Seduction of the Sea
Written by and
Commissioned by fishboynw
A young and impressionable man has arrived at the world famed Aislin Oceanographic institute where a premiere scientist of the age has revolutionized the way we think of the sea, but if the miles long campus is any indication, he's just getting started.
Seduction of the Sea Written by Leo_Todrius and Trickster_D Commissioned by Fishboynw
Of all the places on Earth, of all the beautiful sights and vistas that man could visit, there were few that came even close to the Aislin Oceanographic institute and aquarium. For five years it had been the largest aquarium in the world with features spanning almost five miles of coastline, but the refracting room was the most beautiful. A beautiful blue cement walkway stretched out to sea, the hip high guard walls artfully detailed with native American depictions of fish and whales. At the far side the walkway opened up into a circle inside a glass walled gazebo, but in the center was the true jewel.
In a design almost mimicking a lighthouse, a column of seawater rose up in the center of the cement ring to the roof of the gazebo. The sky was on fire with shades of orange and pink and hints of purple. Those steep afternoon rays of light caught the column of water and illuminated it, showing off every microscopic jellyfish, every starfish, every tiny creature of the sea that wanted to swim up and circle around before returning to the unfathomable depths of the sea beyond. It was a true place of beauty, of contemplation, of inspiration and peace.
A pair of big feet wearing simple yet elegant black loafers was walking around the huge transparent cylinder. Their owner was staring at a big school of microscopic silver fish swimming inside the column, creating countless shapes in the clear water. His forehead was furrowed as his teeth munched on a black pen cap, a gesture that betrayed nervousness.
The man standing alone in the refracting room was young, tall, broad-shouldered and felt incredibly out of place; the white lab coat that he was wearing was ill-fitting, and his square-jawed, passably handsome face clashed quite a lot with the black rimmed, thick glasses he had to wear. He looked like a jock trying to pass off as a nerd and failing miserably... But the truth was that, despite his impressive physique and manly face, Eric was a geek at heart. How else could the fact that he had majored in marine biology have been explained?
Eric's dark green eyes followed the slow, pulsating movements of a white-spotted jellyfish (Phyllorhiza punctuata, his brain immediately whispered inside his head; with a small dose of embarrassment, Eric realized he knew the scientific name of at least two thirds of the creatures swimming inside the giant tube) as his fingers rubbed the dark stubble on his cheeks and chin. "I..." he started, his voice deep but slightly nasal and metallic. "P-professor, I... I wanted to s-speak with you a-about..." he went on, stuttering along the way; since no one else was around, it was clear Eric was trying to rehearse a speech of some kind, but with no real progresses: his voice became weaker and weaker as he went on, before turning into a choked squeak. The big young man coughed a couple of times before sighing. "I can't do it... I just can't..." he murmured, lowering his eyes. A tiny brown seahorse (Hyppocampus kuda, his mind suggested) looked back at him for a couple of seconds, before floating away with nonchalance.
After a minute of silent contemplation of the marine life inside the column of seawater, however, Eric shook his head, trying to muster up some courage. "No, I have to do it," he told himself. "That's the reason why I applied for a job here in the first place, right? Because he works here." Eric's eyes drifted down to the subtle bronze plaque resting at the base of the viewing column. It was one of many situated around the establishment, erected by Aislin's founder and chief researcher Dae Phisher. He was a legend worldwide, making great strides in many different scientific fields. He had been courted by countless universities and research labs, but he had never left Aislin once it had been established. Still, one wasn't hard pressed to see why just looking at the extensive campus.
"Okay," Eric told a small school of fries. "It's now or never..." He knew professor Phisher's lesson was going to end in minutes, but he still didn't feel ready to talk to him... Except he had to be ready, before it was too late. Eric gulped sonorously, his teeth still munching on the pen cap; the big guy turned around, and started marching out the refracting room, his feet stomping on the floor as he walked. "I can do it, I can do it..." he murmured under his breath as he disappeared from view. The marine fauna, unconcerned by the human's worries, kept swimming up and down the enormous glass cylinder.
****
Classroom C was as much a work of art as the rest of the Aislin institute, so much so that it was almost a distraction from the lecture being conducted. The amphitheater like rows of built in desks and chairs were forged from a rich warm colored wood, offset by polished beach wood tiles and stairs rising up the rows. One wall was almost entirely rectangle glass panes showing the beach beyond, but the other side was almost more interesting. Driftwood, wave polished stone and fused pieces of sand had been adhered to the window and a constant flow of water came falling down, swishing and splitting across the various elements to create a waterfall fountain that was mesmerizing. It brought a tranquil zen to the room that took some adjusting to. As beautiful as it was though, most students were hanging on every word of their instructor; Dae Phisher.
Doctor Phisher did not have a conventional look. He was in his early to mid thirties, though it was hard to pinpoint thanks to his Korean heritage. His black hair was worked into long, thick dreadlocks that cascaded down across the shoulders of his white lab coat. Even his ears were pierced with small seashell pieces. His almond and honey colored eyes moved from student to student as he spoke, sharing his passions and wisdoms, his insights and his creativity.
The lesson had been on aquaculture, discussing the merits and detractions of farming food for human consumption in the sea. They had moved from manmade chemicals leaking into the waterways and causing algae blooms in numbers never before recorded, and they had talked about the delicate balance of the oceanic food chain. What the students felt, though, was that a world had been opened up to them and painted in intricate detail, showing every nook and cranny of the sea. It certainly wasn't true, especially not in an hour and a half lecture, but it was a start.
"For next week's class," Dae began. There was a barely audible gasp as the students realized that their lecture was coming to a close before many were ready. Dae smiled more, "I'd like everyone to profile a specific species that is both important to our local ecology, and to you individually. We will spend our lab time sharing and see how many interconnections we can make. Class dismissed." Dae concluded, turning off his tablet and tucking it neatly under his arm. The classroom erupted into clamoring noise as everyone compared notes about everything that had been discussed.
As the crowd of students swarmed outside, a lone man, like a salmon trying to climb a waterfall, tried to enter the classroom: his large manly face looked pale and flustered, and he still had a maimed black pen cap sticking from his mouth. "S-sorry... Sorry..." he kept murmuring as his wide-shouldered body inadvertently pushed a couple of chatting girls out of the way. When he finally reached for the classroom door - but only after he had collected at least a dozen annoyed looks from the various students - he stopped right there, breathing loudly and trying to calm himself down. Across the room Doctor Phisher seemed unaware of the new arrival, moving to collect papers and documents that had been distributed. As he turned though, that familiar smile crossed his lips. His honey eyes took Eric's appearance in for a moment.
"Hello. You must be our new appointee. Eric, correct?" Dae asked, still sizing him up. Eric raised his head in a sudden, surprised gesture, and looked around frantically as if he wasn't sure that professor Phisher was talking to him, despite the fact that the other man had used his name. When he realized they were the only ones left in the room, he gulped once again and spit the pen cap in his big hand before hiding the closed fist behind his back. "Y-yeah!" he replied, his voice perfectly betraying his nervousness. "I hope I'm not b-bothering you, professor..."
"Not at all, you have perfect timing. How are you settling in so far? Have you seen the campus?" Dae asked, returning the collected documents into his briefcase. Eric nodded in an enthusiastic way, his green eyes sparkling.
"Oh, man, everything is so AWESOME!" he exclaimed. "It's even more fantastic than what I could imagine when I was in college! I mean, we have the biggest shark tank in the whole United States! How cool is that? A-and the refracting room? Wow, just... wow." The moment Eric realized he had just gushed over the Aislin institute the same way a teenage skater would have done about a new board, he clumsily cleared his throat and lowered his eyes. "I-I mean... Yes, professor. Sorry about that." Dae had a small, reserved laugh but a genuine smile.
