Daily Life with Furry Girls Ch. 26

* Who said this series has ended? :-p

I'll be aiming for a steady release, alternating with A Monster Life episodes, if life keeps it cool and doesn't screw around.

*

Miss Tesha found the gang up on the roof on a pleasantly sunny morning during breakfast. 'Good morning!' said Feli. 'Tea?'

'Please.' miss Tesha said and sat down in the extra chair Guy had brought earlier. She laid a thick envelope on the table. 'Here's the good news. These are the visas for Avia's country.'

'We can finally visit her home?' said Cani and pricked up her ears. 'Fun!'

Guy looked at Avia, who fiddled with her bread bun. 'Aren't you glad?'

She nodded. 'But I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. We're a very strict society.'

He laid his hand on her wing. 'Don't worry, every society is different.' he said. 'It's not like we'll go live there.'

'I trust you all to be on your best behaviour.' said miss Tesha. 'It's easy to get in trouble there and I don't want to leave them with a bad impression while we're very slowly improving our relationships.'

'We'll show them we're a fun bunch and they won't have to worry.' said Cani.

'I think that is what worries miss Tesha.' said Mami and sipped her tea.

***

The gang stepped into the functionally decorated arrival terminal and the first thing they noticed were the many black uniformed birds present there. 'It's almost like a parade.' said Cani as she looked around curiously.

Avia nudged her. 'Ehm, it's best not to pay attention to them.' she said softly. 'It'll draw attention to you.'

Cani chuckled. 'A human, a feline, a spider, a mouse, a bird, and a canine walk together, and that invitation for thinking up jokes wouldn't attract attention?'

'Cani, behave!' whisper shouted Feli. 'It doesn't matter who we are, we need to make a dignified impression as a visiting species.'

'I feel many eyes following us.' said Mami, glancing at the security cameras on the ceiling. 'I don't think dignified will make any difference.'

'Just act casually, but not too casually.' said Guy. 'It's best not to think about it because then you'll just not be yourself and look out of place. We're not here on official business but to have some fun while learning about Avia's home and meeting her family.' He smiled gently at Avia. 'I for one look forward to learning about the area and customs you grew up with.'

She smiled shyly. 'It's nothing special.'

'If it's about someone that I want to spend the rest of my life with, it is.'

Avia blushed and Mami nudged Guy. 'Save the lovey-dovey stuff for later when we're less in the public eye, Prince Charming.' she said and chuckled.

He grinned. 'I was just saying what I think.'

They stopped at the customs desk for foreigners, and the custom agents and security personnel stared flatly at them. 'Papers.' a grey striped bird grumbled.

Guy handed over their identifications and visas, and the bird studied them as if to find a hidden cartoon character in a large drawing of a crowd. He glanced from the papers to the gang and back, and when he looked at Cani she grinned wide, matching her photo. He handed the paperwork back to Guy. 'Enjoy your stay.' he grumbled as if that was mandatory for visitors.

The gang went through the exit of the airport and gazed at the towering buildings of the city. Most were thick pillars with apartments spread out like tree branches along the lengths. 'I've never seen anything like that.' said Guy as he looked up at birds flying to and from platforms at the sides of those apartments. 'It's like a modern version of a forest.'

'It fits their nature.' said Mami. 'I hope the hotel has a lift. Or at least stairs.'

'There are on the inside of the trunks.' said Avia. 'We use them for large or heavy objects and the young and elderly.'

'So, do we have to walk to the hotel, or did they invent the wheel here as well?' asked Cani.

***

A taxi dropped them off later at the hotel and they walked up to the reception. 'Welcome!' said the receptionist with a white face and red feathers around her head, and placed the registration form on the desk. 'Did you have a pleasant journey?'

'Yes, thank you.' said Feli while Guy filled in the form. 'Could we get a room that isn't too far up?'

'I've booked a room at the third level for you when I heard you were coming here.' the bird said and lowered her voice. 'I'm a fan and read your diaries and took miss Cani's trouble with heights into consideration.'

'Hey! Who told!?' said Cani.

Mami sniggered. 'Aren't you glad? Now you don't have to be afraid to look out the window.'

Cani pouted. 'I'm okay with looking through windows.'

Ara grinned. 'I can always weave a safety net.'

After Guy finished the form and they received their room key, they went up with the lift, and Mami glanced back at the hall where two black birds in equally black suits pretended to wait for something. 'Is it me, or have we been followed since we left the terminal?' she asked when they were inside.

'I noticed them too.' said Ara. 'The two in black suit.'

