{"sf1_id":712067,"sf2_id":null,"title":"Aquata Cove - Chapter 26","author":"Mirron Tenshi","words":6869,"posted_at":"2014-05-31T21:38:00.000Z","tags":["Fantasy","Gay","Human","Romance","homoerotic","merman"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/712067-aquata-cove-chapter-26","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/view/712067","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=712067\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"","content":"Aquata CoveChapter 26: In Good Company   Kaiken snorted as he glanced to his side, past over Umiato.\nHe shook his head as he led his pod to the sand, and turned to them, \"We shall\nrest here for a time!\" He announced, \"Hunters, go forth and bring game! The\nrest shall prepare a sand bank!\" He commanded. A handful of mermen and mermaids\nthen swam in different directions, while a few others, started digging into the\nsand. Kaiken sighed in aggravation as he shook his head, \"We\nshould have traveled far from here by now...\" He sensed his mate come up behind\nhim, \"The pod is dragging slow. Nothing should be changing...\" \"Is it that hard to understand, Kaiken?\" Umiato asked, \"We\nhave just lost an important part of our pod...\" \"... It matters not,\" Kaiken said bitterly, \"And why does\nDaughter carry that fragment with her? It is useless now.\" \"Kaiken...\" Umiato said as she swam in front of him, \"She has\nlost something that is very special to her. Do you blame her for wanting to\ncling to whatever she has left of him?\" She asked sternly, \"Do not tell me you\ndo not feel remorse for what has happened.\" \"...\" Kaiken turned his head away, and drifted apart, \"He has\nforsaken himself as well as us, we should move past the fact that he has chosen\nhis own fate... And that includes Daughter. He is nonexistent, and not worth our\nsorrow.\" He brandished his trident, and swam away. Umiato sighed, and looked\ndown upon the Adra Noita.  Savarna is sobbing as she held the two halves of Merrick's\ntrident, clinging to them as she tied them together, using a spool of fishing\nline.  ~~~  \"Oh my gosh...\" Yuri said as Merrick held his forehead, with\nmore tears running down his face, \"Merrick, that's terrible, I'm so sorry.\" \"... Yuri... Look on the back of my neck...\" Merrick said, \"Tell\nme what you see...\" He said weakly. Yuri crawled off the edge of the cliff, and\nmoved behind Merrick, and saw the black symbol.  \"A tribal symbol? It looks like a heart.\" She said, \"Here,\"\nYuri then took a nearby stick, and turned Merrick around to watch her. She drew\nan outline of a heart-design symbol on the ground, \"Here's what it looks like...\nGive or take...\" \"I see...\" Merrick sighed as he bowed his head. He put his\nhand onto the mark behind him for a moment. Just like a tattoo, he can't\nphysically feel it, but he knows its there. Merrick sniffled as he rubbed his eyes, \"I bring this misery\nupon myself... I couldn't bring myself to tell Adam what truly happened... I can't\nstand how much of a liar I am...\" \"Well...\" Yuri said, \"Tell him the truth, then. He loves you,\nhe deserves to know. You have to tell him eventually; he's going to wonder why\nyou're still here.\" \"I get what you're saying, but you don't understand...\" He\nreplied, \"Every time I even think about it, my heart falls apart...\" He shook his\nhead, and whined, \"I can't... I can't say it again...\"  \"That's ok, you're just not ready to talk about it yet,\"\nYuri said, \"That's natural - everyone has times like that. And that's all you\nwould have to tell him, and he'll understand. Hey,\" She turned Merrick's face\nto look at him, \"He loves you with all his heart. You don't need to lie to\nhim.\"  Merrick turned his face away from her, and looked out to the\nocean. Yuri fiddled with her popsicle stick, \"Look, I understand, Merrick. You\nfeel that your love is what has gotten you exiled, and you didn't have the\nheart to let him know that. Adam told me that you called him a mistake when you\ntried to break up with him,\" Yuri said, making Merrick tremble as he whimpered,\n\"But that's what love IS. It's a mistake, it's a risk, it's the best thing that\ncan ever happen to you, and it can hurt you in so many ways, it involves so\nmany risks, but the feeling you get from it is worth all the pain and\nstruggle...\" She looked down at the word, 'WINNER' engraved on the small stick of\nwood, with a crown symbol at the top of it, \"Then again, what would I know...? I\nnever even had a real relationship before... I'm probably in no position to be\ngiving advice here...\" Yuri sighed as she stood up, and brushed her pants off of\nthe sand, \"I'm here if you need to talk to me, Merrick.\" With that, Yuri\nturned, and walked away from Merrick.  ~~~  Adam sighed as he looked out of the back porch, seeing\nMerrick still sitting at the cliff. He's really worried about him - Yuri told\nhim that Merrick has been out there all day. Adam groaned as he walked into his\nbedroom. He feels so helpless for Merrick - his poor merman is so upset,\nnothing seems to be able to cheer him up. Times like this, it's best for him to\ngive his space. Jamal looked as Adam went into his room, before walking out the\nback door. He slowly approached Merrick, looking up at the moon. \"Hey,\" The\nblonde looked behind him, and then turned back around, \"Mind if I sit here?\"\nJamal asked. Merrick just shrugged at that, so Jamal sat himself down right\nnext to him. A pause went by, to which they both said nothing. Jamal\ndoesn't know what to say - he wants to try and console Merrick, but he can't\nthink of a thing that could possibly be helpful. This kid lost most of his\nfamily after all, not to mention his best friend. Jamal sighed, and moved his\nleg to push himself up. \"Jamal?\" Merrick finally said, \"Where's... Where is your pod?\nI-I mean... Your family. Why do you, Adam, and Yuri live together?\" Jamal\nblinked, and settled back down. \"Pshhh. What family?\" He said lowly. \"Where is the rest of your pod? Where did you come from?\"\nMerrick asked without turning to look at him. \"Wanna know bout mah family?\" Jamal asked, \"Well, I ain't\ngot one. Least not anymore.\" Merrick turned his head to look at him. \"What do you mean?\" \"I had one brutha, and a ma and dad, that's all.. I was neva\nreally close wit any of em... I didn't have what chu call a happy childhood. No\none really cared bout me when I was there. If anything, I was more of an\ninconvenience to them. I was always the little kid in the corner, hopin someone\nwould notice me...\" \"... What... What happened to them?\" Merrick asked. \"My mama was a drug addict. She was arrested for dealing\ncrystal meth when I was like 7 years old, and put away in jail cause eva since.\nI never really knew why she went away - alls I remember at the time was the\ncops comin in, and taking her out of the apartment,\" Jamal sniffed, and felt\nhis own eyes water, \"She was so tripped on so much stuff... She didn't even know\nme when I saw her again... Her mind is gone, where eva she is now... \"After that, my daddy had to work 3 jobs to get by. There\nwere weeks where he didn't even look at me. Sometimes, I really wonder if my\nfolks ever even know I was alive. Me n mah brotha was put in foster care - we\ngot separated, he and me, since dad was workin his ass off, he didn't have time\nto waste on us.\" \"Yeas later, my brotha suddenly came to me. He says mama\nremembers er'ry thing bout us now, and we need to git some money to get her\noutta jail...\" \"How?\" Merrick asked. He understands half of what Jamal is\ntalking about. \"Dunno. I was so moody at the time, I didn't think to ask\nquestions - mah mama's empty face was driving me crazy, I wanted her to SEE me,\nya know? So I went along with him...\" Jamal shook his head, \"Biggest mistake of mah\nlife...\" \"Why? What happened?\" \"*Sigh* Mah brotha lied to me, that's wut.\" He said, \"He had\nme learn how to make crystal meth - he told me it was just candy that adults\neat. I wuz 16 at the time, and I guess I just shut my ears to everything around\nme. I just wanted mah mama... \"So he and I made a whole lot of 'candy' in this basement,\nand we be sellin it to people I neva even met. We was makin all kinds a money.\nI remember I kept askin, 'When we gonna see mama, Terry?', 'When is we gonna\ngit her outta there?', 'I wanna see mama'. And he just kept givin me half-ass\nexcuses...\" His eyes cast downward at the dark ocean, \"It went on fo 2 years. 2\nyears, and I ain't had a clue...\"  \"I was told not to take any of the stuff we was makin, but...\nThe one time I tried it...\" Jamal shook his head, \"I don't remember it. Alls I\ncan think of is when I woke up in a hospital.\" Jamal ignore the tear rolling\ndown his own face, \"I was told mah brotha had called an ambulance on me... That I\nwas makin and sellin drugs on my own, and he had nuthin to do wit it. Didn't\nmatta what I said - that he was helpin me, we was doin it for mama, and I\nthought it was candy... Mah daddy was there, and he didn't care nuff to vouch fo\nme... He just signed me off, sayin he ain't got the energy to deal wit me...\" \"And... Your Mother?\" Merrick asked as he looked at the dark\nmale. Jamal shook his head. \"She was dead a long time ago...\" He said. Merrick gasped\nsilently at that, \"Even when they tol me, I went to the clinic where she was\nstayin... And I found out she had smuggled some alcohol an pills into the ward,\nand drank herself to death...\" \"Why... Why would your Brother fool you like that?\" \"Drugs do bad things to people, dude. My brotha used me... He\ngot me to make all those drugs, and when we got caught, he lied and left me\nbehind...\" He sighed as he looked out, \"It really fucked up mah record... When mah\nboss found out, I was fired from the pet shop... A year later, I find out mah\ngurl was pregnant, and she was cheatin on me... \"Because of wut happened, I was put on a 5-year probation.