#im a Martyn enthusiast first and human second

[kingtheghast]

Inthelittlefrost……. 2!!!!

[aggressivenesswhilecrying]

Home on sea, lost in the land

Summery:

In of which the crew are simple people, dedicated lives. Species don't mean much, not really, and in thus tail, we focus on the world our love sick pirates live in

Featuring martyn being a little shit, a bustling sea town, and absolutely no plot

No trigger warning that I'm aware of!!

Not beta read or edited!!

(This is a Christmas gift to @chocolate-cake-enthusiast!! I'm sorry it's so late in the night, I ment to post it earlier, but the Google docs wasn't working, and it was a disaster!! Check the end of the fic for a little note afterwards<3)

It's only normal these days to wake up to swaying floors and messy noise. Light peaking through every little corner of the living quarters, lighting the room up like a second sun, directly into his eyes. With squinted eyes, and tired moments, he slrolled over, over, sat up in the center of his hammock, he sets his feet on the wooden floor, feeling as it sways, as it tries to knock him over. With a yawn, and the wave of his hand, he stumbles to the closed door, avoiding all his shipmates sleeping positions, some beds already empty. Slowly creaking open the door, he let warm sunlight reach his eyes. Let the salt reach his lungs.

The as he stumbled out to door, his shoulder slammed into the doorway, causing him to hiss and curse in pure pain. But he managed to keep his nosies of pain down as he stumbled onto the deck. The image of the fae captain, scar, and his first mate. A human named grian, leaning against the rials softly chatting made a small grin spread onto martyns lips. The longing for sea in his dried scales bothering him just slightly, his spices calmed and smoothed against his skin.

Slow and soft steps across the deck let his mind wake just slightly. Glancing up he can see jimmy in the crows nest, the siren no doubt feeling like he's cooked alive as birds try to nip at him. Martyn couldn't imagine being up straight in the sun all day and most of the night. He could already feel his tail flicking at just the idea.

He finds himself also drifting to the rails where grian and scar are, the soft conversation making his heart swell with joy.

"I don't know, I'm thinking that the harvest port would be the best to stop at, its a little far, but if im right cleo has some family there? And no one else has family around the area" Scars said, voice a soft whisper that barely reached martyns ears. Arms folded on the sturdy, but throughly well loved arm rails.

Grian hummed voice unsure as his fingers tapped along his forearm. A steady rhythm that almost sounded like music.

"I don't know, harvest is a little too close to the capital...going there would mean the risk of guards spotting us, and I'm not too comfortable with that.." grians brow scrunched bitting at his lip. Which in turn made scars own brow scrunch at grians worry. There was a reason grian was the first mate. Scar wasn't the best captain. He was great at it, yes, but he lacked that sort of thinking ahead.

Scars hand started to reach for grians face, and martyn decided it was time to ruin the moment, as they clearly hadn't heard him or saw him walk up.

Leaning his own arms on the rails quickly, almost slamming into them and turning to be leaning just over them to be loking at Scar. Startling the two. Scars hand jerking back, and turning a light blue in the cheeks, grians own lightling up slightly.

"What are we talking about?" Martyn asked in a normal tone with a chuckle. Face scrunching as he started at the two with a smug almost knowing smirk.

Grian slid his arm down to his side, where scar couldn't see it, and flipped martyn off, which in turn got him slapped by the mers tail.

"Oh, just where we're stopping next, with the hoildays coming up, we were thinking of stopping somewhere to celebrate, unsure of where." Scar said, voice laced with humor and charm that had martyn not blaming grian for his fancy towards the man. His captins coat open showing the large gashes across his chest in the form of Scars. The large star like cuts under where his breath once where displayed proudly. Martyn had actually been the one to help make the Scars look that way. After having them removed, one day after drinking far far too much, scar had told martyn he wished he had cooler top Scars, and well, the rest was history, now wasnt it?

Nodding simply martyn looked back out to the sea. "We could stop at the timber tide port? That's where me, Jimmy, lizzie, and Scott are from? We don't have any family there, but it's almost completely filled with mer people, and they have a large parade for the middle of winter. Lots of dancing, shopping, shows of magic, all sorts of things." He suggested, slightly rambling about his home, but he doesn't think the two mind when grian nods. Thinking about it for a second, still narrowed. A large pin holding the front of his hair back so they can see the way his forehead wrinkles as he starts to nod a little more, turning to scar.

