Moonlit Acquaintance

Who: Corwin and Ivan
Where: By the lake
When: Shortly after sunset

With the threat of Acherus gone, Corwin actually felt comfortable taking Kirk for a walk. The three-legged mutt certainly acted like his namesake, all bold bravery and self-confidence, but he would've been no match for the pack-vampires if one had taken it into its head to attack him. And knowing the Acherus and their track record with Corwin's pets, they probably would have-- and Kirk, not knowing any better, would just try to fight back, and lose terribly.

Now, though, there was no one for Kirk to try and fight and lose to, so once the sun set Corwin let him out, along with a couple of the cats, and headed for the lakeshore. It was a chilly evening, though not as damp as it had been, but Corwin didn't mind-- he was always cold, anyway. Kirk certainly didn't mind, splashing in the shallow water and snapping at fish, falling leaves, the wind, whatever he took it into his head he needed to chase. JP, the black tuxedo cat, rode along on Corwin's coat-padded shoulder, looking over at the dog disdainfully.

"Not a water type, are you, JP?" Corwin said with a little smile, scratching behind his ears as he walked.

The disturbance of the water brought forth late evening hues and natural sounds of play, catching the watchful eye and interest of one Ivan who sat near the water's edge, knees sturdily bent and sketchpad resting pleasantly against his legs. The cool night air was chilly for him, but he had felt worser things... and thus welcomed the cold with somewhat bent but otherwise open arms. With him he had his assortment of pens and pencils, some charcoal and others just regular graphite, with no intention other than creating whatever came to the boy's mind at that particular point in time.

Ivan was wary of course of the tall man's presence as well as his pets, but he tried to pay no mind. Alas, he was unable to keep himself from making light charcoal sketches of them near the water, however dull it was to him to draw what he saw in the physical world rather than the recesses of his own mind. It was good practice, if he had any excuse for it.

He was shy of course, lowering his gaze from the man if the other had looked back while he studied them. He wished at times he was more courageous than this, but keeping eye contact may have seemed a little awkward and thus he wasn't subject to try anything.

Two relatively shy young men in the same area: god help them if they had to actually talk. Unfortunately-- or perhaps fortunately?-- not all of the little trio were so quiet and withdrawn. Kirk, as soon as he caught scent of Ivan, spun in place with quite a splash, skinny tail straight up and floppy ears perked with interest. Once he spotted the boy, he let out a happy yip and bounded over to him, tail wagging wildly and tongue hanging out of his mouth between barks.

Corwin groaned and drifted after him, ready to rescue some poor stranger from his dog's evil clutches. Or, well, less "evil" and more "wildly curious and enthusiastic". He pulled his scarf up a bit more, making sure his fangs and scarred throat were as hidden as he could make them.

Ivan went a little pale at the dog's presence, having a lovely phobia of canines birthed from previous attacks, though reasoning kept him still and he rose a hand in both a kind, yet fearful gesture, as if to pet but also protect his face. He shivered, not from the cold but the closeness of the dog to him and he tried his hardest not to freak out, his sketchpad falling from his legs to the grass with his pencils.

Ivan couldn't have felt any more relieved when the dog's owner approached to restrain it, and he couldn't help but offer the man a nervous but appreciative smile. The man's appearance didn't startle him; he had seen a lot weirder dress at his high school, though he was still shy as he was with any and all others.

Once all was said and done, Ivan offered a quiet, husked, "Thank you," followed by that smile.

The way the boy stared and trembled and dropped his things made Corwin wince further and pick up his pace to a jog, JP leaping from his shoulder and meowing his distress at landing in the damp grass. Corwin got there just in time to grab Kirk by the collar and haul him back from trying to lick the half-warding, half-offered hand. Kirk whined, but a stern look and a shake of the collar got him to actually sit, head low but tail still wagging, whacking against Corwin's legs with every stroke. "You ask before sticking your nose in people's faces, dummy," Corwin told him, mostly under his breath but loud enough for the other to hear him.

