#miss sochi bear

[thedepressedpelican]

'A Hard Day"s Night'

#the puppettes #mr igor #miss kiki bear #mr hendricks #miss sochi bear #mr bod #miss pebbles #life's a pooch #my children

[hardwinters]

ₓ ˚ . ˚ ♡ || actress & model & former olympian. STATS. CAREER. PINTEREST. ACCEPTANCE.

howdy everybody! i'm dial and i'm so effing excited to meet everyone and their muses! i am reaching hag status soon at 26 yrs old and roll with she & her pronouns for the most part but i'm honestly cool with anything. anywho, enough abt me, onto my methodical little daffodil who wouldn't hurt a fly unless it was in the path of her skates :o she is one of my favorite muses, but it's my first time playing her in a setting like this and i really look forward to it! if you are interested in any of my listed plotbunnies orrr would like to plot something else just tick the little heart! i also have dsc available upon request ♡

some trigger warnings to keep in mind: anxiety attacks & injury descriptors

born & raised (for the most part) in incheon!!

no siblings unfortunately :( it's a wonder her parents found the time to have her

her mom was an always busy financial analyst who seemed to never not be on the phone talking business, while her father was the most respected divorce attorney in south korea due to his discretion when dealing with high profile cases.

100000% mostly raised by her nannies. her parents were overly serious and not very affectionate. they loved jinseon, but they definitely didn't express that in the ways such a sensitive child needed them to. sort of left her with a lack of self love that she overcompensates with kindness to others.

as her parents wanted her to fall into a high paying career, jinseon was one of those overly scheduled kids who was just shuffled from lesson to lesson to lesson. even her meals were listed in a planner. she learned to love and rely heavily on routine even as a child.

one of those lessons happened to be ballet through which she discovered her love of performing and knack for tightly controlled yet elegant movements. her instructor noted her agility and recommended her for a beginner's figure skating program.

fell head over heels for the feeling of being on the ice...it was the first of her lessons that she really connected with in a major way.

got rly good rly fast and made her coaches take notice. she had tremendous self-discipline and wouldn't miss a practice for anything. TRUE ICE PRINCESS THINGZ! the things she mostly struggled with were anxiety and her own confidence, but she found it easier to fake it than give up.

it wasn't long until she was competing in respected events around the country and eventually, the world!

the way her coaches invested in her allowed her to go far, even though they could be extremely harsh and the practices equally grueling. she did her best to channel everything into motivation and become the best at what she did.

her first championship routine was preceded by her first of many anxiety attacks, but quitting wasn't an option. not with sponsors and coaches and parents all bearing down on her, demanding perfection.

she soldiered on and managed to reach the podium at her first and many other world championship events. she was quickly gaining popularity among fans of the sport; any practices that weren't closed would get increasingly full of spectators wanting to see what she did next.

she especially grew in popularity among younger people with aspirations of following in her footsteps. because of jinseon's charisma and pretty face, there were always the cheeky questions of when her drama debut would come being thrown around. she was so focused on competing however that she had little room for other ambitions.

her routines well known for her wickedly fast scratch spin (nearly six revolutions per second) and perfectly fluid triple axels.

the republic of korea's noc eventually came calling and jinseon was officially chosen to compete in the 2014 winter games in sochi, which is around the same time everlast entertainment first took note of her!

ngl, swiping gold away from russia's almost unbeatable skating team in their own country was an extremely scary time for her, esp being only 16 at the time, but the graceful way in which she publicly handled the pressures of it all was widely praised and eventually earned her a contract at everlast entertainment.

she was getting to do commercials and magazine covers and interviews, as long as her management team signed off on them. it was something that resembled freedom but was actually far from it, not that she seemed to care at the time.

jinseon became so swept up in being the perfect teen role model, and eventually the perfect young adult role model. it was a lot to take on, but she shouldered everything with a smile, only pausing to allow her anxiety to grip her when she was in the confines of solitude.

when the 2022 winter games come around, everything is seemingly business as usual. she's sticking to her status quo and waiting for her ice time when she catches wind of another competitor's intention to bust out a surprise 4lo.

her coaches fly into a panic, thinking this may sink her chances of winning gold. their solution is for jinseon to go even bigger, landing the first ever quad axel, something she nor any other skater had ever successfully done in competition up until that point.

maybe it was her anxiety, maybe it was the olympic mind games, or maybe it was the fact that she simply wasn't skilled enough. she attempted the jump and it went catastrophically. in an attempt to catch herself, her skate hit the ice early and well before she was able to brace for the impact. she felt an excruciating sear through her entire leg, especially around her knee. no one had told her anything yet, but deep down, she knew. as she lay sobbing on the ice, she knew she wasn't coming back from this.

both her mcl and acl were pretty much obliterated, having to be surgically reconstructed shortly after the games. as she expected, she was told she'd never be able to strap on skates at a competitive level ever again, if even at a recreational level.

she felt rly lost for awhile, not really knowing what to do with herself. she had to go through physical therapy to help heal her knee and regain mobility, but a good deal of her pain was mental and emotional as well. she'd essentially gone through a loss and felt as if she'd let down everyone in the process. for awhile, she wasn't rly seen in public and mostly stayed at her home in seoul.

it was quite honestly her fanbase that got her thru this time! their continued support despite her not being able to do cool figure skating jumps anymore meant more than she could ever express to them. their insistence that she try out acting was p much what made her take that leap, once she was mostly back to physical health. for the first time since her injury, she felt like her life wasn't over.

