Author's note: I'm back, and better (worse) than ever. Summer classes suck. I'm going to try and write more consistently, especially this story. idk if it's ok so far, so plz tell me if it's alright or not. tysm. UwU Hope y'all enjoy.

Chapter 2

"Ahh!" Lux awoke with a start. A loud banging at her door caused her to shout, "Who is it?"

"Captain Sven. Breakfast is in ten minutes." The voice behind the door replied.

"Ah, ok. Thank you very much." Lux sighed in relief. She got up when she heard the door close, observing Ezreal.

"I really need to get that sleeping potion." She thought. "Plus what will I do when I get to Piltover?" She pushed these thoughts aside, not wanting to let this roadblock end her trip. She didn't bring any spare clothes, so she just walked over to the dining hall. There was a long wooden table, with benches on each side; it seated about thirty men.

"Just take a seat and Ronnie will get you yer food." The captain called out. A bowl of some sort of stew was placed in front of her with no particular gentleness, making Lux flinch. A spoon was also in the bowl, and Lux looked up. All the people around her were dirty and unclean, just eating like there was no tomorrow. Lux did the same, pulling away after her first taste.

"It's dried fish stew." The captain told her, after noticing her face. "Better get used to it, because that's what we eat most of the time." Lux nodded, gulping and preparing herself to finish the food. If that's what she was given to eat, she might as well learn to like it. After all, there wasn't much choice of food, unlike home. She quickly gulped down the stew, putting her mouth on the edge and tilting it. She nearly gagged on the taste, but she managed to swallow. She followed the actions of the other men by getting up and leaving without cleaning their bowls. She didn't have anything to do, so she went back to her room. Lux noticed things she hadn't before. There was a musty scent, and on the wooden walls was growing some algae. Lux shuddered, not wanting to press any further. She walked back out of her room, and bumped into the captain.

"I'm so sorry!" She shouted.

"Hmmph." The captain just grunted.

"Do you have any potions?" She asked.

"Why would ya need 'em?" The captain asked.

"I can't possibly sleep with the rocking." Lux hastily made an excuse.

"Alright, I'll give ya enough for the trip." The captain informed her. "I'll be back later with them."

"Thank you." Lux said. The captain just walked away, making Lux's face droop. She remembered the "Minimal contact rule" and just went back into her room. Ezreal was still on the floor, and knocked out. Lux brought her hand to the boy's face and gave it a harsh slap.

"That's what you get when you mess with me." Lux thought. She smiled, surprised at how little regret she had. She was a nice person, but when someone pushes too far, one has to do something. Lux hadn't ever used her magic on someone before. All that she did was play around with light beams that came through the window. This was a whole new experience, and a draining one at that. Lux plopped onto the bed, then suddenly remembering that the captain was to drop by. She quickly slid off the bed, picking up Ezreal by the head and sliding him underneath her bed. She'd take him out later, once she received the sleeping potion. She sat back on her bed, waiting for the captain's arrival at her door. She sat at the edge of the bed, swinging her legs, grazing her feet on the floor. Lux's eyes widened and she lay back, as if some otherworldly being was taking control of her. There was no other being, however; it was just her fear.

"What do I do when I arrive in Bilgewater? I can't get a job, everyone is a bounty hunter there." Lux sighed aloud, a frown plastering over her once bright demeanor.

Knock knock!

Lux half-jumped off her bed, then walked slowly over to the door. She opened it, revealing a grumpy looking captain.

"Your potion." He thrust it forward into Lux's arms and slammed the door shut immediately.

"Well that was quick." Lux thought to herself. Lux inspected the contents inside the potion and found that there was a small note on the back with sloppy handwriting that read:

For four days. Do not take it all at once, unless you want to sleep for four days straight. Split into four parts.

She walked back to her bed and pulled Ezreal out from under the bed. He didn't look any better than when she'd first put him there. His face and hair were still mangled and burnt, but Lux managed to stop gagging and pour the potion into his mouth. She pressed on his throat and made a circular motion, forcing him to swallow. Lux had learned that trick from a maid back home. When she was young, Lux hated medicine, refusing it at all costs. However, once the medicine was poured into her mouth, she was made to swallow by that same method. In the present, Lux was secretly grateful for it, otherwise there was no way that the potion would go down Ezreal's throat. She tossed him back on the ground, kicking him underneath.