Once Kirk was settled, Corwin offered Ivan a smile-- which he couldn't see, given the scarf. But still. Friendly eyes went with his smiles, so it helped sometimes. "Sorry, he's really, really friendly. And curious. And excitable. He wouldn't hurt you, though, promise."

With his heart pounding a bit, Ivan was slow to relax but quick to fake it, though he could recognize those friendly eyes and they drew another smile from him. He could easily distinguish kind eyes from hateful ones and he was relieved to see that these were of a gentle nature. "Thank you... Not.. the biggest fan of dogs to be honest..." he said quietly with a nervous chuckle, embarrassed. Ivan made a visible effort to calm himself though he couldn't help but check his arms for any injuries. It was out of habit, which drew a light blush over his creamy features. The man's height urged Ivan to stand and so he did, picking up his sketchbook and pencils and looking up at the other.

Ivan felt a bit small but strangely comfortable. The man did just save him from a dog, even though it meant him no harm. Holding his sketchbook to his chest, he bit down a little on his lower lip, feeling he should say something but being as shy and private as he was, interesting topics were hard to come by. For now, perhaps, an introduction will do and lead to an easier, less tense flow of idle conversation.

"M..My name is Ivan.. Ivan Kozlov... You are..?"

Corwin thought he could pick that up-- that the boy wasn't so much a fan of dogs. He could also pick up on the shyness, and the artisticness, which all but automatically kicked up his protective instincts. He let Kirk's collar go, but pointed sternly back at the lake. The dog whined at him, but with another firm point, went. He'd forget about the disappointment in seconds, Corwin was sure, and be back to splashing around happily and ignoring his master and the dog-fearing boy.

Dropping to a crouch to help with the pencil retrieval, and because he hated towering over people, Corwin answered, "I'm Corwin. I hope you don't dislike cats, too?" He offered Ivan the pencils he'd collected with another little smile.

Shaking his head, Ivan slipped the utensils into the pockets inside his jacket before pulling it tighter about him from the cold, "No.. I like cats... My mother owned a couple.." He looked down shyly, eyes half-lidded with a certain, fearful innocence. His voice trailed off as he searched for words before mingling back, mixed with a warm Russian accent, "..But yeah.. I do like cats... I love them." He nodded up at the other, a light smile twitching at the corners of his lips.

He put out a pale, bony hand for a shake, "It's.. nice to meet you."

Corwin hesitated a beat before offering his own hand, gloved through it was. The fingers seemed almost a digit too long, but the gloves were the best he could manage to actually keep the claws underneath hidden. He had a careful handshake, rather than a strong one; one had to be careful, when one had claws, after all.

"Anyone who loves cats is a friend of mine," he answered gently, trying to keep himself both clear and muted, afraid to startle. It felt a bit like wooing a rabbit out of hiding. "I've only got one dog, but I have, uh, eight cats." The last came out a bit sheepishly, seeing as eight really was rather a lot of cats....

"Eight, huh? That's a lot..." Ivan said with a warm smile, "But.. that's not a bad thing.. I want a cat.. but I can't afford to take care of one.. at least not yet I can't..." He almost rested his hand in Corwin's, allowing the shake to be easy and gentle. Ivan's nerves were slowly disappearing, very very slowly but surely he was easing up in the presence of Corwin. He was shuffling a bit in his clothes, light in the cool weather and easily failing to keep him somewhat warm.

Looking out over the rippling waters, he let out a soft, relaxing sigh as he continued to calm himself. After a moment, he looked up at Corwin, arms holding the sketchbook to his chest, "So.. uh.. What are you doing out here.. It's a bit late out.."

