When it rained it poured. The city was more sombre, the stark grittiness seemed emphasised in every harsh line of every building. There was a couple of centimetres of water on the ground. It sloshed musically into overflowing drains, the system not doing a very good job of keeping the streets unflooded. The streets were slightly less crowded than they would normally be, people with brains electing to stay at home or in offices or in cafes or anywhere else out of the weather. The ones that were out were mostly dressed appropriately, with black and grey and navy umbrellas mushrooming over them, keeping the majority of the deluge off.
The gentle rhythm of the rain, the accompanying shuffle of motley pedestrians, was quite predictably broken by the loud, disjointed sloshing of a chase. A small girl, not quite appropritately dressed for the weather, trailing two soggy purple ponytails, wove expertly through the crowd, occasionally glancing over her shoulder, a slightly maniacal but excited grin on her face.
The cry of "Stop! Thief!" was also a familiar one as the gentleman in the suit, flanked by two rent-a-cops, pounded heavily in pursuit. They had nothing on the girl, who looked like she'd done this a few times before, plus having the added advantage of size, or lack thereof. People mostly ignored them. This part of town wasn't the seedier, darker side where sensible people did not venture, but it wasn't the rich end either. Here, you minded your own business and kept your head down and went about whatever it was you were doing unless you were looking for trouble.
There was a would-be do-gooder who lunged out to grab the girl as she went past. She expertly spun out of his grasping arms, accidentally knocking a passer-by who screamed obscenities after her. Ignoring them, the girl ran on.
The purple-haired girl ducked into an alleyway, scurrying down it a short way and ducking behind the convenient dumpsters that seem to breed in alleyways the world over. Quickly switching stray strands out of amethyst eyes, blowing on her frozen fingers in some attempt to warm them, the slightly pointed ends of her ears twitched a little as she listened for sound of her pursuers.
Nothing. Sitting up a little, shivering in the cold, she listened. Nothing but the soft pattering of rain. Smiling to herself, she lightly touched her loot for the day and rose to a standing position, stretching out her long, well toned legs, visible under her soggy cargo pants as they clung to her olive skin. She glanced both ways down the alleyway. Nobody seemed to notice her.
Turning her back on the entrance that led to the main drag, she cupped her hands together. Her eyes focused for a second. A small ball of fire erupted between both hands. Sweet warmth crept slowly through her numbed fingers. She sighed softly, her breath not having any affect whatsoever on the small flame. Her feet carried her down the alleyway in the other direction. At length, reluctantly, she closed her hands over the small fireball, putting it out. Head down, limp ponytails sticking to the side of her face, she trudged through the back ways, heading home.
