HoloPirates: A Tale of Adventure

Backstory

"So, how is it that you and her met?"
"Well, about seven years later, us Sirens appeared, and the Captain of that pirate ship was one of the first people to investigate." He said as I let another sip of the rum go down my throat. "They pulled up on our little island and displayed peace, and I met Marine, both of us being extremely young at the time. And at the time, I asked my father if I could join the crew."
"Why did you want to?" I asked.
"I wanted to see the world, but I was too small to swim." He said. "And my father, bless his old heart, supported my decision against my...mother."
He put a cold tone on the word mother, and I got the feeling that their relationship just wasn't the best. But, at the same time, I got the feeling that I just shouldn't ask what happened between the two of them.
"And I joined the crew." He said. "The captain had always wanted children of his own, but by him being a eunuch, thats kind of...impossible."
"So you two were his kids?"
"Aye. Thats why I view Marine as a sister. She's been by my side since day one, and I'll be by her side until the day she dies."
I nodded, thinking over everything, and as I took a sip of the rum, I thought back to the locket that was around Marine's neck all the time, and at that, I wondered if she had a boyfriend or a husband.
"Hey Jansen?"
"Aye?"
"Is Marine, like, married?"
He gave a small chuckle, then grabbed the now empty flask of rum back. He turned it upside down, saw that it was empty, and he sighed, getting ready to stand up.
"Let's get some more rum, and I'll tell you all about it, aye?"
"Aye, sounds good."
We both wobbled to our feet, and we took uneasy steps forward, trying to keep from toppling over and crashing onto the deck. We grabbed onto every surface that we could, steadying our slowly deteriorating mental state. I grabbed onto his shoulder, nearly pushing him over, and he pushed me off of him with a laugh.
"Steady yourself, drunk boy!"
"I ain't drunk!" I said, ignoring the scent of the alcohol on my mouth and clothes. "Not yet."
He laughed, then looked over at me as he used his tentacle to grasp one of the support posts.
"What, did you drink back on your world?"
"Yeah, I used to a lot." I said. "I've grown quite a bit of tolerance."
"Aye that! I bet I could out drink you though!!"
"No, you can't!" I said. "You couldn't outdrink me if you tried."
"Oh we'll see!" He said as we got up to Cookie. "Two rums! Tropical punch, if there's any of it left."
"I still got some!" He said, reaching over to the cupboard that held all of the beer that was allotted to us everyday.
He reached inside of the cupboard, then took out two large bottles with a pink colored rum on the inside of it. He held both of the bottles by the neck, then dropped it in front of us on the counter.
"Be responsible, you two." He said. "I don't want Blondie coming after me for alcohol poisoning again."
I shook my head at the thought of Amelia chewing out Cookie, and I grabbed the rum bottle, ready to drink again. Both of us hobbled over to one of the tables that was under the lantern light, and we sat down, ready to drink. I popped the top of the bottle open, then clinked drinks with Jansen and put it to my lips. The rum actually wasn't that bad, since it had a large hint of mango and vanilla, and I took a large swig of the drink.
"Whoooo!!!" I said. "That's strong!!"
Jansen slammed the bottle down on the table, and he burped loudly, trying to get his eyes to focus.
"Alright, so to answer your question about Marine. You wanted to know if she was married?"
"Aye. Or if she has a boyfriend or fiancé."
"Aye, I understand, and no, she isn't married. But, she did have an ex-fiancé, who is now happily dead."
I nodded, and I took another swig of the rum, letting it burn down my throat and give me the confidence to carry on.
"What was he like?"
"Well, he was an awful man. Not in a piracy sense, I mean, look at me. I rob and kill people and sleep good at night." He said with a toothy smile. "But this guy, this...maggot...was one of the worst people I have ever met in my life. He started out okay, as they all do. He was this rich, noble snob of the royal family of the Trade Coalition, and he and Marine met on a beach in one of the biggest cities of the Trade Coalition, called Seraphime."
He took another swig of the rum, then burped and looked at me, our eyes meeting. Even though he wore a normal expression, in his eyes, I saw just how deep the sadness of the story had cut him, so long ago.
"Marine and I went on the beach after scoring a gigantic plunder from a plantation, and we were there mainly to enjoy the fruits of our labor, and there, walking down the beach, was Charlie. And boy Micheal, I'll tell you this: it was love at first sight with those two. He charmed her easily, and with the combination of wealth, power, and good looks, she fell for him, and after a long while, they got engaged." He said, looking around the gun deck to see if anyone was listening. "I-I was too blind to see it, Micheal."
"See what?"
He squeezed his eyes shut for just a moment, and through the darkness of the hold, I thought I saw small tears.
"I was too stupid to see the abuse." He said. "I turned a blind eye, and I wrote it off as just relationship problems. But after a long time, I noticed bruises that showed up out of nowhere, and at one point, she had a red mark on her face, as if she had been slapped. And one night, I was making a round on the top deck, and I heard a scream, but I just figured that it was them doing what couples do."
He stopped talking, then readjusted himself in the seat and leaned forward, looking me directly in the eyes.
"What I'm about to tell you, you cannot tell ANYONE, except for me or Marine, do you get it?"
"Aye, I understand." I said.
He leaned in even close, and he dropped his voice to barely a whisper as I struggled to hear him.
"That night, under the cover of the darkness, he raped her." He said.
I went silent, completely speechless as the thoughts churned and stormed around in my head, my mind racing at the words I had just heard. At the same time, I felt my heart hurt, thinking over the fact that the girl I liked had been raped, whether it was long ago or not. And that fact nearly made me sick.