Glory and Gore (tag Katrinkah)

The rain had passed, and the moonlight now shined off of the asphalt path that ran through the park. Back into the woods a bit further, there lay a hiking trail being used off-hours by muscular but heavy looking man with a long, thick beard. He jogged with surprising grace for someone of his build, earbuds playing a tune to keep himself focused and aware of his surroundings. A little ways up there was a faerie ring he was considering taking a nap in, or at least catching his breath.

A pale hand reached out into some of the damp growth of the forest floor, pulling a few sprigs of green back with it for inspection. Rolling it between her fingertips, Kat held it beneath her nose for a moment, then bit off a small leaf, chewing it slowly. She nodded in satisfaction, stowing the remainder in a small satchel she carried, before gathering up another handful. After a quick once over, it joined the rest, and the woman rose to move on.

Grey eyes turned upwards as she walked towards the path, silently willing the spring storm to return. Kat's clothes were still damp from the earlier rain, and her dark hair was plastered in a wild frame around her face. She didn't care, though, and in fact, seemed to revel in it. A hint of a smile toyed with the corner of her mouth, enhanced by what was either a dimple or one of the few scars that decorated her face.

Her brief reverie was interrupted at the sound of someone approaching. There was a quickness to the rhythmic beat of the footsteps, and it piqued her curiosity. Not many traveled the woods with such purpose - not at this hour. She stepped just off the path, but didn't hide, curious to see who would come around the corner.

The returning rain was refreshing, as he kept pace with a steady breath. The forest was less his natural environment than the city streets. It's where the people were. The troublemakers that gave him a more visceral way to spend his time. Rounding the corner, he took a direct look at the woman he'd sensed a few moments ago. He moved to face her, taking the sure stance of a fighter.

Cracking his knuckles, he smiled at her. "Looking for a fight, or just trying to give people heart attacks late at night in the middle of the woods?"

Kat seemed amused by the man's reaction to get presence, even giving a light laugh as an immediate response. She didn't appear worried about his aggressive stance, though a hand did drop casually to her hip. When she smiled in return, her teeth were bared.

"Maybe a bit of both. I like the thought that my visage alone could bring someone discomfort. Do you always come out to the woods ready to fight?"

Perhaps more surprising than his presence was the man's accent. Defiance wasn't well known for it's Russian immigrant population. He relaxed his form, but his eyes glanced over where her hand had come to rest. It became obvious pretty quickly that both of them had been to the rodeo a few times before, so he dropped any aggressive posturing.

"I've seen enough shit not to leave the house ready for some more. Fortunately, I have no need of knives or guns with which to defend myself. The way you look tells me so little, when all things are considered, though. For all I know, you could be a big fuzzy werewolf, hunting for your prey. But that is a silly notion, isn't it?"

Once his stance had changed, her posture relaxed as well. As her hand moved away from her hip, he would see that it had been resting on the hilt of a small, sheathed blade. She bit down on her lower lip rather hard for a moment, trying to place the accent before continuing to speak.

"Not all of us have such big hammer fists to whip around...but the knives? Those are for fun. If we went just on looks, I would swear you were some sort of bear-man. Those can be deceiving, though. A werewolf is a silly notion - only because if I had such a luxurious coat, I would wear it - even on warm nights like this. Alas, I am but a fur-less beast."

She gave a small smile, entertained with their banter.

He pretended he had no idea what she was talking about and gave her a skeptical look. "You're not one of those people who like to joke about all Russians being bears on unicycles, are you?"

"No, I am no bear man. Though I did meet two of them just this past weekend, and they both looked at me like a dog looking at an answering machine with it's owner's voice coming out. I am Arkadi Barkov. Would it be too presumptuous to ask for your name?"

The woman smirked with some amusement, but gave a slight shake of her head. "Is that a problem for your people? Are you persecuted for your love of one-wheelie bikes?"

Listening to his introduction, there was a flash of recognition at his name. She'd heard it before, but she couldn't remember from whose lips. "My name is Katrinkah Gorodetsky. And...did you say you met bear men?"

"Well, with all the bullshit Putin has been up to, I can't say my people have been painted in a very positive light. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Gorodetsky."

He smiled at her question, but his tone was sincere. "I did. I met two bear men, a man who turns into a mountain lion, a fox changer, a raven changer, two rat changers, though I did not speak with them, and dozens of werewolves. The werewolves had a great big fertility celebration and let all the wizards come and play. The highlight of my weekend was clocking one of them in the mouth when she baited me by saying that all the Mages were pussies. Oh, and one faerie. But she said they prefer the term 'Fair Folk'."

His description of the weekend took her a bit by surprise, not expecting to hear such a wide variety things - and expressed so bluntly. "Come and...play?" She made a noise in her throat, mulling that over for a few moments before continuing. "That all sounds so very interesting... you had a very full and exciting time, Mr. Barkov. While I am not saying your words are untrue, they are somewhat hard to believe. Because what would make them all play so nicely together?"

He seemed to find the whole thing endlessly entertaining. "I have no idea, I can hardly believe it myself. But then again, I didn't know most of those things were real, so how should I have any idea how well they all get along? Apparently the wolves used to hunt all of them because they thought they were superior, and now they cuddle their cares away. One of the wolves was pregnant with the fox changer's baby. This is all new to me."

"So, if I might derail the conversation just a little, what does bring you out here on the middle of the night? I don't suppose it's exercise like myself."