"It is alright to be passionate about things, otherwise this world will never change and grow. I have to drop these papers off at my office, but perhaps you would like to walk with me, see some of my favorite parts of the facility?" Dae asked. Eric's eyes went wide behind his glasses.
"I-I... I don't know w-what to say..." he murmured. "I m-mean, yes! Yes, I'd love that!" A big smile appeared on his face. "S-sorry I'm a bit nervous, professor... Truth is, I'm kind of a fanboy of you and your work..." The big man confessed while munching on the thick nail of his left thumb. Dae's smile grew imperceptibly larger as he gestured for Eric to follow.
"I can tell from your passion that you have an interest in the subject material. Then again you wouldn't be here otherwise... but what drew you into this field? What drew you to my work?" Dae asked curiously as they left the classroom behind.
"Um..." Eric scratched his ear. "Well, I grew up near the ocean, learned how to swim when I was four... I've always been fascinated by sea and marine life. Once I spent a whole weekend on the beach looking at a dolphin pod swimming in the bay through my father's binoculars... And I was like seven at the time." The young man snickered, as if the story was somehow embarrassing to him.
"That sounds like the most marvelous memory. You are a very lucky man." Dae said happily, continuing on down the hallway.
"Oh, um... Thanks!" Eric exclaimed, another smile appearing on his face. "So, well, I knew I was destined to work by the sea, and that's why I ended up here... When I was studying at the university I attended a seminar about the Aislin Oceanographic institute and it was love at first sight, I think. It's like this place called me or something. I know it sounds a bit weird, but..." The big man shrugged.
"Sometimes a person's destiny can unfold in strange and mysterious ways... But if your soul was called here, I intend to help you find out why." Dae said with his ever present smile.
Eric stopped dead on his tracks and stared at Dae with his eyes open wide. "H-how do you know that, professor Phisher? I still haven't asked you about, you know..."
"About... what?" Dae asked, coming to a stop, looking into Eric's eyes. Eric gulped yet another time and lowered his eyes.
"W-well... You know, p-professor, I k-know you don't have an assistant r-right now, so... B-but, I mean, it's not like I believe I'm q-qualified for the position already, b-but I was wondering what can I do f-for, you know, g-getting ready to apply or..." the tall man mumbled, his cheeks getting redder and redder as he spoke.
"It is rather uncommon for the newest assignments to hop directly on to an assistant position, and even with that being the case my last three assistants quit because of the workload. Do you feel that you'd be up to the challenge at hand?" Dae asked curiously. After a brief moment, Eric nodded, and his face now looked serious and determined.
"I want to try and put myself on the line," he replied. "I know you can teach me a lot, professor Phisher. I know I was hired only three weeks ago, and I know I'll probably sound presumptuous, but... I know myself quite well, and I know you won't find someone that determined and tenacious as myself that easily." Eric bowed his head a bit. "I hope you'll take my request into consideration, professor."
"Meet me at the big tank tomorrow morning at five thirty... We'll see how things go from there. In the mean time, you should finish getting settled with your work space." Phisher responded with a smile.
"S-seriously?!" Eric exclaimed in an incredulous tone. "Wow! T-that's... That's amazing!" The big guy turned towards Dae and caught the smaller man in a bone-crushing hug he almost immediately regretted; Eric quickly took a couple of steps back and lowered his eyes again. "S-sorry. Have to be more professional."
"Might be best to start out that way, but if we work closely together I am no enemy of affection." Dae smirked, "I will see you tomorrow Eric." Dae said, bowing his head before he moved into his office. Left alone in the corridor, Eric took a couple of deep breaths, still not completely sure of what had just happened.
"I... I did it?" he asked himself. And, even though nobody answered back, a smile appeared on his face as he started strolling down the alleyway, humming a silly tune along the way.
The largest tank at the Aislin institute stretched the imagination of the word 'tank'. It had been a massive engineering effort to clear out such a large space inland but the bottom and sides of the expanse were natural rock below sea level, leaving only the access ways and equipment at shore level and then a massive lit dome stretching out across the top. It was an open ecosystem, though the number of predator species were partially limited. Wave generators hummed and thumped on the seaward side, sending pulses across the large space.
Doctor Phisher walked along one of the catwalks, dressed in a white and black wetsuit that looked almost like the body pattern of a koi fish. His eyes searched the grid of walkways up ahead of himself.
A series of small splashes came from the side of the reef that was closer to Dae, as a pair of big blue flippers emerged from a moment from the water surface. A big, large human figure - who, despite his size, was elegant and swift - was swimming alongside Crunch, the big sea turtle that was one of the mascots of Aislin institute. The large reptile didn't seem to mind the attention of the human playing around her, caressing her shell and head from time to time, barring some gentle slap with one of her flippers when the intruder came a bit too close. After a couple of minutes, the wetsuit-clad figure left the turtle alone and swam to one of the catwalks; a head partially covered by a scuba mask emerged from the crystalline water, the green eyes of Eric shining behind the lens.
"Good morning, professor!" the young man greeted Dae after having spit the colorful mouthpiece. Dae grinned wide.
"It seems you've already met some of the locals." Dae said with glee, climbing down to sit on the edge, sliding into the water up to his waist. He looked around and then back at Eric, "You do seem like a natural here. Do you like it?" The young man nodded enthusiastically.
"I love it! I mean, look!" His eyes darted around, first at the cliffs, then at the long, colossal glass windows interspersed with the wave generators that constituted the opposite side of the tank. "This is the perfect blending between nature and human work... It's a miracle, don't you think?" Eric nodded again. "I mean, it's our duty to protect all this, and it's great to be part of it."
"That is exactly how I feel Eric." Dae murmured, resting his hand on the researcher's shoulder, "Will you help me protect it? To be one with it? Will you be my assistant?" Dae asked softly, looking directly into his eyes. Eric gave him a big smile, even though his ear tips became scarlet from embarrassment.
"Y-yeah, of course!" he exclaimed. "Although... Are you sure? Do you think I'm up to the task?" His eyes followed Artie, one of the sea otters living in the tank, that was busy swimming on his back and trying to break a shell by using a small but heavy-looking rock. "Oh, man, that's adorable!" he murmured in a dreamy voice, before shaking his head to put himself together. "Um, sorry, professor..."
"I have more than belief, I have faith that you are in precisely the right place." Dae said reassuringly, continuing to drink in Eric's magnificent physical specimen.
"You think so?" Eric asked back. "Because... Yeah, I feel the same. I can't think of a better place than Aislin institute, really."
"Then I can only hope that Aislin can act as your home for many years to come." Dae smiled.
"I hope so too!" Eric looked around, his blue flippers waving lazily in the water. "So... What can I do for you? As your newly appointed assistant, I mean. We're here to work, right?"
"We're going to purge the filtration system, check on the healing progress of Aegus' flipper, and administer some medication to fight an infection Celia's facing. It's going to be a full day." Dae said, pulling his snorkel visor from his belt before sliding it on. Eric nodded, before putting his scuba mask back on his face.
"Roger that!" he exclaimed. He was working among marine life with one of the people he admired the most in the world... There was nothing that could ruin that moment.
There was a very quiet murmur running through "The Cove," Aislin's cafeteria for both the public and the staff. The kitchen was wrapping up the last of its cooking and preparing to close, though the servers still filled the stations representing the far reaches of the globe. Dae and Eric had filled their trays with their evening selections and were moving out to the ample seating. The far wall showed not only a beautiful view of the campus and the ocean beyond, but also the sun half sunk into the horizon itself. There was even a creek running down past the building before snaking its way across the campus toward the ocean beyond.
Dae made his way to his favorite table, sitting down and sighing with a bit of relief. They had filled the day with quite a few activities. They had swam in the big tank, they had toured the tide pools, he had given an afternoon lecture and they had visited the clinic to help more rescues. It had certainly been as busy as he had promised Eric.
