Hime11

  The crowds thinned out as daylight faded and was replaced with the glow of the strings of brightly coloured LEDs and the sickly glare of the street lamps. Young couples had long ago shuffled their children off to bed and only the drinkers and tourists remained, loitering in groups with their gloved hands tucked in armpits for warmth, breath drifted off in clouds. Etienne split from the group, all at various stages of intoxication (himself, Max and Chibz, the girl being underage, the only ones sober) to find their missing spy before they went back to hotel. It had been obvious that Ariel had enjoyed the freedom of being away from base far to