"There are times when I wonder about my ability to afford them sometimes, too," Corwin admitted, crouching again to call JP over with a thought and whispering fingers. "Don't know what I'd do without them, though." The black cat came trotting through the trees towards them, and he scooped him up, putting him back up on his shoulder. JP sniffed in Ivan's direction curiously, ears twitching forward and green eyes wide.

Chuckling a bit at his cat, Corwin answered, "I prefer it out at night." Or, rather, he had no choice, but it was as good an explanation as any. "And I had to walk Kirk-- that's the dog. He rather takes after Captain Kirk, has as long as I've had him. This is JP, by the way."

Ivan's deep eyes studied the cat, careful as they hopefully presented a warm aura, gentle and nonthreatening. "Ah... I guess.. I do too..." he said with a nervous chuckle, still gazing up at the cat, "The night is.. it's a lot more peaceful than the daytime.. It helps me think.. about things..." His voice slowly trailed off before looking away down at the ground.

His eyes wandered over Corwin's outfit, becoming ever more interested now that he could get a good look. Looking up at Corwin's face, he tilted his head somewhat and asked in a gentle, careful tone, "Why do you hide your face..?" He cringed inwardly after he asked, realizing that such a question may have been a bit too personal...

Cringing a little, himself, though a bit less "inwardly", Corwin answered, "Because what's under the scarf and hood isn't terribly pretty." He didn't talk to that many people who didn't know what he was, or couldn't guess-- or who couldn't see him, or had the ghosts as a shared trait to help them get over the vampire thing. Just coming out and saying it to people who didn't fall into those categories? Usually just went badly. He remembered Deirdre, from weeks ago, and how she'd retreated to the supposed safety of the water at the sight of him.

"And 'not terribly pretty' is really kind of an understatement," he added.

Ivan looked down a bit sadly, ashamed of himself for prying into what wasn't his business. After a short moment, he looked back up, looking up into Corwin's eyes, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... It depends on who you show, right?" He smiled gently, not going to force the man to remove his scarf if he didn't want to. Ivan had a good assortment of opinions over how someone looked, but he didn't want to push it with any preachy nonsense.

Ivan's smile however couldn't help but fade as seconds passed away, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.."

"It's okay," Corwin sighed a little, gloved hand scratching at the top of his head through his hood. "But I promise, this is pretty universally ugly. I don't know anyone who wouldn't be at least mildly disturbed by me." Except Konnor, who for some reason liked the way he looked-- but then, Konnor was a demon. Had been a demon. Maybe they were a bit different. He really didn't think Ivan was a demon. He was far too shy and stammery. Still, though, fangs and scars and dead-looking skin were usually not taken well by the general populace. "I'd really rather not scare you off."

Ivan smiled a little, blushing a light pink. Most of his teenage life he felt as if he were being hunted, and to be treated like an actual human being was heartwarming to his weary soul. It almost made him feel somewhat giddy to be able to act like a person in front of someone else instead of a turtle or a snake. "I've seen some very scary things... and I don't think I'll be fleeing from you any time soon.." he said gently, but not urging. He looked down briefly, his smile fading slowly as his eyes locked onto the ground. He closed his eyes tightly, his free hand raising to press and rub at his eyelids. Shaking his head, he looked back up and shivered, forcing his smile to return, "..S-sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Corwin said, a little resignedly. "It's pretty normal to wonder what's under here, and you've been polite about asking." God, I'm such a pushover, sometimes, he thought, and worked on pulling off a glove. "Just... don't say I didn't warn you." He wouldn't ask for a promise not to be afraid. That didn't seem fair. "This is part of it," he began, one glove off and his hand held up, dark claws obvious and sharp, even in the twilight. "JP, get down." He prodded the cat gently with one, so he could get to his hood without hitting or getting tangled up with the cat. Nothing else was coming off, though, until he knew the boy's reaction to the claws.

