Owner	Pose
Vitali	It's not quite midnight, but the hour draws ever closer with each minute that ticks by. The sky is dark, for sunset was some hours ago. The moon is nearly full but not quite so, and the light of it shines down upon the lake and the park, casting some illumination of its own. There are some lights that cast their illumination within the park and yet most of the lights are out either because it's the night time lighting or due to lightbulbs needing to be replaced. That there is less light seems not to bother the lone man who occupies the park at such an hour. Though he appears to be alone, he is, in truth, not so -- there is an eagle that has come with him, and she has perched upon one of the tree branches not far away from where he is. The Siberian man has wandered the park until he stood near to the shore of one of the man made lakes. A moment had been spent in looking over the water, briefly, and then he had given a small nod. He took a moment to focus, then murmured faintly beneath his breath, calling up his magic. There is naught that he does with it, initially. With his magic at hand, he starts to move through a series of movements that are from the Russian martial art that he was taught before coming here. He practices, fighting against shadow opponents that exist only in his mind. He seems determined and yet at ease at the same time.
Sarah Connor	Usually Sarah takes this time to do her exercises at home. Out in the backyard are various equipments to keep her in shape, but tonight being one of those nights, Sarah had just finished her last round of the park, and was just ready to use the uneven bars to start the next session when she noticed a strange man doing something strange. She paused. Good thing she did. She recognized him. And his eagle. But *what* was he doing? Strange..
Vitali	It's not a descriptor that Vitali would find a reason to argue with. He is a strange man, at least to many people, and the martial art he practices is strange to those who don't know it. It's Russian, and typically only taught to the military, and he had been lucky enough to be trained by those who had served in their younger years. The eagle on her perch watches, and she ruffles her wings a little bit as she does so. She's seen him practice before, and she's familiar with it so it doesn't disturb her. After a moment, she starts to settle into preening her feathers. A lash of water slithers up from the lake, sweeping out as though to try to pull the legs out from beneath one of those non-existant opponents of his. Then the water, perhaps a gallon in total, moves through the air towards him, coiling around his arm much like a snake would. At one point during the next few movements, it becomes a sort of shield as though to deflect an imaginary blow. Once Soraya realizes that Vitali -- and she -- are not alone, she gives a sharp click of her beak. And Vitali stops in the next moment, his dark gaze flicking briefly to the eagle before turning towards the other who has arrived. He's a bit sweated, though that's perhaps not surprising given what he's wearing -- a pair of steel toed boots, black jeans, and a dark green turtleneck with long sleeves. His long black hair is braided, the length of it resting down his back.
Sarah Connor	At first Sarah was ready to help him, after all, something was trying to attack him. One hand at her mouth, wondering *how* she could help him. And next, she pulled out a gun.. But something wasn't right. Vitali was too calm. Her gun (which he may or may not see) was quickly put back in her holster at her back. With the lights down, she stepped into a place where he definitely could see her. "Hey. It's me, don't be afraid."
Vitali	There are only so many ways of practicing a martial art when one hasn't quite mustered up the courage to ask someone else to be a sparring partner. And so, Vitali puts his imagination to work and fights things that don't exist. He makes a slight gesture of his right hand, and the water obeys his will, slithering away from his arm and skittering back to the lake where it sinks in to join the rest of the water there. Soraya notices the gun first, and she gives a shriek of warning, her wings half spreading as she's about to launch from her perch. But the weapon is put away soon after, and she settles her wings to her back again, tilting her head to one side and clicking her beak. Confused and curious. Vitali doesn't see the gun, but he is aware of it thanks to Soraya, and one of his eyebrows quirks up. Once she's stepped further into the light where he can see her better, he gives a small nod to her. "Thank you. Am not afraid," Vitali says, a small smile touching his lips. "Is good to see you again. Am hoping did not disturb at all?"
Sarah Connor	Sarah doesn't know formal martial arts, but she knows fighting just the same. However she doesn't know Tali's secret.. yet. "Disturb me?" She quirks a brow. "You do know where we are? At the park. At midnight. No, you aren't disturbing me." She laughs under her breath. "What were you doing, anyways?"
