Item from Wednesday by Alfred Gough & Miles Millar
Wednesday's pet scorpion — the only companion she chose voluntarily, because scorpions don't ask for emotional vulnerability.
Nero is Wednesday's pet scorpion and one of the few living things she openly expresses affection for. He's low-maintenance, venomous, and doesn't require emotional reciprocity — all qualities Wednesday values in a companion. She talks to him, cares for him, and considers him a more reliable roommate than Enid (though she'd never admit Enid has grown on her). Nero represents Wednesday's relationship with vulnerability: she can love something that can't love her back in a way she recognizes, which feels safe. Thing and Enid eventually crack this defense, but Nero was there first.
A black emperor scorpion — dark, glossy, about the size of a human palm. Lives in a terrarium in Wednesday's half of the dorm room. Eight legs, two pincers, a curved stinger tail. Wednesday considers him aesthetically perfect.
Also known as: Nero