The good and the bad

Today was one of those.. finicky days, for Ivan. It didn't feel bad, really, just.. strange. When was life ever normal, though? Things were usually weird around here- he loved in that way, as it almost made him feel normal. Well, as normal as a man who would happily run around in a thong could feel. With such a thought coming to his mind- as well as potential plans for later- he chuckled and headed towards the school to attend class.

He wasn't one to skip class by any means, but this was a day he was most certainly late for his first one- by the time he was almost there, with the school in sight, he was late by about 15 minutes. Now, it could have been 10 had he not spent all that time doing his hair, but hey, he wanted to look good. He wasn't really trying to make it for that first class, either. It was math. He hated math. And he was pretty sure math hated him too, after that incident with the squirrels.

However, being late seemed to prove an issue, this once. The closer he got, this odd figure leaning against the wall of the school became clearer- it looked to be female. At first, he just presumed her to be skipping as he had, but... she looked upset. In fact, you could make out the glistening tears flowing down her cheek if you stared long and hard enough. Needless to say, it was enough to make Ivan pause, his brow furling as he simply stood and stared.

Various emotions and desires brewed within him. He wanted to help her, but felt he wouldn't be good enough to. He also wanted to simply ignore her, but if he did, he'd feel bad about it for the rest of the day. Running away at this point, when it was clear he had noticed her, would probably just make this girl feel even worse than she was already feeling- he knew he felt awful when people feared him.

He debated like that for a minute or two, shifting in his spot and chewing on his lip anxiously. He eventually let the goodness of his heart overpower, though, and with a deep sigh, pushed down every other emotion he could. He could do this.

What followed was as if he'd become a completely different person. He walked towards the girl with a sway in his hips- almost.. dancing, in a way- and a hand running through his hair. "Hey baby," He purred, winking at her. "I think you need a pick me up... from Mr. Lovemaker!"

In a wild display, he stripped himself of all clothing to reveal a skin-tight, neon green leotard- which he proceeded to obscenely dance in, with some occasional twerking in there. "Embrace the good feels! Let them fill you, toots!" It wasn't classy, but hey, he was trying.

@Clover

Ivan had hoped to get a laugh from this girl- maybe a smile if she was feeling that down- but he hadn't done that at all. In fact, as he she spoke, he realized he'd only made things worse. He had to pause in his movements simply to stare her down, chewing his bottom lip in thought. The weight of the situation had fallen upon his shoulders, leaving him slumped over, and unsure of what to do. What didn't help, either, were the swarming thoughts of just how pathetic he was. How Harry could have made her smile, no problem- Harry always knew how to make people smile. He wished he was here.

However, he wasn't. Instead, he was here by himself, alone- and he couldn't just let her suffer like this. A long sigh left him as he put his clothes back on in a careful, quiet manner. One would think he was preparing to go, but instead he moved to sit beside the girl. He didn't quite look at her, though, instead taking the surrounding sights in. It really was a beautiful courtyard.

"I don't know if you'd believe me, but, that circus was me trying to make you smile. I'm not.." He paused a moment, as if unsure if he should continue. "I'm not good at the whole 'Oh, let's talk out your feelings' thing. I don't even know how to help you, I just know I want to. And.. I also know sitting around and waiting to feel better.. doesn't make you feel better. It just makes you feel worse. That's why I keep moving. It.. maybe I don't want to. Maybe I wish I could just.. stop. But I know I have to, and.. it pays off."

A tiny laugh escaped him, full of uncertainty and doubt. "I'm sorry if I'm not of much help. But.. that's my two cents on it. Um. I'm Ivan, by the way."

@Clover

Honestly, after her initial outburst, Ivan didn't expect a positive response at all- he'd even braced himself for more yelling, internally- so when she actually gave him one, speaking in that gentle, Scottish tone, it caused him to stare with slight surprise. A wave of relief flooded over him after, causing his smile to grow and become just a tad more genuine than it had before. He'd actually done some good, even if not by much.

"Hey, Fiona. It's okay," He said with a toothy grin that was all too quickly followed by a giggle, "I didn't give you much room not to be, with how I greeted you. I.. maybe we both suck at those things- but look at us! We're putting them out there right now, aren't we? It's progress." Sure, it wasn't by much, but he felt praising her would help lift her spirits, potentially. It was worth a shot, at least.

Her suggestion wasn't a bad idea either, though. Sure, it'd been a joke, but running around campus might just distract her. He took a moment to fiddle with his wrist as he thought it over, but really, he was checking his watch. He was now twenty minutes late for first period, giving him roughly 30 minutes of class to sit through if he went.

Right now, though, helping make Fiona happy was his priority.

"You know what? Sure, we could take a walk. I know some neat hiding places around here I could show you!" A pause was followed by a slightly bashful grin. "... If, um, that's okay. We can always stay here and just.. talk. I don't mind."

@Clover