Original Poster: Love and Powerlifting (http://ponepaste.org/u/lapsbin) Although currently on LaP's ponepaste, he is missing Part 6, the as of 2/5/21 most recent update. To that end, I have made this public again. It will be made private again once he has these parts on his own bin. Part 1 >It was a crisp day. Sunny, with a few clouds peppering the sky. A slight breeze filled the air, and with it the salty tang of the sea. >The truck that Anon drove was, by his own admission, a rust bucket. A hand-me-down of a hand-me-down that he had somehow managed to get from a family member when he had first started driving. It was older than him by at least a decade, made very strange and disconcerting noises once he was going over forty, and would no doubt continue to somehow work long after he had pawned it off on another unfortunate soul. >The radio didn’t work, so the young man had to hum tunes to himself right up until he drove into a parking lot and put his vehicle into park. He didn’t bother locking it as he hopped out, still humming his tunes. >He put down the back hatch, jumping into the truck bed. An old, rusted red Radio Flyer --also a hand-me-down-- was placed onto the cracked, sand-covered parking lot. It was filled to bursting with what he needed to spend the rest of his day relaxing. There were two big buckets, a tackle box, some bundles of fishing line, a pair of dirty rubber boots, a folding chair, and a cooler. Hanging on the side of the wagon by some rope was an old radio as well. >Anon gave the wagon a kick, nodding his head in satisfaction when nothing flew out of it. He then turned back toward the truck bed and pulled out the most important piece of equipment for this whole venture: a fishing pole. It was his prized possession; a thousand dollar pole that he had managed to get for fifty bucks from a woman who had no idea what she had at a yard sale. >He picked up the fishing pole carefully. Giving it a few test casts, he placed it against his shoulder and grabbed his wagon’s handle. Quickly checking one last time to see if he had everything, he started off. >For any nonresident, this place was a fun getaway. The county made sure to keep it clean, and even in the off season there would be nightly events, from fireworks to surfing competitions. Anon, having lived near the ocean all of his life, didn’t bother with any of that. Sure, sometimes he’d go with some friends during the summer to see if they could pick up city chicks, but today he wasn’t even going to bother with the beach. >If one traveled along the shoreline long enough, the sand would turn into sandstone. If they walked a bit further, they’d come upon a series of coves, big and small. Not a lot of people bothered going to these coves as they were sort of tricky to get to, and the waters surrounding them had massive stones jutting out of the sea, so surfing and even boating was out of the question. >What these coves were good for was fishing. Smaller fish found shelter near the rocks, and clams and oysters liked to nestle in the sandstone. Anon was no pro fisherman by any stretch of the imagination, but on a good day he’d be able to fill up his buckets with seafood. >There were three coves worth going to. Today, he was going to the closest one, both because he had been fishing the other two coves more than he would have liked lately, and this cove was the easiest and quickest to get to. The beach was completely empty this time of day, leaving him with nothing but his thoughts as he trekked down the familiar path to his destination. >Ten minutes passed before he saw the cove. It’s sight caused him to pick up the pace, eager to begin his day of relaxation. >This cove was by far the largest. The water was deep here, waves gently pounding against rock. As he walked near the edge, he could see fish darting around. The sounds of the sea were amplified here, bouncing off the stone and making a very calming, if somewhat eerie, sound. >Anon found himself smiling as he brought his wagon to a halt and began unpacking. A pair of rubber door stoppers were placed between one of the wheels of the wagon. The folding chair was pulled out and placed near the water, as well as the cooler. The buckets and tackle box were placed to his left, and the radio was placed into the wagon as well as the fishing rod. >Bait was pulled from the cooler, as well as a beer and a koozie. The line for the fishing pole was checked, and a hook and bobber were tied and fastened. Making sure that he wasn’t going to lose anything as soon as he cast his line, Anon picked his rod back up. With one perfect, smooth motion, he sent his bait--a piece of rotten chicken--sailing through the air. It hit the water with a plop, scattering some fish. >The young man sat down with a groan. He kicked off his shoes, placing his pole in a sheath attached to his chair. Leaning forward, he grabbed his radio, flipping it on. As Led Zeppelin began playing, he leaned back, closing his eyes. After a long, awful week of work, this was exactly what he needed. >“Whatta we got here girls?” >“It looks like a cute little stud to me!” >One of Anon’s eyes snapped open. He looked around, eyes settling on one of the rocks jutting up from the water dozens of feet away. On top of it, he could see figures; at least a dozen. They were lying on top of the rock, looking for all the world like they were just some normal women that wanted to sunbathe. Anon knew better though. They were the resident mythical creatures that had shown up one day; Sirens. >Siren’s weren’t supposed to be real; just an old wive's tale that not even the crazy fishermen told anymore. They didn’t exist, just like dragons and unicorns didn’t exist. That was until a continent just up and appeared in the North Atlantic sea one day. The place was called Equestria, and apparently it was a magical land filled with flying people, monsters, and four goddesses. >That news had freaked out everyone for a little while. Thankfully the Equestrians seemed just as confused about their sudden appearance as everyone else. They also weren’t hellbent on taking over the world or killing everybody, which most people appreciated. >These Sirens apparently weren’t citizens of Equestria, nor did they follow any of the princesses. They simply lived in bodies of water around the continent and had been taken along for the ride. The moment they found Earth was mostly made out of water--which wasn’t the case on their planet--they had made the world’s oceans their own. >They weren’t welcome everywhere; the Chinese and Japanese in particular hated them for constantly disrupting their fishing, but folks were somewhat getting used to their presence on beaches around the world. >The pack of Sirens around these waters seemed beneficial to the ecosystem. The water seemed cleaner, the fish seemed bigger and healthier, even the waves seemed calmer. It was mostly due to these benefits that no one called the coast guard on them. >They really didn’t interact with anyone from town. The mayor had come down here and spoke with them, as well as some scientists from the local college. Every once in a while they would also come onto the beach, but never when there were large crowds. They kept to themselves mostly. They would have been the perfect addition to this beach, if not for the constant and overwhelming sexual harassment. >“Why don’t you come on in, cutie. The water’s fine.” >“Lets see that doggy paddle.” >“You can doggy something else after you’re done.” >“Whatcha holding there? A fishing pole?” >“I’d hold his pole, girls.” >“Why don’t you come over here and give us a nibble?” >Anon sunk into his chair, brow furrowing. The women were always aggressive around men, even though they refused to get close to anyone if they could help it. It felt weird to be on the other end of flirting and cat-calling, but most people were used to it. He just gave them a wave, returning to his fishing. >“Aw, don’t be like that.” >“Yeah, come on. Why don’t you sing for us?” >“Give me ten minutes and you’ll be doing more than singing.” >“I like a guy that plays hard to get. Makes it more of a challenge.” >“You look like a clam guy. I got a nice, juicy one right here if you want a little snack.” >“Take off your pants. I wanna see your dick!” >Eventually the Sirens lost interest in him. Some rolled off their rock, diving into the waters. Fish scattered as they tore through the sea at unnatural speeds. A few disappeared out deeper into the sea, others made their way closer to him. >Anon took a sip of his beer just as another Led Zeppelin song came on. Perking up, he set his beer down on his cooler and turned up his radio, humming the lyrics to himself. “Been dazed and confused for so long it's not true… wanted a woman, never bargained for you…” >There was a tug on his line. He slowly reeled the line in, hoping something would follow. Unfortunately, it seemed like the Sirens had scared away the fish for the moment. Not that he really minded; today was more about relaxing than catching anything. >An hour passed. Song after song played on his little radio. Somewhere between enjoying the sight of the sea and drinking his beer, Anon’s humming became singing. It was a voice that only a mother could love, he knew, but that didn’t stop him from belting out song after song, his words echoing off the sandstone. >A few fish were caught. Nothing to write home about, but big enough that they were worth keeping and stuffing in his freezer back home. He checked each one to see if they were legal length before tossing them his buckets and grabbing more bait, all the while butchering every song that played. As he was tightening up the knot for his bobber, he heard singing. >At first it was low, barely noticeable over the sound of the waves crashing against the rocky shore. Slowly, the sound grew in strength, going from one single voice to another, then another. Each one complimented each other perfectly, creating something that made Anon stop his own singing for a moment. >The Sirens were singing along with his radio. How they knew any of these songs he couldn’t possibly guess, but he had to admit that they were incredible. Casting his line, Anon leaned back into his chair, sipping on his beer as the singing continued. ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_ >“Why do you think these humans use this? Can’t they just catch the fish themselves?” >“They’re very poor swimmers, you know that. Sonata, put that down.” >“Look at this, Dagy!” >“I see it, now put it do--Aria, don’t you start too!” >“What? I just want a sip. I’m sure he won’t care. He’s got like fifty of them in his ice box.” >“Look at all of the shiny little do-dads! Look how cute this one is!” >The sound of voices roused Anon from his sleep. With a snort, he jerked forward in his chair, forcing him to grab the sides of it to keep from spilling onto the ground. “Whatza…” >Eyes snapping open, he stared at a woman standing in front of him. She was on the shorter side, with a hairdo that would have fit right in in the eighties. Her hair was an orangish color and voluminous to the nth degree. Bits of seaweed and shells seemed to be weaved in it as well. Speaking of shells, the women had two covering her modest breasts. She had a bikini bottom on to cover herself, though it seemed a size too small for her generous thighs and bottom. >She was glaring at something to his left. Looking over, he saw another woman sitting on his cooler. She was bigger than the other girl by at least a foot, wearing a bikini top and bottom to cover herself as well as show off her fit, toned body. >She had his half-finished beer in her hand. Taking a sip of it, she made a face. “This stuff is awful. How in the seas do they drink this?” >Her lavender eyes flicked up toward him as she took another sip. >“Adagio, the human’s awake,” she said. >Anon stared at her, then looked at the woman standing, who was now looking at him. “...Hello?” >“Hello!” A voice to his right chirped, nearly causing him to jump out of his skin. >His head snapped over. There was a pair of very large, very round breasts not a foot from his face. Attached to them was a woman with bright blue hair. Just like the woman drinking his beer, she was wearing a bikini top, though this girl was very close to spilling out of them. She had his tackle box at her feet, and one of his lures in her hand. >“Will you two stop scaring the poor boy?” the one with the poofy hair said with a huff. “Sonata, put that down. Aria, get off that--” >“No,” Aria said, taking another sip of beer. >“Get. Over. Here. Now.” >Rolling her eyes, Aria rose to get feet and made her way toward her at a lazy pace. Sonata, putting his lure down, skipped over toward the woman. Giving both women a glare, the woman took a deep breath, then smiled at him. >“Hello there, human. I’m sorry we disturbed your sleep,” she said, placing a hand against her chest. >“You were really cute while you slept, though. Like a baby seal,” Sonata said, getting an elbow to the ribs for her trouble. >“You snore too,” Aria said, also earning her an elbow. >“Forgive my sisters. They had some eels this morning and they have more energy than they know what to do with. My name is Adagio. My sisters here are Aria and Sonata.” >“Hiya!” >“Hello. >“And you are…?” “..I’m Anon,” Anon replied, confused