Avia sighed. 'They're secret police. They're here to keep an eye on us and to make sure we don't cause trouble for the authorities.'

'Doesn't look so very secret to me.' said Mami. 'They might as well have it written on their jackets.'

'Well, I'm sure they won't be a bother while we're here.' Guy said and looked at Avia. 'Shall we quickly unpack so we can meet your family?'

***

Some time later Avia led the others through the streets on their way to her parents' home, and they gazed at the store signs spread out over the buildings. 'It's not exactly like the shopping streets in our countries.' said Feli.

'Since we're less bound to the ground, shops are at every level here.' said Avia.

'Lots of bakeries.' said Cani.

'Bread is our staple food, along with seeds, fruits, and insects.'

Cani pricked up her ears. 'And cookies!?'

Avia chuckled. 'Not really. We only occasionally eat sweetened bread.'

'Aww.' sighed Cani and drooped her ears.

Guy chuckled and rubbed her back. 'I brought some with us. You won't have to do without.'

Cani pricked up her ears again and kissed Guy. 'I love you!'

He blushed a little. 'It was Avia who told me beforehand.'

Cani hugged Avia tight. 'I love you too!'

'You're welcome!' gasped Avia. 'But please let go!'

Cani chuckled and let her go. 'Let's cause a cookie revolution here!'

Avia and Guy noticed head feathers stirring and she quickly clamped her muzzle. 'Don't say it like that!' whispered Avia.

Cani sniggered softly. 'Sensitive subject?'

Avia nodded and was glad the two black suits kept their not so obvious distance. 'The government doesn't like someone stirring up the place suddenly. It could cause a flock.'

'A flock?' asked Mami.

Avia nodded. 'When something unexpected happens or someone becomes too excited, it can cause everyone around to take to the sky in a bit of a panic.'

'Ah, like a flock of normal birds suddenly taking off when they perceive danger?'

Avia nodded again. 'It often results in accidents and injuries.'

Feli frowned at Cani. 'You'd better keep calm while we're here then.'

Cani held up her hands. 'I will! Don't worry about me.'

Feli hummed in slight doubt but left it at that, and a little later they arrived at the apartment building where Avia's parents lived. They were already waiting outside and Avia greeted them with welcome hugs. She gestured back. 'These are Guy, Cani, Mami, Feli, Ara.'

Her parents shook their hands. 'This is my wife, Mus, and I'm Arend.' her father, a mostly light brown coloured bird with hawkish eyes said as he gestured to the very light yellow bird with black wing and tail tips beside him. He tilted his head slightly as he steed at Guy. 'Our home might be inconvenient to you. Us birds like to fly and stretch our wings.'

'That just makes it all the better that Guy bought the two top floors of a building as our home and had a portion of the floor between them removed.' Ara said. 'I can work on pieces that are large while Avia can do her daily stretching.'

Arend cleared his throat. 'Is that so?' he said while walking to the lift. 'Avia also played outside a lot when she was a kid.'

'She's not much different from us.' said Mami. 'If we have pleasant weather we like to spend time on our roof garden.'

They stepped into the lift. 'And dancing.' he said. 'She was always dancing.'

Cani chuckled. 'You should see her dancing with the kids at school. They have so much fun. And luckily Guy picked up dancing quickly.'

He hummed softly. 'I see.'

Everyone had barely stepped out of the lift when the door to Avia's parent's home opened and a group of birds stormed out, and flocked around her, hugging her and whistling merrily. Mus looked at the others and smiled. 'These are all Avia's siblings. We're a large family.'

Once inside, the siblings stared at the visitors. Avia introduced the girls, and blushed when she looked at Guy. 'And this is Guy, the one we all chose to be our mate. That's the surprise I wanted to tell you all with my new family.'

The siblings gazed from her to Guy and back while Arend frowned and Mus giggled musically. She leaned closer to Avia. 'I already suspected it when you wrote us so much about him.' She smiled at Guy. 'I sensed the same cheerfulness as when she was just a little chick.'

One of Avia's siblings with mostly darker blue feathers, named Mees, pulled on her wing. 'You're really going to stay with them?' she asked while glancing at Feli and Cani. 'Will you really be all right?'

Avia gave her a hug. 'No better place than with the ones who saved my life.'

'Besides, we couldn't find a pot big enough for her.' said Cani, and sniggered when Feli stuffed a pillow in her face.

Mami rolled her eyes. 'Let me apologise for the way some of us are. It seems weirdness is a requirement to belong in this family.'

