It felt nice to be out and about on a day like this. A day when the sky was clear, the sun warm and shining, and Lucy in possession of money from a paycheck. There were no words to describe how she’d nearly cried upon first receiving it, knowing full and well she didn’t have to spend it on rent in order to stay here. That gave the mage a chance to actually buy things, like clothes that wouldn’t get ruined from reckless missions, or nice accessories for her bedroom. Perhaps she should buy a frame for a portrait she recently received.
Regardless of what she was doing when she went out, Lucy was content just to enjoy it. Things had been so bleak when she first arrived, with the whole lack of keys and general understanding, but somehow having a paycheck and a chance to spend it all on things she wanted rather than needed made it all better. Sort of. Having paused in front of one building in her thoughts, Lucy softly tapped her cheeks in order to keep moving. There was a lot to see, a lot to do, and staying in a single place wasn’t going to help.
The approach of someone wasn’t unusual, as Lucy considered herself a veteran question taker, and when the mage caught the glance of a man looking at her, she uneasily returned the smile he was giving as he approached. An inner sigh had her waiting for him to ask the usual questions, about where he was or what to do, but when that didn’t come she found herself a bit taken aback. “Huh? Oh, er, I mean.”
Did she know him? Was she supposed to know him? He’d approached rather friendly and asked her about herself, rather than the weather or the way to the nearest train station. This was new. “I’m doing quite well, thank you. How… are you?” Was she supposed to ask back? The awkward smile she had plastered on her lips threatened to crack.
The woman seemed surprised, was it so odd for a person to be polite, or provide a proper greeting in this city? Or did they just get straight to questioning others about the world around them? Well, whatever information he needed to find out he would find a way to do it on his own. The escort felt confusion welling up at the response and hesitation. It definitely wasn't custom for people to ask friendly questions to strangers then, at least not in this city. How sad.
"That's good to hear," the man nodded at the response. The kindly smile didn't vanish. "I'm good, really good." The man let out a slight laugh. He was still gaining his bearings of the world, but it was something that would take time regardless of how many people he did or didn't ask about the world.
A hand moved to the back of his neck. "Is it that surprising?" The escort asked with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Someone taking an interest in the well-being of a stranger over worrying about the city?" There were a lot of people uprooted from their homes, and he had already seen the strain it had on the people that had just arrived. A simple conversation was all the man wanted, possibly to make some friends while in captivity, but the reaction made him wonder if it would be a difficult task to make friends right off the bat.
