"Once or twice," Lumi replied, glancing around at the sights of the city.
It looked different in daylight.
During the night, when they had arrived, it had seemed sombre but full of the splendour of a large, modern -- for a given value of 'modern' -- and potentially lively city. Windows had been illuminated in the darkness and the late-opening shops had cast inviting rectangles of light across the richly tiled floors. Wrought iron metalwork had gleamed darkly in the streetlights and the frontages of the train station and surrounding buildings had looked impressive and well-kept.
Now, in the thin morning light, Lumi noticed that the ironwork was spotted with rust, some of the tiles were broken and the plastered walls were ingrained with years of accumulated grime and chipping in places. It was as though the light had washed away the city's delusions of grandeur.
"Bullet trains," he elaborated. "The journeys were short. I don't imagine that this one will be."
He swung his bag up onto his shoulder and expertly kept the wince he felt from his face. The travel was taking its toll. He ached and he was tired. Lumi had barely slept on the journey through the underground, catching only snippets and snatches of sleep when it wasn't his turn on watch. He had gone out like a light almost the moment his head hit the pillow once they had checked into the hotel, but it hadn't been near enough.
On the upside, the next leg of their journey was at least a day's ride by steam train across the country. It was slow and likely to be dull and uneventful, so he should be able to catch an hour or two. When they came back through Luxerion, however, he was going to insist on spending more than a night there to catch up on his rest before they headed back towards that damned Roo.
no subject
It looked different in daylight.
During the night, when they had arrived, it had seemed sombre but full of the splendour of a large, modern -- for a given value of 'modern' -- and potentially lively city. Windows had been illuminated in the darkness and the late-opening shops had cast inviting rectangles of light across the richly tiled floors. Wrought iron metalwork had gleamed darkly in the streetlights and the frontages of the train station and surrounding buildings had looked impressive and well-kept.
Now, in the thin morning light, Lumi noticed that the ironwork was spotted with rust, some of the tiles were broken and the plastered walls were ingrained with years of accumulated grime and chipping in places. It was as though the light had washed away the city's delusions of grandeur.
"Bullet trains," he elaborated. "The journeys were short. I don't imagine that this one will be."
He swung his bag up onto his shoulder and expertly kept the wince he felt from his face. The travel was taking its toll. He ached and he was tired. Lumi had barely slept on the journey through the underground, catching only snippets and snatches of sleep when it wasn't his turn on watch. He had gone out like a light almost the moment his head hit the pillow once they had checked into the hotel, but it hadn't been near enough.
On the upside, the next leg of their journey was at least a day's ride by steam train across the country. It was slow and likely to be dull and uneventful, so he should be able to catch an hour or two. When they came back through Luxerion, however, he was going to insist on spending more than a night there to catch up on his rest before they headed back towards that damned Roo.