Daily Life with Furry Girls Ch. 21

She leaned closer to him. 'You have a problem with my looks?'

He couldn't stop his glance from going down and up her body, seeing curves that many human men would love to watch. 'No, no!' he said and held up his hands. 'You look absolutely great!'

She raised an eyebrow. 'Are you trying to come on to me?'

Guy cleared his throat. 'I'm just saying! I don't mean anything specific by it.'

She grinned and flexed her arms and shoulders. 'So, ready to fight me then?'

He swallowed. 'I don't think I'd ever be.' he said and Mira attacked him immediately by wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him hard.

He groaned from the pressure but the sensation against his chest and hips made a bigger impact on him.

Mira grinned. 'Giving up already?' she asked and her eyes went wide when she felt something poke her. 'Seriously?' she asked.

'Gomen.' Guy whispered. 'I can't help it. Honestly.'

Mira let go of him and threw him over her shoulder onto the ground. 'I can't fight with this guy.' she said and poked his chest. 'That's unfair what you did!'

Guy held up his hands again. 'I really didn't mean to-'

'Shut it!' she said. 'Some things don't lie!' She stood up covering her chest with her arm. 'Pervert! Next time I will punch you!'

'But I..' he said as she walked away briskly, glancing back once before exiting the gym.

'Looks like it's a draw.' said Cani.

The uniformed mouse nodded. 'First time she gave up on a fight.' he said. 'You have an, interesting, way to defeat her.'

Guy sighed while he stared up at the ceiling. 'And I never felt as defeated in my life before.'

Guy looked up at the hedge one and a half times his height in front of him. 'Cheating by jumping isn't an option for sure.' he said. 'So I have to prove I can forage in difficult circumstances?'

Mami nodded as she read the book of traditions. 'There are five pedestals with a stone bowl and different pebbles in each one.' She said. 'You have to bring back one of each from the maze.'

Guy nodded. 'That should be no problem.' he said looking at the entrance. 'The solution for mazes is to keep to one side.'

Tilia pulled at his shirt and shook her head.

'That doesn't work on this one?' he asked.

She nodded.

He sighed. 'Well, nothing I can do about that then. I still have to fulfil this task.' he said and entered the maze.

He kept an eye on the position of the sun to find his bearing and hurried through the maze in what he guessed towards the first corner and probably the location of a pedestal.

He started to believe he had walked halfway the kingdom when he came across a broken stone tablet. He peered closer and read the word "HELP" carved across the two pieces. 'O-kay..' he said. 'That doesn't have to mean anything.' He hurried along toward the next intersection, looked up at the sun and took a left turn.

After some time Guy entered a wider area with a pedestal in one corner. 'Thank goodness!' he said and walked up to it. The inscription "In memory of Wild Bill who entered the maze a year ago. We're still waiting for him to come out." made him less grateful. He looked around for a bowl and sighed when there was none. He took a deep breath and pumped up his chest. 'No time to give up! It's still early!' he said and continued his search.

Later again he was pretty sure he had lost his orientation and tried to keep going as much in one direction as he could. The hedge started to look like one big green blur around him and left and right seemed to have taken each other's place when he stumbled upon the skeleton of a two horned beast. 'Oh.' he mumbled. 'And here I thought these only grew in deserts.' He hurried past it before he'd find himself looking up at some lone buzzard.

When he reached a larger intersection with a directional pole and arrow signs he felt a little relieved. 'You've got to be kidding..' he grumbled when the signs read "That way", "Not this way", "One way", and "Anyway". Muttering unpleasant wishes towards the creator of the maze he followed the "Anyway" direction.

Guy looked at the stand with pirate treasure maps of the maze and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'No, no, no!' he said. 'Skeleton hands for direction signs, zebra crossing in the middle of a path, revolving door in one hedge, some weird blue police box, and now this! Where am I!? Inside the mind of a flamingo high on psychedelic drugs!?'

He turned to walk away and bumped into Mira. 'Ah!' she cried out and held her arms in front of her chest. 'You again!'

Guy stepped back at once. 'Gomen! It was an accident!'

She frowned at him. 'Is this some fetish for you!?'

He shook his head. 'No! That's not my fetish!'

She stared blankly at him.

'Ah, I mean I don't have a fetish for large bosoms!' he said and looked away. 'Or any other specific part.'

'Could have fooled me.' she said. 'What are you doing here?'

'I, read about a challenge to bring back five different pebbles from this maze. Thought I'd go for it.' he said and sighed. 'But so far I had no luck at all to find even one.'

Mira sniggered. 'Giving up?'