Kat lifted a brow at the mention of the lupines hunting other changers. "Yes... you would not think dogs and cats would get along so well. Still, it is hard to see them as hunters. I have not found one I thought to be such a terror. Maybe they are all becoming...cuddly." She scoffed a bit at the notion, scrunching her nose in some distaste.

At his question, she gestured to her bag. "I am gathering things I want. Mint, berries, and the like. I don't particularly care for people, and they typically prefer to avoid me. So, I come at night, when most of them are sleeping." She shrugged, not seeming to mind her separation from most of the town's other residents.

Arkadi nodded at her assessment. It wasn't too far off the mark from the couple of times he'd run into the shifters. "Well, I've seen them rip apart their enemies with more ferocity than most humans can manage, but they do seem to be more cuddly than one would expect."

"It's nice to see someone use the land for something other than scenery. Still, I imagine you must have a garden for all the types of plants that are not native to this area. There is a Master Yung in town, if you have not met him. He has all sorts of herbs and salves and incense and whatnot. He used to be a teacher of mine."

"Some people came up having to use whatever was available to them, or whatever they could take. Things were never just handed to me, so I learned how to find what I need well enough. And while I do have a garden, things that come up in the wild have different properties on occasion."

She made a noise of acknowledgement when he mentioned Yung. "I'm familiar with him, but do not know him well. I thought many of our friends in town were at least those I would recognize, but that is not the case with you. Why?"

"I am a man of the world, you see. I left months ago, to visit the Winter Olympics in my home country, and bash a few policeman's heads when they tried to lock up gay rights protestors. Then I visited Moscow, to meet with a few like-minded individuals and saw my country break out into war with the Ukraine. That is a battle for the politicians, as much as I would like to hope otherwise. My fists are of no use in such matters." He looked down at his fists as if only just realizing recently that they cannot solve all the world's problems.

"And so I made my way back to America, where I was invited to the care bear picnic. Now I have returned to open my gym, train some new students, and wait for another adventure to present itself. But beyond all of that, you do not recognize me because I do not present myself to the Traditions. I am of the Hollow."

She didn't recoil from hearing that he was a Hollow One, though her lips pursed thoughtfully at the revelation. In fairness, however, he likely could have said he was Bigfoot and received a similar reaction from Kat. "You have an interesting story, Arkadi. Do you think that standing apart from those Traditions helps you to get involved in more things like your time around the shifters at their picnic?"

The woman reached into her satchel, and pulled out a couple of mint leaves. Giving them a quick sniff, she popped them in her mouth, sliding them over to her cheek so she could still speak. "Do you feel forced from the company of your own?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I can't say I act much differently than I did when I stood with them. I have a different perspective now, certainly, but I've always been one to look for trouble. If it helps me get involved in such things, I haven't noticed. But I do receive the sort of warm embrace from those Traditions when I run into them at such places."

"Have you been lumped in with one such group or another, Katrinkah? Who do you consider family?"

"Warm embrace, eh?" She seemed amused by that, and gave a quick shake of her head before answering his questions. "My Tradition's members are more varied than most. I think we're more influenced by the cultures we came from than the one we enter. Probably why we're so scattered, and lack hierarchy. Which is why they suit me fine. If someone told me to do what I do with crystals and incense, I would surely place that shard into their neck before they could suggest something else so stupid."

She bit her lower lip briefly, seeming to relish that thought. Looking back to the man, Kat smiled. "My family? That is my cabal."

"And who are the members of your Cabal, I wonder? It sounds like you aren't besties with Emma, and Brentley is probably scared of you. If you were a member of the Cabal of the First, I am sure I would have heard of you sooner. Now, Guy and Evelyn, they are likely to get stabbed if they haven't wised up enough to cut the crap with you. Am I getting warmer?"

"I did not say I disliked Emma. Her ways are just not my own. I don't know that she'd find mine appealing, either. You are making some good guesses, though you're slightly off about one thing - I haven't put such limits on who I'm likely to stab. Still... warmer."

He looked off into the distance for a moment, smoothing his beard as he did. "Well, we are close to a mead hall I was once invited into, though I never had the chance to meet it's owner. Beovyn, I'm told. This is best guess I have. But a Cabal of two seem strange. Three is a powerful number to many. You have a third, at least. Who might that be?"

Kat chewed on the mint leaves lightly while he spoke, a part of her appeased at the surge of flavor. Rather than spit them to the side, however, she swallowed them. She ran her tongue over her teeth before opening her mouth to speak, making sure no leafy bits lingered.

"A fine hall, and a fine guess. And while I could tell you or give you hints to another name, you play this game so well, Arkadi. Surely with all the names you've thrown out, you have a few more?"

"I really don't. At least, not many more that live around here and like to make themselves known. I used to know a detective named Dylan, but I have not seen him for some time. I suspect he is dead. Sadly, he was was supposed to help me keep up to date on anything big in the community. I might have to stop by and catch up soon."

If he was genuinely bothered by the thought of the Orphan turned Verbena being six feet under, it didn't show.

Her lips pursed thoughtfully, several light lines around her mouth accentuating the expression. "I do not know this Dylan. Then again, not too many feel so compelled to come and introduce themselves to me. And I don't normally happen upon them, either. If I hear something of him, I could tell you. Do you come out here often?"

He nodded appreciatively when she mentioned letting him know if she'd heard anything. " Eh, not very often. I tend to run in the city, but I decided I would look around the area a bit more before I came home to roost. Have you considered taking up martial arts? I enjoy my work, but sometimes I prefer more of a challenging fight than the Sleepers can provide."