Aquata Cove Ch. 74

Chapter 74: Casual Pursuit

In the darkening dusk, a small otter washes up on the beach. He eagerly waddles up out of the ocean as he pants with joyful optimism, speeding up to the driftwood-fenced house.

"AHH!" He yelps as Sally starts to bark just as Arnaav opens the door. The golden dog bounds around the boy playfully as she yelps loudly, "Not now! I have to hurry!" He quickly bats and pets the dog, before rushing across the house, tracking in dirt and sand along the way.

"Hmnn..." Arnaav digs under the couch, his tail waving back and forth as he grapples underneath the cushions. Skyler lurks as he crouches down, eying Arnaav's thick tail like a predatory kitten.

"Aha!" Arnaav's webbed paw grabs the artifact he has sought for, wrapped in a soft cloth, unveiled to reveal the jeweled butterfly hairclip. He giggles with joy as he brings it to his wet, furry chest as hugs it lightly.

"She's sad right now. Yuri did say love is fleeting with humans, so she doesn't like Merrick anymore..." Arnaav said as he rewraps the beautiful trinket partially.

"All I have to do is find her again." He ponders to himself, a little defiantly again, "And then I'll show her that I found her treasure!" He takes one last look at the sparkling jewels, before concealing them.

"And then she'll be so happy, she'll forget all about Merrick!" He took a moment to blush as a light spiral swelled in his chest, "And after that, maybe she'll like me instead..."

"EEEP!" Arnaav squeaked as sharp pinpricks hit on his tail. He looks over his shoulder to see the small white creature gnawing and wrestling with his appendage. Arnaav casually bent around to pull the kitten off of his tail, and placed him on the couch, "Not right now, I have to go." He told the creature.

Arnaav quickly retrieved his ocean knapsack, and tucked the bundled trinket safely within. The boy then waddled out of the house as fast as he can, eventually going to all fours as he rushes straight for the shore. He runs off to the rocks, and dives once more into the familiar sea.

One minute after Arnaav have left the house, a few cars pull into the gravel of the driveway, emerging the residents and a couple of guests from the luau.

"Eelgh, what the heck??" Yuri grimaced as she sees the trail of wet sand-mud all on the carpet.

"What's up?" Merrick asked.

"I think Sally killed another rodent again." She scowled. The golden retriever whined as she bowed her head.

"Uh," Jamal looked over the house, "I don't think Salls can open the damn sliding door, Yuri." He pointed out. Merrick observed the couch, and felt around the area.

"I think Arnaav was here. Be must've stopped by, and forgot to close the door."

