The Universe's Mixer

Green. His leather clothes were green. He didn’t know how Hood had arranged for this, but he would make that scum pay for it. He was fairly certain Jeannie could turn everything back to it’s proper black, she was very good at things like that. He was about to go find her when something outside his window caught his eye.

Could it really be what he thought it was? Sir Guy of Gisborne quickly dressed in his green leather and went outside. He had heard the tales from Eire about these little men. Some kind of spirit called leprechauns. Before coming to this City, Guy would never have believed that they were real, but he was here with a genie as his housekeeper. He also remembered that the stories of these little spirits always mentioned gold.

Catch a leprechaun; win a pot full of gold.

Guy liked the thought of that. With enough gold, he could get away from the Sheriff once he got back to Nottingham. If he got back to Nottingham. But even away from home, gold would be a very good thing to have on hand. He went to his horse and frowned when he saw that not only was Rupert’s tack green, but he had shamrocks braided into his mane and tail. Guy growled as he stripped the greenery off of his steed. He would kill Hood for this.

Leaving Rupert happily munching on the shamrocks, Sir Guy took his sword and went out hunting leprechauns.

There was one thing about this City that Elizabeth didn't understand. Instead of Gold, they used paper. It seemed like an odd trade off. She liked the feel of gold in her hand. The height of it, the look of it. Sure, back in England they had writs of credit sometimes, but it was for gold. She enjoyed gold.

She missed gold.

So when she sat down at the counter of the bar she'd wandered into, as she was still on a rum kick, she demanded the city give her gold.

So the bartender laid a shot infront of her that was not rum. It was something that had gold flecks in it. It wasn't the same.

"All I want is one gold coin. Just to hold. Just to look at. Please." She begged no one. Took the shot up and gulped it down in a second flat. It wasn't rum, but it'd do.

She needed to get her hands on some gold. Maybe she really was a Pirate.

Elizabeth was beginning to believe she actually was becoming more like Jack as the days went on. It wasn't the swagger or really the crazed actions. It was the rum. The rum that never seemed to be enough or was always there for her. She was a beautiful intelligent woman and yet rum seemed to be the only thing that stuck around these days. Not that she'd gone out of her way to make lasting friends. Not when her mind had been on William and on the fight that was probably already over. Beckett would be dead, or alive and she'd still be stuck here.

Without William because she hadn't seen him. Without James who was dead. And without Jack since he was either very busy or they just never seemed to cross the same paths. That was for the better. She was getting caught up in him for awhile there and she had to take the time to stop and forgive William before any of this made sense.

William had gone against all of them, against her, but he'd done it because.. because Jack always did it? Or because he hated Jack? Or because he expected Jack to make it out of the bind with no trouble?

She couldn't ask him. She wanted to ask him. She kept asking the City for him and yet, no matter how sweetly she worded it or how many curse words she invented, the City didn't want to give William over.

Or James.

But it did bring her moe rum.

Laying there on the deck of the Pearl with the sun shining down on her was comfortable Her hat half over her face. An old looking bottle of rum in one hand.

It alwas did give her rum. Maybe one day it'd see fit to give her something else she wanted.

Elizabeth was worried that nothing would ever return to normal. She didn't know where Will was, but her anger had mostly subsided now. She hadn't seen Jack in ages, Dean seemed to disappear.. And there was that awkward time with Oz still sitting neatly in the I-have-no-bloody-clue pile. She needed to break out of this city and if it meant cutting down a few random people with her cutlass to do it, she'd do it. But where did the City keep it's officials? Who ran this place? A king? Queen? Perhaps some random official?

Elizabeth began her search by the docks, because she hoped to run into Jack, but eventually spread down the street, and around another black, and around the next. She ended up in the park somehow and because it was such a nice day and because leather didn't breath well she collapsed in a patch of grass and yanked her jacket off and tossed her cutlass and a few random odds and ends into the jacket, put her hat over her face and fell asleep.

( And the hours just rolled by. )

Elizabeth had been confused about the city for awhile. She'd also been here for awhile and now everything seemed to make sense. Well as much as they could make sense. She understood that there seemed to be no real way to get home and finish the war they'd started. She also knew now that the city enjoyed its tricks. Falling in love with a random man, who was shorter than she was, was crazy enough. Falling out of it so quickly had made her heart hurt. She recalled the fact that Jack hadn't been around, William was no where, and James was dead.

A lot of her hurt these days.

But now she had the hang of its never ending turns, being lost was normal, and coca-cola was not to be hit with your sword. You pulled on the little metal top thing and opened it and the can would give you it's sugar water center. Still.

She had a lot to get used to. Having money, a constant never ending pocket full was nice. The jean's she was wearing were weird. Dean had told her, what seemed forever ago, that this is what women wore. She had half a mind to find a real dress and put that on and try to find out where the rest of her friends had run off to. Where was Jack. Had William come here yet? Were there any other pirates in town?

Elizabeth found herself seated at a table on the sidewalk, drinking her can of coca-cola, which she was now addicted to, and watching the street for any signs of someone she knew. Someone to talk to who made a little more sense than the city itself.