\"\nJamal said, \"Heh... When I got here, I kept goin all about mah Rep, talkin bout\nthe hood, West-Side shit, and all that stuff... Really, I's just bein a poser,\ncuz I wanted to pretend none of it eva happened... \"I couldn't take livin there anymo. I asked to be relocated\nto any other state - I didn't care where, just any place. And the agency chose\nto put me in Hawaii...\" \"And... That's when you met Adam and Yuri?\" \"Naw... I ain't met them till later. See, when you're a\nconvicted drug dealer, they put it on yo record, and it shows to everyone who\nis thinking of lettin you live wit them...\" His eyes lowered down, \"Turns out,\nlotta people are a lot more shallower than you'd think... I been kept by 5\nfamilies, and none of them worked out with me...\" He said, \"The foster care\npeople thought I should be put with religious families, to make sure I get put\non the right way...\" \"How did it not work with them?\"  \"They's all judgemennal. They kept me on a short leash,\nkeepin a close eye on whatever I do, made me go to church. Theys hardly even\ntruss me to go to the bathroom. I was actin out too. I was skippin curfew,\nskippin school, cussin them out er'ry turn... Guess it was just mah way of sayin,\n'Fuck you, you don't know me!' \"Finally, the foster people asked ME what I wanted. I says,\n'I wanna live wit someone mah age. I don't want no family or bible-swingin\nbitches preachin to me er'ry time I come home'. So, they lemme check the\nroommate ads mahself, I looked up this Adam Bryant dude,\" Jamal started to\nsmile, \"His granparents leasin him the house and stuff. They went over every\ndetail of mah past wit him, and he still lemme live with him...\" Jamal chuckled,\n\"Movin in wit him was the best decision of mah life...\" Merrick started to smile as Jamal's story improved - nice\ntalk about Adam... Somehow it made him feel better, \"He and I got along REAL\nquick. He help me find a job at a place I like, treatin me like I was anybody\nelse... That was somethin I ain't neva had, in a long, long time... He was bein mo\nthan a friend... He just... He looked out fo me, WITHOUT judging me... He AND Yuri...\nWhen I got in trouble with the cops this one time, they was right there to bail\nme out... Tell them I wasn't doin nuthin...\" The black man smiled and shook his\nhead. \"Me an Adam git into all kinda of stupid stuff. We hang out,\nwe have fun, I annoy him, he gits back at me... Yuri, she nice, almost mothery,\nshe acts all grown-up when we git into it, she keeps us in check...\" \"Adam is more of a brotha to me than mine eva was... And Yuri,\nshe like a prissy lil sister that knows how to keep us both in line...  \"Me 'n Adam git into scruffs, some stupid, rough play... No\nharm no foul - we even use to pull some dumbass pranks on each otha\" Jamal said\nwith a snicker, \"Like REAL brothas... And Yuri's al'ays lecturin me bout housework,\ngettin on mah case fo things that don't even matta, taken care a me if I get\nsad, upset, or sick and stuff... \"They care, ya know? I ain't neva had anyone to just... Be\nthere, ya know? Adam was curious bout how I got to be a convict, and I told\nhim... And unlike anybody else I told, he believed me... He and Yuri, they didn't\njudge me... They just gave me a room, and... Took me in.\" Merrick smiled up at him \"So that's mah family there. Adam n\nYuri; they's all the family I eva need. I keep wantin to git a dog though, but\nYuri won't let me - since we gotta cat, she thinks theys gonna tear up each\nother.\" \"A dog?\" Merrick asked. \"Oh yeah, you prolly don't know what that is. Here...\" He took\nout his phone, and looked up several breeds of canines, \"On'na these days, I'mma\nget a puppy, and I don't care wut Yuri says.\"  \"Hehe. They remind me of seals...\" *NEEKNEEK! NEEKNEEK!* Jamal checked his cellphone, and stood up, \"I gotta head\nout,\" Jamal said, \"You be good now, ya'hear?\" Merrick smiled a little as Jamal\nwalked away.    He turned to look at the sea once more, and stood up on his\nown. He walked back to the house, and slid the heavy glass door before he\nentered. Merrick walked into the bedroom, where Adam is already under the\nsheets. Merrick sighed and smiled as he looked at his lover. At least there's one bright side to this ordeal. One thing\nthat he knows will always be here. He'll always come back to Merrick, and he\nwill never let him down. Merrick climbed into bed, and slipped into the covers. He\nscooted up to Adam, and grinned as he felt Adam is already naked. He spooned up\nagainst the human, putting his arm around him. Adam smiled as he just pulled\nout of the slip into slumber, and turned around. Merrick giggled as Adam put\nhis arm around the blonde, and snuggled him close. \"Feeling better?\" Adam muttered. Merrick nodded against him,\n\"That's good... I love hearing you laugh...\" Adam whispered. He kissed Merrick's\nsoft lips as his legs entwined with Merrick's. \"... Wanna feel even better~?\" Adam asked as he pressed his flaccid\npenis against Merrick's.  \"Ooh~ Yessir~\" Merrick nodded. Adam chuckled as he then\nclimbed up onto Merrick. The merman rose his pelvis up against Adam's hairy\npatch. \"MMmm... I love how you're so fuzzy~\" Merrick said. Adam chuckled as he\nlaid himself down onto Merrick. The merman smiled peacefully as he felt Adam's\nweight upon him, \"Mmmhhhh... You're so warm...\" Merrick uttered. Adam smiled as he\nrubbed his body against the other. \"You're so smooth...\" Adam whispered back. He nuzzled his neck\nas he started to ground his hips against the other. Merrick let his head back,\nand huffed slowly as he felt Adam's hot breath over his flesh. Adam gently\nkissed his neck, placed his lips down onto his jaw, and nibbled tenderly onto\nhis cheek. Merrick murred as he felt his lover cuddle and nibble at him. He\npushed his body up against Adam's form as their members slowly hardened as the\ncuddled in the warm darkness. Merrick cooed as Adam kissed and lapped his lips upon\nMerrick's neck. While the human tenderly enticed him, Merrick's hand fumbled at\nthe nightstand, and located the bottle of lube. He snuck the tube under the\ncovers, and under their bodies. \"Mmmfff... Ooo!\" Adam jumbled a little as he felt a sudden\ncoldness spill onto his manhood. Merrick giggled as Adam's length felt a wet,\nslippery fondle. He bit his lip and stifled a grunt as he felt his heavy nuts\nget lubricated as well, \"Heheh, you're like that too much, babe~\" He said with\na grin. Merrick giggled again as he played with Adam's genitals. \"Hehehe, you like this?\" Merrick asked as he rolled Adam's\nballs around in his oily hand. \"Ooh, me likey a lot~\" Adam said as he swerved his hips.\nMerrick smiled as he continued to palm and stroke Adam's sack and rod, before\nhe kissed Adam's lips. \"I'm ready, Adam... I want you inside of me...\" Merrick said. \"Mmmm...\" Adam murred as he scooted his lower region inward,\nstroking his dick, and rubbing the sensitive glans along the flawless crack of\nMerrick's anus. He dug his tool deeper and deeper towards Merrick's crevice,\nuntil he found the right spot. He let go of his dick, and slowly put his hand\nonto the bed. Carefully, Adam moved his hips forward, feeling the small, tight\nmuscle spread around his log. Merrick's brow furrowed, his mouth ajar, before\nwidening, and moaning outloud as he felt himself swallow the human's thick\ncock. \"AHHHww! Ohhhh Adam~!\" He moaned. His legs moved to behind\nAdam pushed in deeper. Adam sank himself deeper, until his pubic region pressed\nagainst Merrick's butt. Adam moved himself back, dragging his penis to the edge\nof Merrick's asshole, and pushing back in. Merrick's body arched as he\nwhimpered in anticipation, \"Ohhhh Adaaaamm~~\" He moaned as Adam eased back, and\npushed back deep again.  Merrick put his arms around Adam's shoulders as he felt him\npush into the depths of Merrick's insides again. \"Ghhhhoood...\" Adam growled as\nhis hips rolled into Merrick again, \"You drive me so crazy, baby...\" Adam\ngrumbled as he pulled back, and pushed in again, loving every inch of Merrick's\ntunnel, squeezing his cock as if to try and keep him anchored in his bottom. \"Oh Adam... You're so big...\" Merrick moaned as he felt his anus\nfill up with Adam's thick, hot dick again. Adam positioned himself to push up,\nand made Merrick gasp and moan out, \"OHH!\" His hands gripped Adam's back as he\nrocked his pelvis to stir and press inside of Merrick. \"Oh Adam!\"  \"That good, babe~?\" Adam asked as he moved backward, and\nforced himself into Merrick once again, elating another weak moan from the\nmerman. \"Yeah, tell me you like that... Mmnnhh!\" Adam moaned as he shoved hard\ninto Merrick's rump again. \"Oh Adam~! I'm so hot for you~\" Merrick moaned as his own\nhard penis throbbed against the fuzzy trail of Adam's abs. With his hand still\ndripping with lube, Merrick reached down, and started stroking his dick, \"Ohhhh\nyesss!\" He moaned as he masturbated underneath Adam, \"Harder...\" He uttered. Adam moaned as he repositioned his legs, crouching down\nabove Merrick, and shoved his rod into Merrick. \"OHHhhh!\" Merrick moaned out as\nAdam yanked himself back, and thrust back into him, \"Ohh just like that!\" He\nmoaned as his arm jerked up and down. The sounds of Merrick's squelching hand only made Adam\nhornier as he hilted into Merrick again, rolling his butt backward, and shoving\ndeep into him again. The merman moaned and arched his back in pleasure as he\nfelt that thick shaft drill into him again and again. \"Oh Adam!\" He wailed out\nas Adam started thrusting into him like a very randy hound dog.  \"Ahh! Awww! Ooohhh! Ohh!\" Merrick grunted and moaned as he jerked\nhimself off, while Adam slapped his pelvis into him repeatedly, \"Oh you're so\ngood~! AHH!\" Merrick moaned out more as Adam pummeled deep inside him, \"OhhH!\nOhhh! Ohh!\" The merman groaned weaker and weaker as his man fucked him harder\nand harder. He became very aroused at the sheer power of Adam's dominance,\nfeeling himself bounce back and forth on the bed from the raw thrusts Adam\npushing into him. \"AWW! Adam!