"Ulgh, lets clean it up later," Yuri complained as she pulled off the lei, "I need a soak."

~~~

Sasha hissed as she slowly gets into the bubbling cauldron of the hot tube, slowly sinking into the biting hot water before setting down, "Blimey, this feels nice..."

"Heads up," Jamal and climbs up, and starts to dip into the Jacuzzi too.

"Oh for God's sake, Jamal!" Yuri whined, "Do you HAVE to wear a ball-clenching speedo like that??" She asked as Jamal's hot chocolate thighs braced around a round, tight red bulge with a white cross on it.

"Ah, quit yo bitchin gurl." He said as he grunted in, "You just lucky I ain't dippin in nekkid -- we got company here."

"Oh gee, how decent of you." Yuri rolled her eyes.

"Oh, by all means!" Sasha adjusted, "Take'em off, Jamie!"

"Aight," Jamal shrugged and leaned forward and submerged his hands in to take his tight speedo.

"NO! No!" Yuri shouted, "Please, keep them on!"

"You don't seem to have a problem with ME being naked." Merrick said as he sipped his ice water.

"Nor me." Syrinx said, both her and Merrick as naked as the day they were born in the hot tub.

"That's different," Yuri said, "You guys are mature and natural with your bodies. Not like the bunch of horndogs I'm surrounded by."

"Oh, lighten up, Yuri." Adam said, shamefully hiding the fact that both he and Kevin are currently sporting erections, safely concealed in their trunks and the distortion of the water.

"Lighten up?? Nick isn't even wearing a speedo!" She said, holding her hand toward him, "He's just wearing a small jockstrap!" Nick quirked his eyebrows as he toasted up his small martini glass, and drinks.

"Humans." Syrinx said, looking to Merrick, "Right?"

"No kidding." Merrick answered.

"Ok, so, when you guys get married," Kevin said, "Are you sharing a last name, or are you keeping both of yours."

"Hm yeah," Sasha said, "Are you going to be Mr Adam Piscien, mate?"

"Oh no," Merrick said as he hugged Adam's left arm, "I'm taking HIS name."

"Ah, so Mr Merrick Bryant." Syrinx said, "... Ok, that still doesn't roll of the tongue."

"You say ONE word," Yuri pointed at Jamal and Nick, "I'm going to kill you." Both of them snickered at her threat. After an awkward pause, Adam smirked.

"... I'll tells you what rolls on MY tongue." Kevin snickered, unable to resist.

"OH. MY." The rest of them laughed as Yuri splashed at Adam, "GOD!"

"Jeez, Yuri, how much of a prude ARE you?" Kevin asked.

"She ain't." Jamal said, "She just likes to bitch a lot. Ow!" Jamal jerked as his knee was kicked.

"Shut it or I'll aim higher." Yuri growled as she takes a drink of her spiced tea.

"So what about YOU guys?" Syrinx asked Jamal and Nick, "You're a couple, right?"

"Hard to tell." Adam said with a grin, "They screw around with sooo many people."

"Heh," Kevin smirked, "Kinky neighborhood."

"Eh," Jamal shrugged, "Not really into the whole wedding thing." He told them, "I love my lil Nicky."

"Awww, man~" Nick cooed as he put his head on one of Jamal's thick pecs, while secretly rubbing one of Jamal's thighs under the water, while Jamal put his strong arm around Nick's shoulders.

"We don't need no rings to know we love each other, ya know?" Jamal said.

"And I suppose monogamy is out of the question, out the window, and paying rent by selling sex, uh?" Yuri muttered lowly as she drinks her tea.

"Well, that's not true." Nick said as he reached into the water. They watched as he shifted in his seat, grimaced a little before sighing and rising his hand up, holding a 3-inch metal hoop, "We got THESE rings, eh?" He said with a grin.

"Oh. My. Freaking. God." Yuri said as her left eye twitches.

"That's nuthin," Jamal dismissed, "Wanna see mine-"

"You know!" Yuri cut off, everyone snickering at her next coming rant, closing her eyes for patience, "I try, VERY hard, not to judge ANYONE base on, or believing in stereotypes, aligned with race, sexuality, creed, what have you," She opens her eyes as she looks at Jamal, "But you, my very black friend," Jamal starts jerking his shoulders as he kept from laughing, "Are making it EXTREMELY difficult for me to try and believe that not all bisexuals are sex addicts, when you are constantly walking around town with a raging case of Priapism!!"

Adam and Sasha smirks, but everyone else looks confused.

"Oh my God, you people don't even know what Priapism IS?!" Yuri shouted, making everyone start laughing, "It means a constant erection, you numbskulls!!" Everyone laughs as Yuri groaned while slipping down until the hot water was up to her chin, "Uugghh, I am surrounded by idiots, cowturds, and prostitutes."

"Nice to meet you, Jesus." Kevin chuckled.

"Hahah, so anyway, Mr Merrick Bryant." Syrinx picked back up, "And I thought 'Merrick Piscien' was a bit dodgy to say."

"Yeah, I didn't think to pick a last name before I became a citizen." Merrick replied, "Your last name is 'Amour', right? Is that Kevin's last name too?"

"Yes, and no." Kevin answered, "Mine is 'Fensly'." He said.

"You sure you're ok with changing your last name, babe?" Adam said with his arm around Merrick, "I know you have your thing with identity."

"Yeah, I'm good with it." Merrick answered, "Piscien is my species, not my name. I don't need a dub to remind me of who or what I am."

"What about you, Yuri?" Sasha asked, "Is there ever going to be a man for you in your life?"

"Well, that's a little personal," Yuri said with a sip of her drink, "But if we're ready to talk like mature adults..." She adjusted to sit up in her seat, "In all honesty, I'm not sure."

"So, bottomline, gun to your head, you and Ryo never getting back together?" Merrick asked, "You two seemed perfect for each other at the time."

