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.