her management team was far from happy about her auditioning for kang hanna in agency. they felt like a less conceited, chaebol role sans a romance plotline would be a better first outing for her, but she wanted something different! something that didn't feel so controlled! something that didn't make her constantly think about what she had lost!

here's some highlights of said plotline from agency.

it was an uplifting experience getting to step outside of herself and take on the role of someone with such a different personality. it allowed her to detach from her own situation for a few weeks and focus on something else entirely.

everlast entertainment is still trying to keep her in the box they've carved out for her, but jinseon is starting to see some rly green grass outside of it 👀

some tidbits about her current day personality:

still widely known for her politeness even as she navigates a new career field. honorifics, bows and respectful distances are all popular tools in her social arsenal, especially when she's meeting someone for the first time.

she's always been the good girl and the nation's olympic sweetheart, but she's increasingly curious about the other side of fame. ppl who just don't give a f*ck?? kinda heroic if you ask jinseon. she just doesn't have it in her. she's far too timid, so she just admires from afar.

she can be overly sensitive sometimes and her feelings have always been reaaaal fragile. she'll pretend she's not hurt by something but it's usually fairly obvious. she gkhgljkj remembers the shit you do to her though like real trust is hard to win back with her. she'll be nice but things won't be the same if true betrayal happens!

loves friendship and love but is often too scared to seek it out! what if it's one sided? what if they downright hate her? she isn't the type to speak up when she likes someone or even wants to be friends due to fear of rejection, but getting past that barrier has been pretty blissful in the past.

wishes she could just be as outspoken as everyone else, but her words get fumbled so easily. that's why instead of trying to appeal to her management team sometimes, she just...does things w/o their knowledge 😭

along with some brief plotbunnies, i also have some quotes & inspo to hopefully inspire some sort of connection ideas!

something based off of this quote pls

some more inspo

bestie vibes like this

a former pr relationship that was organized by meddling management teams due to a shared wholesome image. there was never any true romance, but you both enjoyed laughing over the awkward situation.

her dad represented one of your parents in their divorce proceedings.

you / your idol group performed at the opening ceremonies for the olympics one of the years that jinseon competed and you've kept in touch ever since, even if your chaotic schedules rarely allow you to link up in person.

you and jinseon are ambassadors for the same brand and are about to do your first collaborative photoshoot!

you and jinseon auditioned for the same drama role and now the media is pitting you against one another. there's no truth to the rumors of professional jealousy...is there?

alternatively, i'd love to collab on ideas for future castmate situations! maybe we can discuss a future drama jinseon and your muse can appear on together if you're looking to do something new soon ♡

the secret romance jinseon hid from not only the public, but her management team, if only because she knew they'd try to talk her out of it. things have ended since, and there's a deepening lack of closure between you.

maybe some childhood friends from incheon? you and jinseon knew each other before all the fame and accolades were bestowed upon you.

some fellow athlete friends!! or maybe someone who frequents her gym, takes the same pilates class she does etc.

#thefourintro #〈 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 ⁞ INTRO . 〉 #tw injury #tw anxiety #tw anxiety attacks #this is so long i'm so sorry on god i just started rambling #ty for all the welcomes!! i'm about to get to them now ♡

[it-may-be-dull-but-im-determined]

tagged by @brynnmck​ and @twelvemonkeyswere​, thank you!!

What is the colour of your hairbrush? just plain black

Name a food you never eat: Quite a few because I have weird tastebuds, but mushrooms for the texture, and any kind of peppers basically taste like poison to me, bleugh

Are you typically too warm or too cold? always too cold until it gets humid, and then I basically cease to function

What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Zoom yin yoga :) Although, admittedly I took ten minutes out halfway through because my sister did a video chat so we could see my niece dancing...

What’s your favourite candy bar? I don’t tend to buy candy bars as such any more, but probably Snickers or a Mars Bar? 

Have you ever been to a professional sports game? I’ve spent my entire life avoiding being dragged into any of my dad’s many sports obsessions, so nope. Although I’ve ended up at point to point racing a couple of times, does that count? And then there was a very fun rodeo when we were in Montana.. I mean, define sports?

What was the last thing you said out loud? Probably thank you to my yoga teacher over zoom (it always feels weird doing Ommmms and namaste when you’re in a room by yourself before that, but that’s yoga for ya)

What is your favourite ice cream? Haagen Dazs Pralines & Cream, but it’s never ever on sale so I always end up with their salted caramel instead.  I used to have an obsession with Ben & Jerry’s Totally Nuts but you can never find it anywhere these days...

What was the last thing you had to drink? Coke I think? Or tea? I forget to eat or drink a lot when I’m working from home

Do you like your wallet? I do! My mama bought it for me years ago and it’s got cute different coloured leather linings (except we call it a purse over here lol!)

What was the last thing you ate? Clam chowder soup and crackers I think? I was in a random soup buying phase in Waitrose last week apparently...

Did you buy any new clothes last weekend? I haven’t bought any clothes since March, because of the obvious.. I do keep finding bags of clothes I misplaced during the move last year, so honestly I don’t need anything. I just like buying stuff!

What’s the last sporting event you watched? Yesterday I sat through highlights of... four different 2015 F1 races but I kept falling asleep. I definitely saw Austen and Japan and then Sochi because I yelled at @ajoblotofjunk​ about the hats. And about Putin showing up...

What is your favourite flavour of popcorn? sweet and salt mixed!

Who is the last person you sent a text message to? an actual text message rather than what’s app... My dad, to tell him someone we knew had died...!