as to what was going on. >“Anon? That sounds… exotic.” “Not really, my parents are just a bunch of hippy weirdos.” >The sirens blinked. >“Hippy?” >Anon waved their question away with a hand, using the other to discreetly see if his knife was still attached to his belt. The Sirens had never hurt anyone that he knew of, but it never hurt to be too careful. “So, it’s really nice to meet you guys, but can I ask why you were rooting around in my stuff?” >“We saw that fat ass of yours and--omph!” >Adagio let out a very inhuman growl, teeth bared as she stared at Aria, who was clutching her stomach with a pained grimace. If might have been a trick of the light, but Anon swore he could see a red glow coming from the base of Adagio’s throat. Her eyes seemed different as well. Sharper, more predatory. He began pulling his knife from its holster, body tensing. >Aria dryly swallowed, looking down at the ground, head bowed. Seeing that Aria was suitably shut up, Adagio took a step toward him, extending a webbed hand. >“We have seen you come to these coves before, so we thought we’d be neighborly and say hello. You humans shake hands to greet each other, yes?” >While still weary, Anon stood up. He let go of his knife, though his hand still hovered near it. Taking a step toward the Sirens he took her hand. Adagio’s skin was remarkably soft and smooth. “It’s nice to meet you too, ladies. Since you’re here, thanks for helping take care of this beach. Everything has gotten a lot better since you guys showed up,” he said, trying to be as polite as possible. >“You’re very welcome, and on behalf of my kind I want to thank you and the people of your town for letting our pack stay here,” Adagio replied, giving him a pearly white smile. Anon couldn’t help but notice that she had two sets of canines. Very sharp canines. >“Yeah, this is waaaaaaay better than the river we were staying in!” Sonata said, sticking out her tongue. “The only thing we could eat was frogs and carp. It was the worst!” >Aria, who was still rubbing her stomach, gave the young man a once over. “So, does your girlfriend just let you wander off places all the time, or does she know you always come out here?” “Neither? I don’t have a girlfriend,” Anon said, waiting for Adagio to let go of his hand. The woman didn’t seem in a hurry to do so, still shaking away. “I just like coming here to relax.” >“Hmm... Do you usually sing like that too?” “Sometimes. Sorry you had to hear that by the way.” >“Sorry? There’s nothing to be sorry about. You were great,” Sonata said with a little bounce. “Aw, thanks,” Anon said with a smile. >He opened the hand Adagio was shaking. Thankfully, the Siren seemed to take the hint, letting go of it and taking a step away. >“The girls and I had another reason for our visit, other than meeting a fine, upstanding--” >“Single,” Aria cut in. >“--Shutyourmouthrightnow. Excuse me. As I was saying, this land is far different from Equestria, and there are some in our pack, myself included, that would like to know more about your people. We’ve spoken to that mayor of yours, along with some others, but I’d like to learn from someone more… down to earth. If you wouldn’t mind, my sisters and I would like to speak with you for a bit whenever you come here.” >Anon scratched his chin as the girls looked at him. Sonata wasn’t able to stay still, shifting from one leg to another while she opened and closed her hands. Aria was doing her best to look disinterested, staring at him from the corner of her eye. Adagio just had her arms spread out, waiting for his answer. >After a few seconds of thought, the young man found himself shrugging. He really didn’t see the harm in the request. He might even learn something. At the very least it might stop the cat-calls every time he came here. Hopefully. “I mean, if you really need help I won’t say no…” >Sonata and Aria attempted to speak. Taking a step back, Adagio placed her hands over her sisters’ mouths. >“Thank you very much, Anon,” she said, bowing her head. “The three of us should be heading off. We appreciate your time, and hope to see you again very soon.” >She pushed her sisters toward the water. “We also know we ruined your hunting by getting too close, so we took the liberty of catching you a few things. We hope you enjoy them.” >Aria stepped away from her sister. Adagio pointed at the water, stamping her foot. With a click of her tongue, she made her way over and hopped into the water. Sonata was next, giving Anon a wave before cannonballing into the sea. Adagio, placing her hands on her hips, huffed. She turned back, giving him a smile and a wave before leaping into the water in a perfect dive, not making so much as a splash as she disappeared. >Anon just stood there, staring out into the sea. Shoulders slumping, he let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “That… I wasn’t expecting that today,” he mumbled to himself. >He turned toward his wagon. His radio had been turned off; probably when the Siren’s had been rooting through his stuff. He could also see something moving in his buckets. On closer inspection, he saw two of the largest lobsters that he had ever seen. They must have been nearly two feet long, with thick bodies and massive claws. Each claw had been tied with what looked like the electrical tape he had in his tackle box. >Whistling, Anon pulled one of them from the bucket, lifting it up into the air. These would have probably cost a small fortune if he tried to get something like this at the local fish market. Just one of these monsters would have made a day of fishing worth it. With two of them, he was more than willing to overlook anything weird or strange the Sirens had done. If they kept giving him catches like this they could bother him all they wanted as far as he was concerned. “I’m going to eat you,” he told the crustacean. “I don’t know where I’m getting a pot big enough to boil you, but I’m doing it.” ---------------------------------------------- Part 2 >Days passed. Life when on in the little town by the sea. Anon continued working at his job, both bored and frustrated with the amount of work his place had been getting. He had no problem working, but if one’s boss needed to make the work day a mandatory eleven hours six days a week to make quota then that was where he started complaining. >Two whole weeks passed like this until the amount of work tapered off. His boss had a meeting with everyone, and the whole shop found themselves with a few paid days for a job well done. It was the perfect opportunity to go back to the beach. >He could go back there as an ambassador for the human race to these Sirens. Well, maybe things weren’t that significant, but maybe he could get some bragging rights for his friends? How many other people could say they personally knew magical aliens? >So with that in mind, he had tossed his best folding chairs--the camo ones his uncle had “misplaced” on the last fourth of July--and a cooler filled with everything he thought the Siren’s might like into the back of his truck. He brought along an old duffle bag as well with a few things and knick-knacks, just to cover his bases. >The drive to the beach was once again uneventful. It was the weekend, but the sky was looking pretty ugly, so Anon wasn’t too worried about fighting the crowds. Sure enough, there were just a few cars in the parking lot. >Getting everything ready was a bit of a hassle. Nothing seemed to want to fit right in his wagon, and he didn’t have any rope in the truck for some reason. Luckily, what he did have was a few rolls of duct tape, and after taping down everything he started off. >Black clouds stretched out in all directions as far as the eye could see. The wind whipping, and the waves were churning angrily. Today might have been a very bad day to be doing something like this, but he was already here. He was pretty sure the Siren’s would take shelter in this storm anyway, so they might already be hiding in one of the coves. The largest cove actually had a cave in one of the cliff sides, big enough to fit a few people comfortably. If not then he’d just wait out the storm before going home and trying again another day. >A light rain began just as he made his way into the first cove. It was dark, and deathly silent. Stopping, Anon reached into his duffle bag and pulled out an electric lantern. It’s light reached from one side of the little cave to the other. It was empty. It seemed as if the Siren’s had found somewhere else to shelter the storm. “Damn, guess they’re not here,” he said, dropping his cooler. It slammed against the sandstone with a thunderous bang. >He pulled a folding chair from his wagon as he gently sat his duffle bag down. Just outside of the cave, he could see the rain really start to come down, bringing the temperature down with it. Unzipping his bag, he pulled out a thin blanket. It was supposed to be his gift to the Sirens, but he figured they wouldn’t mind if he used it to keep warm. He also took out his little radio, trying to find a station that wasn’t just static. “Come on… come on… there we go. Good ol’ one-one-six coming into the rescue.” >Old pop rock began to echo throughout the cave. It really wasn’t his cup of tea, but this would be a heck of a lot better than just listening to the sounds of rain and him breathing. Opening up his cooler, he grabbed a beer, wrapping the blanket around his shoulders before sitting down. “She was more like a beauty queen… something, something, something, who will dance on the thing…” >Thunder flashed outside. Anon made himself as comfortable as he could, just watching the sea. One beer turned into three, and his singing started to get louder. Soon, he had a radio turned up to full volume and he was butchering each song that played. He was halfway through a Brittany Spears song when he saw something outside that made him pause. >Three sets of glowing, animalistic eyes. He could see them not far from the cave. There was also this glowing red light. Anon leaned forward, squinting, trying to see what they were, but it was no use. It was too dark and raining too hard to see anything. Just then, there was a flash of thunder. The world lit up, revealing three humanoid figures. “Hello?” Anon called, picking up his lantern. >The red glow disappeared, but he could still see the eyes. The figures were making their way toward the cave, one much faster than the others. There was a yell that was drowned out by the rain. >“Anon? Anon? Is that you?” >Sonata, soaking wet and grinning from ear to ear, leapt into the cave. >“Anon!” she said, with a hop. “I knew I heard you! Dagi, Aria. It’s Anon! He’s here like I said!” >She skipped over to him. Anon had just enough time to sit up before the Siren wrapped her arms around his neck and mashed his face into her cleavage. He was too shocked by the contact to do so much as blink, allowing her to hop into his lap. The chair creaked, but thankfully it didn’t fall backwards. >“Where’ve you been? Aria thought you weren’t gonna come back! I did, but I was getting worried that something had happened to you,” she said, hugging him tight. >Two more figures stepped into the cave. Adagio and Aria, both soaked from the rain like Sonata, though they didn’t seem to mind it. Not that Anon could see them, his face trapped as it was. >“Sonata, let the poor boy go before you smother him,” Adagio said. “But Dagi.” >“You were raised better than that. You’re a Siren, not some flea-bitten mongrel. Now get off him.” >With an unhappy sound, Sonata let him go. He leaned back in the chair, taking a deep breath, eyes huge as he looked around. “Who? What?” he mumbled, wiping the water from his face. >“Hi Anon!” Sonata said, still sitting in his lap. “Hello, nice to see you. I think.” >The grinning girl giggled, one of her hands reaching up to play with his hair. Adagio made her way over to him, smile on her face. Aria, meanwhile, walked over to his wagon and popped open his cooler. >“The girls are I were getting worried that you wouldn’t be coming back,” Adagio said. “Though you picked an… interesting time to return, the three of us are very happy to see you.” “I didn’t think it would storm this bad. The weather said it was just gonna be a light rain, not this. >Aria snorted. “Landlubbers. Hey, did you bring anymore of that beer?” “I did. Its the silver can with the mountain on it.” >“Good.” Grabbing the beer can, Aria cracked it open. Taking a sip, she made a face. “Gross.” >Adagio cleared her throat. “Yes, well, now that you’re here--” >“Anon, what’s this?” Sonata interrupted, pawing at his blanket. “Are you cold?” “A little. It’s starting to get chilly,” Anon replied. “What about you? You girls really aren’t wearing anything. Do you want some blankets? I brought one for each of you.” >“Hah! Be barely knows us and he wants to be a homemaker. Typical guy,” Aria said, earning her a dirty look from Adagio. >“We appreciate the thought, but there really isn’t a need. We Sirens have a high body temperature,” she said, grabbing one of the chairs. “We could swim in the middle of winter and be perfectly fine.” >Anon looked up at Sonata. Sure enough, he could feel the heat coming off the curvy girl. Whether it was because she actually had a high body temperature, or the fact he had wet, dripping, smoking hot girl