The big guy sat in front of the professor, his full tray landing on the table with a dull sound. He looked a bit tired and he couldn't contain the occasional yawn, but the smile on his face and the sparkle in his eyes were still there. "Wow, today was awesome!" he exclaimed before stuffing his mouth with pasta. He gulped down quickly, almost choking himself. "I mean, it was intense, but I had soooo much fun!"
"It can be quite the workload... " Dae admitted, reaching into his pocket to pull out a small metal canister emblazoned with a design depicting crashing waves. He opened it up to reveal several pale blue pills inside before looking back at Eric, "I developed a vitamin regime to help me keep up. There's no sense in wearing one's self out accomplishing such world changing things if you can't be around to witness the fruits of your labors." Dae said. Eric nodded back at him, eyeing at the pills with curiosity.
"That's true," he nodded. "I hope there's nothing illegal in those, right, professor?" Not that he was thinking that Dae would have done such a thing, but he was indeed a bit worried: professor Phisher, despite his relatively young age, was a luminary in the field of marine biology, recognized and courted by half the universities on the planet... And, as they said, the brighter flames often burn the shorter.
"There are no banned substances in these supplements, I can assure you... But you're free to come up with your own regime if you wish." Dae said, starting to put the canister away.
"Wait," Eric blurted out, raising his hand. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be disrespectful, professor," he added in a serious tone. "And I honestly didn't understand you were offering those to me, too... I guess after you lost your previous assistants you are afraid I might defect too?" The young man shook his head: after all, that was of no concern of him, he was just Dae's assistant. "Anyway, if you think they may help me perform my duties better, I'll take them. I trust you completely." His big fingers opened, and he moved his open palm towards the professor.
"My apologies as well, I didn't mean to seem so overbearing." Dae said, handing Eric one of the pale blue pills with a soft smile.
"Nah, don't worry." The pill was round and unremarkable, even at the taste; as Eric gulped it down, he just noticed a mildly salty flavor. "You know, when I was a kid I was scared to death of medicines," he confessed to his colleague. "My mother had to hide them in my food if she wanted me to take them." Eric munched on his last mouthful of spaghetti with a pensive expression on his face. "You know, I was wondering... How did you decide to become a marine biologist, professor? I mean, I read a lot of the essays and books you've written but I honestly don't know that much about your life. I mean, if you're willing to share, of course," he added politely.
"I always had a natural affinity for the sea... I grew up in a coastal town and, I found it strange, that to all my friends and family they just saw the beach as this tourist destination... They didn't understand why anyone would ever be fascinated by the sea. To me, though, it was enchanting... seductive. It represented such raw nature, such power, such possibility. In school I started to quickly realize its untapped potential, and on a much larger scale mankind didn't see what I could see, why the sea was special. I devoted my life to trying to help others see the future I see." Dae replied. Eric nodded profusely as he started to eat his steak with roasted potatoes.
"Oh, yeah, I totally get what you mean! I guess everyone tends to be fascinated by those things that can help them express their own potential, right?" The young man took a brief pause. "Or people. You know, like I felt drawn to you... I know I can learn a lot of things from you, professor Phisher, and I'm so glad you accepted me as your assistant." The shyness and nervousness he had felt towards Dae had quickly evaporated during the course of the day like marine water in a saltworks; now he was feeling at ease, as if he was speaking with an old friend.
"Well, I do think we'll both bring out our best potential in each other..." Dae smiled, "Just wait for the things that are on our horizon." Dae nearly purred.
"I can't wait, literally!" Eric exclaimed. The vitamin pill must have started to have some effect, because his body felt decidedly less tired than before... Although the lavish dinner probably helped too. "Do you have something planned for tonight, too? I mean, will you work on something else?"
"I think tonight... I may only partake in a relaxing swim. After all our hard work, it's equally important to unwind when one can." Dae smiled softly.
"Sounds like a great way to spend a night!" Eric replied while eating an enormous slice of apple pie. "Care if I join you? Lately I haven't been swimming as much as I'm used to, and I don't want to lose my touch."
"Of course... My only question is if you want to head back to the big tank, or out to the ocean itself." Dae asked in his typical soft way. Eric cocked his head slightly towards the shoulder, and his tongue emerged from his lips to lick some cream from the corner of his mouth.
"Well... If I have to choose, I'd totally go with the ocean. Although, would it be safe to swim at night?" he asked the professor.
"Normally, no, but there are special spots along our campus where the ocean is more friendly to night time visitors." Dae assured Eric.
"Great!" Eric raised on his feet, the empty tray in his hands. "Can you text me about the spot you'll choose? Let's meet there in an hour or so."
"Sure, I'll fill you in on all the details." Dae purred, watching Eric finish his meal with a great deal of satisfaction.
The moon hung over the sea like a distant admirer surveying the world, casting out a soft warm glow along the beach. Aislin was perfectly situated to capitalize on a variety of water features from miniature deltas to inlets to basins and bays. Dae had selected a secluded spot near the northern end of campus where the ocean waters washed into a large bowl shaved inlet, but the sides were all coated with sand. Even if they were buffeted around, the most they could get was a mile abrasion.
Dae stood on the sand, wearing swim trunks with a fractal pattern that was very reminiscent of octopus tentacles. He looked out at the ocean waters with great concentration, as if he could see the sort of future he had trapped in his mind.
"Professor!" Eric's frantic voice reached the professor's ears. "Sorry, I'm late!" The big man was running towards him, and he truly was a show to behold: his large feet were lifting small waves of sand with every step, and a colorful towel was draped on his shoulders, bouncing slightly. The only things he was wearing were a pair of blue flip flops, a pair of swimming goggles and a bright red Speedo that didn't leave too much space to imagination and underlined his remarkable bulge. "T-that's the only swimsuit I managed to find," he confessed, blushing a bit. "Sorry, I hope it doesn't weird you out."
"No, not at all. I think it's quite... fitting for a man of your stature." Dae smiled, taking in Eric's form. The assistant grinned and struck a pose, albeit a bit awkwardly.
"Hehe," he chuckled. "Glad you appreciate, professor! And you're quite in good shape too, anyway! Do you come here often?" The young man looked around, clearly appreciating the secluded beach. "Looks like a really nice place."
"It is, I've tried to keep this spot protected and private... A selfish indulgence of mine, but I don't mind sharing it with you." he smiled softly. Eric blushed again, clearly appreciating the privilege accorded to him by his mentor.
"So... Should we hit the waves? I can almost feel the ocean calling!" he exclaimed, and it was true: his skin longed for the cool touch of the salty water, his muscles were subtly aching and burning, wanting to propel Eric's body through the waves like a human missile.
"It is calling us Eric... Let's give in to the call." Dae said, watching his very fit assistant with almost a predatory grin.
"Yeah!" Eric tossed aside his towel and flip flops and broke into a run towards the dark ocean, diving into the waves with no fear or hesitation. After some seconds, his head once again emerged from the water, his lips parting in a sigh of relief. "Man, it feels great! I was afraid it would have been too cold, but the temperature is perfect!"
"They say the ocean is a game for the young... Vital circulation and all that." Dae said, wading out into the surf, feeling it wash over his skin. He closed his eyes and basked in it, but soon his curiosity drew him back to the sight of Eric and the water playing across his skin, swirling around his legs.
After so many times in the ocean before, though, the water felt different around Eric's legs. It was almost silkier. He couldn't feel the sandy grit in the water, but instead a sinewy flow along his flesh that was most mesmerizing.
"Well, feel free to hold on to me should you feel tired, professor!" Eric joked while he swam around Dae as if he was a shark. He had never felt lighter and more at ease in the water; even though he couldn't see that much, he instinctively knew how to move around without hitting anything.
"I just may take you up on that..." Dae said with a mild grin. He couldn't make much out about Eric at the moment either, but he didn't need to. He knew precisely what was happening.
