Daily Life with Furry Girls Ch. 24

* Meeting Ara's family and ending up once more as a role model. :-)

*

'Nervous?'

Ara looked at Guy while she stood before the exit of the airship after she and the rest of the gang had landed at her home world. She smiled a little. 'I was when they chose me to go to your human world, and I guess I am now because I'm coming back not just with a human, but my lover. I don't know what everyone thinks about this.'

He took her hand. 'How do you feel about us?'

She smiled softly at him. 'Weird, but in a good way and happy.'

'Then isn't that all that matters? It's your life and yours alone.'

She sighed softly. 'I know, but it's family we're talking about.'

Guy nodded. 'That's why you should have faith that they trust in you, and will accept your choices.'

Ara looked through the opening of the exit and took a deep breath. 'Yes.' she said and exited the craft with Guy.

They walked through the port and Cani noticed how everyone seemed to look at them. 'I guess we're popular here as well.'

'It's more about being the only other species around here.' said Mami. 'I see none other than Ara's species.'

Ara nodded. 'We are a scary species after all. Who dares to come here?'

'We do.' said Cani.

Ara chuckled. 'Yeah, but I doubt we count as an average group of beings.'

'True.' said Guy. 'And I'm glad we don't because we wouldn't have ended up like this then.'

'Who'd ever imagine a screwed up bunch like us could even exist?' Mami muttered.

Cani ruffled Mami's hair. 'Don't forget you're one of the screwed up ones.' she said and sniggered.

Mami frowned and swatted at Cani's hand. 'Yeah, yeah, I know all too well.' she said and sighed. 'I'm probably the most screwed up one of all of us, giving up a royal life to live with all of you.'

Guy smiled at her. 'And I can't help feeling incredibly proud and happy that you did, my princess.'

Mami blushed and looked away. 'Damn you for being such a good guy.' she muttered and he chuckled.

At the exit they hailed a taxi and had plenty of space in what was essentially a taxi for four persons with lots of legs. The trip was quick to Ara's family and she took one more deep breath before getting out the taxi.

Guy took her hand and smiled softly at her. 'Remember, have faith in them.'

She smiled at him and squeezed his hand. 'I have faith in you.' she said and they walked together up the path leading through a small cluster of big trees.

The girls and Guy watched countless silk strands spread out over the canopy. 'The kids love to climb the trees and spin their strands all around them.' said Ara. 'It's sort of the thing you humans have with drawings of your kids and fridges.'

'We might need a much bigger fridge in the future then.' said Cani.

'Why that?' asked Feli.

Cani grinned. 'For when Guy gets Ara pregnant.' she said and Ara and Guy blushed first, then the rest did when they thought more about it.

Feli bit her lower lip when she didn't know what to say but a sudden shout grabbed everyone's attention.

A spider woman rushed down the path. 'Ara, my dear! Welcome home!'

'Agi, my mother.' said Ara. 'Your first challenge.'

He chuckled and Ara's mother hugged her tight. 'I'm so glad to see you again.' she said and looked at the other girls. 'So glad to finally meet you. I've heard so many things about you.' She let go of Ara and turned to Guy and looked closely at him. He smiled politely at her and wondered what kind of mother in law she'd be. 'So, you're the man who's such an idiot for hooking up with a spider girl and even end up wanting to marry her.'

Ara's jaw dropped. 'Mom! Don't tell him what I wrote you!'

Guy laughed. 'She's putting it mildly.' he said. 'I'm truly evil to have lured her into my trap, just to keep her at my side along with my other victims.'

Ara's mother grinned wide. 'I figured she'd end up with a special person ever since she was a little girl and secretly dreamed of meeting someone who was not of this world, and proclaimed to everyone she'd marry an alien.' she said and hugged Guy. 'Good luck with her.'

Ara sighed. 'Can we go on without the embarrassing bits now?'

Cani grinned at her. 'I thought it became rather interesting.'

Agi led the group into the wide house and the living room. She gestured at another spider with broad upper body and greyish skin and short hair. 'This is Doro, my husband.' she said and gestured at a smaller female spider with a shade of blue in her long black hair. ´And this is Rina, my other and youngest daughter.'

Doro shook Guy's hand firmly. 'I'd never imagined the day I would welcome a human into my house, and even into the family at that.'

Rina clicked in dismissal. 'It'll end soon enough.' she said and walked away.

Agi sighed. 'Rina can't yet accept the fact that her big sister left for another world and will stay there. She's of the opinion no one likes our species.'