in his lap and his body was reacting was a question he really didn’t want answered. >“We could share the blanket if you’re cold, Nonny,” she said, pressing herself against his side. “I’ll warm you right up!” >“Sonata,” Adagio said as she unfolded her chair. >“What? I’m just trying to be helpful, Dagi!” Sonata replied, wiggling around in his lap to get more comfortable. This only succeeded in getting his clothing soaked right through with water. >Adagio sighed, placing a hand against her face. “I’m sorry, Anon.” “It’s okay,” Anon said. “I do have a chair for you if you want it, Sonata.” >“Nah, I’m fine here. Thanks though,” Sonata replied lifting his blanket off his shoulder and draping it over hers. “Sooooo… did you like the lobsters?” >Aria stopped midstep. “Oh yeah,” Anon said, smiling. “They were awesome. I ate like a king for three days. Thanks for those. Really, I mean it.” >“You’re darn right they were awesome!” Aria said, chest puffing out. “They better have been. I had to go to the bottom of the ocean to find those suckers and--” She stopped, clearing her throat. “Not that it was hard. I am the best hunter in the pack. If I really tried, I could have gotten ones three times bigger than that! Especially during a storm like this.” >She took another sip of the beer, making a face. >“Blah.” “Do you guys usually hunt during storms then?” Anon asked. >“Oh yeah,” Sonata said, nodding. “Fish usually hide when the seas get like this. It’s the perfect time to go out and get something to eat. We were hunting some sharks when we saw you walking around.” “Sharks? You were hunting sharks?” >“Uh-huh.” >It took a few seconds to process that. He stared up at the siren girl --who couldn’t have been more than a hundred and twenty pounds, even soaking wet as she was-- trying to imagine her or her sisters trying to kill a shark in the water. Sure, it wasn’t like they were hunting great whites, but a shark was still a shark. >Did they use weapons? They had to, right? >Aria placed a chair right next to Adagio, bringing him out of his thoughts. “So, what’s in the bag?” she asked, gesturing at his feet. “You have anything other than blankets in there?” Anon looked down at the duffle bag. “Oh, oh yeah. Here, let me see that.” >Sonata reached down, forcing him to place a hand on her lower back to keep her from flopping out of the chair face-fist, grabbing the bag and dropping it into his lap. He dug around in it until he found what he was looking for. It was an old, beat up iPad. Far too slow and old for home use, but it was perfect for what he had in mind today. “I know you said you wanted to learn more about Earth, so I decided to download a few things to help out. Pictures, videos, stuff like that. This won’t answer everything, but I think it’ll be a good start.” >He turned on the tablet, and the Sirens’ eyes widened when they saw the screen come to life. “I got some snacks in the wagon too if you want any. Drinks in the cooler too. I had no idea what you guys would like so I kinda of grabbed anything and everything.” ~_~_~_~_~_~ >It took a good ten minutes to convince the Siren’s that his iPad wasn’t magic --and even then Adagio didn’t seem entirely convinced-- but after that things ran pretty smoothly. The girls were utterly fascinated by the map of the world he had saved, and just how big the oceans were. They loved the documentaries about different fish and the coral reefs. Drinks and snacks were handed out and eaten. None of them seemed to like anything overly sweet, but they couldn’t get enough of the dark chocolate and chips that he had brought. >Anon had no idea just how many hours had passed, as they looked at pictures, watched shows, and talked. The girls had questions; so many questions about so many things. He did his best to answer them, but felt like he wasn’t answering them as well as he should have. If there wasn’t a storm raging outside and maybe if he had proper reception he might have been able to google things, to make sure he wasn’t just making up stuff, but the wind and rain still raged on outside. Maybe another time. >In between the Sirens’ questions, movies, and having to charge his iPad with a jury-rigged car battery he had gotten a friend to build just for today, he was able to ask some questions of his own. He asked about the Sirens, their lives, what they did for fun. He also asked about Equestria, and what their world was like. >The girls all answered his questions. It was hard to get a clear answer, each girl seemed to have different opinions on the same subject, and a lot of times what they told him was directly opposed to what another girl had just said. Arguments would also break out, and things would sometimes be thrown. >What he was able to gather were that Sirens ran in packs, usually numbering around thirty or so. Each pack had a vast area to hunt. In Equestria, those areas usually consisted of lakes, rivers, and even streams. These places were hotly contested, as there was never enough water to house all the Sirens. Now that they had whole oceans to themselves however, no one was fighting. The girls said the only neighboring pack even close to them was over three hundred miles away. >Each Siren pack also had a hierarchy. Adagio seemed to be in the upper echelon of the pack, while her sisters were middling in rank. This had immediately turned into a shouting match when Aria didn’t like Adagio’s tone when she said the words “middling”. It might have turned into an all out fistfight if Anon hadn’t turned on The Little Mermaid. >This was a time of plenty for Sirens everywhere, and everyone was beyond thrilled. The girls said the water was a little more dirty than what they would have liked, but they said that was being worked on, though they refused to answer the question as to how that was being done. >“Anon?” “Yeah?” >“What’s wrong with that girl? Why does she have a fish body?” >Anon tried to take a sip of his beer, only for Sonata to take it out of his hands. She took a big gulp of it, then placed the can against his lips with a giggle. He took his sip, considering the question. “Well… she’s a mermaid. That’s just how they’re supposed to look.” >His beer was placed back in his hand as Sonata grabbed another handful of chips. >“Why?” “I don’t know.” >“Well, they look freaky,” Aria said, not looking away from the screen, her face curled in disgust. “If we find any of them on our turf there’s gonna be problems.” “I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” Anon replied, helping himself to a cookie. “I’m pretty sure they don’t exist. At least ninety percent sure.” >Aria let out a ‘harrumph’. “They better not.” >“Nonny?” “Yeah?” >“How do you think they have babies? Do they lay eggs like fish, or are they like dolphins?” “I have… no idea.” >Anon yawned, looking out toward the entrance of the cave. It had stopped raining, but it looked completely dark out. While he had a lantern, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to try to get back to his car. Sandstone wasn’t known to get slippery when wet, but he didn’t want to have a bad fall in the dark. As much as he wasn’t looking forward to it, it looked like he was going to have to spend the night. “Hey, I don’t have a lot left on the iPad after this movie is done, girls. If you want to go ahead and go to sleep or keep hunting or whatever that’ll be fine.” >“Are you kicking us out?” Adagio asked, raising an eyebrow. “What? No. I thought you three might want to get some shuteye before the sun comes up.” >“And what about you? Would you have us leave you here all by your lonesome?” the Siren asked, leaning forward in her chair. “What sort of hosts would we be if we did something like that?” “It’s not--” >“It wouldn’t be safe to travel this late at night, so I suppose we’ll have to make this cave as comfortable as possible for the four of us.” >She took a sip of her drink, eyes flicking down to the duffle bag. “You brought us all blankets, correct? It won’t be as comfortable as one of your mattresses, but we’ll just have to make do with stacking them on each other.” “You really don’t have to,” Anon said. “I’ve slept on way worse things than sand in way worse places. You guys don’t even sleep on dry land, right?” >“Actually, we can and do, and sand is a good deal more comfortable than the ocean floor or sandstone,” Adagio said as Aria stood up. “Now hush. You’ve brought and shown us all of these wonderful things, the least we can do is ensure that you have a good night’s sleep.” >Aria walked around the cave, kicking at the sand, a frown on her face. She walked the whole length of it, until she was at the back of the cave. Nodding to herself, she tossed the blankets down. >“Here’s fine.” >“Then I suppose it’s time for bed,” Adagio said, reaching over to turn off the iPad. “Sonata, please hand me the blanket you and Anon are sharing.” >Sonata did as she was asked, a grin on her face. “This is gonna be great. We’ve never slept with a boy before!” “I… nope. I’m not gonna touch that one,” Anon said, shaking his head. “If you girls are gonna insist, at least let me help. Come on, let me up.” >“Oh no. You just sit right there and let us work,” Adagio said. “It’s the least we could do.” >Sand was flattened, and the blankets were laid out. Aria plopped down, yawning as she stretched. Adagio beckoned Anon toward her with a finger. With a happy sound, Sonata jumped out of his lap, grabbing his hand and pulling him to his feet. The Siren was much stronger than she looked; if she had yanked any harder she might have pulled his arm out of its socket. >“Come on, Anon. We’re gonna make sure you have the best night sleep of your life.” “I don’t know about that.” >“Well, I do. Now get your butt over here.” Anon looked over at Adagio. “Do you guys…?” >“What?” the girl asked, head cocking to the side. “You know, sleep in piles?” >“Of course we sleep together,” Aria said, laying down. “If you sleep together nothing’s gonna bother you.” >“It’s also a very good bonding exercise,” Adagio added. “If this isn’t something you humans do I suppose the girls and I can give you some room.” “I mean, I’m not against it. It’s just a little odd. We usually sleep by ourselves.” >The Sirens didn’t seem to take that very well, looks of unease coming to their faces. Sonata even stopped her pulling to look at him. >“That’s… weird,” she said. “Any weirder than sleeping in a pile?” Anon asked. >The girls looked at each other. >“Yep.” >“Absolutely.” >“Yeppo.” >He was gently, but firmly, placed down onto the blanket. Sonata skipped over to the wagon, turning off the lantern and cascading the cave into darkness. Hands grabbed his shoulders, and he was pulled against someone. Someone else pressed themselves against his back. >“Fair warning: Sonata snores in her sleep,” Aria whispered in his ear. >“What? I do not!” >Adagio, resting her chin on top of his head. “Yes you do, but tonight if I hear so much as a peep out of you you’re sleeping outside of the cave.” >“I don’t snore. Stop telling Anon I snore!” >“Shut your mouth and go to sleep.” >“Don’t tell me what to do!” >“Shut your mouth before I get up and make you.” >“No!” >“Both of you shut up! Goodnight, Anon.” >Anon took a deep breath. The girls were soft, and warm. He heard Aria yawn, pressing her cheek against his throat. He had no idea what to do with his hands, so he kept them close to his hips, where they would, hopefully, stay the entire night. “Goodnight, ladies.” ---------------------------------------------- Part 3 “Hey Adagio, can I ask you a question?” >Adagio smiled behind her can of soda. “Isn’t that what you’ve been doing this entire time?” >A few feet away, Sonata, who was tearing through three extra-large bags of barbecue chips like a woman possessed, giggled. Anon himself couldn’t help but snort, leaning back into his chair. “Why are you wearing that shell bra thing when the other girls are wearing swimming tops? Is that another Siren thing?” >“It actually is, A--” >“No it’s not,” Aria interrupted. “She just couldn’t find a top that would fit her right.” >“It’s--” >“When we first came here that nice mayor brought us a bunch of these when he saw that we were wearing shells and seaweed,” Sonata said, pulling at the strap for her swim top. >Adagio sighed, trying to blow some of her curly hair out of her face and failing miserably. “It was very kind of him, but most of the clothing we were given didn’t fit very well at all. Most in our pack decided to just make do. Unfortunately, I--” >“Dagi has sensitive nips and this fabric is itchy.” >Adagio exploded out of her chair with an outraged cry, charging at Sonata. She was barely able to get to her feet before the smaller girl was reaching out for her. Thankfully, Sonata was able to duck under her older sister’s arms and leap over the coffee table Anon had brought a few weeks ago. >A half empty can of pop was tossed, followed by a beanbag chair, and then the chase began. Both Sirens ran around the cave. Sonata had longer legs, and her panic was making her run far faster, but it as plain to see that Adagio was treating this like a hunt. Fangs bared, she made sure to angle herself so that no matter where Sonata ran she was just a few steps away from her. >Anon had seen this sort of bickering and fighting enough by now not to be too concerned when Adagio finally