'Only some of us?' chuckled Ara.

Mami sighed. 'All right, all of us. Just some not all the time.'

Cani hit her with the pillow and grinned. 'And this coming from a real princess.'

One of the other siblings looked up. 'So it's true that you are from the royal family?' asked Vink. 'We only heard rumours.' Mami nodded and Vink moved closer. 'What's it like? Do you have servants at home?'

Avia giggled at Mami being overwhelmed by her younger sisters' inquiries and Mus smiled when she moved closer to Guy. 'I was a little worried when she began working for our government. She smiled less and seemingly lost her curious nature.'

'We were worried for a while about whether she'd find something to do when she was cut off.' said Guy. 'I'm glad she found a new purpose and has been able to come here again.'

Mus whistled. 'Everyone, prepare to eat. Fetch extra for our guests.' she said, and Avia joined her siblings into the kitchen.

'You must miss the food we have here.' said Arend when everyone was gathered around a couple of tables with small bread buns in a variety ranging from sweet to filled with grains and nuts, and bowls of seeds, fruits, and cooked insects.

Avia smiled a little. 'We have a very good baker in the neighbourhood.'

Ara examined the bowl of insects Mees had given her. 'Who spoils you because you shared recopies with him and now everyone keeps asking for more at his bakery.' She chuckled. 'Even I enjoy those sometimes.'

Guy picked a fried grasshopper. 'Should I look into buying these, Avia? You never mentioned eating these.'

She giggled. 'I only like those occasionally. I still like bread best.'

'Okay.' Guy said and chewed on the crispy snack and looked at the other girls. 'If any of you like this, we can look it up when we're back home.'

Ara swallowed her bite. 'I like it, so please.'

Mami nodded. 'Not bad, once in a while.'

Arend hummed and ate his bun.

***

Avia said goodbye to her family with Guy and the girls in the evening, and walked back to the hotel. They were barely underway when Mami nudged Guy. 'They're still here.' she whispered and gestured at the two birds walking at a little distance behind them.

'Are they the same ones?'

Avia threw a casual glance behind her. 'Yes. The same ones that followed us to my parents.'

Guy raised his eyebrow. 'They've been waiting for us all this time?'

'They're trained to shadow others for days, if they need to.'

'Damn.' said Mami. 'What about eating and drinking?'

'Worse, what about needing to go to the toilet?' asked Cani.

'Trained to do without.' said Avia. 'They observe for several days to learn about any habit and detail that might have been missed because different teams take turns.'

'That's harsh.' Guy said. 'I'm feeling sorry about them wasting their time on us.'

Avia nodded. 'All part of the job. It's what I did before I met you.'

Guy stroked her wing. 'I'm glad you no longer have to.'

They noticed the birds following them into the hotel, heard them fly just outside the elevator hall when they arrived on their floor, and heard the door of the room across from theirs open and shut a few moments after they closed theirs. Guy gestured back in that direction. 'They stay in the opposite room to keep an eye on our door?'

Avia nodded. 'They'll have a magnifier to place on the door eye, and there will be at least one on constant watch.'

Cani walked to the door and opened it. 'I'll just go tell them we're not going anywhere until the morning so they can take it easy.'

Feli jumped up from her seat. 'No! Wait!'

When she and Guy stepped into the hallway, Cani had already knocked on the opposite door.

Inside, Jae looked at her colleague. 'What do we do now?'

Tas tilted his head. 'We can't pretend we're not here. They must know we are. Better to open up then, but be prepared to escape in case of trouble.'

Jae nodded, took a deep breath, and opened the door to the three foreigners. Feli and Guy looked a little surprised at her since they hadn't really expected them to answer the door. Cani smiled at her. 'Hi! We just want to let you know we have no plans to go anywhere else this evening. We'll just be watching something before going to bed probably, so you can take a break and eat and everything.'

Jae and Tas gazed at her, trying to remember what the instructions were for when their targets told them what they were doing. 'Ehmm.. All right?' said Jae. 'Thank you?'

Feli sighed. 'Cani, do you think they would just accept what you're saying as truth? They don't know us and likely think we'll just pretend to do nothing, then sneak out.'

'Sneak out? To go where?' Cani asked.

'I don't know. We're not going anywhere in any case.'

'But then, didn't I tell them the truth?'

Feli groaned and gestured at the birds. 'Yes, but how would they know?'

Cani looked at them. 'You heard Feli as well, we're staying inside our room.'

Guy chuckled. 'We can all say it, but that's of no value to them.'

