Private Finished Swan And Spider Sitting On A Roof

If swans could cry Cosette would've most probably cried, as she flew over the island in her other form. This was the first time Cosette was flying since getting her robe back. The police hadn't let her go out for long periods of time, for her own safety, so Cosette had merely floated in the bathtub in her swan form and enjoyed the feeling of it, the freedom. She could transform again, she had her robe back.
But now Ulric had been put in prison, and Cosette was free to go outside as much as she wanted. Cosette was still staying in a hotel for a week or so, waiting for the apartment that had been promised her.
Cosette couldn't be more grateful for everything that the island had done for her.

The wind on her wings and feathers felt so nice and nostalgic, and just for the fun of it Cosette let out an echoing trumpet-like screech. She was flying over the city, and Cosette looked down and watched the life that dwelled below her. Life that she could now be a part of. Cosette was so elated with happiness she could swear her bill was in a smile, though that was impossible.
Something curious on the rooftops caught Cosette's eye. It wasn't unusual for some people to take it as a shortcut, but Cosette had never seen anything like this person. They looked to be a giant spider, at least waist down. Cosette followed them with her eyes, curious as to what that type of species was called and what kind of person they were. Cosette often wondered things like that about people.

The spider person seemed to notice Cosette as well, since their eyes. Cosette looked away, kind of embarrassed, and glanced back only to see the spider person fall off the roof. Wait, what?! Cosette let out an alarmed sound, and stared at the gap the person had fallen into. She started turning around, but Cosette had to do a wide turn since swans were made more for long flights than quick movements.

Cosette was able to turn, and quickly flew back to the place where she had seen the person fall. Cosette saw them climbing back on the roof, and felt a huge wave of relief. But she didn't leave, and instead flew lower and closer until she was in a landing angle. Cosette reached out her legs as she got closer, and just as her swan legs would've touched the roof Cosette undid her transformation and stepped on the roof as a human clad in a white robe, few meters away from the spider person.
"Excuse me! Are you alri-?"
And before Cosette could finish her sentence she slipped on ice, or her own legs, and fell down on her face.

Cosette let out a small groan and pushed herself off the ground. She rubbed her nose, which was a little scratched up and so was the rest of Cosette's face.
Cosette looked up at the spider person, woman now that she looked closely, and blushed from embarrassment when she realized she had tripped and was getting helped by the person she had come to check on.
Oh dear, this person was very tall.

"Oh, I'm just fine, thank you very mu-"
Cosette began saying, trying to stand up, and slipped all over again since there was a patch of ice under her foot. Cosette fell forward and instinctively threw her arms forward, falling against and leaning on the other woman.
"I'm so sorry, I'm causing you so much trouble."
Cosette muttered and straightened herself, her face growing increasingly red.

Only when she helped Cosette stand up properly did Cosette notice that the woman's hands and arms also had a hard, smooth surface. It felt strange and new against Cosette's skin. She looked up at the woman, who had just introduced herself as Aranea. Cosette chuckled a bit and stepped away a bit, it would've been rude to remain so close.
"In that case I wish I had more people to share that story with. I'm Al-, I mean, Cosette. Cosette Cygne."
Cosette almost introduced herself as Alice, and that made her squeeze her hands together behind her back, where she was holding them. Wonder how long it would take before she stopped doing that...

Cosette didn't think much of Aranea's appearance, other than that the woman was quite pretty. Cosette had seen and...served many kinds of people. She might not have seen an arachne before but she had seen other creatures that were something else waist down.
"I saw you fall off the roof while I flew over, are you certain you're okay? Did you sprain anything? Oh dear, was it my fault that you fell?"
Cosette scanned Aranea, and then looked at her face with a slightly guilty expression when the possibility passed through her head. Aranea had been looking at Cosette when she fell, what if Cosette distracted her and caused that.

"Oh, thank goodness."
Cosette answered with relief when Aranea assured her she was fine, and Cosette herself could see there were no obvious injuries. She did blush a bit when Aranea called her sweet, it was a compliment Cosette didn't receive often. Many just complimented her looks.
"Oh, it's nothing, it's what any decent person would've done."
Cosette said with a small shy smile, glancing down.
"But catching yourself with web, that sounds impressive."
Cosette added, a passing thought she'd had. She looked up at Aranea, her expression was that of fascination and admiration.

"From around here? Um, no, I am not. I...only recently arrived on the island."
Cosette said, still with a smile, but it was a lie. She'd been on the island for multiple years now. But she could've as well have arrived recently, Cosette knew the city that badly. And Cosette wanted to see the island as though she'd never seen it before. She wanted to ignore all the bad things that had happened there.