Vitali	There's a nod from him at her question. "Da, am thinking 'disturb' is right word but is maybe not. English not home language, not first language," Vitali says in a thoughtful tone. He lifts his right hand, brushing a bit of hair from his face and tucking it behind one of his ears. He tilts his head a bit to one side, then looks around the park briefly before his gaze returns to her and he gives a nod. "Da," he agrees, a smile turning the corners of his lips. "Is park, is late. Have disturbed others before, doing same. Try to do when space not have many people," he comments. Lifting his left hand, he slightly tugs up the sleeve of his right arm. "Was practicing. Is called 'systema', is Russian martial art," he explains. If she knows the name of it then she might know that it was typically taught to the KGB.
Sarah Connor	"I was being sarcastic." And it was something that went over his head. Figures. Sarah shakes her head and laughs quietly. But she was very interested in the 'systema'. "Really? I wouldn't have thought you'd be old enough to have to enter your former government's military. No, I don't know a whole lot of it. Just bits and pieces. I sorta learned much more on the fly kind of fighting." She shrugs.
Vitali	There are a lot of facets of language that fly right over his head. A lot of that has to do with translations, but he tries hard to understand. Soraya tilts her head one way and then the other, and she clicks her beak before lightly dropping from the branch and gliding towards Vitali. He doesn't see her, he does't look to her, but he lifts his left arm for her to land on his forearm. Once she does, she turns to walk up his arm to his shoulder, settling there. He gives a small shake of his head at her comment, a smile touching the corners of his lips. "Am old enough, could join military. Have not. Others from village give time, serve. Retire, be discharged. Come home. Teach 'systema' to others," he says, a thoughtful tone to his voice. "Am not Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti," he adds, a touch of amusement in the words.
Sarah Connor	"Sarcastic. You know? When you take something that can't be true, or exaggerates it, and say it as the truth, often with a snide voice?" Sarah tries to explain it to him. "I bow to your obvious truth about Russia and the KGB, or whatever they're calling it now." She thinks about it. "Then why are you using that 'systema'?"
Vitali	Lifting one of his hands, Vitali lightly strokes the feathers of Soraya's chest, his touch soft. Her inner eyelids close, and she tilts her head to lean a little against him. This causes a little smile to tug at the corners of his lips before he turns his attention back to Sarah. "Will take word for what sarcasm mean. Not familiar with, not know," he says softly, a thoughtful note to his voice. "Is called Federal Security Service, now. Siberia part of Russia. Know little of military. Know little of rest of Russia, not travel to other parts to know. Friends of parents serve, in KGB. Parents ask friends, teach me and brother 'systema' to know to defend self. Protect others, self," he says, his tone thoughtful. "Am not knowing other way of fighting with hands. Is very important for knowing for whe magic spent," he adds, giving a small nod. It is perhaps a fault of his that he is trusting with this information.
Sarah Connor	Sarah almost laughs. "Trust me, with you being so open and naive, someone, somewhere, has tried in on you. " Ohhhhh yes. Maybe not Sarah, other than picking in him about the park, but someone has tried it on him to nefarious uses. She stretches her body out, after all, she just ran about the park. "All I know is the KGB, or whatever they call it now, helped to finance the drug cartels beneath the borders." She was fairly cognizant, being a runner for those guns."I don't know this 'systema', but I do just fine with my hands." And feet. She mustn't forget the feet.
Vitali	The Siberian tilts his head a bit to one side at the words, and then he lifts his unoccupied shoulder in a faint shrug. "Is possible," he comments, his brow wrinkling slightly. "Not use sarcasm, not use untrue words, in home. Way of life is different there. Village small, know everyone," Vitali says, a thoughtful tone to his voice. At some times of year, life is more harsh in his home than where he is now. "Is not taught outside of Russia, am thinking. Or if is taught, teachers harder to find. Can be unpredictable when skill will be needed, try to stay in practice," he says in a thoughtful tone. "Am not knowing of cartels. Not live near border. Coming to America was first border to cross," he admits. He had left from a port in Siberia, and the ship had taken long weeks to reach here. He also doesn't know what drugs are, but he doesn't point that part out. His experiences are limited.
