night of the hunter [ ivan ]

There was no reason why he was here, except to take a break from the saddle. Ivan had been travelling around the main island, further to the south than he liked. He was in his usual skinny jeans, a loose T-shirt, and his favorite leather jacket. And his leather boots, but that was another story.  Typically, he would have went right home after travelling, but for some reason, he was in desperate desire for something to drink and he didn't want to wait for the ferry before he got it. He pulled Lucifer up to the side of the establishment, ignoring any weird looks he got. It wasn't every day someone was riding around on the former horse of the Grim Reaper with a giant Saber Tooth Cat beside him.  Stepping off of the saddle, Ivan tied the reigns around a near-by pole, holding out a hand for Zhou to stay put.


"Hey, can I come in?" Lucifer asked, the damned horse talked thanks to the magic on the island.
"No," Ivan replied, taking the bit out of Lucifer's mouth so the horse could rest easy and eat the grass growing between the sidewalk.
"Why?"
"No." Ivan patted the horse's neck before rubbing Zhou's, a little Norwegian Thorntail crawling up Ivan's arm to rest right up against his neck, spitting some smoke. Without another word, the snow leopard shifter put on the sunglasses, to hide his bright red eyes with black whites, and went in. The sudden onslaught of the smells, sounds, and lights made him stop in his tracks and study his surroundings. His eyes swung from place to place before they settled on an empty seat at the bar. A quick drink was all he wanted. Better than wasting his stocks. He put his hands in his jacket pockets and walked over to the bar, moving between the dancers as if they were nothing more than idle snowfall. Thankfully snow leopards had nimble feet.


Sitting down, he just held up one finger, not speaking a single word. The bar tender gave him an odd look, which was returned with a pocket sized dragon giving the best roar he could and spitting a few embers onto the counter which quickly flickered away, leaving behind a trail of smoke. Ivan glanced around him, noticing a few people, trying to memorize faces. It was when there was a lot of people like this he sometimes let his ability out. He saw times, clicking down above people's heads, and he assessed each one before he blocked out the power again, sipping at his drink quietly. He hoped no one would talk to him. Ivan wasn't the best at conversation.
    

It was sad to say Ivan was quite used to people getting in his personal space. He learned to ignore it, as long as they didn't pet his cat Iceland, who wasn't even here today. Thankfully. He glanced at the stranger that had moved closer to him over the rim of the sunglasses, red eyes shining in the various lights, but dead-pan with no emotions, like his face. It was common for Ivan to never show what he was feeling. He honestly didn't have much to say or much to proclaim, or even show. When he did, he did so with a deep growl and with a spiking tail in his snow leopard form. His species as rather... silent in their human bodies. The only thing they were good for was the thumbs. And other things but that never interested Ivan either. He would happily die a virgin, or he would have happily died one but that was a story for another time.


He sipped his drink, keeping his eyes on the stranger, debating if he should humor them or not. While debating, Ivan's eyes slid to Russia, who had planted himself right on the edge of the shifter's shoulder, growling and hissing at the stranger, smoke pouring out of the tiny mouth. Almost without a second thought, Ivan pinched the dragon's mouth closed with his index finger and thumb, pressing very gently, but enough to make the dragon struggle back far enough Ivan could pluck him up by the tail before setting him on the counter, shoving a walnut he found in a container at the dragon.


Then the epic battle began. The dragon growled at the nut and began to attack it, leaving a few scratches on the exterior of the nut as he rolled around on the counter, Ivan's gaze amused. Then he focused his attention back on the stranger, raising an eyebrow and shrugging his shoulders very slightly. Ivan tended to speak in signals more than words. It took effort to get him to talk. He sipped his drink again, handing Russia another walnut once he thoroughly destroyed the other one. This was going to be a long rest-stop, he could only wonder what Lucifer was doing outside. Probably giving old ladies a heart attack, making Death's job harder or something. He honestly didn't know or care.

He sipped at his drink, his eyes focusing back in the stranger, studying him as if he was a specimen in a museum. Placing the glass down, Ivan didn't speak, but instead pulled at Russia's tail slightly, swirling his finger over the dragon's head, the small creature following the movements before it got dizzy and collapsed with a small whine, finally managing to latch himself to Ivan's finger, crawling up his hand back to his shoulder. All was right with the world when Russia was back where he belonged. A fine eyebrow arched at the nickname. Gorgeous? Who? Russia? Why yes, he was a gorgeous dragon. Or... did this stranger mean him? Red pupils trailed to the long hair, eyeing it like a cat eyes a feather toy.


Now this was curious. Ivan swore he felt like something was off with this stranger. Humans was something that Ivan had come to consider rare and interesting creatures, being born where they were so few and usually eaten at birth. The meat was rather tender, but that was besides the point. He sniffed the air a bit, smelling some odd scents, but not being able to name anything besides the smell of a club with alcohol and sweat. Ugh. So much for that. He focused his gaze above the man's head then, watching the clock tick down. Such a pity, so much time left. Oh well. Ivan rested his chin on the back of his hand, trying to remember the name. Jas, huh?


"Ivan," he said quietly, not going to go beyond that. What else was there to say? Oh yes, I'm a snow leopard and I get the hint of fish from you so you seem like a tasty snack. Yes, because that would sound very nice and very normal. "You're hair..." he mumbled, looking back at it. "Reminds me of a cat toy." That was not an insult in Ivan's language, but a compliment. He desperately wanted to bat at it and maybe bite it. What? He was allowed to have fun. Sometimes.

Goosebumps followed the trail the finger made along his arms, but Ivan didn't even notice, he was already focusing on something else going on. He perked back up at the words. Now where was all this coming from? Was this some odd human mating ritual? Either someone put a ring on Ivan's finger or they got nothing. Or, do what his species did, kill the largest creature you can and present it to the one you want to mate with. If they eat it, congratulations, you just got a wife. If they don't, well, there are other cats out there. Probably.


Oh? So it wasn't a toy? What a shame and- wait, so it was? Ivan was confused. Did this man accept the fact he had good hair or not? Ivan searched Jas's face, trying to figure this one out. So strange. This island was weird. The snow leopard sipping his drink again, putting the empty glass down and pushing it away slightly, resting his elbows on the counter. So he was allowed to tug at it? Something told Ivan touching this stranger would be a very bad idea, unless he had gloves or something he could slip out of. Eh, it was probably just the alcohol.


"What are you trying to accomplish?" Ivan finally asked, giving a smile for once, though it was playful and slightly innocent. "You're very strange." Yes, Ivan had engaged in flirting before, but only with drunk people and when he felt like being heartless to them and crushing all their hopes, but this guy wasn't drunk. Wasn't flirting a drunk phenomenon?