“Ah, less pirates. Very true.” He smirked and chuckled at her statement. “Probably to your liking, yeah?” He turned around, holding his devilish grin, and rejoined her at her side. The streets were lively in Isla Imorda as the motley crew dragged their merchandise through, and they used a few horses from a stable nearby to help carry the load. Familiar faces greeted them, stating how long it had been since The Black Star had docked on the island, offering them goods free of charge. It was only high noon, and there had already been a few men passed out drunk on the pathways, and other were openly drinking and playing instruments with a container meant for tips laying in front of them. The smile Victor had on his face when he got to the island had not yet been removed from his face, and the exhilaration he was experiencing almost made him feel as if he were floating through the town.

Their first stop was at a mail courier in the form an almost cabin-like building. “Alice, wait here with the crew for me. I shall only be a moment.” He quickly entered the building and met a man, Mr. George  Smith, inside. “George, long time no see, my good friend,” Vic said cheerfully as he approached the desk George sat at. 
“Victor Hemming, so good to see you! What can I do for you?” The man was short and stocky with bright white hair. 
“Just a letter. I need it to get to the address on the front within two days, if possible. Very time sensitive.” Vic pushed the letter across the desk to the man, and he took off his glasses so that he could read it.
“Ah, yes. I have a boat going today. Should be there in no time!” The man chuckled and smiled at the pirate who stood over his desk. 
He dropped two silver coins on the desk as payment for the letter. “Splendid, thank you, George.” 

After his goodbyes, Victor exited the building and took his spot back at Alice’s side. He did not want to remind her of the fact that he was sending a ransom letter to her father and using her as a bargaining chip, although he was sure that she did not forget it either. He didn’t like the burden of guilt he was beginning to feel because of his new prisoner. He couldn’t make sense of it; he never had a problem with his selfishly using people for the good of crew and rarely felt remorse for his actions, but the closer he grew to Alice, the more he understood her, the more he began to feel suffocated by it. She was not meant for the seas, and she surely did not do anything to deserve being taken from her home. The comfort of her lifestyle. She was too naïve and innocent to be with in the presence of a delinquent like him. And with those thoughts, the almost permanent smile that had been plastered on to Victor’s face had begun to fade as they continued with their errands. 

The rest of the day had been uneventful with everything going according to plan. They had sold everything that they needed to, and the spirits of the crew were generally high after they calculated the profit they had earned. They paraded down the street, back towards the inn, when the guilt Vic had been feeling had come to a head. He moved towards the side of the road, grabbing Alice’s hand and taking her with him, to let the men pass them and return to Madam Blue’s. The vendors on the street were beginning to pack their things for the night.

He looked down to the woman who was roughly a foot shorter than him and paused for a moment before speaking. “I meant what I said, Miss Rohan. Before they close up shop – is there anything you want from these good people? Please, do not be shy.” He stretched out his long arm and pointed to the rows of tents and stands. He wanted so badly for her to pick something to her liking, hoping it would relieve him of the awful feelings he was having.