Silk and Sails (Shanks x OC)

The First Thread

I drummed my fingers along the counter, waiting for a drink, it has become a routine for me after working my ass off all day, at night, the atmosphere was calm and the bar wasnt packed with people, my kind of thing. but even in this time, the people of the island still seemed tense after the events of today; the burning down of the flag of the red hair pirates and replacing it with the strawhats one, done by none other than Bartolomeo; captain of the bart club everything was bound to go into chaos in Gartel Island, when they- the redhaired pirates, arrive.

"Rough night?" Orian, the bartender I'd come to know through my frequent visits, leaned in, his gravelly voice breaking the bar's steady hum. Gruff and round, with a beard he let grow a bit too wild, he wore a red bandana wrapped around his head. I'd often wondered if it was to ease the pounding headache he must have from dealing with a noisy crowd from morning until night. I couldn't imagine having a job like his.

"Eh, just the usual grind." I shrugged, a smirk playing on my lips as he slid my drink over. "Exhausted, but that's nothing new. Everyone was so stiff today after the...events. Not a single joke to break the tension. Felt like time slowed to a crawl." I chuckled, taking a long sip. "Funny thing to get annoyed over, right?"

Orian grunted, nodding slightly. "Maybe. But mark my words, this is just the calm before the storm." He wandered off to fill another order, leaving me alone to my thoughts.

I raised my glass, still smiling to myself.

This drink, this bar-always the perfect ending to an imperfect day. The kind of day that left me tired, yes, but in a good way. My work isn't glamorous by any stretch; I'm a tailor, a designer of clothes, running a small shop that feels like home. There's a lovely girl who helps me, Mina-just seventeen, with eyes full of wonder and a mind that buzzes with ideas. She idolizes almost everything I do, even picks up on my worst habits, like my endless cigarettes, even though she tries to pretend she hates them.

Mina didn't have much love for her family. They stifled her, I think, kept her from that wild imagination of hers. She lingered around my shop, found reasons to stay until one day, she just stayed for good. Told me she was done with them, said she wanted to design, that her passion ran too deep to waste on anything else. Isn't it strange, how a fire like that-so fierce and pure-can make you turn your back on what others would call "necessary".

It's strange, too-How the right kind of dream can make you let go of things everyone insists are essential-even family-in favor of a life that calls to you, promising something better, even if you've never truly lived it.

I let her in, no questions asked. Let her sleep in the back room, sketch to her heart's content, find herself in fabrics and threads. She was like a burst of energy every day, lighting up the shop with her laughter, her sketches, her endless ideas. But today... today, even she couldn't muster a smile. Not that I blamed her.

The next morning, my routine blurred together in the quiet confines of my small apartment just above the shop. I moved to the door, already ajar, and found Mina standing there, tripping over her words in a frantic string of apologies. Before her stood a woman-a difficult client with an air of superiority-who seemed hell-bent on perfecting an illusion of youth long gone. Each time Mina announced her measurements, the woman's scowl deepened as if by sheer will she could convince herself her waistline hadn't budged in over fifty years.

I pulled a cigarette from my pocket, lighting it and letting its bitter smoke drift between us. Neither Mina nor the woman noticed me at first, but the ridiculousness of the scene was too much. I let out a loud, amused chuckle, drawing the woman's gaze like a hook. Her vanity, her fear of time's touch-why was everyone so afraid of aging? To me, every line, every curve was a map of one's life, a testament to all we've faced and endured.

"You should just leave," I said, a smirk playing on my lips, words falling out between chuckles. "No amount of re-measuring is going to shrink you into that dress."

She flushed crimson, her mouth twisting into a series of furious insults, all sharp but empty.

"Listen," I replied, not missing a beat, "this is my shop. If you don't like the way we do things, then go somewhere else. It's not this young girl's fault, and it's certainly not mine, that you want to squeeze yourself into a dress two sizes too small. Maybe consider a jog or two if you're so dead-set on it, yeah?"

She glared daggers at me, muttering curses as she pushed past, deliberately bumping my shoulder on her way out. Just before she disappeared, I called after her, loud enough for a few passing strangers to take notice.

"Be sure to let everyone know just how 'disrespectful' we are to rude customers like yourself!"

As the door swung shut, I turned back to Mina, only to have her fling herself into my arms, her eyes welling up with tears. "Thank you, Reina! You really saved me. You're like an angel... but maybe, um, tone it down a bit?"

I let out a quiet chuckle at her comment, offering a comforting squeeze to her shoulders before slipping behind the counter. It was time to focus.

Mina followed me, dragging her feet slightly as she fiddled with a list of things we needed to restock. But just before she could hand it over, I lifted my gaze from the disordered desk, my eyes skimming over unfinished designs and forgotten drabbles from yesterday.

"Any trouble around town?" I asked casually, my voice light but laced with genuine curiosity as I sifted through the papers in front of me.

Mina paused, her fingers fidgeting-an unmistakable sign she was trying to recall something significant.

"Well... not really. But I did hear that the Yonko, you know, the one keeping this island safe, has been alerted. Word is, he's probably on his way to deal with those pirates from yesterday."

A slow smirk tugged at my lips, and I leaned back in my chair, the faintest amusement flickering in my eyes. "Interesting. Even delightful, really. This island could use a little excitement."

Mina's eyes went wide, her concern palpable. "Reina! Don't say that! People's lives could be in danger!"

I shrugged nonchalantly, never sparing her a second glance. "The pirates from yesterday? They're nothing more than amateurs-just a bunch of fanboys of the new emperor. No real threat there."

Her brow furrowed, still unconvinced. "Well, when you put it like that..." Her gaze wandered off, as if lost in thought, likely reflecting on something I didn't care to interrupt.

I cut through the tension with a firm but playful tone. "Enough of that. Tick-tock, Mina. The customers will be swarming in soon."

She raised an eyebrow, offering me the list with a pointed look. "But you're the one who asked!"

I flashed her a teasing grin. "And you're the one who's going to get to work, aren't you?".