Small Ember in the Snow

Chapter 1

Kazan, Russia- December 1st, 1999

Winter in Russia was really the only time Jigoku felt cold through his internal heat. For now, he sat in the warmth of The Lucky Spur, downing the bottle of vodka in one go.

He glanced at a discarded newspaper, the front displaying the date. What crazy nonsense is going on this time in Russia?  He thought to himself, grabbing the newspaper and skimming the front cover.

Covered the coming nine-year mark of the fall of the Soviet Union, the new century coming, and the current president of Russia.

He sighed and threw the newspaper aside, setting down the right amount of ruble for the vodka on the counter. He shoved his claws into the pockets of his coat and turned to go outside the door, when a voice called, "Ey you! Green-hair!"

Jigoku blinked and turned to see a group of six, five men and one woman. All of them had some type of alcohol in their hands and a burly man with fingerless gloves, dirty blonde hair, broad shoulders, and a ushanka on waved him over.

He blinked a few times, before shrugging to himself and walking over, making sure his tail wasn't visible.

"My friend here thinks you're pretty cute," The man grinned evilly, gesturing to the woman. She chuckled lightly and looked away, embarrassed.

She had blueish-blackish hair, green eyes, and a black haori on. Jigoku felt like she reminded him of someone from Kagome, but his memories in Kagome were shoved far into the back of his mind.

He could feel his face getting hot, and he couldn't deny she was actually kind of cute. "Well uh...thanks, I guess?" Jigoku shrugged uncertainly. Idiot! Why would you say that?!

"Hey! Don't be a stranger!" The man laughed, extending his hand, "Name's Vladimir! Pleasure's all mine!" 

Jigoku wasn't very comfortable with handshakes, but he took his hand anyways, "J-Jigoku." Vladimir laughed, "Japanese, eh? She's from there too!" He gestured to the woman, who still avoided eye contact.

"O-Oh no, I..." He paused, feeling dark memories he didn't want to remember pop into his head. He shoved them back down into his mind and said, "I-I was born in Russia...but my parents...my parents really liked Japanese culture."

He felt dizzy standing there. It was such a lie. He didn't have parents, he wasn't human, his species didn't have "parents", only dreamers. He had chosen the name himself after he'd realized his dreamer didn't care enough to name him.

"Sit down, Green-Hair Jigoku! We'll go around the table!" Vladimir grinned heartily, gesturing to an empty seventh seat.

[Unfinished chapter]