It was a calm, tranquil, almost uneventful morning at the Aislin oceanographic institute; the only highlight of the day up until that moment had been the cleaning of the penguin aquarium, an inconvenience that the flightless birds had taken like usual: a lot of upset squeaking and the occasional peeved peck while the majority swam in frustrated circles around the artificial island.
Eric, who as always was ready to help, had just stripped his wetsuit and donned back his clothes and white coat, and was walking down the aquarium wing that hosted the marine mammals, sipping every few seconds from a jumbo-sized cup of orange juice he had bought from the aquarium lounge bar.
"Damn, I'm still so thirsty..." the young man complained, eyeing at the colorful cup with suspicious eyes. Despite that, however, Eric had never looked better in his life: his big body fit his clothes even better than before, and his green eyes sparkled behind his glasses, so much so that they looked almost blue, like the deepest part of the ocean just before the horizon. A small silver earring shaped like a seashell glistened in his left earlobe, the very first gift he had received from Dae; as his large fingers brushed against the smooth surface, Eric's cheeks flushed a bit, and a vague smile appeared on his lips.
"Oh, gotta hurry!" he suddenly realized, shaking his head to clear his thoughts; professor Phisher was probably going to end his last morning lessons in a couple of minutes. Eric emptied the cup with some long, powerful gulps, tossed it in the nearest garbage bin and hurried towards the classroom.
"Water, water everywhere, as they say." Dae smirked as he moved up the hallway. The last few months had gone quite quickly for him, but that was mostly thanks to Eric. Their working relationship had been honed and evolved each day toward a more cohesive and flawless system. While the institute employed an expansive workforce, doctor Phisher still liked to have his hand in the variety of duties and Eric had made that all much easier... but it wasn't just their work relationship that had evolved.
"Dae!" Eric exclaimed as he rushed towards his mentor and briefly hugged him. "Awww, I hoped I could surprise you outside the classroom..." he added in a dejected tone. Dae leaned in to Eric, coming chest to chest. The two were physiologically remarkable, one the symbol of sinewy grace and efficiency, the other of mighty brawn and power. Dae leaned up to kiss Eric, plying his lips against his boyfriend's; Eric closed his eyes, and a surprised and pleased sigh escaped from his mouth as his tongue played with Dae's. "Someone here's happy to see me, I guess," Eric said in a tender tone as he grinned after the kiss was over.
"Well, it's hard to resist such a fine specimen. You know how I like science." Dae smirked, moving to nuzzle Eric's neck. The bigger man chuckled.
"So now it's called 'science', professor?" Eric murmured in quite the lewd tone in his boyfriend's ear. He had certainly gotten much bolder since the two of them had become an item.
"Well, I like to experiment in many different locations, even the bedroom." Dae chuckled happily.
"Speaking of experiments... What do we have planned for today?" Eric asked in a curious tone. Each and every day at the Aislin aquarium was deeply different from the others, which was awesome, but could also be a bit disconcerting at times.
"Actually... I was thinking we could take the afternoon off. The clinic is having record low attendance, the big tank's getting a professional cleaning.... We could finally experience some downtime, just the two of us." Dae offered with a slow and measured tone. Eric's mouth opened a bit in disbelief: Dae Phisher, workaholic extraordinaire, taking a whole afternoon off?
"What have you done to my boyfriend?" he asked, half-joking. "Not that I would mind spending some time together, of course..." Dae chuckled at that.
"Well, we've been working so hard together... I thought we could play a bit, and then round things out with a romantic candle lit dinner, unless you'd prefer a sunset picnic on the beach." Dae said happily.
"Sure!" Eric exclaimed with a big smile. "Whatever you want to do, I'm okay with it. You know I trust you completely, right?"
"Oh I know... You being here makes my life complete." Dae whispered, reaching to caress Eric's cheek.
In the middle of the night, just after the end of a confusing and yet extremely haunting nightmare in which he felt like he had been dumped into a pool of concrete slowly solidifying around him, Eric woke up suddenly, his eyes snapping open and his face contorting into a grimace. His stare immediately darted to his right, hoping to see the comforting form of Dae next to him, but the scientist had probably left Eric's room as the young man was sleeping; the disappointment, however, suddenly turned into fear as the sides of his neck pulsated and hurt, the skin burning deeper and deeper as if it was being sliced with hot knives.
"W-what..." Eric murmured, gritting his teeth. His hand scrambled towards his nightstand, trying to turn the small light on, but all he did was to knock it on the ground. "S-shit..." the pain was almost unbearable, clouding his vision with bright red sparks... And then, from one moment to the other, it was gone, leaving behind just a vague, undefinable sense of numbness. With a surprised groan, Eric raised his fingers to touch his neck and try to understand if there had been any tissue damage.
A moan of pleasure instinctively escaped his lips at the mere brushing of the skin on his neck; Eric's body writhed under the sheets as blood began to rush towards his dick, getting it rock hard in no time. "O-oh..." the man whispered as his member dribbled a respectable amount of pre. Despite the absurdity of the situation, he couldn't help but feeling surprised: he had had a passionate session of the best sex he had ever had with Dae just a couple of hours before, and yet he had never felt that horny. His left hand quickly joined its twin, finessing the tender flesh, finding the slightest slits that broke the surface of the skin. There were six in total, parallel to each other and slightly curved. Eric's fingertips clumsily slipped inside revealing soft, spongy tissue and eliciting another lewd noise from his lips as his finger slipped along the frictionless moisture.
For the next few minutes, Eric's body was controlled purely by lust: he began to fondle the slits with his fingers, burying them inside - but not too much, because the pleasure would turn into pain once again - and feeling his dick pulsating under the sheets, still leaking dense, sticky precum. There was even a sensual, wet, sloppy noise as his slits flared against his fingers... and oddly, he could smell the remnants of the picnic, particles remaining on his digits.
The attention to the new anatomy had made Eric's cock rock hard, but the slits themselves were refining as well. The flesh toughened up, becoming more feathery and the slick, oily fluids being secreted began to increase, coating his fingers. The slits were warm and squishy and very sensitive, but it was becoming clear to Eric what they were. After so many months of dealing with aquatic life, dealing with species from around the world, there was no denying. Eric had developed gills...
"I-I..." Eric murmured, but his body was still acting on autopilot despite the fact that his brain was finding the whole situation increasingly weirder and plain impossible: one of his hands stopped fingering the gills and slipped under the sheets, massaging his erect cock and coating its surface with the slick oil secreted by his new organs. The skin of the member trickled slightly, the same sensation of a bland electric current that made the hair on his body stand up into attention. Images of Dae massaging, kissing and licking his brand new gills started filling his mind, getting more intense and vivid with every passing second...
The pleasure was mounting, intense and powerful, making Eric writhe more and more. His entire body felt electric. His nipples were as hard as diamonds, his fingers were throbbing, his back was arching and his balls felt like they were being massaged by invisible hands, all leading to one inevitable conclusion. The wave of euphoria was nearly paralyzing, locking up Eric's brain and body moments before his manhood unleashed its entire arsenal.
Eric almost screamed as a small high-pressure torrent of seed erupted from his dick, staining the sheets and spreading all over his groin. Even in the middle of a thick cloud of dizziness, Eric realized that his cum felt oddly different... Much more liquid than the usual, and with a distinctive, pungent salty aroma. The young man let out a broken sigh of relief as his head turned on his side, his eyes watery; his muscled chest felt heavy, the kind of heaviness not even deep breaths could lift.
It could have been a perfect moment of afterglow, euphoria, like a drug of pure light coursing through his veins... but there, on the nightstand, in the dim fading moonlight he saw the glint of light on the vitamin container that Dae had given him so many months ago. It sat there, innocuous and unassuming, but harboring the great secret.