\" Merrick said as his hand hammered up and down\non him, \"I-I'm close... Oh don't stop!\" \nMerrick begged as he jerked off, \"I'm so close! Don't stop fucking me!\"\nMerrick moaned. \"Beg me more, Merrick. I think I wanna stop~\" Adam said,\ntaunting his lover as he shoved his cock deep into Merrick's ass. The merman\ngasped and moaned out. \"Pleeeeeaaase don't stop!\" Merrick pleaded, feeling so close\nto the edge, \"Oh don't stop!\" Merrick moaned out as he felt himself get pushed\nback and forth, feeling that fat, thick cock shove deep inside him. \"Tell me what you want~\" Adam growled as he forced himself back\nand forth into Merrick. \"Fuck me!\" Merrick moaned out, \"Fuck me harder...\" Adam's\nthrusts became harder and faster, \"Ohhh! Harder! Harder! Harder~!\" Merrick\nbegged as his hand squeezed his member, \"Haaaaaarrrrrrr!!\"  Merrick moaned and jerked as he felt his balls tighten, and\nhis dick pulsed as he felt himself pour his thick seed all over his hand,\nsquirting all over his stomach, moaning oh so pleasantly as his hot, slimy cum\ndribbled all over himself. \"Fuck, you're so hot!\" Adam moaned as he pistoned himself\ninto Merrick more and more, pummeling into that warm, tight tunnel. \"Hoh!\nHoohhh! Ohhh! Right there, right there, right there!\" He ground his penis in\none spot inside Merrick. His fists gripped into his sheets as his cock spasmed\ninto Merrick's anus. \"AWWW! Ahhh! OHHH! Haahh!\"  Adam grunted and panted as he felt himself explode inside of\nMerrick. Merrick groaned as he felt the hot contents wash deep inside of him.  The human sighed and hissed as he tenderly pulled his dick\nout of Merrick's tight hole. He laid his sweaty body right next to Merrick,\nbefore giving Merrick a passionate kiss. The merman moaned as he felt Adam's\ntongue invade his mouth. Adam broke the kiss to gasp for air as he cuddled next\nto his lover. Merrick murred pleasantly as he rolled to the side, and\nrested right next to Adam, \"Oh Adam... I needed that... I love you... So much...\" Adam\ncracked a smile as he kissed Merrick's forehead. \"That... Yeah, that was awesome...\" Adam said. He smiled as he\nrolled on his side, as Merrick snuggled up to him. Adam pulled off the blanket,\nfeeling VERY hot after just fucking him under the covers, \"I'm always right\nhere for you, sweetheart...\" Adam muttered. Merrick nodded against Adam's burly\nchest. \"... I know... Babe...\" Merrick whispered back. Using cutesie names\nis going take getting used to.  ~~~  \"You sure you don't wanna come with me, Merrick?\" Adam asked\nas he and Merrick walked on the gravel. \"I'm sure... I still need some time, Adam...\" Merrick said. \"Ok. Jamal should be home all day, so he can keep you company.\nRemember,\" Adam said as he pointed his finger at Merrick, \"No hanky-panky while\nI'm gone, ok?\" Merrick laughed as his man bent over and picked up his helmet. \"Yes, Adam, I got it. Be glad there isn't a red moon\npresent, or I'd be all over him all day. Can't help it~\" Merrick said with a\nsmirk. \"THAT is an exception,\" Adam said. He put his hand onto\nMerrick's cheek, and kissed his lips. Merrick kissed him back, a little more\naffectionately, and nuzzled his man before he put his helmet on, and rumbled\nout of the gravel. Merrick walked back into the house, where Yuri is sitting at\nthe table with her laptop, \"Hey, Merrick, do you have a minute?\" She asked.\nMerrick shrugged as he walked over towards her. \"Sure. I have a lot of minutes if you need them.\" He\nreplied. She chuckled as she pulled up a chair next to her - now that she knows\nhe's a merman, his nudity became strangely acceptable. Just then, a fully dressed, Italian guy with a duffle came\nin, and looked with a grin at Merrick, \"Wow, it's ALWAYS rockin here!\" He\nchuckled as he went to the door, \"Tell Jamal I had a great time!\" With that,\nthe man left, leaving an awkward pause between Yuri and Merrick. \"Um... Sure,\" Merrick said as sat down next to Yuri, \"What's\nup?\" \"Well, you know how merfolk are a myth to humans, right?\"\nYuri asked. Merrick nodded to her. \"Yes. Adam has told me on occasion.\" \"Well, NOW I'm curious as to what's real and what's not;\nhumans have come up with a lot of superstition over the years.\" She said.\nMerrick chuckled, as she typed into the Google Searchbar. \"I am not an expert, Yuri, but I'll answer the best I know.\" \"Sweet... O-K! How about... How about THIS thing?\" She asked as\nshe brought up a picture of the Sanbi - The three tailed turtle from Naruto;\nobviously fictional, but just to make sure. Merrick blinked and chuckled. \"That looks like a mighty beast, but it doesn't look like\nanything I've ever seen. Something like that would need to live very, VERY\ndeep.\" \"I thought so. It's called the Sanbi, and it's from a TV show,\nit's not real. Now what about... This?\" She pulled up a search of the Lochness\nMonster, \"Is THIS real?