"That should hold him. I hope." Lux whispered to herself. She lay back on the bed, fiddling with her fingers and waiting for the time to pass. Before she knew it, the entire day had passed and it was now morning.

"Wait, what happened?" Lux panicked. "What about the captain? Are we there yet?" As if on cue, a loud rapping sounded at the door. Lux opened it cautiously, revealing a gruff captain.

"Meals are served now. We'll be docking in about an hour." The captain walked away after his short announcement. Lux walked out and followed him into the dining hall. She took a seat on the bench, and soon after a bowl of something was dropped in front of her.

"Mackerel porridge. Enjoy your last meal." The captain sounded out gruffly.

Lux made a face that showed her disinterest for the porridge, as she looked around. All the other men on the boat were chowing down on their porridge, as if there was a competition to see who could eat the fastest. Some were even asking for seconds. Lux changed her disgusted face into a content one, looking back into the dark wooden bowl. White and brown bits of barley, stewed with water, made most of it. Sticking out of some spots were all sorts of parts of fish. A few fins stuck out, and bits and pieces of fish meat in the bowl. Lux took the spoon, stabbing it into the porridge then stopping to gag. The porridge was nothing like the gourmet food she had gotten used to at home. It was mushy, but the fish felt like rubber. Lux stabbed it with the spoon, but couldn't break it up.

"This is the last meal. Might as well enjoy it." Lux thought, as she sighed and spooned some porridge into her mouth. She gagged yet again when she tasted it, her eyes opening wide in surprise. The mush itself didn't taste too bad. The fish, oily and rubbery, had a unique fishy taste to it. It was almost as if Lux had gone and licked the docks back in Demacia. She cringed, holding down her stomach and forcing herself to swallow. She pinched herself with her left hand, feeling the lump of rubbery fish slide down her throat. Continuing to do the same thing, she picked up a piece of fish with the spoon, then put it in her mouth. The greasiness and chewy texture made Lux want to puke, but Lux remembered that this was her last meal for a while.

"Gotta get my nutrients." She grinned slightly. "If there are even any in here." The grin morphed into a frown, as she continued her hard stare at the wooden bowl. Picking up the spoon resolutely, she took a deep breath, preparing to take the next bite. She shoved the spoon in her mouth and swallowed without chewing, hoping she wouldn't taste the mackerel. Luckily Lux didn't taste anything, including the rubbery fish. Unluckily, she now felt the hard object slide down her throat slowly and painfully. Lux tried to swallow and make it go down faster, but it was determined to torture Lux by going down as slow as possible.

"Let's not do that." Lux thought to herself when the fish finally went down. The pain was bearable, but just thinking of the mackerel's feeling in her throat made her gag again. Her expression turned into a queasy one, as the rocking of the ship only made the meal worse. Holding down the ever pressing urge to puke, Lux spooned some porridge without fish and swallowed it. The remnants of fish oil infected the clean porridge, infusing it with its disgusting flavor. Lux still ate it, quickly slurping up the rest of the barley porridge, in hopes that she'd get some nutrients without gagging. Luckily she didn't vomit, but managed to push down the lumpy porridge down her throat. She looked back down into the bowl, observing the contents inside. Four pieces of rubbery fish, along with a few grains of barley sat inside the bowl. Lux looked up, only noticing the room now. Along the wall she was facing, equally spaced apart, were small circular windows. The walls were a dark brown hue of wood, which matched the floors. The benches and table were of the same material, and colored the same. Out the small windows Lux could see the dim and grayish sky outside. She wondered why it was like that, as she picked her bowl of fish up.

"Hey Miss, ya gonna eat that?" Lux looked to her right to see who was calling her. A man, obviously a crew member, was asking about the contents of Lux's bowl.

"No. I suppose you could have it." She replied hesitantly.

"Well god bless yer soul. This is some of the best stuff in all o' Valoran!" He grinned, his overgrown mustache emphasizing his excitement. Lux shoved the bowl in front of the man, who greedily poured all the contents of it straight into his mouth. Lux cringed at the sight, almost feeling as if she had swallowed the fish herself.