Guy looked up at the sky where the sun was well on its way down. 'Don't want to, but I guess I have no choice.' he said. 'I'll need help with this one.'

Mira hummed and nodded.

Guy's eyes went wide and he looked back at her. 'Wait, since you're here, have you done this thing before!?'

'Yes.'

'And you found all pebbles!?'

She nodded.

He grabbed her shoulders. 'Can you please help me!? I'll be in your debt!'

She sighed and rolled her eyes. 'All right, I will.'

He pulled her close and hugged her tight. 'Arigatou!'

'You're doing it again.' she said.

'Oh!' he said and let go of her. 'Gomen!'

'You're just lucky you're a close friend of princess Nymina.' she said and marched away. 'You want to grow roots here or follow me!?'

'Coming!' he said and hurried after her.

A traffic light, two sheep playing hopscotch, a group of tourists with a tour guide, and a gardener painting a bush of white roses red later Mira and Guy arrived at the entrance of the maze.

'We're back at the start.' he said. 'But I need to find the pedestals with pebbles.'

Mira smirked, grabbed a doorknob sticking out of the hedge just inside the entrance and opened it. Guy saw an open space with five pedestals and bowls on them.

'That's it!?'

'Don't get lost now.' she said and walked out of the maze.

Guy grabbed one pebble out of each bowl and walked back to the girls. 'I think I'm going to have very weird dreams in the next days.' he said.

Mami studied the next entry in the book. 'Looks like you need to prove you can care for children as well.' she said and nodded. 'That would be logical for a family.'

'So, how do I prove that then?' Guy asked.

Tilia pulled on his sleeve and gestured to the city.

A little later everyone stood in front of low building with a lot of colourful shapes painted on it, just outside the castle's wall.

'Ah, a day care centre!' Feli said. 'That would certainly prove something.'

A female mouse in crumpled clothing hurried past them and stopped. 'Oh, can I help you?' she asked as she turned back. 'Although I might not have much time, things are out of control.'

'Out of control?' asked Mami.

The mouse sighed. 'My two colleagues came down with stomach cramps after eating an egg salad that was past its expiration date.' she said. 'On top of that the kitchen that cooks dinner for the children caught fire so I have to make dinner for them somehow. One girl isn't feeling well, three of the kids are covered in mud from playing in a puddle, two need help with their homework, and the baby has been crying all afternoon.'

'I guess we came at the right time.' Feli said. 'Shall we give you a hand?'

The mouse looked up at Feli with big eyes. 'Would you?' she said. 'That would be a great help!'

Feli smiled at her and nodded. 'Show us the way.'

What they found felt more like a battlefield than a daycare centre. The kids rowdy and a huge mess in the play room.

'You've got your challenge all right.' said Ara.

'Okay, who takes what?' said Guy.

'I'll see if I can sooth the baby.' said Avia.

'I'll help with the homework.' said Cani. 'That shouldn't be too difficult.'I'll see to our little patient.' said Mami.

'Then we'll try to get those three disasters clean.' said Guy to Feli and turned to the mouse. 'In the meantime you can do the groceries, miss?'

'Lalissa.' she said and smiled. 'I'll be back soon then!'

They got to work quickly. Avia cradled the baby in her wing and sang softly, lulling it slowly to sleep. Cani sat down at a table in the corner with the two kids to see to their homework. Mami tucked the sick girl into a futon in the corner and brought her warm milk with a light medicine. Feli and Guy had to chase the three encrusted kids before they could carry them under their arms to the bathroom and dump them together in the bathtub.

By the time Lalissa returned with bags full of food she was pleasantly surprised how quiet it was. 'Wow, you did it.' she said to Mami who put away toys and books.

'It's not too hard when there's enough of us.' Mami said.

The three now clean kids hurried cheerfully into the room.

'You look much better.' said Lalissa.

'That was fun!' said one of the two boys.

'Fun?' she said.

'Depends on who you ask.' said Guy who came in with Feli, both drenched to the bone.

Mami sniggered and Lalissa quickly brought the bags to the little kitchen before she'd burst out in laughter.

Feli and Guy got the kids to help with cleaning up and preparing dinner and they all ate together when they were done. When the parents came to pick them up later they were happy to hear their kids were taken care of so well.

One of the boys who was thrown in the bath by Guy pulled on his shirt while Guy was cleaning up the last things in the bathroom. 'You gotta come and meet my mom!' he said. 'She's awesome!'

'Oh?' Guy chuckled. 'How so?'

'She's the strongest mom there is!' he said and pulled on his shirt again. 'Come!'

'All right, all right.' Guy said. 'I'm coming.'

'Hurry!' the boy said and pushed him from behind. 'We have to leave!'

