When Sean woke up, he inhaled loudly and pushed himself up onto all fours to stretch. He couldn't believe he had fallen asleep in an area that he didn't see as safe. You fell asleep like that in the Slums and people tended to take shit from you. Rubbing a hand over his sides, he instinctively checked for stitched up cuts. The thought of losing pieces of himself was frightening. The sound of crunching drew his attention to the side of the pool. There Al was standing in the water with the crawdad pot in his hands. Hefting the pot, Al tilted it to dump crawdads into his mouth. As Al chewed, his eyes locked with Sean's shaken up ones. Swallowing, Al set his pot down, asking curiously. "You alright, Cher? Bad dream?" Sean dropped his arm from his ribs, breathlessly answering. "Ya... Something like that... Where's Nate?" Al swam closer, folding his arms over the edge of the pool as he purred out in a gentle tone. "Over there." Sean looked to the far end of the pool to see Nate sleeping on the edge farther down.

Sean relaxed, listening to Al ask him in a deep voice full of concern. "Something happen to ya? I know the look." Sean sat back on his legs, mumbling out. "Don't worry about it. I'm handling it." Al huffed sarcastically, retorting seriously. "Are you though? I can smell the fear beneath those thick pheromones of yours." Sean rubbed his collarbone anxiously, glancing around before discreetly admitting. "I... I'll be alright." Al propped his jaws up on his hand, chuckling out. "I'm sure you will be. You're a survivor. Like me. Want some advice though?" Sean rolled his eyes but looked at him with fragile eyes as he uttered out. "Sure..." Al lowered his hand, his eyes gleaming with an intense confidence as he growled out lightly. "Life is never going to stop trying to bring you to your knees. The strong survive and the weak feed the strong. It's life's grand test. You can hide and lick your wounds... Or you can free yourself of pain and keep chasing the sun without looking back."

Sean licked his lips, asking him curiously. "Did something happen to you?" Al hefted a heavy sigh, before admitting coolly. "I wasn't always a Pet. I was born and raised in the Bayou by my mother. She was brought here by people that wanted to save her kind from extinction since our planet was dying. Poachers killed her for her albino skin when I was ten. They were going to kill me too... took a harpoon to the shoulder..." Al rolled his shoulder back to reveal a glossy scar that was barely visible against his tan scaly skin. Sean shifted to put his legs in the water to face him better, upon saying softly. "That must have been awful... How did you get away?" Al grabbed the pool edge on either side of Sean's legs, his eyes lost in a distant memory when he answered coolly. "I'm still not sure. I remember thrashing and snapping at them. Tasting blood and being stabbed. The boat sank as I pulled free of them and I swam as fast as I could into the depths of the murky water. I remember not being ok... Feeling afraid and alone." Sean put a hand on one of Al's hands, feeling them shake a little.

Al's nails clawed at the tile though, his hand steadying as he lifted his head up to look at him. Giving him a warm smile, he told him coolly. "I remember rising from the water to see a young human woman playing a fiddle on this little dock. Grandma-ma. She told me once that I tried to eat her... That I chased her to the house in a crazed state. I don't remember that... She laughs when she tells me that what saved her was her cooking. Crawdads. She tossed them to me from the kitchen window until I calmed down. She took care of me. I became apart of her family. And as I got into my teens... Her son took an interest in me." Sean smirked and Al nudged his arm with a hand to tell him seriously. "I still have nightmares of that night. It reminds me everyday how lucky I am to be alive. How powerless I was... How afraid... but I'm not that kid anymore. I'm not alone. I survived. My skin is thicker, I'm stronger and I'm wiser now. Life tested me and I came out stronger. So, when Grandma-ma's husband was killed by poachers wanting her house... I KILLED them."

Al's hands moved to Sean's hips, pulling him into the water before purring over his shoulder and into his ear confidently. "You're a survivor. Own it. You can't win every fight... but you can put up one hell of a fight. Don't forget that." Al sank in the water and Sean straightened up, chuckling out. "Is that why you've taken such an interest in me?" Al smirked wickedly, before casually telling him. "You Slum dogs have no fear. You fight when you should flee. I can respect that. Everyone fears looking at me... You look me in the eyes, and you kept your word despite thinking I was really going to eat you. Crazy kid..." Sean blushed, bowing his head to look at the water. Al's hand rose from the water to hand him the mask, telling him sweetly. "You don't have to like being a Pet... but I'd like to call ya a close friend of mine." Sean accepted the mask from him, smiling as he looked up and said honestly. "We already are." Al chuckled, helping to put the mask on him. The mask fit snug to him and made breathing above water hard.