'But what about what Avia said?' Cani asked and turned to Jae. 'Did you eat yet?'

Jae looked at Tas and back, unsure of the proper response even if they hadn't eaten. 'Ehmm..'

Reminded of the situation, Tas's stomach grumbled and Cani folded her arms. 'See? They're hungry, so they need to take a break.'

Avia walked up to the others. 'They're not allowed to take a break without losing sight of us.' she said and Jae and Tas nodded in agreement.

Cani looked at them, and shrugged. 'It's simple then. They can take their break while we lounge together in our room.' Jae squeaked once in shock when Cani took her wing and pulled her into their room. 'I saw a menu laying around. Let's order dinner for you two and snacks for us, and you can eat while keeping an eye on us and a movie.'

Guy looked at Tas and gestured back at the room. 'Sorry, when she has something in mind she does it, but you're welcome to eat in our room with us if it makes things easier for you.'

Feli sighed. 'Well, I have to admit it feels less awkward to know you won't have to go hungry while you observe us. Especially when we have a look around town tomorrow and go for lunch or a drink.'

Tas shuffled with his foot. 'We don't have the budget for things like that though.'

'Don't worry, it's on us.' said Guy. 'We have enough room in our budget.'

'Ah, but we're not allowed to accept gifts from foreigners!'

Guy shrugged. 'Who said it's a gift? We're just ordering food for ourselves and maybe we just ordered a little too much.'

Tas nodded and dared to smile lightly. 'I can't say thank you in these circumstances.'

Guy chuckled. 'We never heard anything like that.' he said, and returned with Feli and Tas to their room.

Jae and Tas sat to the side, eating dinner, while Guy and the girls snacked a little and watched a popular local movie. After that, Jae and Tas gave a nod in unsaid gratitude before returning to their room, and the others prepared for bed.

'I'll take the second shift.' said Tas as he took another pillow from the closet. 'Then you can sleep the hours until morning. Avia said they won't wake up before sunrise.'

Jae took her seat in front of the door and peered at the magnifier depicting the empty hallway. 'You think they really won't?'

Tas pondered for a moment, and sat on the bed. 'I think so. I trust her up to a point because she used to be one of us. She knows we can spot lies.'

'All right. I will wake you when it's your turn.'

***

Cani invited Jae and Tas over again for a light breakfast and to go over the sightseeing plans for the day. Avia recommended several places to see and at one Jae spoke up. She clenched her beak when she realised how embarrassing it was for her to speak up as if she was with friends, but Tas gave her a nudge. She pointed at the large square Avia had suggested as a place to have lunch. 'There's a new place at a corner there. It's really good and they have a few unusual items on the menu from other worlds in a choice of tapas.'

Guy looked at Avia. 'Sounds good.'

Avia nodded. 'I'd like to try it, yes.' she said and turned to Jae. 'Thanks.'

Jae smiled carefully.

'All right.' said Guy. 'Let's clean this up and be on our way.'

When he and the girls gathered in the hallway and he closed the door, Cani stood close to the opposite door. 'I hope everyone is ready, otherwise we'll just wait outside.'

Mami sniggered. 'Subtle.'

Cani grinned. 'I can do subtle.'

When they walked out of the hotel, they noticed Jae and Tas landing just around the corner of the building, and headed towards their first destination. They watched groups of birds doing synchronised slow dances on the grass in a large park, which Avia explained as a daily exercise of different dances, and chicks playing around in a shallow pond. They noticed some weary glances, but also curious looks, and an occasional agent in uniform. 'Visitors from other dimensions don't come here often, but they do come.' said Mami.

'Yes.' Avia said. 'The older generations aren't used to seeing other species walking around here, but the younger ones have at least seen some.'

The weather was already becoming warmer and Guy glanced at their escort walking not so inconspicuously in their black suits. 'Say, Avia, don't birds feel hot wearing black?'

Avia glanced back. 'Part of the training as well.'

'Sounds like whoever set up that training regimen watched too many old movies from my world.' He shielded his eyes and looked up at the clear sky. 'Such nice weather.' he said a little loud. 'It would certainly be weird if someone still wore a coat or jacket in these temperatures. People would surely notice.'

Ara, Cani, and Mami sniggered softly when they saw Jae and Tas taking off their jackets and flapping their wings. 'Your subtle ways are rubbing off.' said Ara to Cani.

They stopped at a small stand selling cool drinks to buy some, and strolled on. When Jae and Tas passed it, the owner held up a wing. 'Hello there, you're in luck!'