> Frown.
> "The lack of sound is curious."
> Step through the torii, bracing for lots of noise.
>"Oh, yeah, Apex can get noisy," says Flandre.
>You step through, and into the night. Bright lights of many colors shine from multi-story buildings, made of stone and wood; thousands of sounds. There's no pattern to them; some are practically straight from home, wooden buildings with sloping roofs and familiar features. Others are more like temples, made of stone yet bearing no signs of sacredness to them. Still more are stranger, rectangular things, places made of what must be mirrors and more. Lights are everywhere, lights spelling out things, lights dotting eaves. Red lights atop tall things, signs glowing white and yellow and blue and red.
>The treets are busy with people, as much a riot of clashing styles as the architecture. Humans and youkai in clothing familair and unfamiliar, youkai that are completely foreign, humans in shades you've only seen in Remilia's galleries. Strange vehicles occupy the streets, competing for space with pedestrians and rickshaws and sedan chairs. The street stretches on ahead of you, but you cannot see very far for all of the crowds and the buildings. You then note a straight machine crossing the sky, like a huge balloon with fins.
>Flandre places a hand on your shoulder and gives a small squeeze.
>_