Truth be told, Ivan was a little frightened, but it was easy to subside as he looked over Corwin's claws with an unearthly interest. Of course, he had seen long nails on girls that could cut through steel so he wasn't exactly in total shock. "Wow..." he said softly, barely above a whisper but still audible. He longed to reach out and take Corwin's hand and feel it, simply to touch and examine but kept his hands glued to his jacket and sketchbook. Inside he was embarrassed to have this much interest in someone's hand, but having an eye for detail trained him to crave detail that was hard to come by. This man was starting to become a treasure, as ridiculous as it soun

Reminded almost painfully of Eric, once the boy had gotten over his shock at the unexpected sight, Corwin smiled a bit tightly under his scarf. Definitely could have been worse; he'd take open-mouthed fascination over backing away any day, even if it made him a bit self-conscious. Then, JP safely on the ground, he pulled down his hood and gave his head a little shake to both loosen up the fine, dark hair and to give his long, pale ears breathing room. "All right, and the big one," he said, a little apprehensively, and pulled down his scarf, baring both the slightly-uneven fangs hanging well out of his rather more lop-sided mouth and the messy scar at his throat, the physical reminder of his turning. As if the way he looked wasn't more than enough.

While the fangs did catch his eye, Ivan easily kept his footing, looking up at Corwin's face with gentle eyes. He absorbed the man's features, a small spark of excitement welling in his chest. It took him a little while, but he smiled, saying softly and as gently as he could, "Like I said before... beauty is in the eye of the beholder.." He looked over Corwin's face with examining yet un-prying eyes, "I don't see any reason to be afraid..." The fangs had him a little on edge, but not unlike the claws, they caught his interest like a child in a candy store.

Smiling, part relief, part embarassment, and part discomfort, Corwin said, "Then you're an unusual beholder. In a good way." Well, he definitely looked different, and Ivan seemed interested in the differences, so that was something. He crouched long enough to scoop JP up again, this time just into his arms, like a kid might pick up a stuffed animal or security blanket. "You haven't seen anyone like me before, have you?" he asked, a little curiously and a little confusedly. That was when he got the best reactions-- barring Eric, who had been a lot like Ivan with the staring, though that'd been a bit easier, as he'd known him online beforehand and had come into their meeting fully expecting to be stared at-- when he was different but not entirely unfamiliar.

Looking down at his own sneakers, Ivan shuffled a little, having forgotten himself before and stared at the other. He felt embarrassed and his voice held a light, apologetic tone to it. He looked back up at Corwin, his smile having faded a little, "Kind of.. But kind of not.." Truth be told, Corwin strangely reminded him of his late friend Emilie. It was saddening but also somewhat uplifting; Emilie was an out-going but gentle soul. "You... remind me of a friend I had.. long time ago.." he went quiet, smiling again some and looking down at the ground before back up at Corwin again, "I miss her."

Though he was a little uncomfortable with the staring, the embarassment was almost as bad. That didn't mean Corwin had any idea what to do about it, though, so he just focused on the words. "Who was she?" Corwin asked simply, not at all sure how he would remind anyone of anyone at all, much less a girl they used to know, but willing to ask to find out.

Ivan smiled and looked back over the water. Their dress and atmosphere was similar, but Ivan was unsure of how to put it without causing the man more discomfort than he was already in... or hurting his feelings for that matter. "She's... she was.. different from everyone else. Not just the way she dressed but like... She wasn't.. discriminating..." His smile faded and he looked back, looking into Corwin's eyes rather than at his face. "You didn't have to hide anything from her..." His voice became quiet, "She gave so much to people... but people took all she had away in return."

Though Corwin had to admit he wasn't terribly discriminating-- his closest friend in town for a few weeks had been a demon, who he had steadfastly defended from everyone who tried to tell him he was stupid for trusting him-- he didn't know about the rest. It was certainly complimentary, for someone who hadn't actually known him very long, and though he was embarassed now, too, he still smiled. "It's flattering to be compared to her, then... I admire people like that, who give themselves. What ever happened to her?" The idea that she'd died hadn't even crossed his mind-- he simply assumed she'd moved out of Ivan's life. People tended to do that.