Guy chuckled and let himself be pushed in a trot towards the play room. He rounded the corner. 'Mom! There's a human here!' the boy said and pushed Guy even harder.

Guy hadn't expected it and stumbled forward. Right in a by now embarrassingly familiar bosom.

Mira looked down while Guy stared up at her from between the two comfortable humps. 'Ehm, hey there.. What a coincidence.' he said with a muffled voice.

'Wow.' the boy said as he watched Guy and his mother at the playground outside. 'He can run just as fast as my mom.'

'You wouldn't happen to want to stay here?' Lalissa asked with a little grin when Mira had calmed down enough to accept the apology from Guy and she and the other parents had gone home with the kids.

Guy chuckled. 'We're only visiting for a short time.' he said while he and the girls got ready to go back to the castle.

'Too bad.' she said. 'At least my colleagues will be back tomorrow so I won't be alone again.'

The girls and Guy said their goodbyes to Lalissa and went on their way to the castle. When they arrived at the gate the guard informed them that the queen wished to speak to them. They joined her right away in one of the lounges where she was talking to Liana.

'Ah, there you are.' queen Liadan said. 'Have a seat.' She sat back and looked at Guy. 'You look a little, ragged.'

'Ah, yes, your highness.' he said. 'I've been doing a little preparation.'

Liadan saw the book Mami held. 'I see you found the book on traditions in the royal house.' she said. 'Is that what you've been doing?'

He nodded. 'Princess Tilia has been very helpful in this.'

'I see.' Liadan said. 'But this wasn't supposed to happen.' She turned her gaze to a section of the wall to her right. 'Tilia, please come out and join us since you already know.'

A second later the section opened up a little and Tilia looked out with a little hesitation.

'Come on out, my dear. I know you're familiar with the passages and have been listening in last time.'

Tilia slipped out and looked down as she fiddled with her fingers.

'Sit down, my dear. We have something to discuss.'

Tilia moved over and sat next to Guy.

'Don't be mad at her.' Guy said while he gave Tilia a gentle smile. 'She just wanted to help.' He took Mami's hand in his. 'And I'm ready to take on any challenge to have you approve of our marriage.'

The queen sat silent for a few seconds. 'I guess we're done then.'

Mami stood up at once. 'Wait! You can't just refuse him!' she said. 'We have already decided to stay together!'

The rest wanted to protest too but Liana held up her hands. 'Calm down.' she said. 'Calm down.'

Mami sat back down looking at Guy, then at Liadan.

'All I'm saying is we're okay with it.' Liadan said. 'We're happy for you.'

Guy stared at her for a moment. 'But, what about the required tasks as described in the book!?'

Liadan shook her head. 'That hasn't been done for a long time already.' she said. 'No need for such old traditions anymore.'

Mami stood up quickly again and hurried to Liadan to hug her tight. 'Arigatou.' she said.

Liadan hugged her back. 'I already knew you were in good hands with them when I heard how they fought for you. But the news was still a surprise.'

Mami hugged her grandmother too and everyone thanked Liadan and Liana while they congratulated back.

'You too.' said Guy to Tilia. 'Thank you for your support. How can I repay you?'

Tilia bit her lip, fiddled with her fingers and spoke very softly.

'What's that?' asked Mami who stood next to her, leaning closer with her ear.

Tilia spoke barely louder but Mami chuckled.

'What is it?' asked Guy.

Mami beckoned him closer and he did. 'She wants a kiss from a prince, and that means you now.' Mami said.

Guy blushed. 'Me!?'

Mami nodded, grabbed his shirt at the front and pulled him forward. He couldn't pull back and ended up taking Tilia by the shoulders and falling with his lips on Tilia's. She held on to him for a moment, then let him go so he could pull back while she looked away with a soft smile.

'There.' said Mami to Tilia. 'But that's it for him!' She looked at Guy who blushed. 'He's had his hands on more than enough princesses here already. Not to mention on a certain member of our army.'

'But-' he started and got silenced by her finger on his mouth.

'Perverts have no right to speak.' she said.

Cani embraced him from behind. 'Indeed.' she said. 'I'm thinking maybe we'll need to put you on a leash to keep you away from other women.'

'And you're really sure about this marriage?' Liadan asked Mami. 'As long as nothing is said publicly you can still get out from under it.'

Mami poked Guy's chest. 'Unfortunately I am.' she said. 'There's just no helping it.'

'We're all doomed.' said Ara. 'But what can we do? It's fate.'

Liana leaned closer to Liadan. 'You see? They're completely happy together.'

Liadan hummed and nodded. 'Maybe I should visit the human world and see what falls into my hands.'

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