Let's be *Naughty*

[echolight4eva]

His mouth fell open dramatically when she said 'lowlife.' "How insulting. Well, try to keep up then!" With that, he dashed off.

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Nikoda broke into a grin and raced after him, the breeze catching her curly hair and sending it streaming behind her. She ran a lot, but not usually at this pace, and it made her feel more alive than she had in a long time. She kept him in sight, just ahead of her, not trying to catch up just yet. She had enough endurance that she could wait and see if he tried to pull any tricks.

[echolight4eva]

Noah, too, ran a lot- but not for something so honorable as Nikoda. Rather, he was usually running from some guard who was yelling, "Thief!" As he ran, Noah made last-second turns at random- he was still pretty confident she wouldn't catch him.

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Koda easily kept up, staying far enough behind that she had plenty of time to react to his turns, but close enough that she didn't lose him in the maze of streets. The gathering a few blocks behind them had cleared most of the streets nearby, but the farther they got, the more people they had to weave through. He's good, she thought. She'd met thieves like him, but most were all talk. They might be able to run, but they didn't have the agility or foresight that this man seemed to.

[echolight4eva]

Noah leaped nimbly over a crate in the street, then turned a corner, now headed back towards the gathering they had both witnessed earlier. He hoped to lose her in the crowd.

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Koda narrowed her eyes. Where was he going? That commotion in the street would be nearly impossible to break through, unless he simply hoped to blend in with the hundreds of skaa. It wouldn't be that hard. She had to keep her eyes on him.

She picked up the pace a bit, shoving an elderly skaa out of the way as she dashed pass. The man didn't even make a sound. The skaa were used to being pushed around. She could still see the back of Noah's head, and she was slowly getting closer to him. Just a few blocks away from the crowd... she had to catch him.

[echolight4eva]

Noah felt himself begin to slowly tire, but he kept pushing himself. Finally, the crowd came into view, but just as it did, he missed a step and tripped over a piece of cobblestone. He fell violently to the ground and skinned himself up. He tried to get up but failed- his ankle was twisted at a weird angle.

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Well, that makes it easier, Koda thought, almost disappointed. The chase was a lot less fun when your quarry falls down and hurts himself. When she reached him, she crossed her arms and stared down at him. The young woman wasn't menacing in the traditional way, but her striking beauty--unhindered by her sweaty face--matched with her hard stare was enough to make men cringe. "Looks like I caught you," she said.

[echolight4eva]

Noah cringed in pain, turning over to grin at her. "Yeah. Good for you," he said sardonically.

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Koda ignored him and grabbed his collar, hauling him to his feet... or foot. "Can you walk?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at his hurt ankle.

[echolight4eva]

He tested his weight. "Yes, more or less. Anyhow, good job. You're a fast runner."

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

"So are you," Nikoda admitted. "Although, it would have been much more impressive if you hadn't tripped and made it easy for me to catch you."

[echolight4eva]

Noah gave a sheepish but cute grin. "Yes, well. It happens to the best, I suppose. So, how long will I be in prison?" he asked casually.

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Nikoda hesitated before her easy smile returned. "Well, I suppose first we should fix that ankle of yours," she said. She didn't know why, but she didn't want to turn him in. He hadn't, after all, actually robbed her. It seemed a shame to put such an interesting man away.

[echolight4eva]

He acted like he didn't remember the wound. "What, this thing? Bah. I've had worse. But, if you insist, I know a good medic whose shop is around here."