Ivan's voice was slightly cracked and hesitant, though he made a visible effort to keep it together. There was nothing more embarrassing than to fall apart in front of someone one had just met. After a deep sigh, he said with his eyes on the ground, "...She died.. about seven or so years ago..." It was hard as hell talking about her, much less the cause of her death, and he had hoped to stay clear of that mine field. He was prepared to become evasive if it ever came to that. "...Really miss her."

Though he might not've been the best at understanding people, Corwin could read Ivan's signals loud and clear: don't ask, don't ask, don't ask. So he didn't, he just reached out a tentative hand to put on the boy's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry. My best friend in town died a couple weeks ago...." I think. "I know it's hard." He sure hoped he wasn't still a mess over it in seven years, though.... He'd be in trouble if he couldn't manage to let this go, given he was going to live a very, very long time.

Ivan shivered with a deep sense of relief, though his throat was still tight with a haunted scream threatening to release itself, deep breathing helping to relieve the tension and pull the scream back down. Of course, he had gotten over her death, but the effects of what happened still lingered and haunted him almost daily. He smiled a little up at Corwin, "..I... hold her memory in.. the highest regard..." His smile faded shortly afterward, "..I am sorry for your loss.."

"And I am, for yours," Corwin said seriously. He could hear Kirk barking in the distance, and he still had people to check up on tonight. And dinner to scrounge up. "Here...." He patted at his coat pockets, finding the stake first, but then when he moved on to his pants pockets, found a pen and a tiny pad of paper. After being caught without, with Sammy and Geo, he didn't want to be again. "Do you have a computer?" he asked.

Tilting his head a little, Ivan slowly nodded, studying Corwin quietly, "Yes..I do." What he had was a laptop, a nice, sleek notebook that was the only luxurious item he had. "Why?" he asked quietly.

"I'm going to give you my email address," Corwin said, in a tone that brooked no protests or complaints about it. Now and then, with people like Ivan, or Eric, who were shy and often in need of direction, he could be firm. "I have some other things to do tonight, before the sun comes up or it decides to start pouring or something, but if you ever want to talk, you can email me."

The writing came out sloppy, but legible: corwinlovescats@gmail.com. He figured the address itself would be a good enough indicator of who it belonged to, so he didn't bother trying to write his name. One less thing that could wind up illegible or with him tearing the paper with his awkward claws. He tore the slip of paper from the tiny little notebook and offered it to Ivan.

Ivan took the slip of paper with delicate fingers, looking it over silently before carefully sticking it into the pocket of his jacket with his pencils. He gave Corwin a genuine smile, though tired and chilled from the late night cold, "Thank you..." Ivan's stomach fluttered with admiration for the man, though it was a bit embarrassing on his part, and half of him told him to stay alert, that he was a fool to place this much trust in someone he had only just met.

Clearing his throat, Ivan nodded, his smile fading only slightly, "I'll... be sure to take you up on that offer.." Of course, Ivan was unsure if he'd be able to speak of any problems if any were to arise... he would just have to try, he supposed.

"Even if it's just to chat," Corwin reiterated, and smiled, back. "I've got to go catch my dog before he gets too far off...." And drop by a few people's houses-slash-apartments to see if they were there, and if they were still all right and alive and all. Cue the overprotective vampire. "I'll see you around, Ivan?" The end turned into a little question, as if seeing if he would, indeed, be seeing him again.

Pulling his jacket about him as tight as it could get, he nodded, the cold of night starting to get to him, "Yeah... yeah.. I'll see you later.." With a light, tired smile to the other, he walked off in his own direction, pausing a little ways before looking back over his shoulder and saying softly, "Thank you.. Corwin." He then returned to his brisk walk back towards his small home, shoulders hunched in an effort to help protect himself from the chilly temperature.