Guy nodded. 'I have to admit most people aren't fond of the spiders native to our world if they get too close, but there are also people who really like them and keep them as pets. It's still a trait left from our natural instincts.' He looked at Ara. 'But there's no such worry when we can communicate directly with them and understand them. Especially when they're attractive.'

Ara blushed and pushed his shoulder. 'Shut up.' she said and looked at her mother. 'See what kind of idiot he is?'

Agi smirked. 'Not bigger than the idiot who accepted his proposal after knowing all that.' she said and turned towards the other girls. 'I didn't mean you, of course.'

Cani laughed while Mami smirked at Ara and Avia and Feli blushed. 'No, we're all kind of idiots in a away.' said Feli. 'But there's nothing we can do about it, we're better off this way.'

Doro cleared his throat. 'Well, how about food and drinks to celebrate the idiocy joining our family?'

Guy smiled at him. 'I can certainly drink to that.' he said and Doro grabbed him by the shoulder. 'Let me show you our spooky wine cellar, my boy.'

Ara rolled her eyes. 'There's nothing but idiots here indeed.'

***

'It's true.' Doro said after Mami asked if there really were hardly any visitors from other worlds coming to this one. 'Apparently we're not the most attractive species to others. It's hard to get people to come when we've got nothing to offer that other worlds with more furry species don't have.'

Guy nodded and picked a slice of sausage from several plates with finger-food. 'It doesn't make things easier for you to make contact with others when you already have a low confidence.'

Doro took a drink from his glass. 'It reminds me of the time I first tried asking Agi out.' he said and chuckled. 'I had such low confidence it was actually her that asked me out.'

Agi chuckled. 'You only needed a little encouragement.' she said and looked at the girls. 'And he worked so hard to decorate the cave.'

'Cave?' asked Cani.

'There's a cave nearby where he did the decorations at the time. It's a public space for people to gather. He made new decorations and wanted me to be the first to see.'

'But they were nothing compared to your dress. 'Doro said.

'Could it be you made your own dress?' asked Mami of Agi.

Agi nodded. 'Most of us decorate our special clothing.'

'Don't you still have it?' asked Ara. 'I thought I'd seen it a long time ago.'

Agi nodded.

'Go on.' said Doro. 'Why don't you show it? It's as pretty as ever.'

Agi blushed. 'I don't know.'

'I do remember it was pretty indeed.' said Ara. 'I'd like to see it again too.'

A glint appeared in Agi's eye. 'All right, give me a hand then.'

Ara followed her mother and a little later Agi returned.

'Where's the dress?' asked Doro.

'It's coming.' she said and turned towards the doorway. 'Come on out now, you wanted to see the dress and the rest does too.'

'To see the dress, not wear it.' said Ara.

'What better way for the others to see it than it being worn? Now quit being shy and show your friends.'

Ara sighed and hesitantly walked into the living room. Everyone gazed at the silken dress falling nearly to the floor made of white silk with a hint of light blue and sparkling threads along the edges of every piece of fabric falling between Ara's legs. The front of the upper body showed a chevron pattern in the same thread and another long piece of the fabric was draped across Ara's large abdomen with a band in the middle to create outward spreading folds.

Guy wolf-whistled. 'Beautiful, and I'm not just talking about the dress.'

Doro smiled at his daughter. 'You look indeed as beautiful as your mother did back then.' he said and looked at Agi. 'And still does.'

Agi giggled and Ara shuffled with her hind legs. '..idiots..' she muttered.

'Oh, you guys should go see the cave now!' said Agi. 'It's a clear night and the moon's out. It'll look great.'

Cani jumped up. 'I'd like to see! I still love looking at the decorations in the street at home.'

Without further ado the gang took a walk and Ara led them to a large cave in a straight side of a small rock hill. A pond lay underneath and everyone gazed at the glittering of water drops hanging from intricate mosaics created with the silvery threads hanging inside the cave and spanning across the pond and space between tall trees on either side. A few spider couples sat around and enjoyed the view and each other's company.

The girls and Guy gazed at the scenery for a while when Agi and Doro arrived. 'I think if we had a place like this at our neighbourhood, it would be packed with romantic couples.' Guy said.

'That's it!' said Feli. 'The other worlds don't have something like this!'

'That's right.' said Mami. 'Ara's work is popular at home because it's so unique apart from beautiful as well.'