\" \"Heheh, you know, Adam asked me about that particular animal\nthe last time I was here. I don't know what humans call them, but we call them\nNiseags. They exist, but they're vicious. We try to avoid them if we can -\nAccept the ones that live in or near the waters of Scotland, those are\nexceedingly docile.\" \"Ah cool. Now what about... Ok, something else, not well\nknown... What about the Shen? It's a giant clam that makes illusions?\" \"I'm not sure about making illusions, but I have seen clams\nand scallops as big as THIS house before.\" \"Ok. And the hippocampus? Half-horse, half-fish?\" She said\nas she pulled up pictured from Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Sea of\nMonsters. \"Oh!\" Merrick said, \"That's it! That's a hippocampus!\"\nMerrick said, \"How did you get one to pose for pictures?!\" \"Haha, we didn't,\" Yuri said, surprised, \"This one was\nillustrated with computers, but you're saying they really look like that?\"  \"Yes! That's EXACTLY what they look like! They live in red\nkelp forests deep in the ocean. They're very easy to tame if you know how to\ntalk to them. \"Wow... Ok, so how about THIS one?\" Yuri asked, \"This one is\nsupposedly Japanese mythology,\" She typed up the grotesque, turtle-like\ncreature, \"It's called the Kappa. Not sure if you'd know it - it lives in\nrivers.\" \"... Yeah, I've seen one. Well, only two of them, once in MY\nlife. According to the Razirah, they used to be merfolk.\" \"Wait, USED to be? How did they 'use to be' merfolk?\" \"They mutated from a black sun.\" \"Black sun? You mean a Solar Eclipse?\" \"Sure, whatever humans call it. They used to be Holsien\nmerfolk, and when they mutated, they lose the consciousness of the sea, and\nbecome something differently foreign.\" \"And what does that have to do with a Solar Eclipse?\" \"When a black sun comes into the sky, merfolk deform and\ntwist into something else - ONLY when they're on land though. It's very\nunpredictable as to what the mutation will yield. Lets say that I was to be\noutside, while a black sun is happening. Even in human form, I'd become...\"\nMerrick sighed and shook his head, \"I don't know. Anything would happen.\" \"... That COULD be the reason for any other creatures. Like\nSirens - are they fish-like, or bird-like?\" \"Ugh, Sirens,\" Merrick grumbled bitterly, \"Beautiful\nsinging, but more bloodthirsty than anything else I know.\" \"Yeah, Adam mentioned those yesterday. He said they're both\ncannibals, AND maneaters?\" \"Yes. Their gluttony knows no bounds...\" \"There's been speculation that Sirens are bird-like?\" \"I THINK I've seen one before, but I'm not sure. It's\npossible for a Piscien to turn into an Amnien during a black sun. Terrible\ncreatures are born when the human god sleeps.\" \"... The human god?\" Yuri asked. \"We know Him as the Land Father Mithras.\"  \"Ok, now what about the Leviathan?\" Yuri asked as she\nGoogled it too. The site pulled up a handful of images pertaining to watery,\ndragon-like sea creatures. Merrick blinked, and shook his head. \"No. None of these look like Guardian Leviathan.\" \"Wait, Guardian? How do you mean?\" \"There are 3 Guardians of the merfolk that come and serve to\nprotect us when a Triton calls for them.\" \"Adam said there are 3 kinds of merfolk: Piscien, Amnien,\nand Holsien, right? Fish, mammals, and mollusks?\" \"Yes. Leviathan is the Guardian that protects the Piscien\nmerfolk.\" \"Interesting... Here,\" Yuri got up, and went to her room. She\ncame back with a few pieces of paper, and a black marker, \"This is called a\nmarker,\" She explained, taking off the cap, and writing in a few kanji\ncharacters on one sheet. Merrick observed with intrigue. She moved a paper to\nMerrick, and handed him the marker, \"Think you can draw it out for me? I'd like\nto see what it looks like.\"  \"Ok...\" Merrick put the marker to paper, just like Yuri did.\nHe then drew in an elongated, fish-like image with fangs and large, sail-like\ndorsal fins, \"This is a... Rough idea of what Guardian Leviathan looks like...\"\nMerrick then drew in a dolphin-like torso and head, with four extended, frilly\nfins instead of pectoral and tailfins, before drawing in a whirlpool image that\ncurved and lead to its bottle-nose. \"This is what the Amnien Guardian Charybdis\nmay look. And...\" Merrick then drew a squid-like image with many tentacles, a\nlarge, curved, black fang on the front and backside of it, with arrow-shaped\nflippers on either side of its head, \"And this should be the Holsien Guardian\nKraken.\" \"And merpeople worship these Guardians?\" Yuri asked. \"No,\" Merrick said, \"We revere and rely on the Guardians to\nprotect us. We worship the Sea Mother Atargatis.\" \"Ooh, tell me about Her.\" Yuri said, intrigued. \"The Sea Mother is the goddess of all merfolk and all other\ncreatures of the ocean,\" Merrick said, \"She gives us life, love, our souls,\neverything about us, She gives and watches over us.\" \"So, is She Piscien, Amnien, or Holsien?