"I thought you guys were from alice town?" He turns to martyn, face still scrunched, tiltung it at him slightly with a confused look. His sleeveless shirt barely even hanging onto his body. Letting the almost cold air pass through. His brown pants lose and holding on just by his hips, far too long and bunched around his ankles, and they looked big enough that martyn would even say they seemed to be scars. "No, that's just where you found us, we never actually told you guys" Martyn chuckles, watching as the man nodded looking back to the sea, as if the open water will tell him the answer and let him know the future. Empty silence filling the area as grian brought back up his hand, tapping away.

"it's in a swampy area, so there is almost no way gaurd will be there?" Martyn couldn't exactly tell you where that logic made sense, but It felt right on his tongue. In all honesty, he didnt remember much about the area, but Ren was supposed to be there, hidden away in the crowd. And grian seemed to give him an almost knowing look as he turned to scar. The captain smiling brightly, and with a nod, grians full of thought eyes looked right at martyn, and with the way he stared right through his very soul, martyn can't believe he's human.

“We'll talk about it. No promises.�� Grians voice was almost stern as he the scared man nodded to the door just across the deck, the doors to the captain's quarters. Rolling his eyes martyn pushes off the rails, dramatic sigh leaving his lips as he walks to the nearest sail post, webbed hands reaching down and holding the still wet thing of rope.

By the time martyn walked back, the two were gone. Which isn't very surprising. And with the morning sun oh his back, and the sounds of the crew waking up, martyn tied one end of the too long rope around his waist tightly, the other end around the rails of the ship. With a huff, martyn looks out to the bright colors. The clouds drifting across the almost cotton candy sky, rich with morning moisture, and making martyn feel far too dried out.

Attempting to wiggle out of his thin night shirt, Martyn could hear the quite talking coming from somewhere on the deck. And yet he paid them no mind as he tossed his shirt onto the deck, and sent himself hurdling off the edge of the ship, rope coming with him.

Starting down at the map, grian and scars eyes didn't leave the nearly secluded area. Days worth of travel away from ant other civilization, even on horse, I would take near a weak if ridding. A sea cliff city. A small port on a lower bay, then at least an hour of hiking to even make it to the city itself.

“I mean…it's not a bad place..?” Scars voiced sounded almost amassed as he glanced up at grian. Green eyes far too unusual. But still just as enticing. The far having the sort of magic around him that almost made you want to agree with everything he said.and grian could almost huff at whatever kind of attempt scar was making.

“Yeah, but martyn also has a thing going on with the king…Ren could very well be there waiting.” grian weakly chuckled, almost as amassed, but still focused. He couldn't count on his fingers how often martyn swayed scar to stop at a port. And then the very next day they saw the poorly disguised king clinging to martyn like a young women who just found her first sailor. Drawn to the distance, and the danger of a pirate.

Scar was silent for a second, the boat slowly rocking, eyes wrinkling, before turning his head up, a determined grin on his face. And grian knew they were doomed. “Yes…but have you heard of the festival? Ive met sailors desperate to go see it back in the navy. But the waters are too dangerous for even most navy ships, and they don't get much of a break.” The captin chuckled, slowly coming to stand up straight, his attitude not changing, as he reached to his side with nimble hands, pulling out a dager with a blade made out of quartz. It wasn't all the usefully, but it certainly was a fancy way to mark a map.

Scared and tanned hand set it on the table, and even with the pink on grins cheeks, he let out an almost disappointed sigh, mostlywith himself as he grapped the danger. Hand fitting comfortably around the handle as if it was made for him to hold.

“Whatever you say, captain.” And the dagger dug right Into the thin paper. Right over the small sea side village.

And honestly? Grian didn't expect it to quite look like this. The towering clif to be carved with what looks to be ancient religious text. For little mers, with big round eyes, and thick and spiked tails, and fins larger then their head to be diving off the cliff that would almost tower over the Castle itself. The doc covered in boxes of fish, and even more crates, a few small fishing ships passing in and out. The mer folks chatting.and sone even with wet hair in the chill temperature. All the crew out on deck. Large grins, and with small bags of coins.

