It had only been just recently that Elizabeth named the de facto leader of the small Free Agent crew, the Band of Misfits. Of course, the reaction was one that the cowgirl would have never thought to give if it were just a few weeks earlier. The green haired woman almost seemed to dread the position she was given. She almost seemed to dread meeting the children. Was she any good for them? Sure she was the oldest but could she really be what she promised herself she would? Could she handle things mentally? Elizabeth had promised herself that she would Do her best to sober up, until she realized what her life was like sober.

It had only been about two days since the group named Elizabeth the de facto leader. It had been two days since the cowgirl promised to sober up. It had been those two days that slowly started to eat at her, until she found herself leaning on the counter of the bar. Tears would slowly stream the face of the green haired beauty, however she wouldn't speak and they couldn't be seen. Elizabeth had placed her hat to the point where it was covering most of her face. Everything seemed so still at that bar, while the rest of the establishment roared with activity. Eventually, all peace would be ruined.

One specific man would find himself wrapping his arm around Elizabeth's waist, which would cause her to clench her teeth in anger. "Hey there, Girly! Why the long face? Come over here and join us for some fun!" The man would drag Elizabeth away from the counter, as she attempted to keep her anger subdued. After taking but a few steps, Elizabeth would feel a simple piece of paper hit her person causing her to lose it.

The woman would start by punching the man pulling her along in the throat before picking up a chair and throwing it at a group of men. Elizabeth's hat would be thrown onto the floor showing her anger filled face with small tears running down it. The green haired beauty would help drag the man back to his feet before pulling him to the door and kicking him through it sending him down the three front steps. "What the hell are you doing, Liz?!" Another one of the men would yell at Elizabeth, which would cause her to turn around and pick up an empty mug. The mug would be hurled towards the man's head but it was quickly dodged with a simple duck. Of course, this would fill the man with anger but a few others in the bar would try to hold him back. Nobody understood why Elizabeth would act like this. Many of the men in this bar were supposed to be pretty close with Elizabeth, including the one she had tossed out the door.

Eventually, men were fighting eachother and Elizabeth was caught right in the middle. Worse would come to worse and Elizabeth would be seen straddling a man with two hands on his throat. Her eyes would stare at him but it was as if she hadn't seen him at all.

WC: 542

It had supposed to be a quiet assignment. Anton and his crew had been called back to Yotsuba Island in order to pick up something important, though just what it was, he didn't know. No sooner had he gotten off of the ship, had a citizen approached him about constant fighting in a bar, with such a fight going on right there and then. Anton had figured it wouldn't hurt to do some work while he was here, and had gone off to the bar alone. No sense in getting the rest of the crew involved.

However, when he had arrived, the place was in pandemonium. People were fighting eachother, breaking furniture and glasses, some were even on the ground bleeding or in pain. Through the insanity though, there was one face that caught his attention. A certain green haired cowgirl, who was currently throttling a man. Elizabeth? Just what the hell was she doing here?

But first things first. Right now, he had to put a stop to this fight. He pushed his way into the crowd of fists and violence, his body shifting into his hybrid form. Without even waiting, he brought his legs up, rubbing them together to produce a sharp, piercing sound that caused everyone to stop and cover their ears. Anton quickly reverted back to his human form before yelling out for the crowd to hear. "Stop this right now! This fighting has gone on long enough! By order of the marines, this stops now!" A couple of the patrons may recognize Anton from when he cleared up the corruption on the island. That, and the fact that he was carrying a sword would give people second ideas about resuming the fight.

"She started it!" one voice yelled out, pointing towards Elizabeth, who was still straddling the poor man. Anton quickly strode over to her, grabbing her arm firmly, but not roughly. "May I speak to you outside?" he said. He could tell by the look in her eyes that something was very, very wrong here.

Elizabeth continued to stare silently at the face of her prey as he struggled to peel her hands from his neck. The rest of the men in the bar would continue their paths of destruction. Small fragment of debris would cover he floor, so the crunching sounds of multiple footsteps would cover the new arrival of the marine. A piercing shrill of sound would fill the atmosphere causing the green haired cowgirl to release the man's neck and cover her ears. Elizabeth would hold her hands there long after the noise ended. Black eyes stared at the face of the man, who now struggled to catch his breath. What was happening?

Elizabeth had heard the muffled words of a man yelling. The woman's eyes would widen as she had realized she had heard this voice before but couldn't remember who it belonged to. All Elizabeth wanted was to quickly find an exit and run. Nobody had ever come in to break up their bar fights, so it was never expected. However, the cowgirl's hands would drop just in time to hear someone yell, "She started it!" The cowgirl would clench her teeth once more before lightly growling. "Bastard," the woman would speak barely audible before she felt a hand on her arm. Black eyes would open wide as Elizabeth would begin to get defensive, until her head quickly snapped to the side.