tackled Sonata to the ground. The bigger girl let out a yelp that was nearly drowned out by Adagio’s growl. The two began rolling, nothing but a mess of flailing limbs and hair. A swim top flew through the air, and Anon forced his eyes to snap shut as he took another sip of his water. >“I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry!” >“Yeah, you better be! Now hold still.” >“Ouch! Quit it Dagi! That hurrrrrrts!” >There were a few yelps, the sound of something rolling into his wagon, and some colorful cursing. Something wet hit the side of Anon’s face. It dripped down his check. Sticking out his tongue, it gave it a lick. Thankfully, it was just orange soda. Placing his drink on the holder built into his chair, Anon cleared his throat. “You know, if you guys want, we could go try to get you some better fitting swimsuits.” >He cracked open an eye, then immediately closed it when he saw Sonata. Blindly reaching out with a foot, he somehow managed to find her discarded bra. Holding it with his toes, he tossed it in her direction. >“Thank you,” she said. “We could go to a store that sells the suits, we can look around, and if you guys find something that fits I can get you a couple of pairs,” Anon continued. “Then I can bring you back here and we can watch another movie. Easy peasy.” >He opened his eyes to see Adagio staring at him intently. “You want us to go into town with you?” she asked. “If you’re comfortable with it,” he replied with a shrug. “I can’t get you something that fits better if you’re not there.” >Sonata, who was on the ground, straddled by Adagio, with her top just barely covering her chest, piped up. “I wanna go in town and see th--OW!” >“You be quiet,” Adagio growled. She then cleared her throat, looking back at Anon. “Are you sure you’d want to do that, Anon? We wouldn’t want to be a bother.” “We were just going to lay around here all day anyway,” he said. “This way we can get out of the cave for a bit, stretch our legs. You guys will also see some of the stuff we talk about.” >“What about the cost of everything? We wouldn’t want to financially strain you.” >Oddly enough, Sirens had a pretty good grasp on things like money and economics. From what the girls had said, they sometimes dealt with the Equestrians, doing things --fishing, scaring away certain aquatic beasts, even singing-- in exchange for ‘bits’. When they had enough of these bits, a pack would try to buy tracks of land with bodies of water. There were occasions when a pack was so successful in earning money that they were able to have lakes and rivers made for them. >The pack still had a chest of the currency hidden somewhere in the sea. The girls refused to say where it was, but Adagio had given him something from their trove. It was a coin the size of a half-dollar, though twice as thick; one of the bits the girls had spoken about. >It had strange markings on the front and back. What would have bought them an apple in Equestria was worth around a thousand dollars here, since the bit was pure gold. It was with that money that he had helped fill this cave with all of the goodies that the Siren pack now enjoyed. >Snacks, drinks, chairs, a massive rug that stretched from one side of the cave to the other. There were towels in a wicker basket that the whole pack now placed over the rocks while sunbathing. There were a few blow-up beds still in their boxes in the back. The girls also really wanted to get a pool table in here after he had shown them a picture and explained how it worked. How he was going to get one out here was still a plan in the works, but he had somehow managed to drag the rug here, so he wasn’t too worried. “You know, I still have some money left from that coin you gave me,” Anon said. “We can get you all the suits you three need. If you guys like what you get then you can let everyone else in your pack know. You give me two more coins and you won’t have to worry about clothes ever again, or at least for a good long while.” >He watched as the gears in Adagio’s head began to turn. He hadn’t seen much of the other Sirens in the girls’ pack, but they talked about them all the time. The pack leader seemed very interested in him and his community. From what Aria said, she was also very thankful for this little cave, and that thanks had boosted their status in the pack. He had a feeling that something like this would be seen in the same light and treated just as favorably. >Not that his offer was based on that. The Sirens were doing a lot of good for the town, and ever since he had started hanging around people have been saying that they were stopping the sexual harassment and becoming friendlier. One of the Siren’s had even helped some kids with swimming lessons a few weeks ago, if rumors could be believed. Building up on this relationship seemed like a good idea, and from the hungry glint in Adagio’s eye he had a feeling like he had just struck gold. >“Going into town sounds wonderful, Anon,” she said, standing up. “Aria, stop stuffing that face of yours. Sonata, get that top on. We’re going on a trip.” ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ >“So this is a vehicle, huh?” “Yep. It’s my pride and joy.” >The girls stared at his pickup truck with varying levels of curiosity and suspicion. They were a few feet from it, all of them tense as if they were ready to bolt. Anon walked right up to his truck, opening the passenger door. It let out a squeal, causing the Siren’s to jump back. He didn’t pay them any mind, rooting around. >“This thing looks like a piece of junk,” Aria said. “It is,” he replied. “It’s a reliable piece of junk though.” He wiggled between the driver's seat and the passenger’s to get at the back seats. “Also, there’s nothing you guys need to worry about with this thing. It’s just a machine, it won’t hurt you as long as you don’t walk in front of it while someone’s driving.” >“We know. It’s just… well, we’ve never gotten this close to one before,” Adagio said. “We’re supposed to climb in this thing and it’ll transport us where we need to go?” “That’s the plan. We could walk into town, but that’d take hours. With this thing we’ll get where we need to go in about ten minutes. Here we go.” >He grabbed a handful of clothes from the back seat, tossing them to the girls. “I don’t have any pants in here, but I got shirts for you guys. Do me a favor and put them on, alright? People will think it’s weird if you show up in a store wearing nothing but swim suits.” >“You humans and your weird thing with clothing. You’re almost as bad as the Equestrians,” Aria said, shaking her head. >Anon hopped out of the truck as the Siren’s put on the far too large shirts. Opening the door to the back seats, he gestured toward the truck. “Hop in and we can get going,” he said, making his way around to the driver’s seat. >Sonata, tugging at the bottom of her shirt, tried to go for the front passenger seat. She made it three steps before Adagio grabbed the back of her shirt, yanking her toward the back seat. Aria followed her sister into the back seat as well, and Adagio jumped into the front. Making sure to help each Siren with her seatbelt, Anon started the truck and began to drive out of the parking lot. >“Wow, this is like riding a carriage!” Sonata said, her cheek pressed against the window. “Not as bumpy though. Can it go faster, Nonners?” >“This is fast enough, thank you,” Aria said, holding onto the strap of her seatbelt. Her gaze was glued to the seat in front of her. >“Aw, you scared, Aria?” >“Shut up.” >“Scaredy cat.” >“You keep talking I’m gonna rip all the hair off your head.” “I’ll go slow,” Anon promised. “Just let me know if you want me to stop.” >The truck groaned as it transitioned from the parking lot to the road. There didn’t seem to be many people out and about, allowing him to go at a slower pace. This would probably turn what should have been a ten minute trip into a half an hour one, but he had no desire to clean up vomit. >He began drumming his fingers against his steering wheel. This turned into humming. The girls perked up, staring at him as he made a left turn. A song came to mind, and despite himself he started to sing. “Lady, running down to the riptide… taken away to the dark side…” >Adagio started to hum along. Sonata began tapping against the back of his seat. Aria relaxed somewhat. As he made a right turn into town, the girls began to sing. As always, their voices were beyond beautiful, so beautiful that it was hard to focus on the road. The girls sang the song perfectly, going to another song as soon as they were finished, then another, then another. He was so caught up in their singing that he almost didn’t make the turn for that led to the center of town. >There were no superstores in this small town by the sea. The mayor and a lot of the old folks had seen to that when Anon was a little kid. What they did have were mom and pop shops. Most didn’t do very well, and many were open at strange hours only a few days a week. A shop that did do well was what everyone considered a ‘tourist trap’, where one could get swimsuits, beach umbrellas, beach balls, and anything else one would need for a fun afternoon. >For outsiders, this stuff was usually wildly overpriced, but if the owners knew you there was a significant discount. Luckily, pretty much everyone in town received this discount. Anon himself got the discount and then some, since the owner’s wife babysat him when he was little. >Parking the car, he led the Sirens across the street towards the store. Sonata was wide-eyed, staring at everything. Aria a shade paler than she had been in the car, just staring at the ground as she walked. Adagio looked curious about her new surroundings, but made sure to stay close to him. >The bell jingled as they stepped inside the store. There, sitting behind the counter was the owners’ kid, a girl Anon had known pretty much since he was in diapers: Trish. The woman had her face buried in one of those conspiracy theory magazines. >“Hey, ‘Non,” she said, which was followed by the sound of a page turning. “Afternoon, Trish. Having fun?” >“Nope. Did you bring someone with you?” she asked, peering over the top of the magazine. “You better not have brought that shithead Bo. I told him las--” >She paused, staring at the Siren’s, her eyes widening in surprise. The Sirens stared back, looking back at her. The relaxed, easy-going mood seemed to vanish in an instant. Sonata stepped in front of Anon, frowning. Aria let out a growl, fangs bared. All three girls were staring at Trish like they were trying to burn holes through her body. Confused, and a little concerned, Anon cleared his throat. “Um, yeah… These are the Sirens. Some of them anyway. I was wondering if you could get them pick out some swimsuits that fit them?” >Trish tore her gaze from the angry, glaring women in front of her to look at him. “The Sirens?” “Uh-huh. The suits the mayor got them really don’t fit, so I brought them here.” >Trish took a deep breath, eyes practically burning with desire. Before she could speak, however, he raised a hand. “Easy. You can ask me questions next time we’re down at the bar. Just help me out here, and I’ll make sure you’ll get a heck of a lot more business.” >“Can I ask one question?” >Anon placed a hand on Sonata’s shoulder. She relaxed somewhat, and out of nowhere she spun around and threw her arms around him. Her fingers lightly dug into his back, and he could hear her breathing deeply. “You may.” >“Do they have money?” “They don’t. I do though.” >“Oh… Hey, can I ask another question?” “Sure.” >Trish stood up, putting her magazine down onto the counter. “Why do they look like they want to throw me through a wall?” >Adagio took a deep breath. She coughed into a hand, reaching over to smack Aria, who stopped her growling. >“I apologize for our behavior, miss,” Adagio said, tilting her head down. “We--” >“Hands off,” Aria said. “He’s--oof!” >“As I was saying,” Adagio continued, giving her sister a glare. “Sorry about this. My sisters and I are a bit discombobulated, what with being in an entirely new environment.” >“It’s… fine?” Trish said, her gaze shifting from the Siren to Anon, who just shrugged. “You wanted to buy some swimsuits?” >“Yes please,” Adagio said with a nod. “We’re unfamiliar with how things like this work, so we’ll need to rely on your expertise. I hope that isn’t any trouble.” >“I don’t know anything about expertise, but I’m sure I’ll be able to help you girls out,” Trish said, walking around the counter. “Just… don’t bite me or anything please.” ~_~_~_~_~_~_~ >None of the Sirens really warmed up to Trish, despite her going into ‘customer service” mode. They answered any question she asked, put on any swimsuit she gave them, but they still seemed standoffish. They wouldn’t turn their backs to her, and snatched any offered clothing out of her hands. Sonata and Aria couldn’t keep the glares off of their faces, and no matter how many times Adagio smacked Aria the girl wouldn’t stop growling. >Adagio was the only one that attempted to be friendly, and she was doing such a poor job of it that she may as well have been as hostile as the other two. Trish learned not to get near Anon after the older Siren looked like she was going to start throwing punches. Anon had moved to the other side of