\" Yuri asked. \"She is none of them. Or rather, She is all three,\" Merrick\nsaid, \"Here, lemme...\" Merrick took another paper, and started to draw, \"Instead\nof fins or hair, water flows from her head, that eventually becomes part of the\nsea... She is draped in the winds that blow and fly around the sea... Her tail is\nof pure moon light...\" Merrick said as he smiled peacefully as he drew the best\nhe can of the goddess he reveres, \"She is what makes merfolk for what we are...\" \"... And what about Mithras?\" Yuri asked. Merrick put aside\nthe drawing of Atargatis, and took another clean sheet of paper. \"The Land Father Mithras... Is said to have a head of trees...\nDraped with the leaves of plants... And a mantle of pure sunshine...\" After the\nillustration, Merrick paused, and looked to his Japanese friend. \"... Yuri? I want to ask something...\" Merrick said. \"Oh? Go ahead-\" Yuri started, but was interrupted by her\ncellphone. \"Shoot, I'm running late! Sorry, Merrick, I have to go.\" \"G-Go where?\" Merrick asked. \"To the hospital. I'm still studying to be a doctor.\" She\nsaid as put on her white leather jacket, \"I'm not gonna be back till tonight,\njust so you know.\" \"O-Ok...\" Merrick said. \"See you later!\" Yuri took off quickly. Merrick sighed as he\nclosed Yuri's laptop, and looked over the drawings he drew. He then heard a\ngroan from the hallway looked up and smiled. Jamal came into the living room,\nstretching as he walked. Merrick blushed harshly and giggled as he saw the\nmuscular, black man come in, wearing absolutely nothing on his dark chocolate\nbody.  \"Ggghhh... Hey, Blonde,\" Jamal said, \"... Did you see a hot guy\ncome by here?\" \"Yes, he left a while ago. He said to tell you he had a\ngreat time.\" Merrick told him as he got up from the kitchen table. \"Ah, ok. Glad to hear it, cause I think it coulda gone\nbetter.\" He said as he rubbed his eyes. He chuckled as he looked at Merrick,\n\"Gotta say, it's real nice to be hang out nekkid wit somebody that don't freak\nout.\" \"Why would I freak out?\" Merrick asked, \"You're... Hot? If\nthat's what humans say. You're sexy anyhow!\" Jamal chuckled at that. \"Thanks, kid,\" Jamal said as he flopped down onto the couch.\nMerrick sat right next to him.\n\"Jamal... Can I ask a question?\" \"Sure, Blonde. Go ahead.\" \"... What are humans' approach towards... Homosexuals? I think\nthat's what we're called - that I'm attracted to males?\" \"Yeah, Homosexuals, that's what they called. They also\ncalled 'gay'.\" \"Mhm. See, I ask because...\" Merrick hesitated, and talked\nsteadily, \"I was wondering... Do humans get banished for mating with the same\ngender?\" Jamal took a deep breath, and sighed, \"Yeah. Alla time...\" He\nsaid lowly, \"It's a lot better to how it used to be, but yeah, people still\nfreak out about guys screwin other guys.\"\n\"But... What about you? I've seen males and females alike come from your room.\nWhich one are you attracted to? I've been confused about that since I came\nhere.\" Merrick asked. Jamal chuckled. \"Yeah, see, I'm bisexual. Dat's someone who likes BOTH\ngenders - men AND women,\" He explained. \"... Did Adam get banished for being gay?\" \"Naw, he just wanted to move out of his folks place. Same\nwith Yuri.\" \"So... Humans don't live in pods? With each other?\" Merrick\nasked. \"Some do, others don't,\" Jamal said, \"It depends.\" \"Alright... I have one more question...\"  \"Sure, shoot.\"  \"Why won't Yuri let you have a... Dog? I just, I don't\nunderstand it.\" \"Psssh. You n me both, kid. We got plenny of space, only got\none other animal. She just a cat person, she afraid a dog's gonna kill Roxas.\" \"Why's that?\"\n\"Dogs and cats tend to get aggressive wit each otha. Plus, she thinks a dog\nwould be too big fo round here.\" Merrick paused for a moment, before speaking again, \"I'm not\nsure what humans are used to, but if space is an issue, I do know of one\ncreature you may be interested in...\"  ~~~  \"What are we lookin fo, exactly?\" Jamal asked as he walked\nalong the forest path. He's carrying an empty plastic bucket with a small iron\nshovel, and wearing only a pair of shoes and some jersey shorts, while Merrick\nis only wearing sandals and satin boxers.  \"You'll see,\" Merrick said as he lead Jamal to Aquata Cove,\n\"We need to go behind it. Behind the waterfall,\" He said as he led Jamal up the\nhill to a river that eventually went to the waterfall. The merman went to a\npatch of soil, and knelt down. He put his ear to the dirt, and paused for a\nmoment. Jamal just watched as the merman sounded a strange call to the soil. \"... I think there's one here... Lets soak the dirt.\" \"Aight then...