"Whatever. At least someone's happy." Lux grinned, getting up. She walked away, pushing open the door then making her way towards her cabin. When she entered, she smelled a peculiar scent. It was musty, but more than before. Only now could Lux see the extent of the algae growth. It seemed as if the algae had doubled its size in the time that she was gone. It coated the walls, and Lux shivered as she looked closer. Forgetting all of the dirtiness and algae, she rushed forward to check on Ezreal. She reached under the bed, sighing in relief when she pulled him out. His face had seemed to heal, and the burn marks were healed. His hair was no longer an explosion, and everything about him seemed to be clean.

"What happened?" She thought, a quizzical expression on her face. "How is his face all cleaned up? Is he awake?" Lux panicked at the thought of Ezreal pretending to be asleep to ambush her. She raised her hand, and brought it down hard across Ezreal's left cheek. There was no reaction, satisfying Lux's wariness. A red mark in the shape of her hand appeared on his face, which made Lux grin. It was quickly wiped off of her face as realization set down upon her. What would she do with him when they docked? Leave him there? Smuggle him off and throw him into the sea?

"I really didn't think this through." She sighed, shaking her head. "Whatever. He's not my problem. I'll just leave him here with the captain."

She sat there, on the stiff mattress, thinking about her parents and brother.

"I wonder what Garen is up to." She wondered. "Never mind, I already know. Probably training or something." A wave of regret washed over her entire body, as she knew she would most likely never see him again. She frowned, internally cursing herself for not thinking everything through. She didn't really say goodbye to Quinn, Garen, or anyone besides Jarvan and Shyvana. Lux sighed, feeling remorse take over her tiny frame. The dimly lit candle on the shaky shelf was extinguished by the door opening quickly.

"We're at the docks of Piltover. It's your stop." The captain, a rough smile on his face, informed Lux. "Ya gotta get out. I'll show you." He walked away, not hesitating to leave Lux behind. The blonde scrambled off the bed, and rushed to the door. Hastily grabbing her staff and brushing her hair with her hands, Lux started after the captain. She looked back into the room one final time, taking a mental photograph before turning right to catch up to the captain. Lux skipped quickly along the narrow wooden corridor, using the captain's shadow to guide her. Sven pushed through a door, which led to a ladder in a tube shaped room. It was the same ladder that led to the deck. The captain climbed the ladder with ease, opening the hatch and getting on the deck. Lux went the same way, albeit much slower and clumsier. It was partially due to the fact that she had her staff, and partially because she never did things like this. Growing up pampered, she'd never really had to walk far or go up ladders. There were always carriages or stairs. She stepped onto the deck, taking in the scenery. The air, unlike Demacia's, had a dark undertone. Fumes rose up from tall pipes in the horizon. Taller buildings towered above, overlooking the city.

"Follow me." Captain Sven waved his hand, motioning for Lux to follow. The blonde walked across the deck while looking around. Various people of all sorts were working on something. The bulkier carried the cargo, while others helped with prepping the ship or doing other things. It was like a little ant nest, with all of the people doing their individual tasks.

Lux spun her staff around, not paying attention and letting her muscle memory do the work. She gazed up at the sky, noticing that it was very much different from her homeland. A smoky haze was spread across the sky, as a result of all the chemicals and factories. In Piltover and Zaun it seemed to have dimmed out the sun. Tall skyscrapers and buildings, smokestacks and fume pipes extended high into the sky. That was the higher level. As Lux made her way to the ramp to exit, she took note of a few things. The lower parts of the city seemed to be quite shabby. She couldn't imagine the worse of the two, Zaun.

"The streets must be covered in chemical ooze and things. It must be disgusting." Lux thought to herself. The captain showed her off the boat, and her shaky legs were finally on stable ground. The cobblestone path stretched into the city, off from the docks.

"Yer finally on solid ground. Get used to it first!" The captain called out, laughing as he walked away. It was quite comical, how Lux was walking. After being on the ship, her legs weren't used to the solidity of the ground. She stumbled down the path and into the city, towards the docks. Her legs had become used to the ground now, her walking and twirling of her wand becoming synchronized. As Lux walked into the city, she noticed all the technology compared to Demacia's. Horseless carriages and things people called cameras. Everything was so new, and exhilarating.

