A Time to Celebrate [Open]

The temperatures were up even as the sun was setting on Manta Carlos. Businesses were stocking up and readying themselves for the first full transition from the winter months to the spring. Balconies and outdoor sections that were once closed were cleared, cleaned, and ready to take on an influx of people who wanted to enjoy the warm air under rouge sky. In a week or two, business would even out again, but this would be the first rush of people celebrating the warmer temperatures by getting out of their houses, getting out of their stuffy winter clothes, and having some fun in friends. Such excitement and energy begged the question of why anyone supposedly liked the winter months.

For Lelei, there were other reasons to go out to the bars and clubs other than the changing of the seasons. The Deep One had been handled with some help from some compatriots, and his exile from his home kingdom had been rescinded. Everything was on the upswing for him, and he wanted to indulge himself as a celebration.

Manta Carlos was home to a multitude of establishments for young people to hang out in and enjoy themselves, from bars to clubs to lounges, and each one having a multitude of different niche businesses for anyone's particular taste. Like everyone else, though, Lelei wanted some place that had a nice outdoor section. One of the most hoppin' places in Manta Carlos, and the place that Lelei chose to venture to, was a bar situated on prime beach real estate with a large outdoor section right on the sand. People could dance, drink, hang out, and be merry while the waves lapped just beyond the property. Torches lit up the beach and speakers kept the atmosphere lively. It was great.

Lelei was thankful that the general populace of Manta Carlos thought almost nothing of unusual people. There were a few glances at the giant shark man in the Hawaiian shirt, but nothing note worthy. He could enjoy himself, have a drink, and watch the cute boys that had come out in their swim trunks for the beach. That was another reason Lelei went to that particular bar. The place was not necessarily a gay bar, but it attracted that kind of clientele. So he thought that maybe he could find a nice boy to celebrate with, or just have some nice lean eye candy to ogle at. For once, he was not hesitant about his proclivities.

The evening was passing smoothly and quietly, for Lelei. Though he had yet to be approached by anyone, nor had he gone out of his way for someone, he was still enjoying the atmosphere and letting himself relax in the open air. A good time did not necessarily have to be one where he danced his troubles away or whisked away some body. A good time for Lelei, as it was then, could have simply been some good drinks in a good place with good people. In this particular case, Lelei might have been indulging a few too many good drinks. He had not been keeping track of his glasses and he could begin to feel the buzz start to kick in. Other people could tell too as the tips of his fins began to turn a rosy pink.

Taking another drink (whiskey), Lelei's eyes scanned over the gathered crowds to see if he saw anything he liked. The scan was success and he grinned at the sight of a few good looking boys. Then he did a double take. A signal went off in his head, the one that meant he saw a familiar face, or thought he did anyway.

After a moment of re-scanning, he spotted a rugged-looking man farther down the bar. The name escaped him, and he was only mildly sure that he wasn't confusing him with someone else. But the man was staring at Lelei, and that was enough to convince him that they did know each other or something. Standing up with a slight wobble and a glass in his hand, Lelei made his way to the man.

"Heeeey... Do I know you from somewhere?"

To some, it might have looked like Lelei had finally found someone to hit on. While Leeroy was definitely a handsome man, Leeroy was also definitely not Lelei's type. For one, too hairy. For two, there were already others in the bar that occupied that particular slot in Lelei's head.

"Do you work at the Academy?"

The moment the man mentioned physical education, everything clicked and Lelei clearly remembered seeing him multiple times in the gymnasium or out on the track with other students. Lelei literally snapped his fingers as the light bulb lit up in his head, and he nodded as everything started to come back to him. There was some oddness to seeing faculty outside of the Academy, but also totally expected. Even working adults needed a little leisure time too. Lelei being a second example at the bar.

"Right. Right. Now I remember. Sorry about not picking that up immediately."

Lelei glugged at his whiskey glass. It was rather impossible for him to sip drinks because of the way his head and mouth were shaped, and it affected his alcohol consumption as a result. It hardly helped that, in order for him to even hold a glass, the glass had to be of the larger variety instead of the typical short, stout whiskey glass that everyone else was using.