Sarah Connor	Sarah looks at him - *really* looks at him. "I hope you don't lose that innocent air about you." She couldn't remember when she looked at the world with the same rose coloured petals as he did. "Care to show me some moves?"
Vitali	There is a definite innocence to the Siberian man. He hasn't lived life in the same way that people of the cities of America do. Life, where he's from, is more about survival against the elements of the environment rather than it being competition with others. One of his eyebrows quirks up at her statement, and a smile tugs at the corners of his lips. "Seem unlikely to lose," he says, giving a small nod to her. "Not know what to expect when come to America. Be here for six months, now," he comments. He seems a bit surprised at her question, and his chin ducks slightly before he gives another little nod. "Da, can show some," he says, a bit shyly. He glances briefly towards Soraya on his shoulder and she ruffles her feathers before clicking her beak. There's that sense of something passing between them, some manner of communication, but he says nothing. Soraya lightly hops from his shoulder before spreading her wings in order to glide over to a tree to take a perch on one of the lower branches. "'Systema' is about movement. Be relaxed, breathe, move," he explains. Then he runs through about half a dozen movements or so, and they seem less structured than what martial arts like karate are.
Sarah Connor	Oh, but she hides a smile at that. "That long?" Sarah had turned from a wide eyed girl, to a stripped young woman seemingly overnight. The terminators had done it; even more so when she had had her child, a boy. She couldn't be carefree, and naive - not and raise John into adulthood so that he had a chance at beating the terminators. But she watches him. She wasn't a martial artist by any stretch of the word, but she figured what she knew was pretty darn close. "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Vitali	"Is not long time, for being in new place," Vitali says. He realizes that much, it would seem. He doesn't have children of his own, though his brother does -- a set of twins, which wasn't surprising given that he and his brother are twins. "Am still adjusting to here. Many more people, here. People always seem in hurry. Go quickly from place to place. Is faster pace for things. More heat in summer. Other things, as well," he comments, a thoughtful tone to his voice. The simplicity of his past has coloured his present, and hopefully that's a thing that won't change. He is, by no means, an expert at systema but he's put in hours of time for learning and practicing, and those facts likely show in their own way. Once he's shown her the few moves, he lifts his left hand to push up the sleeve of his right arm again. "Could be better, but is not bad, da," he agrees, giving a small nod.
Sarah Connor	"Could be." Sarah watches him from a distance away. "You know, you're not going to get better in that way." "See, you use magic, yes?" She circles him. "Your construct is only as smart as you. Which is okay if you are trying to held your ground in practice, but not so good if you want to beat your enemies." Sorta of how tai chi was mindful, and relaxing. Every single move in tai chi was a replication of various martial arts, but you wouldn't expect to *learn* them. "You need a sparring partner." Sarah gave an almost grin.
Vitali	The Siberian fellow tilts his head a touch to one side when she agrees with him, and he gives a small nod. He knows that his skills could use improvement, where fighting is concerned. He's better at using his magic than what he is at hand to hand fighting, and he tends to rely on his magic. His brow furrows a bit when she mentions that he won't get better, a puzzled expression coming to his features. Though he had been about to ask why not, she offers an answer before he even asks the question. And he nods. "Da, use magic," Vitali affirms, his dark gaze following her. As she circles him, he shifts slightly, keeping her in front of him. He weighs out what she says, her explanation, and he finds himself giving a small nod of agreement. What she says makes sense -- any thing that he creates to spar against has his own skill level and doesn't necessarily push him to be better and is also not able to try anything that he doesn't know against him. And since he's controlling it, he knows what it will do and when. He lifts his right hand, rubbing his chin a bit, and his goatee in the process. Then he nods, agreeing with her again. "Da, could use. In home, did have brother for sparring with. Would fight each other, would fight together against others. Not have sparring partner since come here."