Ever go camping? Ha! So very many times. I HATE IT. I HATE IT SO MUCH. I am the worst camper in the history of the world and I have been forced to camp so many times and it’s always been an unmitigated disaster. The only way we could afford to do our six week road trip across the US in 2010 was to camp for a lot of it, and I basically drove 200 miles a day and didn’t sleep for weeks on end. Rednecks, stray dogs, bear country, hailstorms in Montana (when we ended up stranded in a laundry room for most of the night with more rednecks (they wore tshirts saying they were rednecks, so, whatever - they were very nice and very confused by us), sprinklers, noisy roads, food poisoning, impromptu hippy guitar parties at the next tent over, a weird dude who joined us at our campfire in Klamath and proceeded to tell really tall tales about 9/11 for so long we missed going orca spotting (oh and the fact the Klamath site was washed away by a tsunami in the 50s and I got paranoid about that happening again. Did I mention I was very tired?)

Do you take vitamins? All of them in great quantities... well, a general supplement with mega doses of B complex and iron and starflower oil and D3 (and then I top that up with a D3 mouthspray because it’s more easily absorbed and virtually impossible to overdose on, and I have barely seen the sun for weeks). The gelatin capsule also does wonders for your fingernails...

Do you go to church every Sunday? Nope, which isn’t really unusual for the UK to be fair. Having said that, I live in a town full of churches that’s also named after the 13th century church down the road from me, and has a lot of active church communities. Just not my thing.

Do you have a tan? I am the factor 30 every single day girl, I kinda hate the sun. Having said that, after we did six weeks driving California, NV, Utah, Arizona and NM... I was definitely looking very freckled and slightly less the colour of milk?

Do you prefer Chinese food or pizza? Pizza. I need to go buy some pizza shortly (and eat it in the bath, which is my current lockdown friday night routine)

Do you drink your soda through a straw? I probably should do that more because my teeth are falling to bits and my dentist yells at me, but usually only if it’s served in a takeaway cup with a straw

What colour socks do you usually wear? Black as much as possible (although I have bed socks in all kinds of freaky colours)

Do you ever drive above the speed limit? I mean? I don’t drive so much these days, but I am terribly impatient and driving fast is more fun (if you can do it safely). I used to happily hit 100mph on the regular when I had a more powerful car and was commuting back to university twenty years ago. I’m not gonna jinx anything by saying I have always been lucky to drive safely, but I’ve only been stopped once for speeding in two decades, and I got out of that without a ticket (it was 5am on an empty dry road and I asked nicely).

What terrifies you? So very many things, I’d rather not dwell on them? Losing my job (and therefore everything propping up my life) in the current climate. Spiders. Tsunamis. Claustrophia is a BIG thing for me.

Look to your left. What do you see? The abstract painting one of my very talented friends did, and the very pretty pink fake orchid one of my other lovely friends gave me as a housewarming present.

What chore do you hate most? All of them? Washing dishes SO MUCH.

What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent? Depends on the context? The Aussie guys I work with (who are a nightmare to schedule meetings around because Sydney is So Far Away), whichever former Aussie soap star popped up recently (Jason Donovan is doing a new Cadbury’s advert and it’s super weird), my family in Perth my mum was talking about calling today...

What’s your favourite soda? it’s almost impossible to get decent soda in the UK any more since the sugar tax kicked in, so Cherry Coke, but I have to go to great efforts to hunt it down these days.

Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive-thru?  I’m currently minus a car (but also minus any fast food places being open lol!). Mostly go in...

What’s your favourite number? 42 (and not for Douglas Adams related reasons, weirdly enough)

Who’s the last person you talked to? My sisters and my 18 month old niece, we did a videochat when I was supposed to be in my yoga class!

Favourite cut of beef? Filet, cooked properly (i.e, still mooing)... Having said that, I’ll happily eat steak tartare if it’s on offer

Last song you listened to? I’ve just listened to Portions for Foxes by Rilo Kiley on a loop for twenty minutes (mostly because I was checking my AO3 stats and I have a fic named for one of the lines in that). Also notable for being the first song played in the first ever ep of Gray’s Anatomy... 😂😂

Last book you read? Probably the very battered Tennyson poetry looking sad next to me on the couch

Favourite day of the week? Saturday

Can you say the alphabet backwards? I... probably? why you’d want to, I’m not entirely sure?

How do you like your coffee? I loathe coffee, weird tastebuds lol!!

Favourite pair of shoes? I have a pair of black jeweled embroidered mary janes with heels that I bought for a Christmas party when I was 19, and I still wear them now two decades later. It’s gonna break my heart when they finally die...

Time you normally get up? Ugh. I have not been sleeping well and it’s all over the place. I haven’t been in the office properly for six months now, so 7ish if it’s a good day. I used to set my alarm for 6am when I was commuting, but I also went through a phase of waking up at 5am every morning Just Because. I’ll still probably wake up by 7am if I got to bed at 3am, my body clock is not doing well these days.

Sunrises or sunsets? Sunsets! If I’m looking out at a sunrise, something is seriously wrong lol!!

How many blankets are on your bed? The duvet and... two blankets? And two blankets on the couch downstairs for when I end up sleeping there..!

Describe your kitchen plates. Still the crappy white Ikea plates I bought when I moved out to live on my own three years ago. Two of them are seriously starting to crack and at some point I have to be a goddamn adult and buy a dinner service.