"I don't know if I can do this, mom." Lux whispered to herself. "I don't know." She continued walking towards the dock, following the signs that indicated their location. Her eyes nervously scouted her surroundings, not able to stay in one place.

Her legs were shaky, as were her eyes; it wasn't because she wasn't used to solid ground. Her nervosity had taken over, not letting herself have full control over her body.

"I don't know, mom. I don't know." She continued muttering. The blonde stumbled through the streets like a drunk, following the signs towards the dock.

"Hey, you!" Lux jumped up, looking around. She found herself face-to-face with a burly man, with a bald head and a burly mustache. He was joined with two others, who were equally as mean-looking.

"You look like a pretty one," The man slowly advanced, his goons matching him. "Pretty sure your parents would pay a great deal to have you back."

"N-No, They wouldn't!" Lux stammered. "Get away from me."

"Oh ho ho, who are you to tell me what to do?" he continued. He broke into a run, easily catching up to Lux, with his comrades still following him.

"I'm warning you!" Lux stammered. "G-Get away!"

"Warning me?" How kind. I might remember that when I sell you to someone." The man mocked.

"Fine." Lux stated firmly, taking a deep breath. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She began to gather the energy from the light around her, channeling it into her hands. She shot it out, forming an unstable ball of light. It pierced through the man, burning a hole straight through him. His partners, a shocked look on their faces, ran away, leaving their leader behind. Lux, horrified at what she'd done, ran away shaking, clutching her wand tightly in her arms. She ran nonstop, not feeling any exhaustion due to her fear overtaking her, and the rush of adrenaline that came with it.

"What do I do, What do I do, What do I do?" She muttered to herself. Lux reached the docks, gazing around at all the ships. Slowly she approached a ship, where she was met by a woman with fiery ginger hair, and a captain's hat to match. A white shirt that was tied like a bra covered her top, but her bottom was less exposed, being completely covered by tight pants.

"What can I do for you, honey?" She grinned, gazing at Lux's pale face.

"Umm-" Lux started. "Do you know a ship I can get to Bilgewater on?"

"Of course. Right here."

"Oh. Umm, can I get on?" Lux asked timidly.

"What'll you give me for it?"

"Oh, of course." Lux took the money out. "100 Bilgewater dollars sound fine?"

"Mighty fine."

"Thanks." Lux handed the money to the woman.

"Come aboard, I'll show you around." The woman motioned, walking up the plank and onto the ship. Lux followed soon after, still feeling uneasy as she pocketed the rest of her money.

"By the way, I'm Fortune. Sarah Fortune." The woman called back.

"Thank you, Miss Fortune." The ginger led Lux inside the ship, sliding down the ladder that led there. Lux followed suit, but carefully stepped down the rungs.

"You'll sleep there," Miss Fortune motioned into a room, whose door was open. "We eat there, whenever you want." She pointed at a larger room. Lux was getting adjusted to the low amount of light below deck. She peered around, at the creaky wooden floors. The ship seemed to be much more well kept than Captain Sven's, as it didn't have a trace of kiss anywhere. A scent of roses flowed through the ship, which masked the smell of the sea.

"We'll be leaving in a couple of hours, so make yourself at home." Miss Fortune announced, walking by Lux and putting a hand on the ladder. "The trip is about a day, so you'll be here overnight. Just stay in your room; the crew here is a bit rowdy." She ascended the stairs without another word, leaving Lux alone with her thoughts. She slowly walked into the room, and was amazed by its cleanliness. A cot with simple white sheets was surrounded by clean wooden walls, and there was a desk that was set against a wall, with a few pencils. Lux flopped onto the bed, noticing that on the left side of the bed there was a door. Her curiosity piqued, Lux got up and opened the door. A simple bucket that Lux assumed was the toilet sat on the ground, in the midst of the small closet. The blonde closed it, before walking over to the desk.

"By the way, I never got your name." Lux jumped up, startled at the voice that interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh, It's Lux." She stammered back to the captain.

"Pretty name, for a pretty woman like you." Miss Fortune grinned. "Why're you going to Bilgewater?"

"Umm, Family business." Lux replied softly.

"Alright." Miss Fortune smiled reassuringly. "Feel free to use those, although I'm not sure how you'll send them." She motioned at the paper and pencils on the desk.

