The Nautical Museum opening attracted a lot of Animalians who were of an aquatic nature, namely Bennie and Marina. The two Orca Animalians had been wanting to revisit Mieni Atoll for some time and the Museum's opening was as good an opportunity as any.
They were rather interested in the whale exhibit there, showing the different whales in the world's oceans, particularly how they mattered in the Pacific Ocean. Orcas were not as significant in the South Pacific as other whales. While Orcas were found here, they weren't as important as the much larger whales or even the sharks who lived here. It was the Pacific Northwest where the Orca was more venerated. Still, reading about the other whales was pretty interesting.
After looking around for a while, Bennie asked something that has been on their minds lately. "Do you want to move here?" he asked.
Marina turned to him and said, "Do you really want to move here?"
"I don't have a really strong urge to," said Bennie, "But I know you prefer swimming in the ocean more than in a lake."
"Well, the ocean feels bigger, but I don't feel cramped living in Lyre," said Marina, "I'm not like Ran. I don't need saltwater to keep me lively. Did you want to move?"
"Well, the main problem I'd have if we move here was what would do for a living? They've already got more than enough diving guides and lifeguards here," said Bennie.
"We could be more than lifeguards," said Marina, "And I don't just mean back in Lyre."
"What do you mean?" asked Bennie.
"Well, sometimes you seem to be stifled with your choice," said Marina.
"Marina, I would never regret bonding with you," said Bennie, "You've meant more to me than any woman I've known before."
"That's really good to hear you say that," said Marina, "I guess we've both been feeling like big fish in a little pond."
"The lake back home isn't that little," said Bennie, "But I think we ought to do something a bit more outside of what we do now."
"Well, I don't think I would want to move here," said Marina, "It gets too hot for a blackfish."
"'Blackfish' is a term for completely different killer whales," said Bennie pointedly.
"Even so, my blubber will be boiling if I spent too long here," said Marina, "But I think a condo on the West Coast would be better. It's a lot cooler on that side."
"We could easily have one in San Fransisco or Los Angeles," said Bennie, "The people there are really open-minded about Animalians...and pretty much everything else."
"They're not that weird, are they?" asked Marina.
"Have you met Typhoon and Waterlily?" asked Bennie.
"Who?" asked Marina.
"You know, the pair that are dating Iphis and Ianthe," said Bennie.
"Oh, I guess we haven't been introduced," said Marina.
"Well, they're from Los Angeles and apparently 'weird' is virtually normal in their neighborhood," said Bennie.
"Maybe San Francisco would be better," said Marina, "I hear LA is a noisy town."
The two of them continued their discussion for quite some time. The call of the sea wasn't as strong for them as some of the other landlocked cetaceans, but what was more important for each other was that neither felt that they were suppressing each other.