Describe your kitchen at the moment. Stuff EVERYWHERE. Only one of the orchids is living there at the moment so I remember to mist it regularly. But my brain basically has no object permanence, so unless stuff lives on the kitchen counters, I tend to forget it exists (or to eat it)

Do you have a favourite alcoholic drink? Innis & Gunn beer (brewed in whisky barrels) and First Cape Merlot (and god I love dessert wines and PX sherry but they make me so sick)

Do you play cards? Nope, I hate games of all descriptions :)

What colour is your car? Currently non-existent. Need to buy one when this current madness eases up...

Do you know how to change a tire? Nope, honestly, what’s the point when you pay so much for a breakdown service to do it for you.

Your favourite state? Oh god... Oregon? Maine? Bits of California? Vermont? Tennessee? North Carolina? I couldn’t live in the US in a million years but I’ve been there an awful lot.

Favourite job you’ve had? I don’t know that any of my jobs have been a favourite as such - I’ve worked with people I liked and done some interesting stuff. My current job pays enough I can afford rent and has some fantastic health cover (they have to, mostly because the work causes so many nervous breakdowns, idk?)

How did you get your biggest scar? I lost most of the skin on one knee after running for a train and tripping up, and then not getting it cleaned properly and basically I had gravel emerging for months on end.. it was not nice. I’ve got worse and more annoying scars from being bitten but they’re definitely not as big.

Tagging, if you want to do it: @beesreadbooks @djeli-beybi @serhumfreysbrokencollarbone @couragethecowardlygirl @unadulteratedkr @tawktomahawk and anyone else who feels like doing this! :)

#ask meme

[virtuemoir-positivity]

The best team

Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. When we see them, our hearts soar. They are an amazing team – a dream team together. We owe much of Tessa and Scott’s comeback success to the support and guidance of Marie-France and Patrice. They seem to have a unique combination of being coaches, mentors, friends and have even previously competed against Tessa and Scott.

They are skaters who have many years of experience, using their knowledge to create some of the top teams competing today, including Tessa and Scott. Their own Olympic dreams were shattered at the 2006 Turin Olympics when a lift went horribly wrong just before they finished their original dance. Marie-France fell out of the final lift, landing hard on her hip. They never got to skate the free dance, Marie-France unable to weight-bear on the injured leg, having suffered a deep bone bruise.

Scott and Tessa have spoken about the support they have received over the years from Marie-France and Patrice. It's no secret how abandoned Tessa and Scott felt by their previous coach, though they are gracious students and they acknowledge and thank them; there is no hiding the pain of Sochi and the abandonment they felt when Marina didn’t support them and chose their competitors over them. They felt that their coach was “not in their corner”. They were alone and only had each other to rely on. They did well, they held their ground and became proud silver medalists.

Patrice, someone who was a mentor for them, came to every practice session and even visited them before their individual free dance in the warm up area. They knew they had his support as he wordlessly touched Tessa’s face. They had Patrice in their corner from the beginning, along with Marie-France. Coaches largely don’t speak to other teams but Patrice went against that - he knew his suppprt was needed.

To see the support they have provided to Tessa and Scott in their comeback is truly heartwarming and we as fans, owe them so much. This is the team that they wanted to be, these were the changes they wanted to make to their skating to come back and be the best. To come back and go for gold and to come back and win the gold. It was a lot of hard work, determination and surely an adjustment to new coaches but Marie-France and Patrice are the coaches that Tessa and Scott needed. They got Tessa and Scott to where they needed to be in the bid for an Olympic gold medal. Thank you Marie-France and Patrice! Thank you and we are glad you got to see your bright students win gold at Pyeongchang - and many other gold medals along the way during their almost undefeated comeback season. We miss seeing them together, we hope to see this team together again soon!

#virtuemoir #virtuemoir positivity #tessa and scott #tessa virtue #scott moir #canadian sweethearts #positivity #positive minds positive fandom #let's show vm some love again #vmpositivity #marie france dubreuil #patrice lauzon

[pwrestlingxpress]

Being The Elite in Nashville & Update on G1 Climax 28

Before I start reviewing this week’s episode of Being The Elite starring The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) and Kenny Omega; I want to dedicate this episode to the memory of figure skater Denis Ten who was killed last Thursday morning in his hometown of Almaty, Kazakhstan.  In case you don’t know who Denis Ten is, I will tell you. Denis Ten was one of the best figure skaters to come out of Kazakhstan.  In his career, he became the first of his country to represent the sport of figure skating at the Olympics in 2010. He’s the 1st to medal from that country at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi as he won the bronze medal for men’s figure skating.  He’s also the 2015 Four Continents Champion and was a key figure to his country as it was his actions that made the sport more popular and that there are now others who represent Kazakhstan as figure skaters. Denis, we will miss you. 

In Memory of Denis Ten (1993-2018) 

And with that let us start this week’s episode of Being The Elite which is mostly about Flip Gordon’s last opportunity to get booked for All In, an independent professional wrestling event scheduled for September 1st in Chicago, IL. 

The episode begins when Nick bumps into Burnard the Bear.  Was it an accident or was it on purpose?  We’ll find out in the future.  We then head off to Nashville, TN where The Young Bucks, Marty Scurll, Cody Rhodes, and Flip Gordon are all booked for the Ring of Honor show Honor for All.  But we start with SoCal Uncenosred bad-mouthing Nashville, TN which is ironically the music capital of the world in my opinion. 

Matt Jackson then gives us a vlog from Nashville where they are somehow exhausted despite being off for the past week. We also get some more behind the scenes look of the wrestlers shooting their promos including Marty and Nick having a fun time. 

