked and hardly recognized themselves in the mirror, but Claudia was different. She liked to admire herself, and why not? She was a sight to behold.

At a mature 21 years old, she was no longer in her prime, but she had several years left to look forward to and could still attract the attention of younger males. She had a classic Mexican movie star beauty that would always be striking, if not in fashion. Her curves were rounded and well-developed. She turned a little to the side, standing on the tips of her toes to examine the full swell of her abdomen and the slender length of her graceful legs. She was not perfect, but then again, she’d yet to met anyone who could truthfully claim otherwise. Her form pleased her well enough, and she relaxed back onto her silken sheets.

She stared into the mirror in the corner and her own dark eyes stared back, small and close-set and glittering with unspoken thoughts. Her hair was dark and glossy, with strips of bright, coppery red for contrast. She kept it spiked in the back, in a pixie-like style she liked to believe said “don’t mess with me” that often irritated people. Her mouth was small and pink, tucked neatly away beneath her cephalothorax and protected by a pair of firm, pendulous chelicerae of even size, nicely separated and tipped with hard, pointy fangs. Her pedipalps were unusually sensitive. Her spinnerets were delicate and deft, but she usually kept them tucked away close to her abdomen.

Claudia was a strong, independent tarantula, and this post is only funny to spider enthusiasts who hate when women are written this way.