With years spent with the 4 mers aboard the same ship, grian had come to learn of the antifreeze deep in their blood. Even as the crew themselves started to wearing thicker clothing, and keep the inside of the boat heated, well. Lizzie stood against the railing, clawed hands digging into the wood, and for a second grian is almost scared it's gonna break. The lure hanging from her forehead giving off a soft white that grian can barely see, white and cloudy eyes look directly at the land coming closer. The small fins inplace of her ears folded back, and gills fluttering around her neck. Hands tap along the rails of the ship, and grian is a little worried she’ll jump overboard, but with how often martyn does it, he can't say he's actually tooworried. And thin, silky fabric, bunches around her waist.

He was told it was a cultural dress, giving to all members on that day they “grow into their fins” he doesn't question but stares slightly at the tealfabric, flowing down, but cutting off at her ankles, a hole in the back designed with lizzies short, almost triangle tail in wind. Sewn on shell causing her dress to clank with each turn. The top a slightly less see-through pink, the sleeves acting more like a scarf then anything else. And with grians scarft tight around his neck, and his wool under layers on, grian almost wishes he could just feel so comfortable in such little clothing.

As the island comes into view, it's clear all their in their town clothing. Outfits clearer then they've been in months. Hair brushed. just looking at the mers of the ship, it seems like they scrubbed each individual scale. Etho and joel seemed to have brushed their fur like their lives depended on it. Cleos stiching looks brand new. Scar is actually qearing a shirt under his coat. Bdubs looks like someone helped water him these last few day with how green his coat is, and yet grian cant see a single area where the vines peek out of his clay mold. And grian won't deny they all look good, when they aren't somehow covered in dirt, sea water, and smell of week old sweat.

Scar manning the wheel, and grian barking out orders to help with the docking as they pull into the harbor. Easily the biggest ship there. They lower the red, yellow, and green flag as everyone makes work.

Salt in the air is something the burns, but grian can't taste it, as the cold bites even harder.

Martyn can't express thr joy he feels as he reaches the gates, having ran ahead of the group the second it came into view, out of breath due to the uphill run, he turns around only for jimmy to crash into him, leaving him giggling loudly. They almost tip over, but martyn manages to stop the fall, arms wrapping around jimmy as he squeezes tightly shaking the man.

They don't say anything more then loud, unbelieving laughs as they hold and shake each other as hard as possible.

Looking up and meeting Jimmy's eyes, brings not a single butterfly to his stomach, as his hands reach out, grabbing Jimmy's face and kissing for just a moment out a pure joy, he can hear the crew snickering back just a little bit down the trail, before a nether born and a fellow mer start shoving martyn away, a laugh on their lips as tango and Scott continue to elbow him from both sides. Making martyn sway, he eventually puts his hands up and backs up.

“Hey, now come onnnnn, rhats just meaaannn, especially since we had that four-” martyns teasing words are quickly cut off by tango kicking him in the balls, a high groan of pain leaves martyn as he doubles over, grabbing his spot of pain, looking at jimmy in betrayal, as the flustered siren hides his face, and laughs loudly at his pain.

“Martyn. Judt shut up.” Scott giggles out as he layers an arm around Jimmy's waist, pulling the much taller siren to his side. Scotts fins flaring out, as jimmy cant help but laugh more falling onto scotts side, hunched over with his head on his shoulder, back curved as he laughs loudly, tail flicking across the dirt in joy.

Tangos hair roars, and martyn can see how the ground around his feet is slightly scorched.

Martyn ends up walking in, flipping the rest of the crew off as he decides to wander to the market, coins at his side. And spikes along his spin poking up, as his small tail looks to be a slight danger, semi puffed up. Leaving the groups snickering.

Martyn quickly finds himself an inn. Making sure to reserve a room for the next few nights, before he hits the town. The sun has started to set, leaving it all painted in sweet yellows as a few mers go around, lighting up lanterns.

Now, martyn is aware most people aren't aware, but fish are most active at night, or early morning. And so. The two market is just starting to fill with stalls, and lights. Martyns shoes tied around his waist as so he could walk bare foot. His clawed and webbed feet making it all the more easier to enjoy it.

The moon cast a loving glow on the town and its people, and martyn can see the gentle glow of some of his scales. And as he looks around. He sees others, in the cool winter air, also glowing.

His hands drift along the small metal piece. A decoration that goes around your jaw, made to look like wolf teeth. A truly stunning silver color.

