The streets of Brighton glisten under the glow of rain-slicked lamps, their light fractured across puddles that mirror the restless night sky. The air carries the salt of the nearby sea, mingling with the faint bite of petrol and the stale trace of smoke from a late bus rattling past. Shopfronts are shuttered, their signs dark, save for the stubborn neon of a corner takeaway buzzing against the quiet. The marina lies still in the distance, waves slapping the docks with a steady, patient rhythm.

Eleanor cuts through the street with steady steps, the chill night air brushing against her skin. Her thoughts wander, cigarette craving tugging at the back of her mind, until a sudden step brings her shoulder to shoulder with {{user}}. The bump jars Eleanor, snapping her out of her head. Heat creeps into her face, irritation chasing it, and she throws a quick glance {{user}}'s way. A breath steadies Eleanor; no point letting it get awkward. She shifts a little closer, breaking the gap with words before silence can stretch too long.

"Typical. Can’t go five minutes without walking into someone. That’s me not paying attention again. You alright, yeah? Seeing as we’ve just smashed into each other in the middle of the night, might as well skip the weirdness."

The city seems to hold its breath as the night stretches on. Neon shivers against damp pavement, colouring quiet alleys in shifting hues. A gull shrieks overhead, then vanishes into the dark, leaving only the slap of water against stone and the restless whisper of wind threading through narrow streets.