the store, to try to stay as far from everyone as possible, just so that feathers weren’t ruffled and no fights started. Even then, one of the Sirens stuck close to him, Aria even sitting in his lap at one point. >People had said that the Sirens didn’t seem to care much for human women. From their conversations, Anon had thought nothing of it. At worst, it could have just been some shithead tourists that had been doing things they shouldn’t have been and the Sirens had reacted. Now though, he could see that the rumors were true. >Still, despite all of this, Trish was doing her job perfectly. With her help, Each of the girls was able to find swimsuits that fit them and were comfortable. Sonata was not about to pop out of her tops anymore, Aria had bottoms that didn’t ride up, even Adagio was able to toss away the seashell bikini for something nice. >“Alright, eight sets of suits for all three of you. Will that be everything, or do you want to look around a little more?” Trish asked, carrying all of the clothes to the counter. “Maybe you’d like to look at the one-piece suits again? They might not look like it, but they’re really comfortable. They’re also aerodynamic, which might help you guys in the sea. Or whatever.” >Aria snorted, mumbling something under her breath, her arms crossed. >“Actually, if you don’t mind. I’d like Anon’s opinion on a suit I was looking at,” Adagio said. “Sonata, please get off the poor boy. Anon, if you’d be a dear, please give her the money for everything. A tip as well if that’s something done at these types of places. For Mrs. Trish’s time and patience.” >Trish perked up at that, a smile coming to her face. “Of course, and if you need anything don’t hesitate to give me a holler.” >Sonata leapt out of Anon’s lap, hand extended. Anon dug into his pockets, pulling out a sizeable wad of cash and handing it to her. Adagio smiled, motioning him to follow her. There was a sway in her step as she made her way across the store. As he caught up with her, she reached back, grabbing his hand. Her fingers intertwined with his, and she gave him a little tug, causing him to move a little faster. >At the back of the store there were three separate changing rooms. Each was about the size of a closet, with a crappy plywood door that didn’t hang on its hinges right. It wasn’t a Macy’s changing room, but it would get the job done. >Some swimsuits were slung over top one of the doors. This was were Adagio led him. “Just stay right here,” she said. >Anon stopped. She continued walking, her fingers slipping out of his. She paused just as their hands came apart, giving him a wink as she opened the door and stepped through it. Through the door, he could hear her humming a tune to herself. Her swim top was tossed onto the top of the door, then her bottoms. >Coughing, he looked back toward the counter. He could see Sonata and Aria standing in front of the counter, watching as Trish put their clothes in bags. The girl had a great big smile on her face. Sonata must have given her the entire wad. As she should have; poor Trish deserved it after spending the last two hours with them. >“Oh, Anon?” >Looking back, Anon could see that the changing room door was cracked open slightly, and Adagio had her head poked out. “Yeah?” >“Could you be a dear and help me with a strap?” the Siren asked. “Oh, yeah. Sure,” Anon replied. >Adagio pushed the door open, and without a second thought he stepped into the changing room with her. As the door closed behind him with a click, he took a good look at her. >Most of the swimsuit that the girls had been putting on had been pretty conservative. Everything was two-piece--they didn’t seem to care for the one-piece suit, no matter how hard Trish tried to talk them into it--but everything was full coverage with multiple straps. The girls had even asked about getting the thickest and most durable material available. They needed their clothing to hold up at all hours of the day, in the worst storms. This time though, Adagio had went in a completely different direction. >Her swim bottom was nothing but a bit of cloth and straps, more of a thong than proper swimwear. The bottom seemed a size too small as well, since the straps were digging into her flesh. Her back was arched, as if she were presenting her firm, round ass. She was looking back at him, holding onto the top that was barely covering her breasts with both hands. There was a grin on her face, one that he didn’t even see for a solid minute. >“See something you like?” she teased, giving her butt a wiggle. “I… yes?” Anon said, nodding. >The Siren chuckled, blush coming to her face. “Good. Now, as much as I enjoy your staring, this strap still needs to be tied. So, if you would…” >It was hard not to keep staring at the girl’s ass, but somehow he managed it, walking over and grabbing the straps dangling over Adagio’s back. He had no idea what sort of knot was needed for a swim top, so he just tied it with a shoelace knot, not too loose and not too tight. >The knot was barely finished before the Siren spun around. She grabbed the front of his shirt, rising to her tip-toes as she pulled him down. She kissed him, fast and hard. Her tongue slipped into his mouth for just a moment, leaving a sweet, honey-like taste. Before he could even think of returning it, she pulled away, her face now very red. >“If you ask very nicely I’d be happy to wear this whenever you visit,” she said. >She kept her grip on his shirt, pulling him close. Reaching up with a hand, she booped him on the nose. She then poked his chin, then his chest, until her hand finally settled on his thigh. He jumped when she gave it a squeeze. >“You know, it might be in your best interest to spend the night with us every once in awhile,” she said, giving him a peck on the lips. “Food for thought. Now let's get out of here before that human woman begins asking questions.” >Giving him one more kiss --which he was able to return, earning him another musical giggle-- Adagio strutted out of the changing room, leaving Anon standing there dumbstruck. “Hey… you sure you don’t wanna try anything else on?” ---------------------------------------------- Part 4 >Waves crashed against the shore. Up above, seagulls let out their cries. In the sea, near some half-emerged rocks, one could barely make out some fishing bobbers. >Anon, Adagio, Aria, and Sonata all sat near the water. Each of them held a fishing pole with different levels of enthusiasm. As she had been doing lately, Adagio had opted not to take a chair, instead sitting in Anon’s lap. While this made it difficult for the two to use their fishing poles --more so since the Siren was decidedly handsy today-- they were making do. >Sitting on Aria’s right was a bucket for any fish that they might catch today. The Sirens were interested in seeing how humans “captured their prey” first-hand, and Anon was more than happy to show them. He was also happy to show them how one gutted, de-scaled, and cooked a fish, but this had been met with some resistance. >The Siren’s didn’t seem to understand why someone would gut them. They also didn’t seem to like the idea of “burning” a fish. He was told that it seemed like a whole lot of work for not much in return. Why not just eat the fish as is? The guts were good for you, and eating scales was good for the skin and teeth. When he had told them he had boiled the lobsters they had gotten him they seemed horrified at the idea. >There had been some back and forth, but he had finally gotten them to promise that they’d let him cook one of the catches they made today. Not the biggest one, or anything tasty, but he was willing to take what he could get. >Adagio shifted in his lap. She slid down, heels digging into the sand as she let out a sigh, half sitting, half lying on top of him. The Siren reeled her line in a bit before her grip on her pole loosened. She looked up at him. Anon looked down at her, ready to grab her pole if a fish took this opportunity to take her bait and run with it. >Adagio smiled, canines flashed as she leaned up to give his neck a nip. The bite was hard enough to make him tense, which had her giggling. She never broke the skin, but she had left a few nasty hickeys that he had to explain to his coworkers. >A few feet away, Aria groaned. “How in the High Seas do you humans do this?” she asked, letting her pole fall out of her hand and onto the ground. “I feel like my brain is leaking out of my ears!” >Everyone turned to look at her. Adagio was no longer smiling, a very unhappy glare on her face as Aria crossed her arms. “What? What’s wrong?” Anon asked. >“This! Just… sitting here waiting for the prey to come to you! How can you just wait?” Aria asked. “I know you humans are piss-poor swimmers, but come on. Haven’t you made some machine that makes you better in the water?” “Fishing is fun.” >“This is the opposite of fun. This is the unfunnest thing I think I’ve ever done!” >“Unfunnest isn’t a word, Aria.” >“Shut your mouth, Sonata.” >Standing up, Aria marched into the water. With a mighty leap, she disappeared with a splash. Sonata giggled, Adagio let out an unhappy groan. Anon nearly lost his fishing pole as something gave it a tug. It wasn’t like how a fish would tug a line either, this was a full on yank. >A minute passed before the grumpy Siren emerged from the ocean. In her hand, she held two good-sized fish. Walking over, she threw them into the bucket. >“There, see? No fuss, no waiting around like some small-finned idiot, just food nice and quick.” she said, smacking her hands together. “That’s what we should be doing, not this shit.” “Three things: One, that was great. Two, I know for a fact that no human on Earth could swim like you guys no matter how hard they trained. Three, even if I wanted to, I couldn’t,” Anon said. >“And why not?” Aria asked, arms crossing. “I can’t swim,” the young man replied, reeling in his line a bit. >The scowl left Aria’s face, replaced by confusion. It was as if his words weren’t processing in her mind. Beside him, Sonata dropped her fishing pole, eyes widening. Adagio, making a sound that he couldn’t identify, leapt out of his lap, spinning around to face him. >Anon turned his attention away from fishing to look at the three. “...What?” >“You can’t swim?” Adagio said. “Nope,” he replied, shaking his head. “Well, I mean, I can kinda doggy paddle but--” >“How can you not know how to swim?” Sonata asked. “Swimming’s like… it’s like breathing!” “There’s a lot of people around here that can’t actually. I know some of the fishermen around here that’ve been on boats all of their lives that can’t do it.” >Aria looked around. She took a step toward him, but just as quickly stepped back. The Siren then began bouncing in place like an anxious dog. >“What is… wrong with you humans? Why wouldn’t you learn something so important?!” “I’ve always wanted to,” Anon replied defensively. “It’s just they cut the class that taught us when I was little and my folks never had time to teach me. Whenever we came to the beach I just stayed waist deep since I was scared of sharks anyways, so I never learned.” >“Why would you be scared of sharks” Sonata asked. “They’re really cute!” “They are not. They’re death machines with rows and rows of sharp teeth.” Anon leaned back in his chair. “It’s not really a big deal.” >Adagio’s eyes narrowed. She walked over, placing her hands on his shoulders. “We have to fix this supreme error in your upbringing, Anon.” “Supreme error? I don’t know about--” >“Shush,” the Siren said, placing a finger against his lips. “I won’t hear anything about it. I don’t care what it takes, but you’re going to learn how to swim.” ~_~_~_~_~_~_~ >A very long and slightly worrying conversation followed. Sirens give birth in the sea, and their children, or “pups” are they were called, are able to swim within minutes, even in the worst seas. A suggestion of taking him out into the middle of the sea and “let him learn or sink” was thrown out, which Anon immediately rejected. >Drowning aside, there were sharks in the ocean. Those sharks would see him flailing around and they’d see an all you can eat buffet. He didn’t care what the girls said, there was a thirty-foot great white somewhere close waiting to leap out of the water and swallow him up. >The conversation turned into an argument, then a shouting match, which Adagio quickly stopped. The Siren took him away, back toward their little cave and sat him down. After a few minutes, they had a compromise, one which left everyone happy. >There was a local YMCA in town. The place had been bought by the city years ago, and it had been just as long since it had been looked after. It was empty most days, since a lot of people in town didn’t even know it was still open, and those that did only went to use the gym. In the basement of the building, where some of the employees didn’t even know about, was a swimming pool. When the YMCA had first opened, it had been used as a place for the local swimming clubs and the occasional swimming competition, but now it barely saw any visitors, save for the cleaning staff and the occasional person that came to see if the filtration system still worked. >This would be the perfect place to learn. There were no sharks, it was quiet, and close enough to Anon’s house that he could