Thread: Tokyo Guide [rskde and Sigr]

Aoi tried to calm herself, even if Ryan was laughing off her awkwardness and giving it no importance, she had to be as good as a guide she could, for the sake of her family. She noted her mobile phone on the back of the card and returned it to Ryan once they were done with all the money trouble. Luckily the Yen had understandable numbers on both bills and coins, so it wouldn't be an issue sorting them out, although it could be weird working with bigger numbers than usual. She was relieved, as he seemed to believe she was eighteen and they were about to get into the train, so things were going fine so far. It's a trip a bit long, around forty minutes Aoi warned, since the Haneda airport was pretty far from the metropolitan area. The landscape outside the train windows almost betrayed the idea one could have of Tokyo, as it looked like he was on the countryside, small houses of a couple floors here and there. But as the train quickly went through, the buildings started to get higher and higher, soon surrounding them with that big city atmosphere before going underground. Aoi was sitting down next to him, and the people there was mostly silent, only foreign people usually rose their voices above a whisper. We'll have to go from the train to the metro, it can get a little bit complicated she brushed her shoulder against his, whispering so she wouldn't disturb the rest of the passengers. The change from train to metro was mostly harmless, all done while underground in the same station, and soon the more complex Japanese railway system gave way to... well, the pretty confusing Tokyo subway one. Ginza line, the oldest subway line in whole Asia Aoi commented, as signage started to appear in both Japanese and English, the characteristic orange color of the line everywhere. Long stop names sounded one after another, as the female voice of the subway announced them, once again in both languages. The next one is our stop Aoi warned beforehand. It's close to the hotel she added. Once they finally arrived to Suehirocho station, their stop, it was almost unavoidable to feel underwhelmed. It was small and cramped, and just a handful of people got down there. Even if kept clean and in perfect working order, it looked and felt old, a weird sight in what was supposed to be a most modern city. Climbing the stairs, dragging the luggage around, the fact that he was indeed in Tokyo finally hit Ryan when they reached the surface. Tall buildings and streams of people populated that crossing, where the subway seemed just a quaint landmark more than an operative service. The sun shone bright at the top, making everything bright and clear, but also quite hot given the humid climate. He was definitely far from home, in a place where cars drove in the opposite direction and vending machines with refreshments seemed to be everywhere. See more The hotel is basically around the corner and up a slope Aoi added, guiding Ryan around. She could do this, feeling more confident on her skills. At almost the top of the slope was the Edoya hotel, a Ryokan to be more precise if you will, a hotel that tried to keep things as traditional as possible. Of course, the place was full of modern commodities, from the services of laundry, wi-fi and such, but the rooms were supposed to be more traditional. That didn't mean you didn't have a normal bathroom, a TV, mini fridge and all that, but it would imply walking barefoot over a tatami mat and sleeping on a futon there. See more After an incomprehensible exchange of words with the elderly woman in reception, a shriveled one that was like a head smaller than even the petite Aoi, they managed to retrieve the keys and head for the elevator. Just let the keys in reception when getting out, and say the number when getting in he commented the obvious. I should be around, but just in case she shrugged. Ryan's room was on the fifth floor, and had a small entrance to remove the shoes and put if you wanted to a set of slippers of the ones already there. Such a hot day... Aoi lamented, removed her white sandals and soon found the AC remote and putting it at full force while she stood in front of it, eyes closed. It took a while, but Ryan was finally there, finally in Tokyo. See more