'So, what you need to do is promote places like these to couples looking for a romantic time away.' said Guy to Doro and Agi.

Doro looked at Agi. 'I'll ask Krek to come by tomorrow.' he said and looked at the others. 'He's the one who can organise promotional work and who knows how to set things up. You'll have to explain your idea to him.'

The gang agreed and after some time enjoying the view they all went back for the night.

***

'You really think so?' Krek asked when he heard the idea.

Guy nodded. 'To you it's something normal although it is a beautiful art, and to us who have no ability to create such natural threads, it's special.' He looked at Ara. 'And with someone talented to spin them it's a pleasure to look at it.'

Krek watched Ara blush and understood. 'But we need something that has more impact than just an ordinary romantic couple.' he said and noticed Avia gesturing lightly with her head to Guy and Ara. 'We'd need an extraordinary couple indeed.' He smiled wide. 'All right, we'll create a photo shoot of a romantic tour around our best public places with Ara and Guy.'

Ara sputtered and Guy coughed. 'Wait, I'm not really model material!' he said.

Krek waved it away. 'Doesn't matter, you're the perfect special couple for these special places.' he said and stood up. 'I'm going to get things ready, there's a full second moon in a few days.'

Cani grinned at Ara while Doro led Krek outside. 'So, you're going to become the poster girl for romance on your world.'

Ara buried her face in her hands. 'I knew there'd be trouble when we came here.'

***

'First off, an afternoon lazing about.' said Krek when the gang and the photo crew arrived at a spot with webbing spun horizontally between small trees.

'Hammocks!' said Cani and jumped on her back into one. She grinned at the others as she stretched on the sturdy webbing. 'This is really comfortable. I can let my tail hang free and feel the air at my back.'

Feli shook her head while a few spiders passing by chuckled at the black canine wagging her tail furiously underneath her. 'Cani, behave! We're also representing our worlds here as visitors.'

Guy smiled at Cani and stroked Feli's back. 'I think she does a pretty good job at representing her kind.'

A good shiver crept along Feli's spine and she relaxed a little. 'That's what I'm worried about.' she said and sighed. 'I guess it can't be helped, these do look great for use during warm days.'

'Ara, Guy, get on, then we can begin the shoot.' said Krek, who stood next to another webbing stretched between three trees.

'I look silly.' Ara said when she lay on her back in bikini, with her legs along her body.

Guy looked at the bright red fabric covering her chest. 'You look sexy.'

She blushed and poked his bare chest. 'Don't say that out loud.'

He smiled a little mischievous at her. 'Want me to whisper it into your ear instead?'

She blushed harder and looked away. 'Not here in public, idiot.'

Krek clapped his hands. 'All right, you two lovebirds, time to get some seriously good photos.' he said and instructed them on the poses he needed.

Rina clicked in disapproval as she stood at the side. 'And next year they'll hate these photos when they've broken up.' she muttered and sighed. 'What am I even doing here?'

'Your mother thought it would help you to accept him when you spent some time with us.' Mami said.

Rina looked in surprise at the mouse behind her with her heart beating fast. 'You shouldn't sneak up on people!'

Mami smirked a little. 'I didn't. You just didn't notice me earlier.'

Rina sighed and watched her sister and the human try to look serious in front of the camera.

'Now, help her from the net.' said Krek a little later and Guy held out his hand to Ara while he stood in front of her.

Rina noticed everyone was watching the couple and didn't pay any attention to her. "Show me your real colours, human." she thought and casually cut the thread tying the webbing to the tree she stood next to.

'Ah!' cried Ara when the webbing under her gave way and she tumbled forward. Guy quickly caught her but the next moment they stared at each other in an accidental kiss on the ground.

Ara quickly pushed herself up. 'Are you okay!?'

Guy smiled up at her. 'I'm enjoying myself. You?'

She blushed. 'Weirdo.'

'Ah, what a shame.' said Krek. 'But we have no time to redo it, we have to get going to the next place.'

***

'Ohh, nice.' said Mami when they looked at an open air restaurant underneath a dome of finely spun threads.

'It keeps insects, and even light rain out.' said the maitre d' welcoming the visitors. 'We've set up a table near the back.'

The back consisted of a low rock wall with plants draped over the edge and the table was laid with a silk table cloth and a small vase with different colourful flowers. Guy and Ara sat down and Krek took photos while they ate the appetisers and first course.