walk. The Y was open very early and very late as well, so he could go before or after work if he wanted. >The girls grabbed some clothes and their toothbrushes, and they all made their way back toward his truck. All three of them were excited, like they usually were when coming into town, but today was going to be different. >Anon drove to the far end of town, toward an apartment complex. Helping the girls out of the truck, he lead them into the building and up to the second floor. There, a few doors down from the main lobby, was his home. The lock to his door didn’t want to turn --as usual-- but he managed to twist it and open his door, stepping inside and turning on the light. >His apartment wasn’t too much to write home about. Pretty clean, with old, well-used furniture and a flat screen that he had gotten from a guy behind the Walmart. The thing sometimes flickered, but a smack made the picture as good as new. “Well, here it is. You guys can make--” >With a happy squeal, Sonata leapt through the door. She managed to stop just shy of slamming into his coffee table, head darting every which way to take everything in. >“Wow! This is your house, Anon? It’s so big! Is that one of those TVs you talked about. Can you turn it on?! Please-please-please-please?!” >Aria brushed past him. She looked around as well, sniffing the air. “I’m gonna get something to eat,” she said, making her way in the direction of his kitchen. “Do you have any chips here? I want some beer too.” >Sonata jumped over his coffee table, onto his old couch. Finding the remote to his TV, she began pressing buttons until it turned on. Letting out an “Ohhhh!” she continued pressing buttons, changing the channel, turning the volume up and down, and somehow changing the saturation. >From behind him, Anon heard a sigh. “I’m sorry, Anon. I would have left them back at the beach if I could have trusted them to not destroy everything while I was away,” Adagio said, stepping into his apartment. “Honestly, you guys didn’t really need to go through all of this trouble,” Anon said, closing the door behind him. “I could have just picked you up from the beach whenever work was done.” >“No, something as serious as this needs to be handled in a delicate and watchful manner,” the Siren said, shaking her head. “I just hope we don’t inconvenience you too much. I’ll try to make sure these two are on their best behavior while we’re here, but you know how they are.” >Anon opened his mouth to reply, only for Adagio to spin around and pull him into a tight hug. >“Don’t worry, we’ll get through this,” she said, fingers digging into his back. “By the time I’m done with you you’ll be the best swimmer in the sea.” Anon looked down at her, a smile coming to his face. “Thanks, Dagi,” he said, returning the hug. >“No, thank you. Trusting me, trusting us, with something like this means far more than you know.” >The Siren gave him a squeeze before her grip loosened. Her hands slide down his back, right above his butt. She looked up at him, using her biceps to squeeze her breasts together, a grin coming to her face when she caught him peeking. Leaning up, she gave him a kiss, which Anon returned. >The moment was cut short when they heard something breaking in the kitchen. “Hey, why do these boxes have pictures of food on them when there’s just dry shit in it? How do I make it like the food it shows?” >Adagio’s expression soured. Exhaling loudly through her nose, she broke their kiss. Anon couldn’t help but laugh at the look on her face, and in turn the Siren gave his ass a squeeze. “Why don’t I order you guys something to eat? We can put a movie or something on too.” >“I wanna watch another movie about the ocean!” Sonata said. >“I want food,” Aria called from the kitchen, which was immediately followed by something else breaking. >Frowning, Adagio marched toward the kitchen, fists clenched as Anon pulled out his phone. Some pizzas were ordered and Free Willy was put on. Sirens seemed to really like whales --something about them being the “big sisters” of the sea-- so they watched the movie with laser-focused attention. They were so absorbed that they didn’t notice the pizza guy knocking on the door. >The guy seemed annoyed that he had to take five extra-large pizzas up a flight of stairs, but the tip Anon gave him seemed to brighten his mood. He wasn’t even able to place the pizzas onto the counter before the girls were tearing into them. It was fascinating, watching Aria, who must have weighed a hundred and twenty pounds, rip into two pizzas. The sight almost reminded him of watching something on Animal Planet. Adagio snuggled up to him on the couch, feeding him bites of each slice she helped herself to. >Four of the five pizzas were demolished, and an absolutely stuffed Aria was out cold soon after. Sonata was so absorbed in the movie that she barely ate anything. She was very vocal as the movie progressed, and at one point she tried to get up and rush at the screen, only for Adagio to yank her back down onto the couch. >Halfway through the movie, Anon figured now would be as good of a time as any to get some things sorted before him and the girls went to bed. He didn’t want to stay up too late, since he had work in the morning, so he wanted to make sure the girls were comfortable for the hours that he’d be gone. Adagio tried keeping him close, even letting out a throaty growl when he tried to get up, but he eventually managed to wiggle out of her grasp. >Pillows and blankets were pulled out of his closet and set on the lazyboy in the living room. He made sure the bathroom was well stocked with everything that the Sirens would need. He checked his fridge to see if there was anything that they could eat while they he was gone. It was pretty full, but these girls could put away food like no one’s business; if they were staying here for a few days it might not be a bad idea to restock on some things after work. >He cleaned, getting things ready for tomorrow. Somewhere during this the movie ended and Sonata began to complain so loudly that he had to turn on Free Willy 2 for her. He felt like a fussy mom, even putting out a pitcher of water and some glasses in case the girls got thirsty in the middle of the night, but within an hour and some change he had everything ready. “Hey, are you girls alright in there while I take a shower?” he called from his bedroom. >“A shower? What’s that?” Adagio asked. “Did I explain what a bath is yet?” >“I know what a bath is, Anon.” “It’s like that, but standing up. I guess.” >Anon waited for the Siren to respond, only to receive nothing but silence. He shrugged, figuring that she was eating more pizza. He made his way into his room, not completely closing the door in case the girls called out to him, also making sure to keep his bathroom door open as he stepped inside. Humming a tune to himself, he turned on his shower and began to strip. “When the levee breaks… there’s a ton of milkshakes… and everybody’s happy…” >He hopped into the shower, reeling back as cold water hit his bare chest. Darting forward, he twisted the hot water knob. “Fucking…” >The water quickly warmed up, steam filling the bathroom. Placing his head underneath the stream of water, he blindly reached for his shampoo. As he grabbed it, still humming, he heard his bathroom door creak open. He poked his head through the shower curtain, blinking away the water droplets around his eyes, to see Adagio looking around. >“This bathroom is much smaller than the ones you showed us on that screen of yours,” she said, hands on her hips. “Then again, I suppose this is a smaller home yes? Having an overly large anything would take up too much space.” >She looked over at him as he wiped the water from his face. >“Are you naked in there?” “Yes. Yes I am.” >“Oh, so it really is like bathing then?” she asked, looking at the pile of clothes he had near the foot of the shower. “Interesting...” >Reaching back, she tugged at the knot keeping her top on place. “What are you doing?” Anon asked. >“I thought I’d come in here and see what the fuss was about with this whole shower business,” the Siren said. “Is that alright?” Anon blinked. “Yes, yes it is. Absolutely.” >Adagio chuckled, a grin coming to her face as, with a tug, she undid her top. It fell away, revealing her round, full breasts. >“There is enough room for two I hope?” “If there wasn’t I’d make it.” >“Excellent.” >As she began to pull down her swim bottoms, Anon poked his head back into the shower. He looked around, gaze settling on the bottles that he had sitting on a shelf. Would regular soap be okay for her? Her skin was so much different than his; what if it gave her a rash? Maybe he had something laying around in his closet? >As he leafed through them, seeing if he had a bottle of natural ingredient stuff, Adagio gingerly stepped into the shower. He looked over his shoulder at her, then turned fully around, mouth hanging open as he took her in all of her glory. There was a blush on her face, though that didn’t stop her from placing her hands behind her back to give him the best look possible. >Her skin was as flawless as he was expecting, but she wasn’t completely hairless as he thought. There was hair around her groin; the same yellow-ish orange as she had her on head. The longer he stared, the redder Adagio got, until the Siren placed a hand under his chin and forced him to look her in the eye. >“I’m guessing bathing together is seen as intimate?” she asked. “Wah…?” >“I thought so,” Adagio said, smiling. “Good. Now, how does one clean themselves in this shower, and what do you clean yourself with? Hand me something, I want to clean you first.” ---------------------------------------------- Part 5 >Unsurprisingly, there weren’t a lot of roosters in a small fishing town to wake one up in the morning. More often than not, the sun was usually hidden behind a mass of thick clouds as well, meaning that if one didn’t set an alarm they could sleep right till noon without being any wiser. >Anon didn’t need to set an alarm; he hadn’t needed to since he had moved to this apartment. On the other side of the building lived an elderly couple. They were nice, a bit anal and nosey, but pretty okay people, except for one small thing. A small demon lived in their home that was disguised as a chihuahua. The thing was vicious. It would, and did, attack anything and everything. What it couldn’t attack it would try to bark at or piss on. >Every single person in the complex hated this little dog. There had been many attempts to have the old couple get rid of the thing. The owners of the building had been called, there had been a petition had been put on the couples door, there was even an assassination attempt that involved a BB gun and a can of Copenhagen, but it had all failed. >Attacking people and other pets wasn’t that big of a deal, nor was the dog unloading it’s bladder wherever it damn well pleased. These were annoyances, but if that were it most of the residences wouldn’t care that much. What garnered so much hatred for this small, shaking, angry animal was it’s bark. It was impossibly loud for a creature so small, and it was piercing. People at the top floor, blasting music or their TVs, could hear the dog yapping away each time something passed by the couples window. The only ones that seemingly couldn’t hear all the barking were the elderly couple. >The couple liked to wake up at an ungodly hour to take this little monster on a walk. It didn’t matter what time of year or what sort of weather there was outside, they’d always make their way out of the apartment’s front door. The dog, out in the darkness, in the fresh air, would always, without fail, even if there was no one and nothing outside, begin to bark and bark and bark. >It was these hellish barks that roused Anon from a lovely sleep. He groaned, warm and comfortable, and [i]very[/i] unhappy, trying to reach up so he could grab his pillow and throw it at the window, as he did most mornings, when he realized that he couldn’t. Something was wrapped around him. >He cracked open an eye, picking his head up. With a flew blinks, the dim room slowly came into focus. He was in his living room, on his couch. Someone let out an annoyed, sleepy grunt when he tried to sit up. A pair of arms grabbed him, forcing him back down onto the couch. A leg forced itself between his own as the stranger held him close. Both of his eyes snapped open, allowing him to see curly hair springing up from the corner of his vision. There was a sigh in his ear, followed by slow, even breathing. >A few tense seconds passed as Anon tried to figure out just what the hell was going on, when it all came back at once. The Sirens coming back to his house, the girls eating his bodyweight in pizza, Adagio sharing a shower with him. He reached up to the arm holding him in place. Giving it a few light taps, he relaxed. That damned dog was still barking outside, but at least there wasn’t some weird robber trying to molest him. >Adagio mumbled incoherently. Anon could feel her breasts pressing against his back. His shower with the siren had been a blur or kissing and groping, but he couldn’t remember her getting dressed before she had pulled him onto the couch. He carefully reached back to touch her thigh. With some blind groping he