"Second Cross..." Jel stated as the submarine ship was getting close to docking, the city itself looked magical with a bubble of air in case there were some "landlubber" traders or adventurers who were allowed in, but rivers of fresh and saltwater crisscrossed in roads and highways of sorts. There were many plants from the surface where [gardeners] would try to keep them alive and sea weeds and kelp forests growing in the rivers or even without water holding them up. "...The first cross was the Wizards and [Slavers] working together to make the platform our city rests upon enslave all us Mer who rested upon it. A mobile mining colony moving across the seabed. The Second Cross was Captain Morgan making enough pacts and treaties to remove the [slave] enchantments, and to allow us to use Second Cross as a mobile capital of our races. As long as your a Mer you can find some amount of sanctuary here assuming you've done no crimes against the Second Cross. Be a [pirate], [pillager], or worse as long as you haven't committed a Third Cross there'll be someone here who'll welcome you."
As the ship was pulling into dock Jel shoved something into your pockets and said "I'll set up my office, consider this a bonus. Enjoy the city a bit, maybe ask around and see if there's a mer community for Clown Fish. Specific merfish species communities are rare, but can exist. My offer for a free room is still active, but trust me that living with more of your kind when you are new will do a LOT of good." Then as we left the dock I had found myself a bit alone. I had some of my Earth tech still on me... but they had been ruined and unusable due to extreme water pressure and extreme... salt water existing inside an electronic. Still I had my phone. Second was a bit of fish Jerky, a little moist but a snack. Finally the things Jel had stuffed in my pocket, 2 gold coins and a scrap of kelp parchment that had Jel's address on it. The gold coins were generous... The amount of wealth it represented felt somewhat dubious considering the amount of gold, the purity, etc. A concept in my head was each coin could be worth somewhere between $100-200 in most cities? It was enough for a modest few days at least... and the first place you went was a bar... or inn or tavern or something... it had FRIED FOOD AND BEER and after eating mostly raw fish and moldy bread you were craving some comfort food.
You sat yourself at the bar and had ordered your food, and a large mug of beer was placed in front of you by a burly looking... a mix between a cow and sunfish... Mer's could look weird, not that you were much to comment. "You took a quick look at the menu and knew what you wanted?"
"I've been on a ship with barely any edible rations for a week..."
"It'll take a minute to fry properly." The Suncow said as you were inhaling only a small fraction of the beer.
"I'm just happy..." you were thinking about how much of a target you could put on your back if you just admitted to being completely new to so much down here but decided you were looking for information about clownfish and... "Say... I'm new here, are there any communities for my kind of Mer?"
The Suncow raised an eyebrow and said "Just go down the road and you'll find a building made out of a Sea Anemone. They're always looking for new residents. You new?"
"Yes..." you said as a large plate of fried fish and starchy vegetables was put in front of you and you started eating the hot fatty food. The flavors were... weird. Fried fish was fried fish, but the veggies either didn't taste or felt weird on the tongue.
"Not like the veggies down here?"
"...Just a bit weird... did I just eat a deep fried pepper?"
"Nah, that Tardello just has a little kick to it." You made a note to yourself that you'd need to sample more foods later, but your avarice for deep fried food and beer was satiated quickly as you started more nibbling... you could've sworn you could've eaten more... Then you remembered you weren't your normal self. Whether or not the Mer transformation had affected your physiology much... the gender transition probably had... in fact... With the amount of beer you had...
You had felt pretty tipsy when you left and paid your tab... bill... something or other, and wandered a bit down the street. Quite a bit down the street. There was some sort of Anemone... building... It felt a bit hollowed out and yet still alive and growing in a sense. The door in the front was a wooden door that the Anemone regenerated into giving the door's support. Most pedestrians gave the place a bit of distance making you feel a bit alone and very noticeable. Some gave you a few glances... you thought one person was hiding in the crowd watching what you'd do. The doors didn't seem locked, but as you approached you gave the door a knock anyways...
"Oh go on... fuck it" some guy in the crowd was shouting and he emerged as a bit of a burly man, another human clownfish mer that seemed integrated with his fish. Who picked you up and opened the door. "Vanessa! You got another renter."
"Wait, who said about renting?" You asked as the clownfish mer guy arched an... eye brow flesh that didn't actually have any eye brow hair. The anemone's inside felt weird... fleshy walls, the tentacles, and color gave the feeling of eeriness despite the regular furniture making the room look... somewhat normal. The clownfish tossed you down and as you braced yourself your bare arms had a stinging pain far more from just the fall. "May want to brush up a bit." and you realized that this was the anemone attacking you, or immunizing you... or something.
Out from the "tentacle rug" carpeting a female face poked itself out and said "Hello" as another human clownfish mer rose out of the floor as you backed away a bit scared. "A not so simple [skill], sorry to scare." the woman said smiling "I'm Vanessa and the owner of this establishment. Were you interested in a room, or perhaps some of our other services you cute little new mer." Her feet seemed to glide through the carpeting and she unnaturally leaned down as the anemone's tentacles writhed up her legs to support her "Rent is cheap, a copper a month for clownfish mer. Want to integrate? We've got an alchemist living here that can make a potion to help."
The clownfish merman grabbed Vanessa's back and said "Backup, your scaring him."
"him?" you asked
Vanessa chuckled "We're Mer clownfish, you didn't think we don't know our species' tricks? You're new and have the aspects of someone just changing sex for the first time. Perhaps you may become a her in time, but for now your basically a him." the Mermaid tried getting closer, but the Merman was still holding her back.
The guy said "I call myself Mark or Mary, currently Mark. Please excuse Vanessa she's eccentric" the two shared a glance "but high leveled and harbors no ill will for us. Probably one of the better places in the world for us since this little complex is practically tailored for our kind. What do you do if you don't mind me asking, I work at a bar either as a bouncer of a waitress."
"I'm... currently a [Medical Assistant]." Vanessa grinned
"Oh that's just perfect. I can aid you and when you become a [Healer] proper you can help someone if they're sick and injured here!"
Mark grunted "And it's best if you don't assume that he's going to see us as a family. Least out of the get-go. He is new to this."
"Could... I see a room?" You asked "Before I decide to spend anything here. My employer did offer a free living space." Vanessa smiled, and the room was... comfy. No electricity, but there was a nice bed by my standards. A desk, a chest that could hold things inside of it. For a copper a month this was a steal... I took a copper from my meal's change and handed it to Vanessa. "Do we need to do a contract or something?"
Vanessa smiled "No need, consider yourself my guest." I was uncertain and uneasy, but at least now I had shelter that wasn't dependent on my employment.