"Thank you very much."

"No problem. I just came by to let you know we're ready to depart."

"Ok." Lux smiled back, watching the captain's departing figure.

She shut the door, and made her way over to the desk, leaning over it and staring at the paper. Lux sighed, feeling the ship begin to rock steadily as it made its way off of the dock. Shakily, Lux began to scribble down a few words for her mother, about her feelings, gratefulness, and about her trip. She rolled it up, and stuffed it in her baton, alongside her mother's letter to her. When she had put it away, Lux sat on the bed, her wand set next to her on the white sheets. Groaning from sea-sickness, Lux lay back, thinking on what she should do next. She shut her eyes, her drowsiness taking control and her consciousness fading as well.

••••

Lux awoke to the sound of knocking on her door, the sound breaking her dreamless sleep.

"Yes?" She groaned groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"We're having a bit of delays, so it'll be a couple of days before we reach Bilgewater." THe voice sounded through the door, with Lux recognizing it to be Miss Fortune's.

Alright, Thanks."

"The galley is to you right when you exit. Eat whenever you want, just don't make a fuss about the food or crew."

"Thanks again..." Lux trailed off, as she heard the departing footsteps. Thinking for a moment, Lux sighed. She got up off of the bed, and walked over to the door. Holding the metal doorknob with a firm but nervous grip, Lux turned it and opened the door. She peeked out to her right, where Miss Fortune had said the galley was. Slowly making her way across the clean yet creaky floorboards, Lux gripped her wand tightly. Eventually she found herself in the galley, a small place. There was a bar-style seating, with a counter and four stools in front. Lux seated herself, looking around for a chef.

"What'll you have?" Lux was startled by the abrupt appearance of a burly man. His beard and tattoos were prominent, but he seemed to have a nice enough personality.

"Umm, What can you make?" Lux asked softly.

"Anything you want, especially for a pretty lil' lady like you." The man winked.

"I'll have your best dish, whatever it is." Lux requested.

"No problem." The man returned to his cooking, leaving Lux to be absorbed in her thoughts. She stayed still for quite a while, before she was interrupted by the chef announcing her food was done.

"You're Fortune's guest, right?" He broke in.

"Oh umm, Yes, I am." Lux accepted the plate.

"Crew members usually don't get this treatment." the man noted. "But since you're her guest, she told us to try to be nice."

"I'll have to thank her." Lux looked over her food. A plate of fried fish and roasted potatoes lay on it, their scent wafting through the air.

"That's usually what I make for her."

"Thank you, Mr.?" Lux trailed off.

"Forn, Mr. Keene Forn." The chef turned around and began to clean. "Rarely ever does Fortune take on last minute passengers. Do you know why she let you on?"

"No, I'm thankful she did though." Lux replied, munching on the food.

"How much'd you give her?"

"100 Bilgewater dollars." Upon hearing that Keene choked, but quickly recovered.

"You know, that 100 is a lot of money, right?"

"Really?" Lux questioned, finishing her food.

"Where're you from?"

"Demacia."

"See, every one of our dollars is four of yours. No wonder she took you."

"Fuck." Lux whispered, surprising not only the chef but also herself. It was weirdly freeing yet awkward at the same time. During her time at Demacia, Lux was never allowed to swear, much less use slander of any sort.

"Well, what's done is done." The chef replied.

"That was half of my money." Lux sighed. Keene choked again, quickly recovering.

"You used half your money for the trip?"

"I didn't know." Lux sighed sadly. "My mother said it wasn't too much money and I also couldn't exactly split it."

"Well, Just be grateful that you could get on a ship. Fortune's is by far one of the best and cleanest."

"Thank you very much, Mr. Forn."

"See you later, then." The man waved. Lux walked off, shaking her head and muttering a soft, 'fuck' before entering her room and shutting the door. SIghing, she composed a short letter detailing her experience, and conversation with the chef.

"Stupid me, I should have found out the currency exchange rate." Lux sighed. "I won't have as much leniency with my spending." She continued writing about how she'd given too much money for the trip. When complete, Lux rolled up the paper and stuffed it in her wand, leaving no space for any future letters. She flopped onto the bed and let out a groan, which was muffled by the bed.