confirmed that she wasn’t wearing any underwear, and from the nubs poking his back he guessed that she wasn’t wearing a top either. >A great big proud smile worked its way onto his face as he laid there. Sleeping with the girls back on the beach had been one thing, but he was snuggled up with one of the most beautiful women that he had ever seen in his own home, and [i]she was naked[/i]. It was a little childish to be so happy over something like that, but he honestly couldn’t wait to make an off-handed comment at work. >He heard a creak somewhere in his kitchen. Picking his head up, he could just about make out someone near his fridge. It’s door was opened, casting a light on a tired-looking Sonata. The girl was still wearing her bikini bottom, though it looked like she was wearing one of his shirts. Her and Aria must have slept in his room. >The siren poked her head into his fridge. Poking around a bit, she soon came out with his packet of extra thick bacon. He saw her lick her lips right as she closed the door, bathing the kitchen in darkness once again. He heard, not saw, her opening the packet. “Sonata,” he whispered as loud as he dared. “Don’t go eating that raw. It’ll get you sick.” >No noise came from his kitchen for a solid minute. He was about to say something else, when he heard the patter of footsteps. Sonata made her way out of the kitchen into the living room. She walked over to the couch, looking at him curiously. >“Anon? Are you awake?” she whispered. “I am,” he replied. “Don’t eat bacon that’s not cooked. You’ll get worms.” >The blue hair girl giggled, sitting down on the floor in front of him. “Only fish get worms, you silly,” she said, booping his nose. “And I’m hungry.” “Eat some fruit then.” >“But I don’t want fruit, I want meat!” “I’ll make you something to eat in a little bit,” Anon promised. “You just need to wait until your sister gets up.” >Sonata’s gaze switched from Anon’s face to Adagio, who was still soundly snoozing. She smiled. >“You know, you and Dagi were really going at it last night,” she said with a giggle. “Me and Aria had to sleep in your bedroom." >She leaned forward, grabbing the blanket covering the two and tugging it downward, revealing Anon’s bare chest. Anon immediately yanked it back up, which had her giggling some more. >“Dagi’s really pretty huh?” Sonata asked, leaning forward again so their noses were touching. >Her eyes seemed to glow for a moment, but when Anon blinked that glow was gone. He gave his head a little shake; he must have been seeing things. “All three of you are pretty,” he replied. >Sonata puffed her chest out at the compliment, eyes widening. “You really think so?” “Absolutely. You guys might be three of the most beautiful women--” >“Sirens.” “--[i]Sirens[/i] that I’ve ever met.” >“Well, I think you’re really pretty too,” Sonata said. “I really like your voice too. It sounds so sweet when you sing!” She gave him a sudden peck on the nose. With a happy wiggle, she got onto her knees. Her happy smile morphed into something else as she stared down at him. It was toothier, hungrier. >“I could just eat you [i]up[/i],” she murmured, running her hands down her body. “Dagi was lucky she got to you first. If she hadn’t, I’d be the one snuggled up with you right now.” Sonata winked, cupping her breasts. >“I hope you don’t mind that I wore one of your shirts, Nonners. It’s just so comfortable, and it smells like you.” >She grabbed the bottom of the shirt and slowly began to lift it revealing more and more of her belly. She stopped just short of her boobs, sticking her tongue out at him. >“Do you like them?” she asked, making her tits bounce. “Aria and Dagi might have bigger butts, but I have some big boobs. Aria makes fun of me for them, but she’s just jealous.” >With a tug of the shirt, her breasts popped out. She had been completely topless underneath it, revealing her chest in all of its full glory. If Anon wasn’t being held down, he would have gotten down right onto the floor with her so he could get a better look. >Sonata was right when she said she had a big chest. Her tits were much more than a handful, their weight causing them to hang down her chest, though there wasn’t as much sag as there might have been with a human woman. Her areolas were large and a darkish color, though that might have just been the dim light. >Smiling from ear to ear at his gawking, Sonata pulled the shirt over her head, tossing it behind her. Using the edge of the couch as support, she leaned forward. Anon’s breathing hitched as those heavy globes were pressed against his face. >“Everyone knows the bigger boobs you have the more pups you can feed,” Sonata said, biting her bottom lip. “I think I know just the cutie to help me make a couple pups too, so lucky--” >Anon felt Adagio tense. She lifted her head up. There was a snarl, and Sonata let out a yelp. Boobs were wrenched away as the younger Siren scrambled backward, hitting his coffee table. He felt Adagio ready herself to leap over him to tackle her sister, which no doubt would have destroyed said coffee table along with who knows what else. >In a feat of athleticism that he would never be able to replicate, Anon managed to grab her midleap, hugging her tight to his chest as Sonata scrambled to her feet and raced out of the room. Adagio growled like some animal, thrashing against him, desperately reaching out for the retreating girl. He managed to hold onto her, if barely, pressing his face against her shoulder so she didn’t drive the back of her head into his face. “Easy, easy. Calm down,” he said, holding her as tightly as he could without hurting her. “We don’t need to kill anyone. Count to ten, or a hundred if it makes you feel better. Just calm down enough so you don’t destroy all of my shit…” >Eventually, Adagio stopped thrashing, though her teeth were bared and she was glaring at the doorway her sister had disappeared through. Anon continued to hold her, whispering every calming and comforting thing that he could think of. He could feel her heart pounding in her chest, as well as feel her tense muscles. If he let go of her she would absolutely leap off of the couch and be after Sonata. >The sunlight was starting to creep through his window. Only when it hit Adagio’s face did the Siren finally relax. She let huff, spinning around to face him. Anon was so surprised that his grip loosened, allowing her to break it. She forced him onto his back, straddling him. The blanket covering them fell away, and Anon was reminded that he had been sleeping with a completely naked woman. >She bared her teeth once again, letting out a low growl. “You are [i]mine[/i],” she said. “Before anyone else you are mine. No one will so much as lay a hand on you without my say so.” >She shifted, eyes widening. Anon himself twitched. Sonata’s teasing had awakened his favorite buddy below the belt. As Adagio moved, his little buddy had prodded her inner thigh. For a moment, all of the outrage and fury left Adagio’s face. Her cheeks went a little rosy, and she looked almost lost. The expression was gone as quickly as it had come however, as she cleared her throat and gave him a stern look. >“The other two can have you after me, but not before,” she said, giving him a kiss. “Now hold me.” >She fell forward, forcing his face between her cleavage. Wrapping her arms around his head, she got as comfortable as she could, kissing the top of his head before closing her eyes. Anon, thoroughly confused as to what the heck just happened, just laid there, a nipple threatening to pop into his mouth. “...Alrighty then.” ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ >Most YMCAs--at least most older ones--were worn down, largely abandoned places where one would, nine times out of ten, get ringworm from leaning against something for a bit too long. The Y in Anon’s town was much the same, except for one strange thing. >One of the colleges in the city an hour away had built a big, fancy saltwater pool pump. It was supposedly state of the art, and very expensive. Somehow, through the school’s stupidity most people suspected, the pump had found itself at their Y. The Y’s owner had been really proud of the thing; there had even been a whole weekend event for it. The town went to the Y and played in the Olympic swimming pool for a few weeks, only to quickly grow bored of it. Other than the water tasting like stale sea water, there wasn’t much difference between it or a chlorine pump, other than it might have been just a hair louder while it was running. Within a year, it was mostly forgotten about, much to the owner’s disappointment. Other than a few classes or the odd swimming lesson, the pool was empty most days. >The woman that sat behind the counter was actually shocked when Anon and the Sirens said they wanted to use it. After Anon changed --the girls just wore their normal bikinis-- all four of them stepped out into the pool. The girls seemed fascinated with the tiles under their feet, as well as how dark it was. Sonata commented on how high the ceiling was, while Adagio commented that the water “smelled wrong.” >Both girls kept a wide berth from the pool itself, instead exploring the area around the pool. It was Aria that jumped into the deep end, swimming from one end of the poor to the other faster than a person could count to three. She did a few more quick laps of the pool before coming up at the shallow end where Anon sat at the edge of the pool, just his feet in the water and a pair of cheap goggles sitting on his head. >“It's a bit small, but it’ll do for now,” she said. “Come on, let's start.” Anon made absolutely no move to get into the water, hands in his lap. “Should, uh, I stretch or something before we start?” >“You’ll warm up in here. Now come on.” “How come the others aren’t swimming too?” >“Because I’m the best at swimming out of the three of us, and having too many people trying to teach you isn’t going to get you anywhere,” Aria said, grabbing his arm and giving it a tug. “Now quit with the questions and get in here. I wanna see what I’m working with.” He didn’t move an inch, eyeing the deep end. “Aria? I’m not gonna lie. I’m looking at how the water looks darker at the end of the pool and it’s freaking me out.” >“It’s eight feet deep!” Aria said, face scrunching up. “I know. That’s plenty deep for a shark to be hiding.” >“Sharks? In your dinky little pool.” “Ah, yeah. A big great white.” >“There’s no stupid shark in the pool, and even if there was I’d be able to beat the hell out of it before it did anything to you.” >With a hard yank, the Siren pulled him into the water. Anon shouldn’t help but let out a gasp as the lukewarm water hit his belly. He went ramrod stiff, hands close to his sides as Aria smiled. >“There, see? That wasn’t so bad was it?” “It is.” >Aria’s smile disappeared. “Would it make you feel any better if I did one more lap to show you that they’re no sharks in this dumb pool.” Anon gave a few jerky nods. “Yes please.” >Rolling her eyes, Aria sunk into the water and took off with a powerful kick. She made sure to cover every inch of the pool, from top to bottom. She then pulled herself up out of the pool, sitting down at the edge of the deep end. >“No sharks, not even a baby one. Now swim on over here,” she said, gesturing toward him. “Swim? If I could swim you wouldn’t need to be giving me any lessons,” Anon retorted. >“You can flail can’t ya? Now come on, I want to see what I’m working with.” >Sonata, who had somehow gotten a hold of some pool noodles, piped up. “Whooo! Come on Anon, you can do it!” >Anon’s chest puffed out. He took a deep breath, putting on his goggles, only to immediately take them off and dunk them into water when they fogged up. He put them back on, pulling on the elastic band and letting it snap against the back of his head. >“Come on, you big baby,” Aria called. >Taking in as much oxygen as he could, Anon fell forward. As soon as his face hit the water, he winced as he felt it trying to go up his nose. He exhaled hard through his nose, sending bubbles up around his face. This caused his goggles to somehow go askew, which meant water slowly began to fill them up. Undeterred, he started to flail his arms and kick. >It was slow going, far slower than it should have been. With all of the splashing, Anon couldn’t see all that well in front of him, but he swam as hard as he could, stopping every few seconds to take a desperate breath. He didn’t notice the end of the pool until it was right in front of him. He quickly popped his head out of the water with a gasp, desperately reaching for the tiled floor above, trying to pull himself out of the water, only to stop halfway and just lay his head down as relief filled him. Face dripping with water, he looked up. “How… was that?” >Sonata and Adagio had stopped their exploring. Sonata had dropped her pool noodles. Each of the Sirens were looking at him in utter horror. Aria, being closest to him, looked as if she wanted to recoil. Were it not for the whirling of the salt water filter, the pool would have been deadly silent. >“...What the fuck was that?” Aria said, though each word sounded forced. “What? You wanted me to swim so I swam,” Anon replied. >“[i]That[/i] wasn’t swimming. I don’t know what in the seven seas that was, but it wasn’t swimming!” “I