Cani's stomach grumbled and she stared at the food in front of Ara and Guy. He chuckled and held up his plate. 'Want to finish mine, Cani?'

She wagged her tail. 'Yes!'

'No need for that.' said the maitre d' when waiters appeared with plates. 'Of course we have enough for everyone.'

'Doesn't mean I don't want to finish his.' Cani said with a big smirk.

During a course of dessert of fruit Rina noticed something crawling quickly about on the wall next to her. She took a closer look when it sat still and smiled at the fuzzy little spider with two large eyes in front. A quick look around told her the rest was enjoying dessert or busy with the photo shoot and a devious smile appeared on her face.

She caught the spider with a flick of her hand and a small web in her fingers, then loaded it into a catapult between her thumb and forefinger made of an elastic thread she had spun. 'Let's see you panic at this, mister fake lover.' she whispered and shot the spider expertly into Guy's collar. 'Go get him, little one.'

Guy stiffened at the sudden tickle in the back of his neck.

'What is it?' asked Ara.

Guy reached into his collar and arched his back when the tickle went down. 'There's something in my shirt.' he said, then squirmed when the tickling moved around his waist. 'Ah! It tickles!'

Ara reached out to him as he twisted in his chair. 'Hang on! Let me take a look!'

'Aaahhh!' went Guy and tried to catch the thing that tickled while it crawled fast all over his chest and back, flinging his arms all around him.

'Hold on!' Ara said and pushed the table aside, which Guy kicked over in a reflex kick when his side suddenly got tickled.

Ara tripped, fell against Guy, and they tumbled onto the floor while he squirmed and she frantically tried to unbutton his shirt. With a groan of frustration she ripped it open and caught the cause of Guy's troubles.

She opened her hand and the little spider watched them from the palm of her hand. 'I understand the desire to be all over him, but there's a time and place for that.' she said.

Guy watched the spider wiggle it's two front legs. 'At least tell me she's female.'

Mami grinned at him. 'And I thought I was the smallest one to get their paws on you.'

Krek shook his head. 'Well, so much for this shoot.' he said. 'Let's go for the next one.'

***

The gang stared in awe at the wide canopy of multiple spider webs strung between tall trees over a small lake with tiny islands of rock and grass scattered all around and lit by candles. Some were occupied with couples enjoying the view of the stars shining through the moonlit silver threads and sharing a drink or two. Small boats were available to get to the islands and the shoot began with Guy rowing Ara towards a grass island in the middle.

He helped her out of the boat and sit down on a cloth laid out on the grass, lit the candles, and poured a sweet wine while the crew took photos from their boats. The other girls sat in their own boat and Feli wriggled her fingers when Cani nudged and grinned at her. 'No worries, he'll have to take us out on a date as well.'

Feli looked away at the webbing. 'I don't worry, Ara just happens to be the only one qualified to do this shoot with.'

Cani sniggered softly until Krek called for a break, and she quickly rowed their boat to the island and hopped off to sit next to Guy. 'Feed me!'

Guy chuckled and put a small pastry in her mouth, and she sucked gently at his fingers as she pulled back while gazing mischievously into his eyes. Feli sat down and poked Cani. 'Who was worried again?'

'Just for the pastries!' Cani said and smirked.

Rina stood back and watched the girls demand Guy feed them all and grumbled silently while she watched the crew check their cameras and the photos. One of the assistants moved a travel case and bumped it into a stake. She saw it tilted a little and that it held the noose of the rope tied to the back of the boat used by her sister and Guy. She looked at the group and heard Krek mention finishing with Guy helping Ara into the boat and rowing away.

She pondered the idea that came to mind, then moved closer to the stake. 'Sorry, sis.' she whispered and loosened the stake in the ground completely with her last pair of legs.

'Right then, help her into the boat, Guy.' said Krek after the crew was ready.

Guy held out his hand towards Ara, and she took it as she stepped into the boat. It swayed a little as she placed her right legs onto it, then drifted away when the stake fell over and the noose slipped from it.

'Ah, Guy!' she called out when her stance widened.

'Ara!' he said and stepped forward while she gripped his hand. The boat drifted away faster and Ara cried out when it rocked under her weight and she lost her footing.

A big splash later and both Ara and Guy lay in the water.

The water wasn't deep so Guy stood up and helped Ara up in his embrace. She looked at his soaked face , grinned, and whispered in his ear 'There are better ways to get me wet, you know.'.

He chuckled. 'So I guess all this romance stuff isn't working?' he whispered back.