We are then off to Japan where Kenny Omega gives us an update on the G1 Climax tournament where he is still undefeated in his block but not in the way he wanted to stay undefeated. His tag partner (Kota Ibushi) is right behind him with 4 points in Block B while Adam Page still sits at 2 points in Block A.  He also reveals that he has an injury that he’s been dealing with since San Francisco and that he is planning to finish this tournament with that injury unless he’s unable to. In other words, the injury may be bad to the point he may have to forfeit some matches but he doesn’t want to forfeit any of his remaining block matches. He wants to go all the way.  It’s a good thing that he won’t be wrestling again till Thursday as he’ll have some rest to heal that injury. 

Back in Nashville, Flip Gordon is preparing for his last chance to get booked for All In.  All he has to do is defeat Nick Aldis.  Win and he’s in.  Lose and he’s out.

The picture above was the result as Flip will NOT be booked for All In but he gave it his all and has earned the respect of many fans and wrestlers including Nick Aldis himself.  We then head to a return scene where two unknown people attempt to throw the IWGP Tag Team Titles in the trash can until the champions (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) stopped them from attempting to do so.  

Backstage in Nashville, Marty Scurll and Nick Aldis have a conversation about his upcoming match against Kazuchika Okada for All In in which is Marty ready for the challenge or not.  We’ll find out on September 1st. 

At a new arena in Hachioji, Juice Robinson has returned with some questions for Adam Page and Yujiro Takahashi.  A threatening message is then given to Juice in which he’ll deliver that message to Kenny cause he has him next in Block competition. That match everyone will be on Thursday only on NJPW World and it’s the ninth match on the card. 

The episode ends with another match announcement as Adam Page will go 1-on-1 against Joey Janela:

Come back next week for another review on the next episode of Being The Elite. Enjoy this week’s show everyone and be sure to watch more G1 Climax action this Thursday at 5:30 AM Eastern/6:30 PM local time as Kenny Omega attempts to stay undefeated against Juice Robinson while Adam Page competes in tag-team action and Kota Ibushi goes 1-on-1 for the first time against Seiya Sanada in the main event.  Down below are their matches for that date and the rest of the weekend.  Enjoy it, everyone. 

July 26, 2018 (Nagaoka):  Chase Owens/Adam Page vs. BUSHI/EVIL (A Block Preview) - Juice Robinson vs. Kenny Omega (B Block Action) - Seiya Sanada vs. Kota Ibushi (B Block Action)

July 27, 2018 (Shizuoka):  Sho Tanaka/Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yujiro Takahashi/Kota Ibushi (B Block Preview) - Chase Owens/Kenny Omega vs. Tetsuya Naito/Seiya Sanada (B Block Preview between Kenny and Sanada as Naito’s next opponent is actually Hirooki Goto)  - EVIL vs. Adam Page (A Block Action) 

July 28, 2018 (Aichi):  Chase Owens/Adam Page vs. Yo Komatsu/Jay White (A Block preview) - Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kota Ibushi (B Block Action) - Kenny Omega vs. Seiya Sanada (B Block Action)

July 30, 2018 (Kagawa):  Chase Owens/Kenny Omega vs. Taka Michinoku/Zack Sabre Jr. (B Block Preview) - Yo Komatsu/Hirooki Goto vs. Yujiro Takahashi/Kota Ibushi (B Block Preview) - Jay White vs. Adam Page (A Block Action)

#Being The Elite #Denis Ten #Kenny Omega #The Young Bucks #Matt Jackson #Nick Jackson #Marty Scurll #Adam Page #Yujiro Takahashi #Cody Rhodes #Flip Gordon #Nick Aldis #Juice Robinson #All In

[sophiekraymer]

A Very Long Victuuri Fic Rec List

Hi! So I made a super long list of Victuuri fanfic suggestions for my friend who just finished watching Yuri on Ice. I figured I’d go ahead and also share them here! 

Warning: I’ve been reading Victuuri every night before bed for about a year, so this list is very very long (aka there are 37 fanfics on here)

********Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/8748484/chapters/20055247

Words: 197,681 Chapters: 14/14

SINGLE HANDEDLY THE BEST FIC ON THIS ENTIRE LIST!!!!

‘…Of all the rivalries in the world of sports over the years, perhaps none has become so legendary as that of Russian figure skater Viktor Nikiforov and his rival, Japanese Yuuri Katsuki…’

A single event changes the course of Yuuri’s life, throwing him into a bitter rivalry with Viktor Nikiforov that spans across his entire skating career. But as the years go on, rivalry and hatred begin to develop into something very different and Yuuri doesn’t seem to be able to stay away, no matter how hard he tries.

Hatred and love are two sides of the same coin and even though everything changes, some things are still meant to be.

********Of Bright Stars and Burning Hearts-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/10450500/chapters/23069073

Words: 208,409 Chapters: 9/9

THE SECOND BEST FIC ON THIS ENTIRE LIST

Viktor doesn’t remember the first time he met Yuuri Katsuki.

This however, is what Viktor does remember…

Part 2 of the Rivals series and companion fic to ‘Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches’. One small change alters the course of both Viktor and Yuuri’s entire lives, creating a rivalry that spans across many years and a world where they both tell a very different side to the story.

****Magic & Ice-  https://archiveofourown.org/works/9322724/chapters/21127244

Words: 303,928 Chapters: 41/41

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has begun accepting NEWT transfer students. For 5th year Yuuri Katsuki it’s a dream come true, and a chance for his to find his place in the world, both on the ice and off.