did my best!” >“I’ve been pups, [i]babies[/i] that have more sense in the water than you. What the heck were you even doing with your arms? It looked like you were trying to drown yourself but you were doing a bad job!” “I don’t know! I don’t know how to swim!” >Aria opened her mouth to ridicule him more, but Adagio loudly cleared her throat. The younger Siren looked at her sister, who gave her a stern glare. She frowned, turning her attention toward the now red-faced and embarrassed man. >“I didn’t think I’d have to teach you [i]everything[/i], but that looks like how it’s going to be, Leviathan help me,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Get your butt back toward the shallow end. We got a long day ahead of us.” ---------------------------------------------- Part 6 >“Stop your freaking rocking. Just stay still. Don’t fight the water. There’s a lot more of it; you won’t win.” >Aria had a hand on Anon’s chest and the small of his back, holding onto him as he floated around the pool. Anon’s googles were foggy and half-filled with salt water. His heart was pounding in his chest, both from his exercising and because right now there might have been a shark underneath him ready to pounce. Adagio and Sonata had left the pool an hour ago, making the brief walk back to his apartment. Both girls had wanted to watch more movies, and Sonata said something about pizza, meaning that him and Aria were alone in the pool. >The middle Siren had been a diligent and thorough, if a bit crabby, teacher. When she had said she wanted to start at the beginning she had meant it. Their first hour in the pool had just been her teaching him how to hold his breath in the water. When she found out that he couldn’t hold it anywhere near as long as she could--almost fifteen minutes to his one minute-- she then pivoted to working on breathing, which morphed into how limber his body was, which then turned into what they were doing now. >Anon could hear Aria kicking. They must have been in the deep end of the pool. The thought made him want to roll over and doggy paddle to whatever edge was closest as fast as he could. He actually did try to turn, but Aria was much stronger than she looked, holding him in place with little effort on her part. >“Quit your squirming, or I swear on the Seas that I’ll dunk you again. Just keep floating a little longer.” >Anon could barely heard her with his head in the water, just the sound of moving water and that stupid pump. He nodded, looking up at the ceiling, trying to steady his breath. Other than the threat of death by shark, this might have been the most relaxing part of his training today. He liked the feeling of floating on top of water, how his body gently rose and fell as the water itself moved. >Aria said something else, and he could feel himself being moved to the other end of the pool. He didn’t dare move until, with a frown, she gave his shoulders a pat. Cautiously, he reached down with a foot and, feeling concrete, immediately scrambled to a standing position. He ripped off his goggles, throwing them as hard as he could, and started to wipe his face clear of water and salt. Aria just watched with her arms crossed, trying very hard not to smile. >“It looks like you can float. I’m surprised,” she said. “Har, har, har,” Anon replied, sticking his tongue out at her. “Man, I need to get a better pair of goggles. Those were awful.” >“I don’t know why you needed those things at all.” “I can’t see in the water without goggles.” >“It looked like you couldn’t see with them,” Aria said, nudging him as she made her way toward the pool’s edge. “Come on, we’re going back to your place.” >With a grunt, she pulled herself out of the water. As Anon made his way toward the edge she offered him a hand, pulling him out of the water with a grunt as he took it. Dripping wet and exhausted, Anon followed the Siren as she walked down the length of the pool. He was about to make his way into the men’s locker room so he could rinse the saltwater off, but as he turned heel Aria grabbed his arm, dragging him along with her. “What are you doing?” he asked. >“I need to get this gross water off of me,” Aria explained. “Well, so do I.” >“Exactly. That’s why you’re coming with me.” “I can’t. If someone--” >“Don’t care.” “But if--” >“Nope. You’re coming with me,” Aria said with a shake of her head, her grip on him tightening. “Now get your butt moving.” >She half led, half dragged him into the women’s locker room. Thankfully, it seemed empty as they made their way toward the back, where there was a wall of ancient showers. >Aria let go of his hand to pull off her top and bunch it into her hand. She tossed it into an open locker as she walked by. Anon kept his gaze toward the other end of the locker room, ready to hide if someone poked their head in. He heard the Siren turning on one of the showerheads, then another, then another. He heard her grumbling to herself, the pitter-patter of her footsteps as she walked around on the wet tiled floor. >She tapped his shoulder. When he didn’t turn toward her fast enough, she tapped him more firmly, loudly clearing her throat. He finally turned to see that her swim bottoms were now nowhere to be seen, her hands on her wonderfully large hips. >Even though he had seen more than his fair share of nude Siren women lately, he couldn’t help but gawk. Aria was the biggest out of her sisters. She was well-muscled, but not overly so, with just a hint of a six pack. He looked her up and down for a few moments, before forcing his gaze up to her face. Though her hands were still on her hips, there was a smile on her face. >“Come on, get those shorts off,” she said, tugging at the waistband of his swim trunks. >Anon’s trunks came off in a flash, which had her chuckling. She turned away, giving him a good look at her big, toned bubble butt. Stepping into the stream of water, she began to run her fingers through her hair. The warm water hit her face and chest, making her flawless skin flush after a minute or so. Eyes closed, she gestured toward the running shower right next to her. Anon shook his head, stepping into the stream. “You know, we don’t have soap or anything,” he said. >Aria shrugged. “Eh, it’s fine. I just wanted to rinse off. Besides, I don’t like your soap that much. The kind you got us the other week gave me a rash. You need to try some of our soap.” "You guys make soap?” Anon asked, looking over at her. >Aria had leaned forward, allowing the water to run down her back as she shook the water out of her hair. >“Of course we make soap. We might not be as fancy as you humans, but we need to stay clean too,” she said, standing up and stepping away from the stream of water. “Though saying you guys are clean might be a bit of a stretch. Even this water smells wrong.” Anon shrugged. “There’s a lot of us, and I guess we’re working on it. You’ll need to get me some of that Siren soap though. I wanna try it.” >“Sonata is the one that makes it for the three of us, but you won’t have to worry about it. You’ll get some soap. Hopefully it’ll make you swim better.” She reached over to poke his side. “All that weird soap made your skin rough. That’s why you float in the water wrong.” “I don’t think soap has anything to do with my skin being so “rough”,” he replied. “I think that’s just something that happens to people. I know fishermen around town with hands so rough from pulling fishing nets they’re like sandpaper.” >“I don’t believe you.” “I wouldn’t believe me either.” >Anon turned away from the stream. Wiping his face, he looked up to see the Siren eyeing him up, though her gaze was mostly focused southward. It took some effort not to cover himself. “Hey, you mind answering a question for me?” he asked. >Aria looked up at him. She said nothing, just raising an eyebrow. He took that as an invitation. “So, I don’t know if you heard this morning, but your big sister said that I was hers.” >“I didn’t hear her say that, but I know what you’re talking about.” He nodded. “Okay. You mind explaining that a bit?” >“Not much to explain,” Aria replied, taking a step toward him. “You’re ours.” “Like married or something?” >“A marriage can be ended. You are ours. There’s a big difference.” >Aria took another step toward him so that their bodies touched. She wrapped an arm around him, reaching down to give his butt a squeeze, which made him jump. She laughed, pressing him backward until he was pinned to the wall. >“You are one of our pack now,” she continued. “Sea willing, we’ll have a bunch of little ones swimming up and down the coast.” “That’s… pretty fast,” Anon said. “I mean… just like that?” >“You seemed pretty comfortable sleeping with us at the beach,” the Siren said. “You weren’t running from Adagio last night or this morning either.” >Seeing the expression on his face, she frowned. >“What? Is this weird for you humans or something?” “Oh yeah,” he replied. “Very, very weird. It’s a lot to take in too, if I’m being honest..” >For a second, the Siren looked lost, maybe even a little worried. She quickly composed herself with a cough, looking away. >“You should have asked Adagio about this. She’s a lot better at talking and explaining things than I am.” “When we get back to my place I think I might.” >An awkward silence fell between the two. Aria took a few steps back, biting her bottom lip. >“Are.. you mad?” she asked quietly. “Mad? No, absolutely not. You girls are really, really beautiful. Having three women like you wanting someone like me is the dream. If I didn’t know you three were from a different world I’d think this was some trick to steal my kidneys or something.” >Anon took a deep breath, loudly exhaling through his nose. “It’s just a lot to process. I need to sort feelings out that I didn’t think I’d be feeling standing naked in a Y. I’m not mad. I’m really not, I just need to think for a few days.” >Aria nodded, rubbing her arm. She took a step toward him. Keeping her gaze glued to the floor, she began to hum a tune. It was quiet, barely audible over the sound of running water. The sound stirred something in the young man, and he started to sing. “Just a small town girl… living in a lonely world…” >The Siren joined in, her voice perfectly synchronizing with his. Their song grew louder and louder until the two were belting out each word. The longer they sang Anon could feel...something. A strange sensation, as if the air itself were vibrating all around him. He started swaying with their song, which then turned into a dance. Without skipping a beat, Aria began dancing with him. >The two made their way from one end of the shower to the other in perfect step. Aria’s deep purple eyes stared deep into his. They were close to each other, almost touching but never quite. He could almost feel her warm, soft body. She still smelled like salt and the sea. Not able to help himself, he reached out and pulled her close. Aria’s delight was immediate, her face lighting up as she hugged him. Anon could feel her heart pounding in his chest. His heart was almost beating a mile a minute as she rested her head against his shoulder. >Everything disappeared. He could no longer hear the running water, or feel the wet tiles, or feel the slight chill in the air. There was just Aria and her song. He almost laughed; no wonder there were so many stories about Sirens luring men astray. “Hiding somewhere… in the niiiiight…” >They stopped in the middle of the shower room. Both were breathing hard as they stared at each other. Aria smiled, her head cocking to the side. >“You know, Adagio said I could give you a handy today if you were okay with it, maybe have your cute little face between my legs,” she said, sliding a finger across his belly. “Said that it was my reward for teaching you." >Her hand dipped lower, making him suck in a lungful of air. “I’d like to see your face when I do things to you none of your human woman would ever think of doing. I’d take you again and again and again until you could barely move, then I’d take you again. I bet your moans are as sweet as your singing.” >She shook her head, stepped away from him. >“Not here though. I don’t want to do anything with you in a cold, empty room where I can’t hear the ocean or feel the breeze. Maybe when I think you’re good enough to practice out on real water, but not till then.” >She sauntered away, looking over her shoulder at him. >“That means you need to get good real quick, alright? I don’t want to take too many dips in that nasty water out there." >Anon, still breathing hard, just nodded. Aria gave a nod of her own, grinning. >“And hey, I might not be good at explaining things like Adagio, I saw something interesting last night on that picture box of yours that you might enjoy. It seemed a bit weird to me, but the men watching really liked it. Might change your mind about coming to the sea with us.” >She arched her back, raising her hands above her head. Winking at him, she began to bounce in place. Her ass jiggled and shook with each bounce, her cheeks clapping together. The sound was loud enough to echo throughout the locker room. When she saw Anon’s jaw would need to be picked off the floor she laughed, making her way toward the lockers. >“Come on, help me find out where the heck I threw my top. I wanna get back to your place and eat pizza.”