Sarah Connor	Now, Sarah wasn't a martial artist, and she certainly trained by the KGB.. but.. she was a street fighter with bits and pieces thrown in there that were similar to them. And never mind that, she wasn't afraid to cheat. Most especially she cheated. "Put up your dukes." She made a little joke, but besides that was very serious. "Go on. Give me your best shot."
Vitali	It's been a while since Vitali's had a living and breathing sparring partner. Not only since before he arrived here, but also for a few months prior to that as well since the trip by ship took a long time through the winter ice and snow in order to reach New York City's harbour. Soraya watches from her perch, and she clicks her beak as she ruffles her feathers a bit, looking from one of them to the other. Vitali kept his attention on Sarah, though. At her invitation, he tilts his head a bit to one side, watching her for a moment. Then he gives a small nod, and there isn't much of a shift within him -- he still seems just as relaxed as when they'd been talking. He doesn't want to hurt her, providing he would even be able to. His hands seem to have settled around waist level, his gaze holding to her face. Waiting, perhaps. And then he takes a soft and easy step towards her before lifting his left hand to aim a punch at the front of her right shoulder that he follows up with an attempt to nudge her side with his elbow. If he does make contact, it wo't be with a lot of strength since it's just sparring.
Sarah Connor	Sarah was ready. Sure she hasn't the ability of 'systema', but there's one thing she knows is true: almost every punch there is a pull. In other words, Sarah pulls no punches. Tali reaches for her right shoulder, and immediately she reaches up, grabs him by the forearm, and takes a step backwards, falling on the ground by her back, still holding prepared to throw him over, as she rolls onto a backwards somersault and finally up to her feet. She wasn't playing any games. "The enemy always cheats. Never forget that."
Vitali	It doesn't seem to surprise him that she was ready. There was something about her that gave the impression that she knew how to fight. He might be trained, and he might have practiced with his brother and others of his village, but there's a difference between knowing the movements and having the experience of actually using them. Vitali doesn't have a lot of experience with fighting. With her claiming his arm as she does, he feels that shift of her weight, but there isn't anything he does to prevent himself from being flipped over and to the ground. He doesn't land as hard as she might expect, and he rolls with the impact before coming up into a crouch and turning swiftly to be facing her where she already stands. He shifts the fingers of his left hand, which rest upon the ground, and he gives a small nod to her words. "Da, will remember," Vitali says softly. Or at least, he has a reason to remember, now. His dark gaze holds to her features, and a cord of water rises up from the ground near to her right foot. He remains crouched for a moment, then shifts to rise swiftly to his feet. At the same time, that cord of water moves, to attempt to inch around her ankle. If he's able to catch her ankle in such a way then the water will pull back in an effort to pull her foot out from under her.
Sarah Connor	"I see. You already learned the next important lesson: Even if the enemy doesn't cheat, you should." Sarah gives a short nod, but it does stay very long. Tali is cheating, and how! Sarah has nothing to protect herself against magic, and probably he knows it. Down she goes.. but.. this isn't her first time at a rodeo. Far from it. This first thing she does is mostly what she does the first time: somersault. Only this time she lands lower and all fours, and begins to spin her body about, putting him back on his back (again).
Vitali	There's a hint of a smile that touches at the corners of Vitali's lips, and he tilts his head a touch to one side. "Is not cheating if are trying to avoid taking hurt, da?" he suggests. "Is important to survive," he adds, giving a small nod. It's a reasonable logic, and when he and his brother sparred they likely didn't think twice about using their magic on each other. And even on others, when they sparred. It was good practice or their magic, as well. He watches as she somersaults rather than simply falling from the trip he'd used his magic to accomplish. What he wasn't expecting was what she does next, which is to trip him. There's a soft grunt that comes from him as he ends up on the ground, again. He shifts slightly, then kips up to get back to his feet, his gaze turning to her. Shifting his right hand, he makes a faint gesture and murmurs something. Yet nothing happens, interestingly enough.
Sarah Connor	Oh.. Sarah is worried. She saw his little tremble of his hands, and from prior watching she knows he isn't 'trembling', he's waiting with his magic. Dammit all to hell and back.. 'It is always important to survive.' If only he know *how* important it was for her. But what could she do against magic? Definitely it wasn't a Terminator thing, but around here she's realizing other people used it. Right this second though was not the time to figure it out. Taking a bit of a chance, Sarah tackled Tali.
