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.*･｡. A SIREN'S SILENCE! .*･｡.
————ROMANCE DAWN
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001.
SHELLS TOWN.
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━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━

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"You will regret this! You will suffer, siren!"

River jolted awake.

Wide eyed and panicked, she analysed the world around her, a hand reaching to the dagger at her belt. Her body slowly relaxed when she realised where she was — a small room above a tavern, reclined on a stack of old sheets and far away from the middle of the ocean. River sighed, it was just a dream.

She sat up, cracking her neck with a grimace. A stack of sheets hardly made for a good night's sleep, but River was lucky to have an actual roof over her head. In most of the places she went, her only refuge was a tiny rowboat.

Compared to that, she would take old sheets any day.

River stood, pushing her locks back and stretching her limbs. It was still early, enough that the sky was still tinged dark indigo, but River was never much of a sleeper.

She cast a glance over at the small bed on the room's far right, finding the little girl sound asleep. River nodded to herself as she left quietly, tip-toeing down the stairs. She stepped into the room at the back of the tavern where the alcohol was kept, finding her current landlady counting barrels and crates. The woman wasn't much older than River was — the only real difference being that River lacked creases around her eyes.

"Morning," Ririka greeted when she saw her.

River nodded.

She started to help with unloading the crates, taking each item one at a time and putting it in Ririka's to count pile. It was the one and only condition for River to stay. Rather than pay her way, all she had to do was help with the tavern.

It was a fair deal, more than she would ever manage to strike in other towns, and that was only because Ririka was kind. Coming across people like her was a rarity, especially in a spot run ragged by corrupt marines. Axe-hand Morgan didn't care for the people of Shells Town, unsurprisingly.

"It's almost been a week now."

River kept moving crates, eyes flitting to Ririka. The woman's face was slightly pinched.

"You must be planning to leave soon," she said.

River nodded.

"I'm not sure what it is you're travelling for exactly," Ririka's eyes cast to River's machete. "But you've been help around this place. If you wanted to stay..."

Ririka was, perhaps, too kind.

"Rika is fond of you," the woman told her.

That was true. Little Rika was sweet. She followed River like a shadow, copying her every mannerism. It was one of the reasons River thought it was best that she left.

"I'm just saying," Ririka sighed, softly. "If you decided to stick around, or if you ever want to come back— god knows why," she let out a soft chuckle, "But if you did — if you do," she corrected herself, "Well, just remember there's always a place for you. With us," she said, "Here."

It was a kind offer. Kinder than any River had ever had.

But it was one that she didn't plan on taking. River didn't want somewhere to stay. She was just waiting for the next boat headed elsewhere — anywhere would do, anywhere that got River closer to the scum and the villainy.

Anywhere she might find the bitch that stole her voice.

————

Shells Town wasn't much.

   It wasn't particularly lavish— not like some of the places River had been. Shells Town was just sandy, and hot, with a corrupt set of marines, which wasn't really new.

   But in her few days there, she had grown used to it.

   Or, at least, River had grown used to Ririka and her daughter. There were definitely worse places River could have stayed in the time she had been around, most of them being with idiot marines and bounty hunters, like the ones scattered about the tavern. She analysed each one closely, trying to decide who had a passage off this island and who might know where sea witches liked to spend their days off.

You know, when they weren't stealing voices.

"River!"

She looked away from the tavern's interior and at the girl now kneeling on the stool opposite her. Ririka would've probably told her to get down before she fell off, especially since she held out a small plate of rice balls instead of holding the counter, but River wasn't her mother. She also couldn't have told her to do that, even if she'd wanted to try.

Instead, River leant against the counter and peered at the two rice balls with an arched brow.

Rika nodded vigorously.

The older girl took one and popped it in her mouth, giving an exaggerated nod of approval. No one would call Rika a culinary genius really, but River quite liked the rice balls she made. There weren't complex, but they were good.