"Oh..." Eric murmured as a tiny seed of awareness buried into his brain and started to put down roots. "Oh, shit..." Those pills... He had taken them regularly for almost three months now, and he still didn't know what the hell they were made of. And if they were responsible of his change, then the person that had given those to him... "Dae!" he exclaimed, tossing the sheets on the side and desperately trying to find some clothes to put on around his room, his still half-hard dick leaving a trail of sticky cum. Eric's breathing became frantic and nervous: if the "vitamins" were what had changed his body and made his develop gills, Dae was in danger of experiencing the very same changes!
It had to be some crazy interaction between the vitamins and their work, some unintended overlap. Eric collected clothes from the heap by the closet, wasting no time trying to pick out anything perfect. He was in such a hurry that he nearly caught himself in the zipper but managed to avoid that unpleasant state. Still, the oily sheen on his body seemed to soak into his pants and make them moist as he headed for the door hastily. Dae had to be warned before he met the same fate, and if anyone knew how to figure things out, it had to be Dae.
The sun was barely starting to rise in the east, but for Aislin that meant a few extra minutes of darkness. The buildings highest on the hill caught the sunlight and cast shadow down across the lower levels. Only a few buildings like the glass walled classrooms managed to gain the benefit of both sunsets and sunrises. Dae sat at his desk in one of the classrooms, grading papers. It was an ungodly early hour, but Dae felt energized as always.
A series of frantic steps resonated down the corridor like thunderclaps, until a breathless, hastily dressed, worried looking Eric appeared on the threshold. "D-Dae..." he murmured between a pant and a heavy breath. "S-something... something's wrong..."
"Oh my god, Eric, what's wrong?" Dae asked, setting everything down as he stood up and moved over to his boyfriend, looking into his eyes as he held him closer. Eric lowered the collar of the grey hoodie he was wearing, revealing the set of parallel slits at the base of his neck.
"L-look... T-these are gills, aren't they?" he whispered, his eyes wide and scared. "H-how is this even possible? D-do you think it can be something in your vitamin pills?" His stare darted to a small empty container on Dae's desk, and he flinched.
"Oh Eric, they are amazing..." Dae whispered, reaching up. His fingers caressed the flesh around the slits, feeling a faint plastic texture and noticing the slightest of emerald green pigments mixed into the flesh around them... and then he felt how warm and soft they were deeper in. Eric shivered in sudden pleasure, but his hand pushed his boyfriend's fingers away.
"N-no, they are scary and strange, and..." His eyes narrowed as his face grew pale. "Why are you not weirded out in the least? You... you knew this was going to happen?" he muttered in disbelief.
"Well, there is a difference between knowing... and having a theory, but Eric, this is what we dreamed of. Being a part of something larger, being connected to the sea... I know this will make you happy, you just have to have faith in me." Dae whispered. Eric lowered his eyes and shook his head in confusion.
"I... What the hell are you talking about?!" he growled under his breath. "Being part of something larger? Am I a freaking experiment for you?!"
"No, you are my boyfriend and I gave you a gift... if you'd just see it for what it is." Dae replied, his eyes narrowing. Eric gritted his teeth in an almost predatory manner.
"Yeah, because giving me gills is what passes for a gift nowadays... For fuck's sake, Dae, are you even listening to what you're saying? I mean, this is so absurd and crazy and..." Eric gasped as he took a half step back and almost stumbled into a chair leg. "Oh my god, I have gills... Like, for real..." he murmured, as if the magnitude of the new change had only hit him in that very moment.
"So what, that's how you see me now? Some mad scientist? I thought you had vision Eric... I know you have potential. Let me help you find it." Dae said, walking toward Eric. The bigger man, however, took another couple of steps back, the expression on his face strained and dejected.
"No, you stay away from me," he blurted out. "God know what the hell you'll do to me if I trust you again..." His eyes filled with tears behind his glasses, his lips pursed. "Because I trusted you, okay? I... I don't know what's wrong and what's right anymore, now."
"Then take some time... Walk the campus, sort out your feelings..." Dae said softly.
"Yeah, I'll walk. I'll walk right away from you and this place," Eric replied in a dry tone, shaking his head. "Farewell, Dae." In his chest, his heart was squeezed by invisible claws, and his cheeks started getting wet with tears as he turned around and he walked outside the classroom.
"Eric, I said on campus... You don't get to leave until you've sorted this out!" Dae called after Eric as he left.
As Eric stormed down the corridor, tears trickling down his face and his lungs heavier than ever, he pulled his hood on to try and hide his new gills as much as he could; he certainly didn't want anyone to see them. "I have to get out of here..." he kept repeating like a mantra. Focusing on the words helped him not to think to Dae, to his personal hero who had just broken his heart into pieces. "I have to get out of here..." he said once again as he approached the big double doors that acted as the main entrance to the aquarium... and saw the security card reader on the side.
It was innocuous, the size of a human hand. It was crafted in neutral grey and silver tones with a green light and a red light as its only accessories. It was something so simple that over months of working at Aislin that Eric had stopped thinking about them. It had become an instinct, a muscle memory. Approaching any big door, any gate, any secure area required bringing one's key card close enough to the reader to unlock the barrier.
The campus that had felt so much like home seemed to stretch out around him in Eric's mind. There were so many barriers, so many obstacles. Even if he made it to the beach he had six miles in one direction and eight miles in the other to swim to get past the campus, but climbing the hill was like a minefield. Any barrier even with a key card would betray his location. Still, it was his best bet. If he could get through a few doors before Dae locked him out, he could steal someone else's card. Frantically, Eric emptied the pockets of his pants and hoodie, even though he already knew it was all in vain: his own key card was in his room, right where he had left it the night before, on his nightstand...
"Shit..." he grunted, his eyes darting around as if he was trying to find a solution to his problem, but there was only one thing he could do: go back to his room to get his card key. Would he make it in time before Dae could prepare his countermeasures? Since there was no other choice, Eric began to retrace his steps, running back to where he had just left in a hurry. His circumspection and attempts to be as stealthy as possible proved to be quite useless, since he didn't actually meet anyone on his way back to his room, neither Dae nor one of the guards.
A small cry of jubilation escaped from his lips as he saw that the shiny plastic rectangle was still on his nightstand; Eric literally jumped over his bed to reach for the key card, and in doing so he didn't even notice the figure emerging from behind the small bathroom's door... that is, until a sharp pain on the back of his head. A surprised grunt escaped from his lips as he managed to turn around a bit; all Eric got to see was the glimpse of Dae's triumphant face, before his eyes closed and he plunged into a darkness that was deeper than any dream.
The wave generators of AIslin's big aquarium did a great job at simulating the ocean's natural timing, but they still didn't sound quite like the ocean itself. the surges came in less of a constant maelstrom, almost making it peaceful. Eric's legs bobbed up and down in the water, the tide lapping around his chest. It was an almost serene way to wake up - if it wasn't for the pounding headache from the tranquilizer or the fact that his shoulders were bound.
Eric was shoulder deep in the big tank, bindings looped around his arms and shoulders to restrain him to the catwalk itself. Every so often fish would brush his bare legs as they swam by. The big guy looked around, panicked, trying to catch a glimpse of his kidnapper.
"D-Dae, where are you?!" he cried in frustration. "You freaking asshole!" The response Eric got was not one he expected. It came in the form of a shock of pain in the neck as a needle was inserted, then withdrawn. A moment later there was a splash and Dae surfaced in front of him, wearing little more than a speedo.
"I'm sorry it had to happen this way, that you couldn't embrace the gift I'm giving you... but maybe that will change soon." Dae said softly. Eric's breath started to get steadier and more nervous, his legs waving restlessly in the cool water; the pain in his neck intensified, as if his skin was going to burst into flame any second, and even his new gills began to pulsate and quiver, probably longing for some water to oxygenate them.
