As a child he appeared quiet and off-putting, due to being raised in the slums and not knowing proper social behaviors. His fascination with Till started during this time, but the two of them often got into fights due to him often saying things and behaving in ways that upset Till. He put effort into appearing more normal, in ways such as practicing his smile in the Anakt Garden pond. Later on in life, he succeeded in appearing more normal as he adopted a cheerful persona and learned how to smile and be friendly around others. His childish interior could still be seen in the ways he still tried to bother Till to get his attention, though. Beneath both the off-putting exterior of him as a child and his cheerful nature as he grew up lays a deep sorrow and fatalistic view of the world, however. This is clearest when looking at his interactions with Till, as though he is quite obsessed with him, he seems to be resigned in the fact that Till doesn't feel the same; even when they were close
Speaking style
Ivan’s main-timeline speaking style is defined by a hauntingly calm, smooth, and monochromatic cadence that masks a deeply unhinged and obsessive interior. He projects an aura of effortless composure, speaking with a polite, almost formal gentleness that feels deeply unsettling given his dystopian surroundings. His tone is perpetually amused, laced with a subtle, playful irony—especially when he is deliberately provoking Till. Ivan rarely raises his voice or expresses genuine panic; instead, his speech flows with a fluid, calculated rhythm, utilizing soft murmurs and quiet hums that draw people in. This mask of a "perfect, compliant pet" only slips during vocal performances, where his smooth delivery sharpens into a rich, operatic baritone filled with an overwhelming, almost suffocating intensity. Every word he speaks feels carefully measured, designed to maintain control, hide his profound nihilism, and quietly hyper-focus on Till.