Al put his hands on his shoulders, pushing him slowly down into the water. The second the mask was submerged it was far easier to breathe. Sinking below the water with him, Al became harder to see in the murkiness of it, but he looked far more alive under the water. Swimming around him slowly, Al ran a hand over his skin like he liked the feeling of him under the water. Reaching out, Sean touched Al's body as he circled him to do the same. As rough as Al's body felt above water, his body felt so smooth beneath the water. It was still tough, but as soft as skin now. Al playfully tugged on his ankles to coax him into trying to swim with him. Sean turned over onto his stomach, stretching out his arms and legs to swim as best as he could. The mask worked great. The only thing he didn't like was that his eyes couldn't see as well as Al clearly could. Al swam leisurely above him. Al didn't have to use his arms or legs to swim. His long thick tail propelled him, and he just had to slither his body through the water. Sean was jealous. At the wall of the pool, Al twisted into a barrel roll and headed back toward him in a fluid graceful motion.

Sean marveled at how flexible Al was in the water. For a big guy, he was majestic in the water. Swimming back to him, Al reached out to wrap his arms around him and started to spin with him. Sean squealed behind the mask as Al spun him so fast that he was very disoriented to where the floor and surface was when he released him. Al swam away from him, then came back chuckling so loudly that he could feel the vibrations in the water. Al would just seem to vanish if he got too far from him in the water. It was fascinating and terrifying. It didn't seem possible to lose sight of something as big as Al in a pool. Swimming across the floor, Al grabbed Sean's legs and pulled him down to pin him gently across the floor. Sean blushed a bright red, unable to stop Al from pinning his wrists to the floor above his head. He could just spread his legs wide enough to hook around Al's waist. Al laid over him, looking off to the side to lick his tongue up his raised thigh. Sean relaxed against the floor, watching Al. It made sense to him why Al wanted him underwater so much now.

Al was more confident underwater. He wasn't afraid of his skin being too rough or his weight crushing him. Al let out a throaty purr that vibrated the water as he affectionately licked and nuzzled him. Sean giggled loudly as Al's tongue flicked over his feet and between his toes. The more he squealed and thrashed, the more turned on Al got. When Al got hard enough that he had to rise off Sean to adjust, Al loosened his grip and tried to leave. Sean sat up, grabbing Al's shoulder to stop him. For a second Al was confused, until Sean swallowed and reached between his legs to touch him. Al quivered from the contact, shyly backing up a bit. Sean couldn't get his hand around Al's extremely smooth shaft. He knew he couldn't handle him... but he thought maybe he could learn how to play with Al like everyone kept playing with him. Bubbles rushed out of Al's nose as he exhaled heavily. Sean felt so nervous. Was he doing good? He just couldn't tell. Al pushed Sean back across the floor before too long though.

Drifting back off him, Al took Sean's legs and pulled them together up against his chest. Sean's eyes widened, thinking Al was going to try entering him. Instead, Al laid over the backs of his legs, licking his feet as he wedged his cock between Sean's thighs. Pinning Sean's wrists down with one hand, Al held tightly to his legs and started thrusting against him. Sean giggled, hating how much Al was tickling his feet. Eventually, Al stopped licking him, angling Sean's legs better. Sean arched his back a bit, thankful that he was flexible enough to support Al's weight in this position. This time when Al thrusted, Sean moaned loudly. Al's cock was positioned now to slide over his already hard cock from the damn cock ring. It seemed to be an accident as first, but with an evil grin... Al started to do it deliberately. Sean didn't bother hiding his moans. He figured they'd be muffled by the water and mask anyway. Al's cock slid between his thighs and across his stomach. Above him, Al's jaws opened, and air bubbles rushed from him as he got more into it.

Sean worried that Al would get rough, but he didn't. His pace stayed steady and controlled. Al lowered his head, dragging his tongue up across Sean's chest and neck. Sean's body quivered and tingled, the pressure building between his legs as Al thrusted into him more demandingly. Sean started to wonder what Al would do when he'd ejaculate, when Al shoved himself off of him and grabbed his own cock. Sean slowly sat up, watching Al ride out a dry orgasm before releasing his cock. Sean narrowed his eyes on Al and flicked him off. Al grinned, laughing loudly. Sean started to head for the surface when Al grabbed him and told him discreetly in the water. "Sorry. I'm a bit sex crazed after getting laid for the first time. I didn't hurt you, did I?" Sean shook his head a little startled. Al had been a virgin when he first met him? It didn't seem possible with how much skill he had. Al helped him to the surface and began unstrapping his mask. For moment they both blushed at each other over what happened between them, before a Valkyrie approached the pool with replacement sheer clothing for both himself and Nate.