"W-what... What did you do to me?" he screamed, feeling more impotent than ever.
"I brought you to the brink of a new age..." Dae whispered, "Can you feel it? Creeping through your veins?" Eric replied with a grimace.
"I..." The pain in his neck started to spread around, like oil over the water, first down his spine and then to his limbs, forcing him to contort in order to try and find some sort of elusive relief. "Nnngh... It b-burns so much... H-have you poisoned me?"
"Not at all, your body has been prepared for this... It's going to love it." Dae grinned, reaching to take one of Eric's hands, holding it as the fingers got slippery, the flesh growing out slowly from the palm, knitting the fingers together with new glossy webs. Eric's very first impulse was to try and jerk his hand away from Dae's fingers, but the feeling was immediately replaced by a mixture of wonder and horror as he examined the blue and emerald green webbing between his fingers.
"T-this... This is impossible..." he murmured, even though the proof was right there, in front of his eyes... literally growing from his very skin. Dae watched in wonder, seeing so many years of work finally come to fruition. Both of Eric's hands were getting webbed, but that was so far from the end of it. The legs dangling in the water were getting shinier as the skin firmed up on the outer edges, taking on an emerald hue... but the skin on the inside edge was absorbing more water, getting softer and softer... and then it happened.
There was the strangest sensation coming from Eric's groin, nestled beneath his manhood but above his shaft. It felt almost like a new erection. Something firm and girthy, pressing out over his balls, coming down between his legs. It was tingly and numb at the same time, indistinct on its exact location but feeling very present as Eric hung there against the catwalk.
"Nnngh..." Eric moaned, his thrashing and convulsing getting even more intense, although this time it wasn't just because of the pain: what he was experiencing felt indeed like an erection, but at the same time it felt like his dick was going inside his body, retreating instead of emerging. "W-what the fuck is happening to me?!" he screamed, trying to slap Dae with his new webbed hands to no avail; his body was numb and unresponsive as if he was swimming into concrete, with the exception of the strange and unnatural pleasure coming from his groin area.
The tiny Speedo that Dae had placed him in started to move, slinking down and down and down. It revealed Eric's groin, then slowly came down over his half hard cock... but to Eric's shock, there was just more flesh beneath. His balls weren't visible, nor the seam between his legs - legs that felt incredibly stiff. As the Speedo descended, it felt almost as if he was being zipped together, the two sides becoming one whole... and where they joined, the flesh was quickly turning green, the scales spreading outward across his lower extremity.
Eric watched his lower body changing and transforming with his mouth agape, his eyes wide open: that couldn't be, he was clearly still deep inside his dream after Dae had assaulted him in his room... But he couldn't deny what he was feeling, the bizarre and strange but intense and pleasurable sensations that he was experiencing, too strong to be something just inside his mind. The pain, just like it had happened with his gills, had dumbed down to a generalized numbness, and only the warmth that radiated from his loins remained.
The Speedo was pushed down lower and lower until his legs tapered toward each other and the fabric drifted down, revealing the complete truth. The upper portion of Eric's legs had fused and grown together and the process was continuing. Spirals of green scales had grown over his hips and lap, and even his ass felt numb as the cheeks slowly fused together, leaving only a cloaca in their wake.
Eric murred, feeling his legs merging together, right down to their very core: he could feel his femurs pushing against the other, tingling as they fused. It wasn't painful, it felt more as if his bones had turned into clay. Even his muscles were throbbing as they shifted, stretching out over new anatomy. Dae carefully untied the binds on Eric's left side, freeing an entire arm. In a sudden whim, Eric plunged his fingertips into his gills, and a sudden wave of pure physical pleasure travelled through his body, clouding his brain and forcing his dick to spurt some inky, pearly pre into the water.
As the rich, virile fluids traveled out of his cock, the shaft started to stretch and elongate, growing shiny with the faintest of silvery sheen across the surface, contrasting his green mutating legs. Eric kept waving his fusing lower body in the water, attracting the attention of swarms of small silver fish, reveling in the sensation of his growing tail; his webbed fingers didn't stop fingering his gills, even though his gestures instinctively became gentler and more controlled as his nails started turning greener and pointier, growing inhumanely fast and honing into points, becoming short but very sharp claws.
Dae carefully released Eric's other arm, freeing him from the catwalk, forcing him to keep himself afloat as his legs continued to change. His knees felt like jelly, then went completely numb as the flesh squished together, the outside hardening and the inside dissolving until it was but one tube of flesh. His ankles got stringy and sticky next, fusing together. The changes were deeply rooted, quick paced and incredibly powerful.
With a soft sigh of disappointment, Eric stopped fingering his gills and focused on keeping afloat; one of his meaty, muscular arms snaked around Dae's shoulder, using the scientist's body as a living crutch in order not to go completely underwater. With his mind still hazy and wrapped into lusty fog, his rage and heartbreak almost forgotten for the moment, Eric nuzzled against Dae, his eyes unfocused, his mouth stretched into a stupefied smile.
Dae gazed at Eric's slightly sharper teeth, his more pointed ears and his mesmerizing eyes. He had refined into a most beautiful creature. Dae reached up and resumed the gill fingering for Eric, feeling the wet and sloppy flesh before he splashed some water up into them, letting them draw in their first sea oxygen. Eric's feet twitched as they started to elongate and thin out, the toes webbing together, the heels dissolving away, leaving flipper like fins instead of the feet he had but moments ago.
As if they had reached critical mass, Eric's forming tail nearly seemed to shimmer. The emerald scaling became more pronounced as his epidermal layers became both protected from the rigors of an aquatic life and more graceful and beautiful. His tail thickened and elongated, his flippers stretched out and flattened and all traces of the human anatomy seemed to disappear... with the exception, of course, of his modified manhood extending out from a ventral slit, rising up with a slight curve and faint colorations. The shaft continued to tingle and throb as it stretched out to eight inches, then ten. The tinies bumps emerged from the sides, creating almost rib like features that practically begged to be held on to.
Dae was speechless. He wanted to reassure Eric, to make him see, to understand - but Dae was too lost in the wonder of his own work and how well it was turning out. Even Eric's scalp seemed hyperactive as his blond hair extruded from the follicles, growing longer and longer with an astonishing rate. Dae was in love with not just the man, but everything about him physically and mentally. Dae had a lopsided grin as he realized Eric was struggling to stay afloat with all the changes despite the fact that he had a set of perfectly functioning gills.
Eric was still completely lost in the intensity of the change, even though it was now almost over; the brand new merman looked down just in time to see his nipples becoming emerald green as small, sensitive scales decorated his prominent pecs before travelling down, highlighting his abs and creating a treasure trail of sorts right down to his mutated dick. A short, stupefied murmur escaped from his lips as they too shifted in tone, the red and the pink leaving their place to greens and blues.
Dae couldn't resist. Using one arm and his legs to tread water, his hand reached out and his fingers carefully curled around the teal cock. He gave it a gentle squeeze and began to stroke up and down slowly, feeling every detail in its sublime wonder.
Eric let out a short, surprised yelp, his tail getting rigid for a split second and almost pulling them both underwater with his now massively bigger and heavier body. The pleasure radiating from his member, however, dissolved any fear and surprise. The merman leaned over, brushing his greenish-blue lips over Dae's cheek and ear, as a diffuse, intense tickling started spreading down his spine. Eric squirmed a bit, trying to reach the spot with his free arm to get some relief, but the sensation was getting stronger and stronger with every passing second: under the blond mane of his air, his skin looked almost... bumpy, as if something was struggling to come out.