"WHYYYYYY?" Lux trailed off. "Fuck." She cursed again. "At least I have a little bit of money, so I can survive until I can work for some money." The room fell into a deathly silence, as Lux kept her face smashed into her bed. She rolled over and opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling as if it held some sort of secret. The rocking of the ship was consistent, the movement making Lux a bit woozy. Sighing again, as she usually did when she was stressed, Lux rolled over to her front, then onto her back. Repeating the same motion over and over, Lux managed to free her mind from her blunder. She lay on the bed, thinking about her old life. She wondered how Garen was faring. He was informed about the trip, but seemed to be indifferent. Actually, Garen seemed to be indifferent about everything besides Demacia. It was quite funny, actually. Nothing ever phased him. Ever.

"Garen, I need to be like you. Strong. Courageous. Dumb." Lux muttered. "Wait, not dumb. Just strong and courageous. That's what I need to be." Lux mumbled over and over, before closing her eyes and letting her sleep take over yet again. She was out cold again, dreaming about Demacia and Bilgewater. Before long, Lux woke again, this time to more knocking.

"Yes?" She called out sleepily.

"We've docked. You can leave now; I can show you the way." She heard Miss Fortune call through the door.

"I'll be right there." Lux replied, getting off the bed. She walked over and opened her door, showing the captain in her usual outfit. Lux felt a certain level of unease, due to the fact that the woman that stood before her was the holder of half her money. Lux surely regretted her actions, cursing herself for not thinking. She followed Miss Fortune mutely, climbing up the ladder, and making her way onto the deck. Unlike Piltover, there were no skyscrapers that lined the skies. Instead, large islands that seemed to have the shape of ships were scattered, each connected by the canals that lay in between, and rope bridges that stretched from island to island. They extended up from the sea level, with different levels on them. The sun shone through the clouds, and Lux feeling the warmth of its light flow through her. Trailing after Miss Fortune, she exited the ship and entered an island. Its main frame seemed to be a remnant of a giant ship, with each level having a different purpose. Lux walked around the bottom level, which was at the sea level. Her gaze trailed upwards, her eyes amazed at the view. The islands were well-lit, and they shone in the misty sky. On one of the sides, Lux found an entrance, which had a long set of stairs that seemed to be carved into the stone. Moss covered a few of them, and others had cracks. Lux looked at the top of the doorframe of the entrance, where a sign hung. It had four different sections, which were marked off by numbers. On the section labeled one it read: Trader Jack's: The finest merchandise in all of Bilgewater!

The second one read: Mara's Tavern & Inn - Inn is on third floor

The third read: Mara's Inn

The Fourth read: Mast and Upper deck (Connections to other islands)
Lux made her way up the stairs, caring not to slip on the mossy stone. She arrived at the first level; the blonde gazed around, at the room. It was lit by torches along the wall, which illuminated countless barrels and crates, some open, the others not. A man stood at a counter, cleaning it. Lux hastily walked towards the second set of stairs, managing to make it to the before the shopkeeper noticed. Once on the steps, she slowed again, as to not fall to her death. When she reached the second floor, she found herself in a much more brightly illuminated room. It was quite large, much larger than the floor below. Torches on the walls shone through small glass panes in the sides of the ship, and into the tavern. Lux looked around, seeing two men arguing at a table, which was one of the many tables. At one wall, there was a bar, with wooden stools set up in front of it. Lux walked forward and pulled one out, before sitting on it. She looked around her, finding no one but herself and the two men.

" 'Ello, little lady." Lux turned quickly to face the origin of the voice. An old woman, whom Lux presumed was Mara, stood on the other side of the wooden-topped counter.

"Oh!" Lux gasped. "Hello!"

"What'll ya have?" The lady continued.

"Oh, umm-" Lux thought frantically on what to say. "I don't know; What's good here?"

"Well, everything's good." Mara chuckled. "The fish isn't too bad though."

"Oh, alright then; I'll have that, then." Lux smiled, as Mara pushed her way through the doors behind her, disappearing from view. Lux hummed a lullaby from Demacia, crossing her arms on the countertop, and placing her head in them.

"Hello, Lux." Lux straightened up and the sound of Miss Fortune's sweet voice. She looked to her left, finding the hatless ginger next to her.