16 year old Yuuri is off on a fun-filled adventure, full of friends and discovery, as he learns how to fall in love, and how to love himself. He might be chasing his idol, 17 year Viktor Nikiforov, but Viktor may be closer than he seems, as he too struggles to find his place in the world.

The Harry Potter AU where they’re still Skaters!

****Gubraithian Fire-   https://archiveofourown.org/works/11256162/chapters/25165083

Words: 117,957 Chapters: 18/?

Seven years have passed since the end of the Second Wizarding War, and with the world turning a little brighter in the aftermath, the wizarding world has grown a little closer. Mahoutokoro might be the logical school of choice if you live in Japan, and Uagadou if you live anywhere in Africa, but if Hogwarts just so happens to have a more intriguing curriculum, why not go there instead, now that they actually accept students from outside the UK and Ireland?

Well, frankly, Ludmila and Ilia had little choice but to send Viktor there just in time for his sixth year of education. With a dark wizard, or several of them, on their heels, there really had been no other option than to flee from Russia, settling down in a flat in London’s West End instead, with top-rated aurors on the case and a chandelier the size of the moon in the living room.

With worry gnawing in the back of his mind and his heart attempting to hammer itself through his rib-cage, Viktor plunges himself into studies, Quidditch, too many towers, friendship, and… wait, who’s that guy with black hair and glasses that suddenly set the world aflame by breathing in his general direction?

Welcome, students, to the Hogwarts Role Reversal AU.

***All The World’s A Stage-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9135670/chapters/20759239

Words: 112,291 Chapters: 10/10

The romance actor victor fic where Yuuri is hired to teach him to figure skate for a movie

Everyone has a guilty pleasure.

For Yuuri, it just happens to be romance movies starring famous heartthrob Victor Nikiforov.

(And, honestly, on the spectrum of guilty pleasures, he figures that his is on the far, far more innocent side.)

***Come Out of Hiding (I’m Right Here Beside You)-  https://archiveofourown.org/works/9083449/chapters/20654911

Words: 84,345 Chapters: 33/33

THE BROADWAY AU!

After forgetting the words to his song during a vocal competition as a teenager, Yuuri Katsuki decided singing was not for him. Instead he went to NYU to study English. He never expected Viktor Nikiforov, Broadway star extraordinaire looking to direct his first production on the stage, would ever find his up-and-coming lead… in him.

***The Rules for Lovers-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9645131/chapters/21790376

Words: 323,342 Chapters: 20/20

Prince Yuuri Katsuki has a duty to his country, above all else (his desires, his dreams, and his happiness included), and he knows this alliance will help to ensure the safety of his people. That’s the only reason he accepts Prince Nikiforov’s hand in marriage. The pleasant surprise, of course, is the part where they fall in love along the way. The unpleasant one, well…

That’s a long story.

**Bear Your Soul on the Ice-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9092290/chapters/20670766

Words: 166,203 Chapters: 25/?

At age fourteen, Katsuki Yuuri had been determined to be Japan’s next great figure skating hope, but with no coach that would never happen, so his ballet instructor packs him up off to Russia to train with Yakov Feltsman. The Yakov Feltsman, otherwise known as the coach to rising figure skating star – and Yuuri’s idol – Viktor Nikiforov.

**Empty Spaces Between Stars- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10847568/chapters/24084063

Words: 99,146 Chapters: 11/?

Victor gets just as drunk as Yuuri at the Sochi Banquet, and they disappear together after the dance-offs. They wake up the morning after with rings on their fingers, and pictures of them kissing after getting married the night before are all over the tabloids… but neither of them remembers a thing. They decide to stay married for a while for the sake of Victor’s sponsorships, and in exchange, Victor coaches Yuuri through nationals…

**Like a Fairytale-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9373529/chapters/21220337

Words: 73,412 Chapters: 13/13

In which Prince Victor gets swept off his feet at a royal banquet and will go to any length to find his ‘Cinderella’ Yuuri.

(And Phichit is the fairy godmother who has no idea what he’s doing).

“The crown prince of the Nikiforov kingdom, infatuated with a mystery pastry chef he’s only just met. This is exactly the kind of scandalous love story my life has been missing… So, what’s he look like? What exactly is Prince Victor’s type?”

“…Sweet.”

“Well, he does make pastries.“

**Love So Life-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9226067/chapters/20923982

Words: 114,335 Chapters: 12/12

Yuuri Katsuki was simply living his college life, teaching ice skating lessons to little kids, when suddenly his idol and champion figure skater Victor Nikiforov bursts in and requests that he start babysitting his three year old nephew, Yuri Plisetsky. Yuuri finds himself growing to be a part of their family and helping them work through their complicated family issues.

This is an AU based on the shojo manga Love So Life (2008-2015) by Kaede Kochi. The main difference from the manga will be the ages of Yuuri (23 not 16) and Victor (27 not 25), so therefore the “waiting until the main character is of age” plotline is not necessary or present. That also means that my story will be more focused on romance than the original :)

**Six Hours Ahead-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/10355178/chapters/22879563

Words: 88,416 Chapters: 14/?

When Yuuri downloaded the harmless quiz app, he didn’t expect to become best friends with the Russian boy who asked him for a rematch.

-

Porkcutlet: Wait, you’re from Russia right?

Makka: I am, why?

Porkcutlet: I was just wondering what it feels like to walk on the same ground as a real life angel?

Makka: Umm

Makka: It just feels like walking?