"Yes, I know, but... The more I dated him, the more it just felt like a chore to have a relationship." Yuri explained, "I had to include him in balancing my schedule, and even then, I didn't really feel too into it..."

"So you never liked him?"

"Oh no, I did, at some point." She nods, "But the more I got to know him, after long after when we were kids, when we were each other's crushes, he just didn't seem to resonate with me, or I didn't match up with him... I think I was just... Sort of dated him out of formality, you know? Like everyone was expecting it, and the more I was with him, the more it didn't feel natural, like it isn't what I wanted. And the more I saw of him, the more his personality just put me off."

"So..." Kevin said, "You never... You know..."

"What..." Yuri gives him a glare.

"Well, just wondering have you ever... You know... With all your work, schooling, have you never really..." The look in Yuri's eyes does not bode well for him, especially beating around the bush, "... Sex."

"And here we go again." Yuri rolls her eyes, "No, I do not have sex." She said with a nasty tone, "I do not occupy my free time to getting banged over the bed, couch, table, TV, public restroom, I am a lot more mature than all of you whore mongers."

"Psshh." Jamal smirked.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Yuri turned to him.

"That not what I recall." Jamal said as he drinks his Dr Pepper.

"What are you talking about?"

Jamal gives a smirk at Yuri, "You know what I mean gurl."

"Wait... Yuri??" Merrick looked at her with widened eyes.

"Jamal, I swear to God," Yuri pointed at him, "I will freaking kill you with your own intestines."

"Oh my GOD!" Syrinx covers her mouth.

"YOU and JAMAL??" Sasha gasped, "Are you serious-"

"NO, me and Jamal didn't..." She rolled her eyes, "FUCK. We did NOT sleep, ok?!" Nick squeals with suppressed laughter.

"Jamal??" Adam looked over to him.

"Naw naw, we didn't, ok?" Jamal said, "Me and Yuri did NOT sleep, ok?"

"THANK you, you perverted man-whore." Yuri said as she brought her drink to her lips, "Probably split me in half if we did." She muttered. Sasha nearly spits up her own drink from the comment.

"Thennn..." Merrick pauses, "What was that about, just now?"

"I just introduced her to a guy, that's all." Jamal said.

"To put it in technical terms, he pimped for me." Yuri said.

"Yuri, you be ripping yo own hair out tryna ta balance all yo shit allat once." Jamal said, "Now I know you all too high up fo sex an stuff, but even YOU have to admit gettin laid is good fo you."

Yuri huffs an aggravated sigh, "Yes, it has been proven that intercourse is healthy in several aspects, in physical, emotional, and psychological ways. But I don't make it the life blood of my schedule like you sorry bunch of predators." She added with a snide tone.

"So how often DO you have sex??" Merrick asked.

"Not that that's ANY of your business." Yuri says, "But I think I'm good with maybe a once a year kind of deal."

"Once a year?!" Sasha gawked, "Are you bloody insane?! Once a year?!"

"Shit, and I thought more than a week was bad." Jamal remarks.

"Ok, can we get off the topic of my glacial sex life please??" Yuri says with exasperation, "Or can we just not talk about sex at all??"

"Well, there goes the conversation." Nick giggled.

"Yeah," Sasha nodded, "I'm rather curious as to what the two of you look like." She said to Merrick and Syrinx.

"What, us?" Syrinx asked.

"It's already a bit cramped in here." Merrick said, "I grow at least twice as long when I'm in my true form."

"Same here."

"Me too." Jamal smirked.

"Shut up, Jamal!" Yuri snapped.

"Oh come on! I've only seen pictures of you, Merrick, I really want to know what yo like all fishy and such."

"Well, ok, I guess." Merrick shrugged as he starts to reach back.

"Let me get that for you, sweetie," Adam says as he unhooked the chain of Merrick's necklace. Once he removed the scale, Merrick's body instantly changes while his shoulders and head remains humanoid, he grunts as his legs grow quickly.

"Whoa," Merrick irked as he grabs the edges of the hot tub as his blue and while tail rises from the other side, while his beautiful tailfin unfurls once out of the water.

"No bloody way!!" Sasha looks with awe as she feels along Merrick's tail, "This is just like in that Tom Hanks movie! And you're not boiling?!"

"Not really," Merrick says as his magnificent scales and fins glimmer in the lights of the Jacuzzi, "Though I can't be in this kind of hot water for too long. My body is more suited for colder waters."

Adam reattaches Merrick's necklace, and his body reverts back into his human form.

"Now you." Sasha said with a grin.

"Ok." Syrinx held her wrist up for Kevin to unhook, and remove. Her skin immediately changes into a fine, magenta-brown velvet pelt as her legs thickened and melded into a thick tail with flippers at the end. She elevated her tail to show her true form.

"This is bloody brilliant." Sasha says as she lifts up the tail, "You feel like a heavy plush doll!"

"And when my head is wet, I grow a horn on my forehead, like a unicorn. But I am NOT getting my hair wet right now." She said as she put her bracelet back on, and turned back into a woman.

"Oh come now!" Sasha splashes at Syrinx, causing to flinch to protect her hair. She slowly lowers her arms as she gives Sasha a squinting glare.

"Now you REALLY don't want to see my horn, because it might end up impaling you." Syrinx said through gritted teeth.

"Been there, done that!" Jamal said with a laugh.

"... Godammit." Yuri scowled.