Turning around, Lelei leaned back against the edge of the bar next to Leeroy, doing little to hide the fact that he was scanning the crowd. But not before he extended a large hand for a shake.

"I'm Lelei and, yeah, I'm head of campus security. So what brings you around these parts? Leisure or pleasure?"

It seemed both men had the same qualities regarding their exteriors. Leeroy was a hairy, cowboy-looking man with a soft voice and surprisingly small presence. Lelei was a giant, intimidating shark man with an eye for civil discourse and pretty boys. Life had given both of them bodies and appearances that were extremely masculine, strong, and imposing. But they had also both developed personalities and attitudes that were somewhat at odds with the way they looked. The comparison made them an interesting pair to find together in a bar and club.

"Oh? Nothing catches your eye?"

Their contrasts layered more interest upon them. If Lelei had eyebrows, they would have been raised in mild surprise at Leeroy's response. As far as Lelei was concerned, they were both handsome and attractive men. So why was only Lelei interested in actually doing some attracting? It seemed almost strange to know that Leeroy was not into pursuing a lovely companion, at least when compared to Lelei's own appetites.

Leeroy at least seemed aware of the difference as he pointed to the group Lelei had been ogling. It was a group of about four young men who were very obviously of the clubbing variety, and of Lelei's persuasion. One in particular had grabbed Lelei's attention the most: a lithe little blond boy with short hair and a noticeable curve in his hips. The boy had a definite feminine build, with nice hips and thighs and lean limbs. He was decked-out in the most club-ish outfit of the four, sporting extremely tight jeans that rode low on his hips, showing off exactly how hairless his body was, and he wore a glorified napkin/bandanna for a shirt that succeeded in only covering his chest. Lelei could not stop watching the way the boy's butt held in his jeans.

"... Yeah~"

Lelei apparently had no inclination to hide his staring from Leeroy. It did take a moment for Lelei to realize that Leeory was saying other things too.

"To both. It's my day off and I'm checking out that sweet little blond thing over there..."

His light chuckling was cut short by the mention of the sickness.

"Sickness? What are you talking about? Is something bad going around the school?"

Lelei did find Leeroy's reaction to be strange, and not the kind of strange that indicated that Leeory was attracted women rather than cute boys. His reaction was muted and overtly neutral, showing no clear preference for anything at all. While finishing off his own glass of whiskey, Lelei kept an eye on Leeroy's expression and noticed a hint of awkwardness, and perhaps even shame or embarrassment.

As much as Lelei wanted to respect the man's own opinions and preferences, he could not completely wrap his head around the idea that he was just not attracted to anyone ever. It seemed like an impossibility considering all the people he probably met in his life. There were so many different kinds of people with different looks and feels. How was it that he had not found even one that tickled his fancy? Lelei thought, however foolishly, that maybe Leeory just needed someone to help him along in that department.

Perhaps after they talked and drank a bit more.

"That sounds terrible. At least it's passed now, right? So all's well that ends well, or however that goes."

Lelei was honestly impressed with how long Leeroy had been on the island. Maybe it was just Lelei's own relative newness to the island, but it always felt like everyone was always new or recently arrived. Actually living and making a life on the island seemed like something in the near future, and not something anyone had achieved yet.

"Tell me about it. I haven't been here nearly that long and I'm already pretty used to all the shenanigans around here. Not to mention, most people have gotten used to ME."

He motioned to himself, showing the obvious. Despite the fact that he wore a Hawaiian shirt and shorts that screamed "tourist", there was no way of hiding that he was still a giant shark man. As for why he chose the outfit, he liked the designs and they fit him without too much re-tailoring.

"It's nice. Makes it easier to approach to people without scaring them off."

Case in point, the little blond boy's eyes finally met Lelei, and Lelei gave him a knowing nod. The boy smiled and giggled as he turned back to his friends and started talking. Now they all knew Lelei was scoping him out.