Elizabeth's eyes would make contact with the red head she had met just a short while ago. He had been playing music then and she hadn't been an alcoholic. Things seemed so much greater the last time. Now, she was trapped in her own personal, mental hell. With hesitation, Elizabeth would slowly and wobbly stand onto her feet before stepping over the man she was straddling just moments ago. The woman would trip over his body slightly but manage to catch herself before following Anton to the door.

WC: 331
TWC: 873

There was no doubt about it. Elizabeth was drunk. When they had first met, she didn't seem like the alcoholic type, but here, she looked like a total wreck. Just what had happened to her? Holding her arm gently, he guided her outside, helping catch her when she stumbled over the guy she had been throttling. Once outside in the cool air, Anton gently guided her around the corner to the side of the building, getting them somewhere secluded.

Once she was sure she could stand up on her own (or at least lean on the wall for support), he let go of her and took a step back. "Would you mind telling me just what all this is about? I mean, I know we only met once, but you didn't seem like the kind of person to get stone drunk, start bar fights, or try to throttle someone to death." Despite the situation, his tone wasn't firm or demanding. In fact, it was full of concern for her. Even though Anton knew she was a pirate (she confessed it to him herself), she still seemed like a good person, and Anton was just too nice of a person to let good people suffer.

Once outside, Anton would take Elizabeth around to the side of the building, where she would lean on the cool, wooden wall of the establishment. The cowgirl would lean her head back and stare up at the sky with her arms crossed over her chest. Her face seemed so full of anger but would slowly begin to fade into nothingness, as she stared upwards. While the red head spoke to her about who she was when they first met, Elizabeth would slowly hang her head so she was staring at the ground. Her eyes would once again begin to water causing her to slowly slide into a curled up sitting position.

"I.. wasn't.." the green haired beauty would speak with a hoarse voice. Did she really want to talk about it anymore than she had to? After a moment of sitting in a ball, Elizabeth would raise her head to rest her chin on her knees. With all of her tears subdued, Elizabeth would begin to speak, "Do you want to know what I think about being here? This place is cruel. All of it. Innocence is never sacred. I was innocent just a short time ago but it was taken. Now, I see what this place really is." Elizabeth would talk, as she stared straight at the red headed marine, with tears beginning to stream from her eyes. "I'm supposed to help people. I promised I would do what I could with the skills I had. I promised to be kind to people. For a while, I did all those things but ya know what I did? I broke those promises. I.. hurt people.. and there was no saving them. I killed them... but.. I had to help them.. It.. hurts. They keep following me. Their faces.. I see them every day. I can never get rid of them! Unless, I can't use my head." The cowgirl would hide her face in her knees again as she brought her hands up to grip her hair. Now that she thought about it, the visuals would once again start to fade into existence in her mind. Tears would become more frequent, as they streamed her face.

WC: 377
TWC: 1250

A look of sadness washed over the marine's face. Just what had this poor woman been through? As the woman started crying, Anton moved to sit down beside her, resting his hand gently on her shoulder. "This world can be a cruel place," Anton spoke softly, "And even the best of us do things we regret." He trailed off as he remembered the numerous pirates he had killed, those who had died before him that he had failed to save. Sure, they were pirates, vile criminals, but the idea of taking a life still bothered him. Did it make him any better than the criminals he fought? He brought himself back to the present, looking over at Elizabeth. "But, if there's one thing I know, it's that you can't change the past. You can't just let it destroy you. What you can do, is try to do better, to make yourself a better person. If it's one thing I've learned, it's that the strongest people in this world, are those that can still remain good, despite the darkness this world has."

He gently rested a hand on her head, stroking her hair in a comforting manner. "You said back when we first met that you didn't think you were going to live long. I don't believe that. I think you have the potential to be a great person, with the strength to keep yourself from the corruption of this world." He gave her a warm smile. "If there's anything I can do to help, I'll be glad to. You're not alone in this world."

Elizabeth would keep her head resting on her knees, even as Anton placed a hand on her shoulder. All she could do was listen and and attempt to keep the tears from continuing on. For a moment, things were quiet leaving Elizabeth to think about the few words the redhead spoke. Would she be considered one of the best? Now, probably not. Before, she might have been. After a moment, The marine would speak but this time Elizabeth would lift her head to look at him. She would wipe her eyes as he tried to speak some wisdom to her. Could Elizabeth be one of the strongest? So far, she couldn't see it. She couldn't believe it. Could she start bettering herself? She had no idea how. Elizabeth would continue to look at Anton even as she thought.

After a moment, the marine would begin to stroke her long, green hair. He would speak encouraging words to her and make her think back to when they first met. Elizabeth had been so care free then and didn't want to be like other pirates. She wanted to be something special and kind. She wanted to finish her work without taking any lives. Now, she was here sitting outside a bar trying to find a way to deal with herself. After the redhead finished speaking, Elizabeth would take a moment to form a coherent thought. The cowgirl's purple eyes would blink a fee times before focusing on the marine. "Would you.. help me get away from this bar? Sometimes, I just get tired of being here. I like to think it helps.. but.. it doesnt.." the cowgirl would form a small smile. Maybe, she would get there, to the point where she could feel happy with herself again. Hopefully, she could do it.