~~~

Arnaav walks around the pier where the luau was held. A few stands remain, including a couple of humans cleaning up, but it has cleared out.

"Where... Is she..." He pondered aloud, looking about. He trots forward a little, turning his head all around, but he can't find her, or her older brother. He jogs over to one of the humans there, and tugged on his pants.

"Excuse me! Man?" Arnaav says. The man looked to him, and stares at the boy with widened eyes.

"Uhhh... Hi?"

"Can you help me? I'm looking for someone. A small girl about this tall," He held his hand up just above his head, "She has eyes like this," He then pulled the outer corners of his eyes to simulate an Asian look, "And she is with an older man who looks like her. Have you seen her?"

"I have not, son..." The man blinked, "Are you lost, boy? What happened to your clothes?"

"My what?"

"Well, you're buck naked son. Where are your parents?" He asked while Arnaav looked down on himself.

"Ah I forgot. I'm not looking for my Mother and Father, I'm looking for the girl. Have you seen her??"

"No, I haven't. Look, here," The man took Arnaav's hand and started to move him away, "Lets go find your parents, and we can get this sorted out."

"I can't see my parents right now!" Arnaav said as he pulled his hand away, "I'm looking for the girl!"

"Carl, come over here please!" The man called out.

"Grrrr, never mind!" Arnaav growled as he turned around, and ran for the docks.

"Wait, kid! Come back!" The man said as he takes off his coat, "Hang on!" Arnaav dashes along the wood planks, and leaps into the sea! "OH MY GOD!" The man stops short of the dock, and reaches out as he sees the kid splash into the water, "W-What the hell??" He whips around, seeing the other cleaners approaching him, "Th-There was a kid! He was alone and lost! He just dove into the sea!"