\" Jamal then took out the shovel, and gave it to\nMerrick. He went to the calm river, and dipped the bucket into it. He lifted up\nthe heavy, filled bucket over to the patch of dirt Merrick appointed, and poured\nthe water onto it. The water splashed down onto the soil, soaking into the dirt\nlike a sponge. \"It needs more. More water,\" Merrick said. \"Aight. Just tell me when,\" Jamal said. The strong, black male went back and forth to the river,\nscooping up water, and dumping it all over the patch. Just after he poured the\n5th bucket of water, Merrick stuck the shovel into the earth, and\ndug into the patch. He had only dug a foot into the soil, when he smiled from a\njittery growl.  Jamal raised his eyebrows as he got on his knees, and saw an\notter-like canine creature. Half covered in mud, there is dog-like animal with\nfloppy ears, twitchy snout. Merrick dipped his hand into the remaining water in\nthe pail, holding a good amount of it thanks to his webbed hands, and sprinkled\nit onto the small, furry creature. \"Yo, wha's dat??\" \"It's a Lavellen. They usually sleep when the soil is dry,\nbut they become active when it's wet in their area,\" Merrick explained as the\nsmall, otter-like dog shook its body, and groomed itself with the water\ndripping down on it, \"This one's a female. As long as it's fed and kept in a\nmoist environment, it should be docile and easy to care.\" \"Heh,\" Jamal reached in, and pet the canine's matted fur -\nits body seems to be resistant to the dirt and water. It licked his palm, and\nnuzzled his hand as it murred, \"It ain't a golden retriever, but it's a good\nstart,\" Jamal then filled the bucket with dirt and water, and led the Lavellen\ninto the pail, \"Think I'll call her Lavi, fo short.\"\nMerrick and Jamal got up, and walked away from the spot, with Lavi digging and\ntucking into the muddy bucket, and curling up into the dirt, \"I'll dig her a\nlil pond, and a small lil shower so she thinks its rainin.\" \"Yeah, I know how humans can make their own rain!\" Merrick\nsaid as they walked.   --- The Next Day ---  Adam walked over to the cliff, where Merrick is enjoying one\nof Yuri's Sea Salt bars. He smiled as he squat down, and kissed Merrick's\ncheek. The merman smiled as he turned his head, and kissed Adam back.\n\"You doing ok, babe?\" He asked. \"Yeah... A little better now,\" Merrick replied, \"You going to\nwork?\" \"Naw, I'm off today. Was just thinking we can take a walk\ntogether.\"  \"... No, it's ok, Adam... I kinda need to be alone right now...\"\nMerrick said. It's hard to even look at him, while still holding his secret. \"Aw. Ok, sweetie...\" Adam said as he got up. \"Adam?\" Merrick stood up, and faced his lover. \"Yeah, hun?\" \"There's...\" Merrick said as he looked up at Adam, \"There's\nsomething I have to tell you... But... I don't think I'm ready...\" Merrick said,\nrather hesitantly, \"I should tell you, but I'm... Reluctant... I don't...\" \"What, did you and Jamal have sex while I was at work?\" Adam\njested with a grin. \"N-No! Nothing like that! I just...\" Merrick said as his eyes\nwatered, \"I can't... Put it in a way-\" \"Sweetie,\" Adam said as he gently stroked Merrick's cheek,\n\"Whatever it is, take your time. You tell me when you're ready. I'm always\nright here for you.\" Adam said. Merrick's eyes glistened as he looked at Adam. \"That much, I know already.\" Merrick said. \"Hey,\" Adam said, \"I love you.\" Merrick smiled as he kissed\nAdam. \"I love you too.\" Merrick replied, before sitting back down\nonto the cliff, and nibbling on his Sea Salt.  ~~~  Adam sighed as he walked along the beach. It's still early;\nmaybe Merrick will feel like walking later.  He must still me mourning for his pod. Not ALL of them were\nkilled, but most of them didn't make it, including his best friend. He can't\nhelp but wonder though, if his pod WAS massacred, shouldn't he be helping the\nremaining merfolk send the dead off? Then again, Adam doesn't know anything\nabout how merfolk deal with their funerals or when one of them dies. 'And I wonder what he wants to tell me?' Adam pondered. Suddenly, Adam felt his left foot stuck, \"Ohff! Ah!\" He\nstaggered for a moment before looking down, \"What the hell?!\" Coming from the shore, is seawater, flowing and coiling\naround his leg. Like a serpent, that water engulfed his foot, and flow higher\nonto him. He gasped as he felt his leg get pulled roughly as soon as it covered\nhis limb, and making its way onto his stomach, \"Ah! What the-\" Adam grunted and\nstruggled as more sentient water rose up from the rising tide, and elevated to\ngrab his hands. \"Fuck, no!\" His feet dragged on sand as he was pulled\ntowards the sea. He looked to see Merrick still on the cliff, licking his ice\ncream. The human tried desperately to break free of the water as it wrapped\nitself around his chest. \"MERRI-MMM!\" The water slipped over his mouth, muffling his\nvoice as his body had been pulled into the water up to his waist. He tried in\nvain to move away, but it's no use. Soon, the water level of the beach reached\nhis neck, and the sentient water next pulled his head down below the surface.","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/709206-aquata-cove-chapter-25.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/714910-aquata-cove-chapter-27.json"}