It seemed that his words were having some effect, as now she was looking at him and smiling, before requesting that he help her get away from the bar. Anton nodded and returned her smile, slowly standing up to offer his hand to her to help her up. "Sure. My ship's docked not too far from here. I could get a room set up for you for the night, just so you can cool off and collect yourself." he paused for a moment, a small realization coming to him, "Don't worry, I'm not arresting you or anything. Just offering you a place to stay for a night. I'll tell the others to leave you alone as well. Though, if there's anywhere else you'd rather be, I can escort you there as well." He was glad he was starting to get through to her, and really wanted to help her.

As Anton offered to set up a room for Elizabeth, she would look at him a little skeptical. Quickly, he would make it clear what his intentions were, which would make the cowgirl giggle a bit. The girl would take his hand before speaking, "No that's ok. I have my own room somewhere around here but I can never remember which one. So, it's probably best I stay somewhere where someone knows that I am." The woman would giggle and wobble, as she stood to her feet with some help. "I'm glad we're on good terms. I really don't wanna go back to jail. It was only one night but it wasn't the life for me," Elizabeth would smile as she thought about her magnificent entrance into the jail that night. She thought about her intentions of clearing her plate and trying to help herself. Of course, it only lasted a little while but hopefully she could do it this time. "Ya know, you're really sweet. Thank you for all your help. I'm glad I met ya!" Elizabeth would speak in a more high pitched, loud, and happy type voice.

Anton blinked at her words. She had been to jail? Granted, it was only one night, so maybe it was for something minor. He gave her a smile and nodded, unable to help but chuckle at her now happy tone. He was glad to see he was cheering her up. He blushed lightly at her comment about him being sweet. "Well, I just wish to help, that's all. It's what any decent person would have done," he replied, gently taking her hand to keep her stable. He would allow her to guide the way to where she wanted to stay, just to make sure nobody harassed the poor girl. An attractive woman, wandering around in the middle of the night, drunk. Even though Anton had done a good job clearing up the marine corruption on the island, he had a feeling there would be some rather scrupulous people who would try to take advantage of her.

Elizabeth would walk fine only sometimes finding a spot where she would stumble a bit or wobble trying to keep her balance. Every time she did, the cowgirl would giggle and straighten herself up. The journey seemed to be going fine, until Elizabeth caught sight of a flower on the side of the walkway. At first glance, Elizabeth would wander towards it dragging Anton along with her. The cowgirl would squat down and stare at the flower as she held on to the marines hand. "Look! This flower is awake! Isn't it so pretty?!" Elizabeth would continue to stare in awe at the flowers purple petals. At one point, the cowgirl would poke it to make sure it was real before staring once more. "Can I keep it?" Elizabeth would say turning her purple, pleading eyes towards Anton.

It seemed like the night was getting better. Elizabeth was able to walk along fine, only with the occasional stumble she recovered from quickly, and seemed to be cheering up, much to Anton's relief. He hated seeing her so depressed and was glad he could help her. When she suddenly spotted the flower and pulled him over, he couldn't help but chuckle at how much she seemed to enjoy it. This was a woman who, not too long ago, was throttling someone and in a drunken despair, and now here she was, fawning over an admittedly beautiful flower, and asking Anton if she could keep it. The marine smiled warmly. "Of course you can. There's no laws against picking flowers." At least, as far as he knew. Man, wouldn't that be crazy if there were.

Elizabeth would gasp in surprise and squeal with joy. Purple eyes would turn from Anton to the purple flower. Slowly her fingers would pinch the flower's stem before breaking it in half. Of course, the cowgirl knew the flower wouldn't last very long but she would keep it until it died. Elizabeth would stand after picking the flower and turn to Anton with a large smile. A blush would be spread across the woman's cheeks as she looked from the flower to the red headed man. "Will you hold it for me? I don't wanna lose it," the cowgirl would hold the flower out to the man, "It's so pretty." Elizabeth would giggle.

Anton couldn't help but blush as she offered him the flower. Sure, she was just asking him to hold it for her, and still, there was just something about a pretty woman offering you a flower while blushing and giggling like a schoolgirl. Anton had never really considered himself the kind who would attract beautiful women, but then again, stranger things had happened in his life.

With a small smile, he nodded and took the flower, holding onto it before taking her hand. "We should probably keep moving. Just how far is this place anyway? I highly doubt we want to spend the entire night just wandering the streets." Not to mention there was also that reason for him being here in the first place. But he was sure they wouldn't mind waiting a little bit. They never said it was urgent or anything like that.