    "I added chocolate," Rika spoke eagerly as River chewed, face adorned with an excited smile. "It makes everything taste better!"

River gave her another nod and a thumbs up.

It proved good enough for Rika, whose smile somehow grew a bit wider, if that was even possible. River's lips twitched, wanting to curl up at the corners. Something about it was nice— seeing a child like this. So happy. River couldn't recall the last time she had smiled like that.

"Rika! Stop that!"

They both glanced over at her mother.

"River is working," Ririka tutted, but her eyes were amused. "I think you can wait until later to chat."

Rika sighed.

Exhaling a laugh through her nose, River poked the girl in the side, making her squirm on her stool. She giggled to herself and poked out her tongue, peering up into River's brown eyes, giving her a toothy grin that had a gap in the front. River's head tilted a tad to the left as she looked at Rika, her red locks falling over her shoulder. She saw a lot of her younger self in Rika, although her childhood hadn't been half as happy, and not even half as loved; not when her mother passed. Seeing Rika with her mother was a painful reminder of it sometimes. River would have given almost anything to have what they had; even now, older and not wiser, it was River's only wish. Having her mother would just be a dream, one she would be waiting a long time for.

River had to focus on things that were realistic.

Like getting her voice back.

But as the months slowly River passed by, even that felt more a dream than reality.

   With another soft sigh, Rika slid down from the stool and took the plate with her. There was still one rice ball left, and while the sight of it was tempting, River stopped herself from swiping it. It would start getting busy soon as more marines piled in for drinks, like they did most evenings, and River didn't want to feel too sick when they started flirting with her.

Beauty was a curse.

    "Will you be here tomorrow?"

Rika's voice snapped River from her thoughts.

   River genuinely didn't know. She had been there too long. Her mission to track down the sea witch had gotten sidetracked when she met Rika and her mother. If River wanted to seek revenge on the woman who wronged her, then she had to get her move on. It wasn't something she could afford to lose.

   River bopped Rika's nose, shrugging her shoulders.

   Luckily, Rika giggled.

She trotted off to the back room while River collected glasses. When Ririka told her food was ready, she took it out to the boys on the closest table, not sparing them a look. She went to return her tray but stopped herself.

Upon spotting the familiar blonde marine, she quickly altered paths and scurried aside, ducking to crouch behind the table the two boys occupied.

If they gave her weird looks, she didn't notice.

   River watched with squinted eyes as Helmeppo waltzed to the bar, jaw locked pompously. Nearby, Rika was giving her last rice ball to a stranger with three swords and mossy green hair, her grin shy and sheepish.

   River couldn't help but smile.

    "What're you doing?"

   The girl jumped. As her head turned to the left, she spotted a boy clad in a straw hat, his face alarmingly close to hers. River's eyebrows shot up to her hairline, surprised to see him there. Not many people tended to crawl around tavern floors. Naturally, she assumed he was one of them. Clearly not.

   She gave him an odd look.

    "Are you looking for something?" He had a preppy voice, like he'd never been sad a day in his life. "Maybe I can help you find it? My eyes are great at looking!"

   Brows furrowed, River shook her head at him.

    "You're not looking for anything?" He asked. When she gave him a nod he hummed, stroking his chin like a detective. "Then maybe you're playing hide and seek?"

   River blinked.

   She glanced at the table, where a boy with baby pink hair and glasses too big for his face sat.

   He shrugged awkwardly, face red.

   As she looked back at the boy in front of her, River noticed his eyes. They were warm and inviting, shining like jewels in the low light, hidden mischief within each like twinkle. Eyes like his were hard to come by; eyes filled with optimism and honesty; and for a moment, River was left speechless.

   Go figure.

   After a moment, she shook her head again.

   He stared at her, as if trying to figure out what she was telling him with just his eyes, but it didn't work. His grin didn't seem to fall, though. "You know, you don't talk very much."