Maybe she should try jumping into the water at the docks again. Maybe that would send her home.

Elizabeth didn't know why everything was pink and red, she didn't understand all the flower carts and balloons. She just knew that there was a lot of music playing, and all of it sounded a bit too happy for her. She stopped in a store to get something to drink and came out with a metal can of some sort. Painted in colors.. but it wasn't paint. She couldn't just scrape it off. She was playing with it, rolling it between her hands as she walked up to the street corner.

She could hear the liquid inside of the can. But how did you get it out? There was nothing just to press on to open it. She supposed she could smack it hard with her sword, but she didn't want to spill the liquid. Co-la. Cola. The man in the store had said it was good. Sweet even. She had no idea why she wanted sweet, maybe all that rum had been getting to her head lately. Still this metal can had the liquid, the cola, trapped inside. Elizabeth shook it a little. Nothing came out.

Fine.

Elizabeth set the can of cola on the ground and unsheathed her cutlass. "You are going to come out co-la, one way or another." She pulled her sword over her head and lined up with the can.

It was going to surrender it's liquid goodness to her. She wasn't King of the Pirates for nothing.

Elizabeth was glad that all the snow was gone. Not just because then they could leave the jail, but because her clothes just weren't meant for snow. It was nice to walk outside and feel warmer than you had inside. She squinted at the small bit of sunshine and waited for Book to catch up with her. Both of them had agreed to head off for some coffee to warm them both up. Better than alcohol, she was done with alcohol for now.

Well, for a little while at least.

( Who was she kidding? For today. )

(for 21, 24, Elizabeth, Connor and Deb)


Shepherd Book was coming to deeply regret his decision to leave the church. It had seemed, at the time, to be the best course of action. Only course of action really, since there wasn’t much to be done inside the building to give him any clue as to his whereabouts. Nothing to be learned by staying in one place in any case.

When he’d set out on this exploratory walk, it hadn’t been what a body would call a pleasant day, weather-wise, but it had been passable. How quickly that had changed. The snow came quick and heavy, and Book decided to head back to the church. ( Answers could wait for another day. )

Everything in this city was weird. Elizabeth couldn't get over that. Nothing was what it seemed and she was pretty sure there was no way to get back to reality. What happened with Will? And the war? Did any of the pirates survive? Did Barbosa double cross them in the end? Elizabeth didn't want to think on it too much, it would just depress her in the end. The snow was annoying as hell and she kept having to break ice off the deck, railings, and riggings of the pearl. She did not need it to sink under the weight. It was the only thing that reminded her of home these days.

Elizabeth finally stepped down onto the docks and stuffed her hands into her jacket, it was cold, but she wanted to go find some more rum. She started down the docks and off into the city. One turn, two, she knew this by heart now. Course, the City kept changing things on her as well. Where the hell was that bar? She went around another corner and nearly ran right into someone. She tipped her hat and kept going. By the sea it was cold.

Elizabeth finally found what she was looking for and headed inside. She scraped the snow off her boots at the door and sauntered over to the bar. The Bartender as already pouring her a glass of rum. Elizabeth sat down on the stool and fixed her sword belt. Before she nodded with a smile at the bartender. "Please keep them coming good sir." She took some money out of her pocket and laid it on the bar in front of her. She looked down the bar. There was a flash of red hair for a moment, almost familiar. Elizabeth shrugged it off and tipped the first shot of rum back.

She was turning into an alcoholic. Honestly.

You have a camel. You have a regular sewing needle. Try to thread the needle with the camel. The hair doesn't count.

Elizabeth didn't want anything to do with what had been happening on land. SHe'd certainly heard people screaming and saw what looked like a ton of drunk pirates. Drunk half dead pirates. It reminded her vividly of what Barbosa and the crew of the Pearl had been like before they'd returned all the gold to the chest. Well, only with a bit more flesh and about 400 times scarier. She kept herself holed up in her cabin within the pearl.

There wasn't a ton o do in there by herself. She'd polished her swords more than once. She'd checked the powder a few times as well. But if they were going to try and get her, well, she'd be putting up one hell of a fight, that was for sure.

The only problem with this plan was that she was alone. Elizabeth hated to be alone. Not only did it leave her at a disadvantage in this situation, it also left her alone in her thoughts. Enough so that she started to consider why it was she was here in the first place. To reunite with Jack without Will around? To show her what life might have been? Elizabeth paced her cabin, jabbing her sword back into it's loop on her belt. She stuck her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

And what about Dean?

Why was it that she always had the most complicated time when it came to men?

She finally couldn't stand it, she pulled the door open and took a step onto the deck. She could hear them now. The low moan, the groan of those not dead things. They must have been on the pier.

This completely was not good.