A breathless gasp escaped the merman's lips as the pressure built and built like another erection, but the forming mass took a very different form. Cartilage emerged from his spine, stretching the skin into a clear and prominent dorsal fin to help keep him steady. As the tip of the fin stood out high and proud among the platinum hair, Eric felt the energy of the change somehow dissipating and disappearing from his body... But he didn't feel tired or weary, not at all: his new tail, his improved physique, his webbed hands, they all longed for salty water, for propelling him through the waves, for turning him into a veritable king of the sea. Without even raising a tiny splash, the new merman dove into the water, swimming fast and rapid around the giant tank like a green and blue missile; he was as majestic as a white shark, but at the same time as elegant as a dolphin.
Dae spun around in awkward skill, trying to keep track. Eric was more wonderful and beautiful than he had dreamed possible. The scientist let out a shriek and a whoop of joy, his voice echoing across the ceiling of the great tank. Eric felt the sounds reverberating through the water thanks to his new and improved ears. As he swam around, scaring schools of silver and azure fish, a devilish grin appeared on his handsome face. He almost reemerged, but instead remained right under the surface. Only his triangular dorsal fin cutting through the water at high speed reminiscent of an oceanic predator; his muscular tail propelled him forward once more, and he jumped high, his long body tracing an elegant arc in the air... and landing right in front of Dae. The splash washed over Dae, less than he anticipated given Eric's size, but still was a surprising moment.
"Eric! You're wonderful! You're beautiful! You're perfection!" He exclaimed in glee. The merman, however, didn't answer back: still sporting a manic grin on his face - made even more dangerous and creepier by his new pointed teeth - the merman wrapped his powerful and nimble tail around Dae's legs, restraining him with surprising grace. Dae's eyes widened in a bit of panic, no longer able to keep himself afloat. The scientist began trying to paddle his way up with his arms, but the merman's remaining limbs wrapped around Dae's body in a strong embrace, immobilizing him and rendering him helpless.
With little more than a ripple on the surface, the two of them disappeared underwater, only a trail of small bubbles behind them. Dae had half a breath of air in his lungs as he submerged, unable to move or even wriggle. The blind elation began to dissolve around him as reality began to set in. In his mad, wondrous search for a higher form of living, he realized that he had created a being powerful and potent enough to end his own life. He had been banking on Eric's love of his new form to temper his wrath, but even if he liked being a merman he could still be resentful. Dae thought of Aislin, of his experiments, of his classes... He had bet everything on a high stakes gamble - but where he was, restrained by his creation, a smile began to creep across his lips. It was still worth it.
Eric had become a new species, bringing together the best of mammals and fish. He had taken the next step towards an indelible future. If it was Dae's fate to die having made this happen, then that was fate. Dae had a half mad grin as he was held in Eric's grips, taken down toward the sandy bottom amid a ring of standing volcanic stones and seaweed.
The moment he felt his tail brush against the sand, however, Eric's expression softened somehow. Sure, he was mad at Dae for having lied to him and hid so much during the past few months, but that certainly wasn't going to make him a murderer. His face went down, his lips touching Dae's, then pressing against them; the merman's gills pulsated at full force, pumping water and producing warm and moist, but perfectly breathable air. Eric pulled Dae a bit closer, deepening his kiss of life, savoring that unique, impossible moment for all it was worth.
There was a momentary bit of confusion, but Dae's eyes widened before slinking shut in a relaxed look of relief. He breathed deep while his tongue played with Eric's, tasting the change in the merman's saliva. As Eric kept kissing his boyfriend and pumping oxygen into his lungs, one of his hands went down, grabbing the side of Dae's Speedo and ripping the stretchy fabric with ridiculous ease. Once again, his exotic lips formed a dangerous smile as his tail wrapped sensuously around Dae's thighs and his hard, ribbed dick began to press against the scientist's tight pucker.
Dae gulped a bit at the air he was being fed, but it seemed only right at this point. He was Eric's catch, his prey, and he had changed the man without his permission. He edged his ass back toward the aquatic cock, feeling how big and alien it was. Eric, however, was surprisingly careful and gentle in his attempts at penetrating Dae: he had succeeded in scaring the scientist, but he didn't want him to feel too much pain or discomfort; after all, Dae had made him quite the extraordinary gift, and this was Eric's way to repay him... in a sense.
With ease and grace far beyond mere animals, Eric's shaft slipped into the tight, warm embrace of the scientist's ass. While Eric's lush blond mane floated about his head, Dae's dreadlocks were wriggling like seaweed in an almost tantalizing and mesmerizing way thanks to the currents of the wave generators. The merman started pounding Dae's butthole with slow, deliberate movements, his tail pulsating and vibrating in accord with his heartbeat. There was something harmonious and splendid in the way Eric's body moved as he fucked his mentor and lover, as if he was a work of art given life.
Dae writhed and shifted in the embrace, feeling such sublime pleasure and such an odd role reversal. After snaring and trapping Eric into his new life, it was Eric on the offensive. Dae wrapped his arms around his lover, one playing with Eric's large, strong dorsal fin, the other drifting to caress the scale pattern trailing down his ribs. Even in water, Eric could smell Dae's attraction to him.
The merman started pounding Dae's ass more ferociously, enjoying the momentary sensation of dominance; the older man was at his complete and total mercy, wrapped in the tight embrace of his new tail, depending on the oxygen produced by his gills to survive and getting fucked by his new ribbed dick. The sensation of being in charge, even if just for once, was almost intoxicating, and Eric felt closer and closer to the inevitable climax. For a moment, he pondered what effect his merman semen would have had on Dae's body, especially if he too had regularly consumed his own pills. With one last, mighty thrust, the merman let out a stream of bubbles from his gills as his first orgasm as a creature of the sea travelled through his body; his internal testicles churned, and - even though he couldn't see them - pumped oily, slick greenish merman cum right inside Dae's ass, coating his insides and almost immediately getting absorbed by his tissues.
The heat filled Dae's loins, causing his stomach to squirm and settle once more. The pulsing of the cock was like an internal massage, and the cum felt like massage oil. Dae had become used to getting air from Eric's lips, but he let more bubbles escape as he basked in the general bliss of such pure lust and pleasure. Eric hugged his lover a bit closer, while in the meantime pulling his cock out of Dae's ass; still with his tail wrapped around the scientist's legs, the merman gently forced him to lie against the sandy bottom of the tank. He could already feel the lower part of Dae's body tremble and pulsate slightly against his sensitive scaled skin, and couldn't help but chuckle silently a bit.
Dae felt so strange; it was a wonderful sensation to be sure, as if waves of heat were radiating through his body. His cock felt so firm and hard, but like it had more to go... but the strangest sensation of all came from his legs. They felt heavier and heavier with each passing moment. Dae wondered if that was how Eric had felt. Had they felt heavy? Numb? Dangly? The currents were washing back and forth, bashing against the scientist's limbs - limbs that felt oddly slippery in Eric's clutches. The merman frowned in perplexity, but didn't stop providing Dae with a steady supply of air: it was clear that his boyfriend was changing too... but into what?
The mermaid's tail had remained wrapped around Dae's lower extremities, but the task was feeling more and more difficult. The compressed flesh was wriggling and shifting in all sorts of unnatural ways, enough to prompt Eric to carefully uncoil his tail. What he revealed was far from expected. Blood had rushed into Dae's legs, but it was more than that. The flesh was taking on burgundy hues, contrasting with the cinnamon tones in his upper body... and the legs were becoming less and less tangible. His feet were gone, the legs themselves starting to fray like the end of a rope.
In a rather startling display, the red flesh began to peel apart like strings from string cheese, segmenting out and splitting. The newly formed tentacles contracted and coiled, stretched and twisted, drifting in the water as they continued to metamorphose. The newly liberated extensions toughened up on the outside as tiny suckers began to form on the inner edges. Waving and twisting just like Dae's dreadlocks, the tentacles felt the currents around him and started to explore their world.