   River rolled her eyes.

    "But that's okay. I'm very good at charades. I'd always beat my grandpa," he chirped, sounding far too proud about his talent in charades of all things. "It will be a rule in my crew that you have to play at least one game of charades a week— or you will walk the plank! Well, not really, but—"

Before he could finish, there was a crash from the bar, where a rather angry looking Helmeppo stood glaring down at Rika. She quivered under his stare, eyes watery as she watched the rice ball flatten beneath his foot.

The son of Captain Morgan was the worst.

   Well, maybe not the worst, but a product of his environment. He was bratty and arrogant, flouncing around like he owned all Shells Town. River had only been around a week at most and he was on her last nerve. He always pouted his lips and tried to woo her like she would fall for his poor haircut and unbalanced sword that he likely couldn't swing for his life. He'd flirted with her shamelessly over the last few days, or tried to anyway; convinced she was playing hard to get. River was sure he either hadn't realised she couldn't speak, that or he just didn't really care. Maybe he felt more successful if rejections weren't audible.

"You stupid, stupid girl!" Helmeoppo hissed like a true marine. "Why don't you watch where you're going?"

"Rika, apologise to our guest," her mother told her.

"I— I'm sorry," Rika stuttered.

"I'm so sorry—" Helmeppo mocked her, his face falling flat. It made River's hands ball into fists. "Next time," he warned, "I'm not going to be so nice."

   River's hand drifted to her machete.

   Before she could lunge, however, a hand landed on hers. Eyes narrowed, River glared at the boy beside her, but he just nodded his hat-clad head back at the bar. River's lips pressed, but she let her stare follow his.

"You dropped my food."

The man with green hair and three swords approached. He got down on one knee and picked up the remnants of rice ball, giving it a taste while Helmeppo grimaced.

"Delicious," he stated.

Albeit small, Rika smiled.

River and straw hat boy watched intently, noses pressed to the side of the table they sat behind.

"Now you eat one." The man told Helmeppo, placing the flat rice ball and plate on the bar top. Helmeppo laughed in his face and took a large step forward. The man didn't back down. "And apologise to the little girl."

"Do you know who I am?"

He looked him up and down blankly, "Some shithead Marine with a bad haircut?"

Helmeppo drew his sword.

"I wouldn't do that," the man sounded bored.

"Oh, come on tough guy!" Helmeppo dared him, laughing as though this wouldn't turn ugly. "Three swords?! I only need one!"

"Okay," he sighed. "But it's gonna hurt."

Seeming to have had enough, Helmeppo swung for him. In an easy movement, the man raised a sheath and blocked his hit. His action was effortless, like he hadn't needed to try, and Helmeppo didn't appear best pleased. It was then that it all seemed to swiftly unravel and hell broke loose.

   As stools started flying and tankards were thrown, the man did no more than block the attacks of marines left and right without so much as drawing his blade. River was impressed. She scurried away from the table and to the bar, narrowly avoiding marines as they stumbled around. She grabbed Rika's hand on her way and pushed her to sit behind the counter where she would be safe. It wasn't the best place for a little girl.

   River steadily rose to the balls of her feet and peered over the counter top. As she did, her gaze locked with a girl on the other side. Her hair was a vibrant tangerine and she held a tankard in her hand, an unconscious marine sprawled by her feet. The two girls blinked at each other.

River shrugged, as if to say you do you.

The girl with tangerine hair arched a brow but put the tankard down, grabbing onto the marine's ankles to drag him aside. River shook her head and turned back to the fight. Straw hat boy stood closer to the action now, a pleased grin on his face, meanwhile his pink haired friend cowered beneath the table.

    "Good fighter," he said to no one in particular.

   Straw hat was right.

   This guy was a good fighter— really good, one of the best she'd seen. Certainly good enough to convince a nasty old sea witch to give River back her voice.

   And maybe even good enough to kill her if she refused.

━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━

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