Art by  mitternacht!

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The locker room was empty, which was fine by Ivan. He prefered privacy for his post workout shower, but it was usually too crowded for his comfort levels. He quickly undressed and entered the stall. The water was ice cold against his fur, and he kept it that way. The temperature reminded him of the times he and his father would go swimming in the dead of winter. It was something only he and his father were willing to do--his mother and younger brother didn't care for that particular winter activity.

He remembered the odd looks Hopper and Darryl gave him when he asked where the apartment pool was located. It was January, and the ground had been colored white with a recent snowfall. To his dismay, he learned the pools were closed in the winter. Apparently the apartment manager shared the same opinion his mother and brother believed. It was a shame, but given the mild temperatures, the water would have felt almost tepid.

He finished his shower then stepped into the fur dryer provided by the gym, basking in the heat for as long as he could stand. This was a luxury few people in Russia could enjoy, and was one of many reasons why he did enjoy studying in America. When he felt like he was about to roast in his fur, he went to his locker, towel wrapped around his waist, and under his long, thick tail. He put on his hat and caught something moving out of the corner of his vision.

A bee flew at him, and would have hit him on the nose had he not stumbled back out of surprise. It buzzed around him, as if searching for a chance to sting him where he was most vulnerable. The towel fell to the floor as Ivan tried swatting the bee away, but it flew around his paws, avoiding the blows like a prize fighter in a championship bout.

Desperate, Ivan grabbed the towel from the floor and swung it blindly in front of him. He then saw the bee drop to the floor, its legs twitching, the wings buzzing once, then twice, then nothing. He never intended to kill it; he just wanted it to leave him alone.

"What's with all the racket, Ivan?" Tank stuck his head into the locker room, and Ivan hastily returned the towel around his waist.

"I was trying to stop bee from stinging me," Ivan said as he pointed at the floor where the bee lay.

Tank entered the room, smirking. "The bee's out..." His voice trailed off as his eyes caught the dead insect on the floor. "Huh. I guess we had an unregistered guest and didn't know about it." He grinned at Ivan. "What'd you do to piss off the bee population?"

Ivan shook his head. "I do not know." He smiled weakly at Tank. "Perhaps they think I am silly old bear from children's book."

"Yeah, bees don't much like Winnie the Pooh."

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