/ I'm not a fool / (Miss Sarah Fortune x Fem reader)

Chapter 3 : Protection

You wake up a few hours later, but the rest wasn't refreshing.

Your eyes are still puffy from crying, and although you tried to clean the wound on your cheek before bed, it bled overnight, staining your pillow. You had to change the pillowcase anyway.

Your cheek feels slick, and dried blood clings to your chin and temple. Feeling gross, you decide it's time for a much-needed shower.

You realize you didn't even bother to change clothes last night- not that it mattered. You were too tired to care.

Glancing out the window, you see the sun hasn't fully risen. It's still early. No surprise you didn't sleep well.

Tossing and turning all night wasn't exactly restful. You were too hot, but whenever you kicked the blanket off, you got too cold.
The whole night felt like one long fever dream. You remember a few nightmares, but the details are foggy, and better left forgotten. No point dragging them into the shower with you.

You get out of bed, stretching your arms and legs as you head to the bathroom.

You undress quickly, letting your clothes drop to the floor. You'll pick them up later, probably.
Naked, you step into the small wooden shower cabin and turn on the water, letting it run down your skin. It's not very warm, but it'll do.

Now fully awake, your thoughts drift back to yesterday. The shower's always the place for that: thinking.

You start going over the facts- One: you need to gather 50,000 gold by tonight. Two: stay calm. Three: don't die.

You have no idea how you're going to manage any of that.

Shaking yourself from the spiral, you focus on actually washing up instead of just standing under the water. You scrub your hair and body, and clean the wound on your cheek with soap. It stings, but it already feels a bit better.

When you step out of the shower, you glance at yourself in the mirror.
The cut on your cheek looks like it's healing a little. It's still there, but not as bad as yesterday. A bluish bruise blooms around it, reaching under your eye, but honestly, you've looked worse.
Even if your face were torn apart and all your teeth were gone, you still wouldn't be the ugliest woman in Bilgewater. That's a depressing thought- but hey, it's Bilgewater.

After staring at yourself for what feels like a cringy amount of time, you grab a towel and start drying off, being extra careful around your wounds.

Now clean and dry, it's time to get dressed. You head to your bedroom and pick out something simple.

Black pants. White button-up shirt. Clean, easy, presentable.
You work in a bar, not a brothel. Phil made that perfectly clear the day you showed up in a dress. You haven't dared show your ankles since.

You scoop up your dirty clothes and head back to the bathroom. As you lift your pants, something slips from the pocket and falls to the floor.

Ah, right. The red card.

One of the two men gave it to you yesterday. Honestly, you can't remember his name. Francis? Something like that. Not that it matters- you're probably never seeing them again.
Still, the card might be useful. You remember the yellow one freezing your attacker in place. You wonder what the red one does.

You slide it back into your pocket. Even if it does nothing, maybe it'll bring you luck.

You toss your dirty clothes into the laundry basket next to the shower, along with a few others you picked up from the bedroom.

As you slip on your shoes, you sigh.
Going out doesn't sound exciting. But you have to. Staying here definitely won't earn you any gold, and if tonight really is your last night on Runeterra, you don't want to spend it alone in a dingy apartment.