'I'm not getting anywhere. All of the humans there have already gone home. Oh, if only Yuri was here, maybe she might know...' The otter boy swims to a different part of the shore, and waddles out on all fours, shaking the water with a quick toss on the spot. "I don't have time to find Yuri AND Fumiko. Humans grow dormant at this time of the sun..." Arnaav ponders, "I need to make her happy as soon as I can..." He looks around for anything that may help. His eyes spot a half-human half-serpent, partly tan skin and pinkish hair, and the lower half white and peach colored, looking as if she is filing or inspecting her tail.

"Ooh! Belinda! Belinda!" Arnaav runs as fast as he can to her, almost tripping over himself a few times. Belinda turns as she hears her name and doubles back as she sees a somewhat unfamiliar child come up to her quickly.

"Ah- What??" Belinda blinks as the small merman perched his paws upon the snake tail, his eyes beaming up at her, "Who are you??" She asked, "What are you doing out of the sea?"

"I'm looking from someone! Can you use your powers?? Please?" Ignoring the scary fact that this mermaid is in fact the Latolcus that Adam talked about, Syrinx had a way of speaking about this situation in a very beneficial way to Arnaav's young mind.

"I uhh..." Belinda is really not sure what to make of this. She does recall seeing this one around once or twice...

~~~

"Mmnnnnhh..." Adam moaned as he slouches down in the hot tube, with Merrick straddled onto him, his naked butt sitting on his lap, with his trunks placed on the rim of the tub, his arms resting around Adam's shoulders and resting on the ridge, with his face resting on one shoulder. The water continues to roll and bubble around them as they bathe naked together. Syrinx and Kevin are off on the train home, Yuri's off at the hospital for some moonlighting, while Jamal, Nick, and Sasha are clubbing it hard at the King Tut gay bar.

"Guh..." Merrick groaned. He doesn't ever feel like getting out, feeling so soothed, relax, and sleepy. The hot water is starting to effect his level of energy, however.

"Raaaaaeeeeeer!" Comes a high-pitched meow. Adam looks around, hearing the sound of prin pricks ticking and plucking up on the corner, until his tiny kitten climbed onto the top of the hot tub.

"Hi Sky-Sky~" Adam smiled.

"Reeeerr! Raaaaeerr." The kitten mews loudly as he walks along the damp wood over to them.

"Awwww, hi there~" Adam held up his hand, just as the kitten comes up and sniffs as his dripping fingers. Adam giggles as that tiny tongue brushes against his flesh to lap up the water. Skyler walks along the ledge until he started to climb onto Adam's shoulder, "Ooohhhhh, he's so cute~!" Adam gushes as he nuzzled into the side fur of the small critter's tummy as he waked across his wet chest.

"Mhmmmm..." Merrick groaned idly until he tenses suddenly, feeling a few sharp points pick at his flesh. Adam snickers as Merrick winces from Skyler's baby claws scaling his back, "Adam, ow. He's... Fffffuck, my skin's 10 times more sensitive...!"

"Ok, must be the hot water." Adam picks up the white kitty, before Merrick adjusted and moved away from him. Skyler murred curiously as Adam wades to the edge of the tub, and started to climb out, "Best thing about everyone out for the night," Merrick ogles Adam's meaty, masculine rump as he climbs gets his trunks and a towel before setting Skyler down, "Get to be naked outside." He said slyly.

"REEEER!" The baby kitten clutches onto the towel as Adam starts to dry off his leg.

"Oh, look he..." Adam chuckles and laughs as Skyler climbs up the towel up to Adam, "Hahahaha, Sky-Sky, I gotta dry ooofff."

"I got it~" Merrick says as he come up behind Adam and starts to dry Adam's back.

"Oh, thanks, babe." Adam says as he picks up Skyler and pets him, purring so much the kitty is vibrating.