Private Finished If At First You Don't Succeed...

Nat hadn't managed to turn out much in her investigation so far.

If the Volkovs were up to something, there weren't many obvious signs on the island as to what it could be. She had a lot of trouble believing that an organisation with so much shady history surrounding them would come to the centre of the supernatural world just so they could open a restaurant, but without any real leads, she didn't have many options other than to wait and see if anyone made a move within the city's criminal element.

Her little meeting with Malakias had been even less productive. She had hoped, at the very least, that taking him by surprise could have perhaps given her a few hints, maybe gotten him just flustered enough to let something slip, but obviously, he was far too good for something so basic to work. She wasn't sure what to expect of the restaurant's owner before she visited, but learning he was the son of the head of the family, she wasn't surprised to find he seemed competent enough.

At least it wasn't a complete waste of time. Gourmet food at a high-class restaurant was something she would never turn, especially when someone else was paying.

However, she had gotten at least one small bit of information. Malakias had let slip that the relationship between him and his sister was somehow strained. She didn't know the details as to why, or how bad things were, but depending on just how bad things were she might have an in. It was hard to imagine anyone knowing more about his plans than his own flesh and blood.

It wasn't much of a lead, but Nat liked to be thorough. She thought it was an option worth pursuing.

She'd asked around her usual sources where to find Rada Volkov. Apparently, when she wasn't working at the restaurant, the most likely place to find her at this time of the day was the gym. With how slow the investigation had been so far, Nat didn't want to waste time, so she decided to swing by today.

She sauntered into the gym, bundled in her usual coat and hat, and looked around for the werewolf.

@EmiRose

Nat heard Rada before she saw her, heard the sounds of the gloves hitting flesh, heard the grunts and winces of pain from her opponent. She followed her ears to the ring, peering over the other gym-goers who had undoubtedly started to watch, and smiled to herself. Rada stood out as much as her sources had said she would. She headed over to the ring, leaned back against the wall adjacent to it, and watched Rada do her thing.

Nat wasn't exactly an expert when it came to martial arts, but it was obvious at a glance that Rada knew what she was doing. She had good technique and the physical power to back it up, the combination was very impressive to see. It reminded her that she was messing with some pretty dangerous people. The thought almost made her feel intimidated. Almost.

Somewhere in the back of her head, she wondered if this much aggression from her was normal, or if she just had some pent-up stress she needed to release. She kept that question in her mind for later. Her main goal was finding out more about the Volkov family's plans, but her natural curiosity made her want to find out a little more about the woman herself.

Once Rada started to climb out of the ring, Nat slowly clapped, a casual smile on her face, eyes looking over the other woman with interest.

"Nice fight." She called over to her, trying to get her attention.

Nat waited until she was finished being congratulated before she stood up from the wall, tucking her hands into her coat pockets. Rada seemed popular around here, despite her recent arrival. She made a note of that.

"Neither, actually." She strolled over, cat ears twitching a little as she focused her attention on her. "I was actually hoping I could have a chat with you. You are Rada Volkov, yes?"

She figured she should be upfront about who she had come to see. It might have seemed more suspicious if a stranger conveniently decided to talk to her.

"I'm Natalie, I visited your restaurant a couple nights ago. Looks like you're as talented of a fighter as you are a chef." She gave her a sly grin, eyes roaming over her body much in the same way Rada's had moments before.

Nat noticed the brief change in her expression, though she didn't show any visible reaction to it. Nat's catlike features did leave her easy to recognise. She could easily hide them with illusions, but leaving her powers unlocked would likely cause issues in public. Better to be safe.

"I just wanted to thank you." She continued with a casual shrug. "It's not that often I get to enjoy fine dining like that, so I thought that I might offer to return the favour. Maybe over some drinks...?"

She left the question hanging in the air, grin spreading, eyeing the werewolf woman without concealing her interest.

Nat lets off a soft chuckle, grin widening in response. She doubted that she was really going to have her fooled, but as long as she got her to come along, she at least had a chance to work her way in.

"I got all the time in the world, tough girl." She turned, starting to make her way back to the entrance, looking over her shoulder to smile back at her before she went. "I'll be by the door, don't keep me waiting too long now."

One of her tails curled behind her, making a come hither motion, before she turned and started to walk, hips swaying perhaps just a little more than they normally would. She waited by the door, waiting to see if Rada was really going to follow.