Vitali	Soraya ruffles her feathers a little bit and is quiet as she watches, and she lightly shifts her wings at her back. There is no fussing that comes from her, for she understands that it's not a real fight, and she doesn't interfere. It might lead a person to wondering how or why that is. He has no way of knowing how important it is for her to survive -- or anything of Terminators for that matter, but he does understand the importance of survival. Nearly everyone has something or someone to live for. A reason to stay alive. When she tackled him, he wasn't entirely prepared for it or expecting it. Vitali gets pushed back and to the ground again with the momentum of it, and it takes him a couple of seconds to be able to draw a breath after it had all escaped with the impact. He tries to bring one of his arms up to aim a blow at the front of one of her shoulders. And perhaps just to be distracting, he uses a small amount of water to flick try to flick the end of her nose. He'd lost his hold on his ice magic, but he'd managed to keep water at his beck and call.
Sarah Connor	"Yield!" Sarah knew enough when it was beneficial, and when it wasn't. This? Had gone on long enough to prove her point.. and his. She rolled over onto the ground, and shook her head. Mostly at herself. "Okay you've got magic. Good. But if it was taken away from you, you would be in plenty of trouble." And she is a good enough sport that she lays out her own worst flaw. "Me? I've never fought against magic before." She gets up, and holds out her hand to help him.
Vitali	There is a flicker of surprise that shows in his dark eyes when she calls for the yield, but he doesn't argue it. Neither of them 'won', and they had both made points of their own. Vitali watched her as she rolled, and then he chuckled softly when she shook her head. "Are good fighter. Will need spar again, if are willing," Vitali says, giving a small nod to her. "Da, would be bad if someone take magic away. Bad, as well, when not have enough energy for use magic. Have had magic since young," he explains, watching her. He's quiet a moment, considering what she's said about not fighting against magic, and then he gives another small nod. Lifting one of his hands, he accepts her help in getting back up and to his feet. "Spasibo, Sarah," he says, a smile tugging up the corners of his lips. "Am not sure if is applying to all who use magic, but... magic need concentration, need focus. Break focus, break concentration... magic break. If spell going and make magic break, magic user lose spell and maybe be hurt. Trade, maybe? Can help figure out fighting against magic in trade for fighting without magic?" he suggests.
Sarah Connor	Sarah has to think: can this person be allowed to get closer to her? Even if it will only be for fights? That's the question. "I.. guess?" For all she had mentioned how important it was to spar with someone, she had a healthy distrust of doing so herself. "Do you stop here often?"
Vitali	It's an age old question, really. Can the person that one barely knows be trusted? And yet, he extended the offer to her, which seems to indicate that he's willing to place a certain amount of trust in her. There had been a bit of trust offered already in the form of information about magic, too. Vitali takes a momemt, brushing himself off a bit, and then he pushes up the long sleeves of his turtleneck to around his elbows. It makes the bracelet that he wears on his left wrist visible, but he doesn't seem to mind that happening. He tilts his head a bit to one side at her question, and he gives a small nod. "Often, sort of. Sometimes go see other similar places," he says in a thoughtful tone. His gaze turns to Soraya, studying the eagle for a moment before he returns his attention back to Sarah. "Am not sure best way of letting other know when wish for meeting. Can send Soraya to find, give message," he offers. He doesn't have a phone and technology is still a bit... alien for him.
Sarah Connor	"No. Do not send Soraya." Sarah was quite certain about *that*. "In four days. Here. Be here.. or not. Your choice." And with that she's gone.
Vitali	Vitali tilts his head a bit to one side, and then he gives a nod. He doesn't offer up any complaints about her choice, and he'll respect the decision as well. "Da, will not send Soraya," he affirms. He studies her for a brief moment, and a smile tugs at the corners of his lips before he gives another nod. "Four days, da. Will be here," he confirms. Then he watches her leave before lifting his left arm for Soraya to swoop to, and once she's perched, he starts to head back towards home as well.