Martyn doesnt hesitate as he talks with the seller in an almost deamy state, he finds himself almost getting land sick with how often he's on sea. But he doesn't say anything as he slides over the far too many coins. And gently slips on the garment. It fits nicely, a bit lose, but he can't help but feel excited to wear it.

Martyn will argue with you to the death about it, but he most definitely buys far too much jewelry, and gets his shoes shinned, and buys the local newspaper, and gets a set of tiny little wolves made out of bone. And maybe he stopped at the tavern. Made he let himself have a nice drink. And maybe his coins for the day is almost out. But when his shoulder hits a man wearing a red cloak in the passing streets, he's very aware he isn't a mer. Nor apart of his crew. Throwing himself around, he's met with a sight that take his breath away, standing there, seeming to have planned it. With his commoner clothing on, and a shirt far too open, is Ren. His king.

Martyn can't say he remembers much of the night, but he knows Ren tasted like home. And felt like heaven. Every last bit of him.

Grians breath catches in his throat, he had been at the town, for maybe two days. Two days of seeing the village's wonders, two days of spending far too much money, and two days of not seeing a wink of most of his crew. He'd seen jimmy about three times, having spent the c first day with Scott and tango, spending the second with lizzie, joel, Scott, and this one of the town they all aparently knew, a clown fish mer named Owen.

He'd seen mumbo quite a bit tho, the first half of the first day, mumbo was on his own, before the rest of the time he hung out with grian and scar, not wanting to go anywhere. Etho was off an on, hed seen etho with almost everyone, bdubs normally following.

All in all, grian was completely alone in his stay at an inn. No one else from the crew staying there. The inn keep had told him at half down to come in, yo come in, hang out, and wait for the sun to set.

In which he had busied himself with a sewing needle and a torn shirt. It would probably be best to ask cleo to do it, but without a book, or much of anything, sewing seems like the best bet.

Suddenly, he can hear music, between the thin walls, something loud, happy, they makes him wonder just how beautiful it's gonna be. The entire trip Martyn had talked up the festival. Not shutting up about just how beautiful is is.

Slowly steps down the stairs, creaking every few moment. It wonky take a second for him to reach the bottom of the stairs. The door to leave the inn wide open. Letting grian see the glimpses of the festival.

Of bright colors across the streets, of everyone in thin silky dresses, dancing, and twirling to the music.

And grian almost hesitates. Almost. But slow easy steps leave the inn. Walking into the the streets as the sun sets.

The lanterns that once hung all around the roads, now with stained glass, lighting up the town.and grian leaves his shoes at the door. Walking out into the midst of the dancing, that seems to fill every road.

He feels under dressed in the middle of it all. As bright colors fill his vision. He slowly walks down the path to the market place as he feels his mind spasm with pure awe.

Everyone moves to naturally, like this is where they belong, in the fast moments, music louder then the ringing in grians ears. And grian almost swears he's in a fantasy novel, as people turn.

Some are as wet as can be, and they laugh so loudly as water goes flying. Some women has her hair in what seems to be bubble braids as she stomps, kicking and sending dirt flying with a smile.

Everyone is glowing, the lanterns not the only thing lighting up the sky.

Some little boy about half grians height with glowing pink eyes breaks his trance. The octopus mer having 8 arms, and horizontal slits in his eyes, grabs grians hands, pulling him into the spinning.

And grian laughs. Of course he does. It's high, and near a shrill as the young boy spins grian. The boys pink dress fanning out as he let's out a similar laugh. Grian feels himself bump into someone, about to apologize, untill they take him as their dance partner, before leading him stumbling into someone else.

Grian isn't quite sure how long he dances, but at some point, he knows all the words, and he can feel his voice wearing down.

(Hi!! You made it!! Listen cake, I'm aware we haven't known each other long, but you have very quickly become an important part of my life<33 I'm sorry most of the time I text you, I'm tripping, it's not ment in ill intentions!! It's just that I generally feel safe enough with you, to talk, and call, and all that, with you, when in that state. When I'm lonely, and everything feels weird, you're the first person I think about. Also, I really liked that cowboy hat you showed me, I don't think I expressed that!! It was a really cool hat!! I generally enjoy talking to you, and when you ranted to me after a breakdown, it made my heart soar. I really hope you know, you're not a secondary friend of mine, even with my girlfriend, you place super high up there, as someone I'm close with<333)

(I'm sorry I spoiled most of it that one time, but I hope even with the slightly changed plot, you like it<33)