Hargeon was a port town known for its fishing as well as its historical buildings. While neither of those things really appealed to her, Lucy could barely contain her excitement. It would be the first time she'd ever seen the ocean in person. One of the first things she learned after leaving the Heartfilia manor was that seeing and experiencing things in person was way different than reading about them. Like camping, unfortunately.
Almost as soon as she left the train the ocean breeze swept past her. Lucy would easily admit that the scent of salt water, seaweed and dead fish, while strangely sweet smelling in a way, was just shy of being disgusting. And people liked living by the ocean?
She shook the thought from her head as she stretched. Trains, while significantly quicker than walking, weren't the most comfortable method of transportation. Especially when sitting in the cheapest and most crowded cars. Not that Lucy had much choice, the money that seemed like so much when she'd left the Heartfilia manor was nearly gone.
Her plan was to use her remaining money to get a passage to another country. Like another Ishgardian country such as Minstrel or a passage to somewhere on the continent of Alakitasia if she could afford it. Somewhere Lord Heartfilia wouldn't be able to find her or the Celestial Keys she had.
However now that she was here, at Hargeon, Lucy found herself hesitating.
Doubts she'd thought she'd gotten rid of were swirling around inside her head. She didn't know any other languages; how will she communicate? She didn't have much money and likely wouldn't have any by the time she made it to another country; how will she survive? Would it even be possible to find a job?
Lucy shook those thoughts from her head and ran a hand through her brown hair. So long as she was able to fulfill the promise she'd made to her Spirits, she'd go through any hardship. Even if it meant being hungry, lost and out on the streets.
One step at a time. She told herself. Take everything one step at a time. It was how she escaped in the first place and that method hadn't failed her yet.
First step, she wanted to see the ocean.
It wasn't just the desire to see something new. The last time she'd been near a large body of water, a lake, the gentle lapping of water had made her skin crawl. It reminded her too much of That Night, and she'd been certain that if she stayed near she'd start to have flashbacks. Lucy needed to know if the ocean would be the same. If it was, travel by water would be much more uncomfortable and she'd need to find a way to keep from being affected on the water.
On that note she should find out if Hargeon had a fish market. Or else she should just avoid anywhere that smelled too fishy. However if she did stumble upon a fish market, it'd be fine, so long as a certain creature wasn't for sale. All the same there was no need to risk having a panic attack in the middle of town. It'd draw too much attention to herself.
Lucy followed her ears towards the rushing and crashing caused by the waves. Whatever else she'd expected, she hadn't thought it'd be so loud. It didn't take very long for her to catch a glimpse of the water. She couldn't help but gape at the sight.
She'd read enough books that the sight wasn't a surprise to her. She'd expected it to be blue, to sparkle, Lucy had even anticipated its vastness. However like with all the things she'd read about and experienced, seeing it was an experience.
She wasn't sure how long she stood there, at the end of an alleyway overlooking the port, taking in the sight, smells and sounds of the ocean. A particularly loud cry from a gull snapped her out of it though. She took one last glance before going back to the main street.
It wasn't like a lake. The waters weren't calm enough to be still and the waves weren't gentle. Even if there were unseen horrors lurking beneath the surface; it wasn't enough to cause her to panic.
Lucy smiled to herself, feeling strangely satisfied. She might be freaked out by lakes, but the bigger and more unpredictable ocean was a piece of cake for her. She could do this.
With that thought in mind, she trotted down the streets, window shopping and not thinking about how leaving Fiore made her stomach twist. It was something she'd deal with later. It was likely her last day in her home country, she should enjoy it.
Looking through the glass at a particularly nice dress, Lucy couldn't help but notice her reflection. Her roots were showing. She'd need to have Cancer dye her hair again. He wouldn't be happy; he kept saying that brown obscured her eyes and made her look dull. He refused to color her hair black though and Lucy was worried that having any other hair color would stand out too much. Even blonde.
Sometimes she wondered if Cancer had forgotten that she wanted to avoid attention. Everyone and their grandma were related to someone with brown hair, one more person wondering around with it wouldn't draw anyone's eye. Odd colors such as pink or blue usually meant the person was a mage. While Lucy wouldn't deny that she was a mage as well, she didn't want to advertise it.
Perhaps because she was thinking of hair colors and mages, she caught sight of a small shop. It was practically sandwiched between two other buildings. It wasn't remarkable with only two things to make it stand out; its corners were blocked out in stone and its sign that proudly exclaimed itself as Magic Store 3ZX3.
The sign had be small and subtle enough that she nearly overlooked it. By all rights she should ignore it; she'd gotten ripped off enough at stores like that before. However, she was curious and there was always the possibility of gaining more Keys. So with a halfhearted sigh she entered the building.