"Miss Fortune?" Lux asked, in unbelief.

"Just call me Sarah." The pirate smiled.

"Why're you here?" Lux questioned further.

"This is my favorite place; Mara's kind of like my mother." Miss Fortune smiled.

"Oh, alright." Lux looked away, while she heard Miss Fortune drumming her fingers on the countertop.

"Some fish for the little lady and-" Mara called out as she pushed through the door. "Sarah, you're here!" She smiled as she set down the plate of food, with a fork, napkin, and a tin cup of ale.

"Hi, Mara." Miss Fortune flashed a grin. "The usual."

"No problem." Mara replied. She turned back to Lux and whispered, "The ale is on the house." Lux nodded silently as a form of acknowledgement to the woman. She looked down at her plate, which seemed to be almost identical to the food Keene had prepared. With the exception of the potatoes, which were replaced by roasted carrots, they were exactly the same. Lux began eating her food, with Miss Fortune glancing over curiously. Lux devoured the fish hungrily, and within a few minutes, the plate was empty. Mara came out with another plate, which consisted of some sort of food that Lux didn't bother to ask about, and placed it in front of Miss Fortune.. She peered into the tin cup, the pale ale giving up its scent. Lux was unfamiliar with alcohol, so the scent was completely new to her. She gave it a sip, feeling the liquid sting her tongue lightly. Although it was very weak, Lux still reacted to the alcohol in the drink. The taste, completely different from anything Lux had tasted before, was somewhat intoxicating and enticing. She began gulping down the rest, not knowing the consequences of her actions. Lux set the cup on the counter, taking a glance at Miss Fortune. Her plate was empty as well, but she seemed to have gone through a few more cups of drink than Lux. She looked over at Lux with bright eyes, and winked.

"Want a place to stay?" Miss Fortune asked. "I can get you a room."

"Sure, that would be great!" Lux smiled, getting up off her seat. Miss Fortune placed some bills on the counter, before reaching to grab Lux's hand. The blonde hesitantly reached forward, letting Miss Fortune's hand wrap around her own.

"Take the regular room, Sarah." Mara called out. "Just don't make too much of a mess."

"Thank you Mara." Sarah called back. She led Lux up the stairs, gripping her hand firmly. The pair made their way upstairs, with Miss Fortune in the lead. The pirate opened a wooden door, revealing a small room. A single bed that was wide enough for two, was the only piece of furniture besides a desk and chair set. A single window let the moonlight in, illuminating a small portion of the room. Hanging on the wall was a lamp, which was promptly lit by Miss Fortune. Lux shook her head, still feeling slightly woozy. She was still processing what had just happened, although she'd had very light ale. Her thin frame combined with her low alcohol tolerance level made it very effective. Miss Fortune grabbed Lux by the shoulders and pinned her down onto the bed. She straddled Lux, her lips mere inches from Lux's. She could smell the alcohol in her breath, as Lux looked at Miss Fortune in surprise. The ginger leaned in for the kiss, making Lux panic. At the last moment, Lux turned her head, so that Miss Fortune ended up kissing her cheek.

"Lux?"

"I-I'm sorry." Lux stammered. "I'm not ready yet."

"Oh." Miss Fortune was taken aback, as she got off of Lux. "Thankfully I've got a little control over myself. You are quite the beauty, after all."

"Thank you?" Lux replied, unsure of the correct response. Miss Fortune lay next to her, placing an arm on Lux's shoulder.
"Is this uncomfortable?" She asked softly.

"Oh no, not at all." Lux lied nervously. She felt extremely exposed, and worried due to the fact that the person in her bed was someone she'd only met a few days prior. Lux felt Miss Fortune sleepily reach over and pulled Lux in, groaning tiredly. Lux opened her eyes in surprise at the closeness of Miss Fortune, because she was a complete stranger. The ginger wrapped her arms around Lux's waist, leaving no option for Lux.

"Good night, Sarah." Lux whispered, hearing the pirate snore. The lamp promptly went out, leaving the job of illumination only to the moonlight. Lux soon closed her eyes, feeling Miss Fortune's warm embrace. Sighing contentedly, Lux smiled and fell asleep.

Fin!