Even Lovers Drown - GaryCato Mermaid Au

Chapter 1

There's one thing all Ventraxians alike fear and that would be the ocean.
No, not because they're afraid of water or because the sea water makes their fur harden when it dries due to the salt, not because the waves are uncontrollable and the water is in most cases unpredictable.

No...

They fear it because its unknown.
The Earth is 65% unexplored, only 5% of the world's seafloor has been mapped, yet every living being loves swimming in the jaws of possible death as if it were a walk in the park.

Ventraxians, many decades ago, were sea lovers- family buissness for ventraxians usually were fishermen as most were pescatarians- people who didn't eat meat but only fish. However, that all changed when a young female ventraxian managed to catch the thing that had caused her father to suddenly disappear.

No one believed it at first, of course... She was young and females were yet to become part of fishing- however when she had brought in her catch and the proof of that it had taken her father as it wore his necklace around it's neck- everyone thought of the sea differently.

Many still talk about the tale of the beasts that roam among the waters. They looked so harmless at first, with their marvelous tails and beautiful faces, their alluring voices and human like features.

Many tell the story of the merfolk before bed to their kits, warning them not to play near the water as they may drown you and eat you just as the ventraxian ate their very first siren on that day.
No one spoke of the taste...afraid that it may spark a dangerous curiosity and longing.

Now a days it is rare to find a ventraxian that follows tradition- though Avocato doesn't really have a choice.

"Good morning" the ventraxian sighs, forcing a smile despite being tired

"Oh! Avocato! Hello!" The human, who was Avocato's boss, greeted "how's the little one?"

"He's alright" Avocato stretched, his tail flicking behind him before he sat down next to his boss

"I see you had yourself a nice little vacation" the other laughed as he stroked his beard

"Yes, what about you, Kevin?" Smiled the ventraxian as the other offered him a fresh cup of coffee

"Oh you know! The usual" the man shrugged "still haven't found her..." Kevin sighed.

Avocato's his ear to flicked in both confusion and curiosity. Kevin was always a strange human...
He was a loyal man, that was for sure- Spent the last few years searching for someone whom he calls "Nightfall" as "it was that time when we first met" or so he says...
He hasn't said much about her other than going on about how wonderful and smart she was. Avocato had offered to help, after he had gotten to know Kevin better, but after asking for her physical details Kevin politely declined his offer.

"That's a shame..." Sipping on his coffee, Avocato took a few minutes to look around the small market, noticing a few things had changed locations but not much had changed since he had left.

"Right!" Kevin stood, rolling back his shoulders before walking around the small table to grab his raincoat "will be heading put to go fishing! You got the market under control?"

"Of course" Avocato nodded, standing up as well to put away the dishes "be careful out there"

"Will do!" The man replied cheerfully, closing the door to the big fish market once he left, leaving the ventraxian to stand among the empty rows of fish stalls.

Sighing, Avocato glanced at the clock up on the wall, it's ticking hands being three fish tails of the lady in the middle- what Avocato could only assume was a typr of mermaid. Noticing the time, he decided it was time to get out the fish and place them in their rightful stalls.