The Valkyrie set the clothing down, telling Al promptly. "Your Master is down by the track. He wants to know if you'll be joining the race this evening?" Al nodded to the Valkyrie, asking Sean hopefully. "Will you be racing? I've got to warn you though... It won't just be me this time. You'll have a lot of skilled racers in this one." Sean ignored his aching cock to state out stubbornly. "I don't care. I want my rematch." Al swatted his back, chuckling out. "Better get dressed then. Cause I plan to keep my title." Al swam to the edge hefting himself out to retrieve his own clothes. Nate was up now, snacking on some of the crawdads as he asked them rather smugly. "You guys have fun down there... Saw a lot of bubbles." Sean avoided Nate's eyes as he climbed out, saying a little embarrassed. "We were just... Doesn't matter. Want to race?" Nate picked up a set of clothes, watching the Valkyrie walk away as he answered sarcastically. "Are Valkyries made of metal?" Sean laughed, high fiving Nate as they quickly got dressed.

Sean hated that his hard on was visible through the sheer black shorts, but he wasn't going to let it keep him from racing. Al picked up the pot of crawdads to hold under one of his arms. Snapping his teeth on a cigarette, he pulled a lighter out and flicked it on using his shorts. Snapping the lighter shut, he put it away and chuckled out. "You guys ever been in a team race?" Nate pull his shirt on, scuffing out smugly. "All races in the Slums are team races." Al raised an eyebrow, then told them casually. "Really? So, you're accustomed to losing a match if any of your teammates don't cross when you do?" Both Nate and Sean nervously looked at each other. That wasn't what they were used too. Their races were tallied by the combined points of your team. Usually whoever got first won because the first place points were enough that even their slowest racer added to it with their low score. Al let out a throaty chuckle, mumbling out to himself. "I take that as a no. This should be fun."

Following Al out, Sean questioned him all about the race eagerly. Al lead them to the stairs to go outside, informing them calmly. "There are four people per team. They have to cross shortly after each other. If not, they lose. In cases of ties, points are tallied. If even one of your team members wipes out... Your whole team is eliminated." They started making their way down the stairs of the track, while Sean asked him hopefully. "You got a team together?" Al tilted his head, chuckling out. "Why? You looking to replace them?" Sean puffed his chest up, confidently replying as he shrugged. "I would." Al raised and eyebrow, looking to Nate as he asked curiously. "What do you race, Cher?" Nate lifted his chin to proudly say. "I'm a Tech racer." Al looked lost in thought for a minute, before he told him with a grin. "Two Techs, a Speed and an Impact racer. Sounds like a challenge. Why not?" Al continued walking as Sean asked him curiously. "Who is your other Tech racer?" Al pointed to a young man walking along the railing just before the track.

Sean grinned, watching Ricky wave to Al. Beside him, Nate discreetly asked him. "That guy has cat ears and a tail..." Sean patted Nate, comforting him as he said. "Ya. He's a Slum dog from the Barbed Rose gang... He was modified into a... him. His name is Ricky. Be nice." Nate winced, mumbling out softly. "Didn't we destroy his gang to turn the place into the Green Dragon territory?" Sean nodded, discreetly answering. "Yes." Ricky crouched on the railing as they approached, chuckling out. "Well, you're still alive, I see." Sean rolled his eyes, then noticed that Ricky wouldn't look Al in the eyes as he said hello to him. Al ignored Ricky, setting down his pot of crawdads on a stadium seat. Sean followed his eyes to a burly human man that was bent over the engine of a truck on the track. The man was wearing overalls that were stained in oil and paint. The man's muscular tan arms were almost as big as Al's and his white tank top fit snug to his broad hairy chest.

While bent over the engine, the man yelled out to the driver. "Try it now!" The engine started and puttered before finally kicking over into a roar. Dropping the hood, the man wiped his hands on his pants and stated out. "I told you. You've got to keep the filters clean or you'll clog the air to the engine. It'll overheat!" Al removed his cigarette, flicking it to the ground to step on it with his clawed foot. Then dropping down to all fours, Al started to run straight for the man! Sean gawked at how fast Al was on all fours. Pets screamed and dashed away from him as he hissed at them and kept running for the man. The man just looked in his direction, when Al slid to a sudden stop and rose to grab the man in a powerful hug. The man laughed loudly, trying to fight the way Al was trying to muscle him to the ground. After a short wrestling match, the man led Al back to the rest of them. Sean didn't know who this man was, until Al told him and Nate with an adorable purr. "Guys, this is my Master Frank. He's the mechanic that fixed up your bike."

Frank extended a hand out to shake Sean's hand, saying happily in a lighter Cajun accent voice than Al's. "You must be Sean. Al's told me a lot about you. And I've seen you race. You're good. Not many can give Al a run for his money. I've seen what you did to your bike too. Quite impressive. Had me taking notes. I didn't think that model could get up to speeds that high without blowing the engine." Sean bit his lip, excitedly saying. "Thank you." Frank looked them all over, curiously asking. "You are joining Al's team?" Sean nodded and Frank flashed him a grin, telling him with pride. "Good. Come with me. I'll show you the vehicles I brought over for you guys to use." To Be Continued...