Thinking about how Ivan doesn’t seem to be teasing Till here. More of a, “Oh, yeah. That definition does fit you.”
Thinking about how genuinely sad and confused Ivan looks when Ivan punches him for this response, and walks away. The way that this wouldn’t be his reaction if provocation was his intention… and the way that, even still, his expression seems somewhat blank.
The way, in fact, that Ivan’s default expression as a child, in general, is a blank one. Even many of his smiles reading as not quite reaching his eyes.
The way he’s shown to study how to make himself smile, and make other expressions… (“Before Ivan goes to his morning class, he goes to the Anakt Garden Pond and carefully observes his own facial expressions. He usually doesn't show much emotion on his face, so it's very interesting to see him scrunch up his face or break into a smile like the other kids usually do.”)
… and how that leads perfectly into him, as an adult, having changed his default expression to that of a smile.
(Including when it’s not really appropriate for him to be grinning.) (Almost as if he still doesn’t quite grasp the social situations when he should smile. Just that he should smile more often.)
Ivan Alien Stage, I understand you so much.