-

(In which Yuuri unknowingly befriends Viktor online and gushes to him about the living legend himself)

**The Unusual Truth-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/11898384/chapters/26878350

Words: 132,618 Chapters: 16/16

***I don’t usually enjoy Alpha/Beta/Omega fics, but this one is actually quite good and subverts the trope a bit

A different kind of ABO love story

It’s a few weeks before his 19th birthday and Viktor Nikiforov has just won his first Grand Prix Final Gold. He should be busy celebrating, but instead he’s forced to attend the ISU’s stupid presentation seminar. It was going to be awful, not just because he was sure to be the oldest newly presented skater there, but also because he would definitely be the only Omega. Being stuck in a room full of Alphas was definitely low on his list of things he wanted to do just days after his first major Senior Gold.

That is until a tiny boy walked into the room and went and changed everything.

*Body Music (Reverse AU)- http://archiveofourown.org/series/620569

A series of 16 oneshots in which Yuuri is older than Victor and Victor comes to Yuuri begging him to be his coach.

*Heel Sit Stay- http://archiveofourown.org/works/11651712/chapters/26213652

Words: 22,211 Chapters: 4/?

Yuuri gave up a skating career to care for his ailing dog four years ago. Now he’s at the 2016 World Dog Show in Moscow, his faithful partner Vicchan in perfect health. They’re athletes of a different sport now–doggy agility–and they’ve come to defend their titles as reigning champions. For Yuuri, though, it was just a nice way to pass the time. Nothing truly nerve-wracking ever happened at these dog shows.

He really should have realized that there was a high chance he’d run into a certain Russian dog lover.

(AKA the dog show AU)

*Lessons in Love- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9250658/chapters/20972102

Words: 106,456 Chapters: 11/?

All Viktor wants is for his son to be happy - and if that means spending countless hours at the ice rink, a million more in the ballet studio, and devotedly cheering for Katsuki Yuuri at every competition he enters, then that is precisely what he’ll do. He just didn’t expect to become a fan, too. (He didn’t expect to fall in love.)

*Miliy-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/11471580/chapters/25721622

Words: 42,794 Chapters: ¾

Viktor finds himself in a sticky situation – referring to more than the mess in his pants after watching his favorite camboy’s show.

In other words, how do you tell a camboy with a celebrity crush on Viktor Nikiforov that you are, in fact, the very man you role play with him as? The answer - you don’t.

*Story of My Life-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/11145114

Words: 5,354 Chapters: 1/1

There are 3,140,000 results on Google Search for why you should meet your idol. Meeting your idol could allow you to tell them personally how much they mean to you and can inspire you to be more like your idol.

However, there are 20,300,000 reasons why you shouldn’t meet your idol.

Or; AU where Victor is a famous author and Yuuri is his biggest fan.

*Sequel to My Life- http://archiveofourown.org/works/12303582

Words: 14,116 Chapters: 1/1

Victor has always wished his life was like a novel.

You know, one of those romance books with a hot, half-naked guy pictured on the cover that ends with an engagement and a steamy sex scene.Victor wishes his life is like those young adult stories where there are four different confusing love triangles and three different misunderstandings that somehow resolve each other by the end. Yeah, those kind of books.

But instead, he lives in a boring reality; one that is as far off from a romance novel as possible. There are no steamy sex scenes, and well scripted dates, and misunderstood love triangles between the main characters.

Just a steady, two month, long-distance relationship with the most precious man he can ever think of. And while it’s no Victor Nikiforov romantic comedy - although nothing could truly be as well scripted as a Victor Nikiforov book - he supposes nothing ever is.

Sequel to Story of My Life.

All this, and love too-   http://archiveofourown.org/works/9378959

Words: 3,882 One Shot

Royalty AU

“I am wondering,” Viktor whispers into the charged air between them, and when did they get so close? Has Viktor’s nose always been a hair’s breadth away from Yuuri’s? “If it would be entirely improper of me to request a kiss. I know that we are not due to be married for several more weeks, but it would be wrong of me to deny that I have been enamored with you since the first time I laid eyes on you.”

“Only if you mean it.” Yuuri whispers back, lips parting. Breathless, hard to form words, his throat so very dry, his chest so very tight. “Please, only if you mean it.”

“If I am to ever mean anything more than I mean this, then I pray the gods strike me down.”

Bittersweet Dissonance- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10673280/chapters/23628108

Words: 23,898 Chapters:5/5

Victor’s attention is swayed to the gorgeous violinist playing in the park across from the rink. Yuuri is baffled by the kind actions of the attractive figure skater. In the meantime, both learn to open up to each other, and their lives finally take a turn for the better.

Born to Make History- http://archiveofourown.org/works/8785183/chapters/20139673

Words: 11,122 Chapters: 3/3

Victor Nikiforov, Heir Tsesarevich and Grand Duke of Russia, needs a husband and only a Japanese Prince will do.

Enter Stage Left- http://archiveofourown.org/works/12513064/chapters/28491300

Words: 21,616 Chapters: 4/5

"How about we practice lines together? It would be great! Who better as my coach than the guy who wrote it? You said so yourself, no one knows the characters better than you!” Victor suggests.

Victor watches as Yuuri’s eyes search for an answer, flickering between the script and Victor. He wants nothing more than to see them shine just for him.

“Alright,” Yuuri decides shyly. “I’ll run lines with you.”

After all, it’s just acting…

Or; the writer!yuuri and actor!victor fic that no one asked for.

I Will Break the Ice of Your Heart- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9120484/chapters/20728225

Words: 51,474 Chapters: 9/9

“Yuuri…” The teacher whispered near his ear.

Fuck… he’s…

“Y… Yes?” he stuttered.