One thick, powerful tentacle wrapped around Eric's waist, pulling the merman closer while another slithered up his stomach and latched on to his chest, sucking and tugging at his nipple and scales. Dae's eyes seemed to darken a bit, the black of the eyes growing larger as he gazed at his lover with supreme appreciation. The remaining changes were more subtle. Dae's ears pushed into points with a faint hint of rouge near the tops and where the flesh met his cheeks and warm colors began to spread into his otherwise dark hair. Even his nipples seemed a bit more puffy and erect, as if inspired a bit by the suckers of the meroctopus.
Eric finally broke the kiss and stared at his changed lover in awe and wonder, taking the entirety of the transformation in, the perfect and seamless fusion of a man and a cephalopod. The merman shivered in bliss and closed his eyes, enjoying the sensuous massage of the meroctopus's suction cups all over his body; it was just like getting the most intense handjob ever, even though Dae wasn't even touching his dick!
A slow grin crossed Dae's lips as he coiled around Eric, reasserting his position as the more dominant one. Dae could feel oxygen flowing into his body from different sources, keeping him nourished on his own. The scientist leaned in to kiss and suck on Eric's neck, slurping on the flesh, drawing blood to the surface of his lover and prey. He wriggled and shifted, stimulating the merman in numerous places before the suckers did find Eric's cock after all. The only part of Dae that was inflexible was his hard, long, faintly purple cock.
As much as Dae wanted to hold off, though, the mix of heady pleasure from the sex, the exotic inspiration of the transformation, and the heady pride of successfully advancing the cause of science, Dae shuddered before a huge cloud of semen gushed out of his cock, washing over Eric and swirling around in the waters. Dae caressed Eric's cheek a few more times with his fingers before his tentacles came slamming together, propelling the two up to the surface. The water cascaded off of their bodies as they emerged, bobbing along, clinging to one another. The first thing Eric did after he and Dae emerged was to spurt a veritable torrent of salty water on the scientist's face.
"This is for not having told me jack shit about this," he said in an angry tone that was clearly fabricated. "Why the hell did you keep me in the dark?"
"I thought... you'd like a surprise?" Dae asked with a sheepish grin before he closed his eyes, "I thought you'd run away, that I'd be alone again." he admitted finally. Eric smiled back at him, once again pulling him in the embrace of his powerful arms.
"Don't be an idiot... You are my mentor, my hero and my boyfriend. Do you really think I would've left you?" he murmured in a sweet tone in the meroctopus's pointed ear. Eric then looked around, and his cheeks got tinged in a darker shade of emerald green. "Um... So... Are we stuck like this? I mean, for the rest of our lives?" he tentatively asked.
"I have a few ideas, but we're going to have to work a bit to make sure we're well taken care of. But, if you trust me, I'll make sure everything turns out alright." Dae whispered.
Mid morning sunlight showered the Aislin coastline with bright, white light. The ocean itself was a bit rougher than usual, sending brilliant white water waves crashing across the beaches and rocks. Out on the horizon several boats were lingering in the tides, hoping to catch a sight of migrating whales. Even the precious white sands seemed better than usual, radiating warmth and welcoming visitors - visitors that had not been allowed on the premises for a few weeks.
Aislin's momentary closing had startled the science community. Details regarding the incident still hadn't made the light of day, but once more Aislin had re-opened and science aficionados, amateurs and tourists flooded the far corners of the campus. It was a particularly memorable experience for Shane Brandis.
The high school senior moved along the long pier like cement walkway heading out over the water, his emerald eyes peeking out from a veil of orangey red hair. It felt like he'd stumbled on to some sort of secret as he approached the refracting room. How could he be the only one there? The only one to stumble on to such beauty. The way the water rose up in the interlocking rings of glass, the way the sunlight traveled through the water, the way the curve of the material almost magnified the contents...
Shane came to a stop and reached up, resting his hand on the glass, watching the fish swim and scuttle about inside. So long had humans peered into the sea, searching for the hidden meaning, but this marvelous creation was the reverse, allowing the creatures of the sea to come up and visit land - even if it just was for a quick glance. It was enchanting. The wind whipped through Shane's hair and his open plaid button up shirt, his eyes sparkling with the light of the sun as he gazed in at the wonders of the sea.
Suddenly, a school of bright, colorful fish that was swimming right upside the giant glass tube scattered and dispersed, darting around swiftly as if in abject terror; a couple of seconds later, the reason of that behavior was clear: a much longer, larger and powerful creature appeared behind the glass, travelling through the water thanks to slow and yet potent movements of his tail fin. The elegant, hydrodynamic, eight-feet long creature moved closer and closer to Shane, his mane of shiny blond hair flowing behind him like golden seaweed and a curious, almost impish smile on his handsome and clearly humanlike face. When the merman reached the transparent barrier, he placed a greenish tinted palm against the glass while looking at Shane with mesmerizing emerald eyes.
Shane's eyes were wide, his jaw slightly agape. His heart was fluttering faster than a hummingbird as he looked at a creature that had swam right up out of a fantasy book. Every detail was more magnificent than he could have imagined. His mind tried to find some fallacy in the being before him. Perhaps it was a promotional stunt, a swimmer in some sort of suit... but there was no seam, no zipper, no lack of biological accuracy - and then Shane saw the gills flutter; true, working organs. The student felt nearly light headed, but a dopey grin crossed his lips. He was practically hypnotized by Eric's mere presence.
Eric looked at the highschooler in quiet amusement, the grin on his face widening a bit. Of course, he couldn't talk while he was underwater, but he hoped he could communicate well enough even with his body language; with a slow, solemn gesture he nodded towards the stupefied student, before moving his free hand in an enticing manner, his fingers waving as if they were trying to attract Shane towards him. Come to me, come to me, that was the gesture's meaning.
Shane nearly face planted into the glass, pressing closer to the merman. He felt a yearning, a need, a craving to be with the marvelous creature but he didn't know how. His groin strained against his pants as his brain flooded with hormones, desperate for a resolution to his predicament. Eric, as a reply of sorts, pointed a clawed index finger behind him, towards the sea that stretched just beyond the panels that constituted the walls of the refracting room. _I will be there,_the merman mouthed at Shane, tiny bubbles dancing on his blueish tongue. In his exotic aquatic dance, Eric flipped over and swam back down, his tail the last thing to disappear. Once more the tube was empty, dormant, ordinary.
It would have been easy for anyone to doubt the merman's existence, but Shane only doubted one thing now; his life on land. His backpack was dropped to the ground, his plaid shirt shed next. Shane picked up speed, running around the outer edge of the refracting island before he dove off the end, over the rock shoals and into the deeper water. It took a moment for him to surface, chilled and exhilarated, stunned by what he had just done.
A big, imposing figure emerged from the water, right next to him, strong and yet tender arms wrapping around Shane's body in a tight, salty embrace. "Come with me," Eric repeated in a smooth, deep and seducing voice. "I will show you the wonders of the ocean, young boy..." Shane gazed into Eric's eyes, though he blinked a bit as he felt something along his waist. A thick, rubbery, strong tentacle was wrapping around his abdomen, slinking up his wet shirt as suckers adhered to the teenager's nipple. Dae slowly rose out of the water behind their captured guest, his dreadlocks a brilliant mix of burgundy, violet and black in the bright sunlight. Another tentacle wrapped around Shane's shoulder, the tiny tip stroking at his neck. Shane inhaled in wonder, nearly ejaculating right there.
"Show me... everything..." Shane whispered, the beads of salt water clinging to his freckled skin. In reply, Eric brought his ocean colored lips to the teenager's. Shane melted into the kiss as tentacles slipped around his legs and head before all three slipped beneath the ocean's surface, leaving only a few last bubbles to trickle to the surface. The sea had seduced the souls of men since before written history had started, but it had two new tools in its arsenal. The siren song of the surf would be more powerful than ever before.