( Cars and Liquor )

Elizabeth was sick of waiting on Jack. And since that red haired man had left Elizabeth had been very lonely on the Pearl. Lonely enough to go wandering out into this "City" place. Maybe she'd run into Dean again. At least he was some fun, when he wasn't shooting her or trying to get touchy feely. Well, hitting on her. Elizabeth was still angry at Will. Mourning Norrington, and confused about Jack in general. This new Jack didn't remember what happened after the Krakken. But he knew she'd betrayed him and still.. Still they'd kissed and that was confusing. What was she suppose to feel?

Bright lights and the rumbling of the metal beasts known as cars.. Elizabeth didn't like it at all. But as she walked she found herself staring at an establishment which had a various assortment of bottles behind a large wooden table thing with chairs. Lined the whole area. People were sitting on high chairs and having a drink. Oh it must have been like those Irish pubs! Elizabeth opened the door and stepped inside. She kept her hat on, and her cutlass was at her side. Pistol hidden under her jacket. She walked to the bar and looked over it.

There was a woman behind the bar, looking right at Elizabeth. "Can I get you something?"
"Rum, Please?"
"Sure!"

Elizabeth sat down on one of the high chairs and adjusted the sword at her side. Everyone was eying her funny. Well, what did they expect of a Pirate?!

The woman returned with a glass of rum and set it in front of Elizabeth, Elizabeth smiled and produced from her pocket what looked to be paper. What the heck? Where was her gold? The woman took one of the pieces of paper and nodded to Elizabeth. "That's all you owe."

Huh. They bartered in paper. Silly people.

Elizabeth sat back and started to drink her rum. Mmm Rum.

Elizabeth didn't understand everything Dean had told her, and really she was lucky to remember it was Dean who told her anything and not a purple mongoose from the bottom of a bottle of whatever they were drinking. What was it called? She couldn't recall. It was good though. After she'd returned to the Pearl and freshened up Elizabeth really wanted to tackle this whole, land boat thing. She'd have asked Dean if she could remember where it was he was.

But then again, Man loved his boat as much as Jack did.

And then there was Jack. Elizabeth hadn't seen him and did she want to? What was there to SAY to Jack? I love you? Lets get married? He didn't want to be tied down did he? Elizabeth was leaning against the rail of the Black Pearl. Looking down at the docks. This place was strange and unnatural. She'd left a battle behind. It wasn't right. She adjusted her hat for the third time and quirked a curious brow towards this.. The City.

She missed Port Royal. She missed her crew. She didn't miss Will. She should have missed Will. How could Will have played turncoat on all of them? Just to save his father? His father had gone crazy. Insane. He'd killed James!

James. She missed James.

She really needed to find Jack and find a way out of here.

Up is down. Elizabeth looked up at the sky. Certainly didn't look down. This wasn't going to work. She'd tried to keep herself from leaving the Pearl, but Jack wasn't around and she had no one to talk to. Plus, that egging feeling in the back of her head. She'd left the other Pirates without a King. Meaning Barbossa likely took over already and tried to bring back Calypso. But how without her piece of eight? Elizabeth tucked it under her white shirt as she finished putting on her jacket. Cutlass instead of the jian, Pistol tucked into her pants. Yes. These clothes were much more comfortable than the Chinese armor.

And Jack liked them.

No. That wasn't why.

She thought so at least.

Walking away from the Pearl was a bit more scary than she wanted to ever admit. But it was the only thing thus far that had been familiar to her, besides Jack of course. Where was Cotton, Gibbs, and the rest? Where was Will, Barbossa, Tia Dalma... Davy Jones for the love of sea salt! Walking off the pier and onto the street.. she supposed it was. Not cobble stone, but smoth. Smooth like marble but not. Elizabeth turned her head towards the Pearl one last time then strode off.

She had to find someone. There had to be a way back. She would have told Jack, had he been there, that she needed to get back. She had to kill Cutler Beckett. She had a father to avenge, a battle to win, and the rest of them to save didn't she? Turned a corner and.. What the hell was that thing?

Metal, lots of it. Glass? No eyes. It was a beast. A beast she'd never seen before. It was coming closer, closer.

She had to do something. It made a horrible noise.

Grrrr Grrrrrr Rev rev. Grrr grrr. HONK HONK.

She could see someone. See someone INSIDE of it. Taking a running leap she jumped onto the beast's face. Brandished her steel cutlass. "What manner of beast are you?!" The man inside of it seemed just as alarmed as she did. She had to save him.

Elizabeth was livid, absolutely angry over the fact that Beckett had neither apologized, nor denied what he'd done to her father. In fact she was sure he flaunted it. He chose his fate. No, you killed him you ugly little.. Her mind wasn't focused, not completely. She'd handed Jack over for Will. But had Will sold them out? And Barbosa was none too happy about her handing Jack over. In fact he was saying something about Calypso. The small boat rocked to and fro as they came back to the Pearl.

The silence was deafening. Barbosa climbed out first, followed by Will who extended his hand to her, Elizabeth refused to take it. He made a deal with Beckett, how could he? He knew Beckett had killed her father! He knew it! How could he? In her blistering anger she pushed the hand away but missed the rigging to climb up. Instead she plummeted between long boat and the Black pearl and into the water.

( It was cold )