Hot…

Yuuri is a talented but very shy student who enters in a new university for his last year. There, he meets a coldhearted and strict philosophy teacher: Viktor Nikiforov. Despite their differences, the two of them start to get closer…

Language Barriers- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10153565/chapters/22557656

Words: 237,735 Chapters: 38/38

Victor Nikiforov had always wanted to travel the world. When an opportunity arises to spend his final year of university study abroad, he is quick to leap at the chance. Twelve months spent in twelve different countries, he can’t wait to see new places, meet new friends, and finish out his degree with a bang. He just didn’t expect to fall in love along the way.

Yuri Katsuki only applied because his friend forced him to. He’s just trying to get through the year, keep his head down and his grades up. Victor has other ideas.

Make my heart beat out of my chest ‘verse-  http://archiveofourown.org/series/656144

A series of 4 oneshots about Adventures with Yuuri Katsuki, living dance legend, and his ridiculous popstar husband, Viktor “I’m Extra” Nikiforov.

Of Dahlias and Deadlines- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10695813/chapters/23690199

Words: 80,867 Chapters: 20/35

All Victor wants is to get dahlias for Khloe and Brad’s wedding in under 24 hours.

Hope comes in the form of the little family florist in his neighborhood and the quiet smiles of one Katsuki Yuuri.

A florist Yuuri and wedding planner Victor AU.

Pulses that Beat Double-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/12210117/chapters/27730044

Words: 41,714 Chapters: 9/?

Katsuki Yuuri traveled all the way from Japan to study medicine in London, but finds himself very short on funds. He’s long had a fascination with the scandalous Baron Viktor Nikiforov, so he’s shocked when the baron takes an interest in him. So shocked he runs away as quickly as possible. But Viktor Nikiforov is a persistent man when he sees something he wants.

AKA The Victorian Era Sugar Daddy AU

Raison d’Être-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/11535771/chapters/25899183

Words: 29,273 Chapters: 2/?

1. reason or justification for existence; the thing that is most important to someone or something; the sole or ultimate purpose of someone.

President Nikiforov of Russia has a few weaknesses: premium rye vodka, an attention span of 30 minutes, and a torrid love affair with the Japanese Prime Minister.

Siren’s Call: A Collection-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/12657330/chapters/30138846

Words: 30,174 Chapters: 62/?

A siren hardly belongs abroad a pirate ship, but love and adventure tend to bend the rules even of nature and myth.

A collection of minute-ficlets for the siren au created by lucycamui and crimson-chains for the YOI Nautical Zine.

Skater Next Door-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/11903991/chapters/26893467

Words: 41,359 Chapters: 24/24

When Yuuri finds out that his next-door neighbour is none other than Victor Nikiforov, he has a small break down.

He has a second small break down when he sees Victor Nikiforov shower his son in love and attention.

And a third break down when Victor asks him, Yuuri Katsuki, a poor, single parent, ballet dancer, out on a date.

Sugar High-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/10221779/chapters/22681472

Words: 115,192 Chapters: 8/?

“Baby boy, you can have whatever you want. Just tell me, and I’ll give you the world.” Yuuri is completely speechless. Was it going to be this easy? To get money from someone so handsome, so alluring, so rich? Just by asking? Victor presses on. “I can’t give you what you want if you don’t tell me.”

“…Will you help me pay my college tuition?” Yuuri finally speaks, deciding to be straightforward, remembering why he signed up for this in the first place.

“If that’ll make you happy, then so be it. Now…lay on the bed.”

–

Yuuri Katsuki is a college student struggling to pay rent, tuition, and just about everything else. When he sets up an account for a sugar daddy dating app, he doesn’t expect anything to come out of it. Instead, he meets Victor Nikiforov, and so begins their walk on the fine line between their physical relationship and something more.

Sweet on You- http://archiveofourown.org/works/11167470/chapters/24926778

Words: 17,910 Chapters: 10/10

Victor Nikiforov is the owner of a popular bakery in St. Petersburg, and he loves it. But just when he starts to grow bored of the same routine every day a cute foreign college student comes to visit and suddenly becomes all Victor can think about…

AKA the bakery au/rom-com that probably no one asked for.

The Chronicles of Katsuki Yuuri, Unconventional Heartbreaker-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9823961/chapters/22058708

Words: 6,757 Chapters 1/1

The five times Yuuri Katsuki unknowingly steals the heart of everyone around him and the one time he does it on purpose (sort of).

The Tsesarevich Lives!-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/10589628/chapters/23407527

Words: 50,123 Chapters: 21/21

An Anastasia AU. Victor is an orphan with no name, no family, and no memory of a time before he was ten years old. Could he really be the missing Nikiforov heir? An adventure across Europe with two con-men will lead him to the answer.

Tu meum Animum-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/8892469/chapters/20382040

Words: 60,419 Chapters: 18/18

Viktor is many things but, lately, there are things that are added in his repertoire and he brushes it off as a trick of the imagination since he does not consider himself a stalker and most definitely not a dork.

—

In which Viktor is a fourth year Slytherin in Hogwarts and is very much infatuated with a cute fourth year Gryffindor.

Twenty-Five Hours-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9677486/chapters/21856832

Words: 22,861 Chapters: 3/3

In which Yuuri spends a 25 hour flight next to Victor Nikiforov, skating legend, and feels it might simultaneously be the best and worst thing that has ever happened to him.

Write Me In C Major-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9578384/chapters/21657281

Words: 87,188 Chapters: 11/15

Living Legend of figure skating Victor Nikiforov has just won his fifth world title and doesn’t know where to go from here - until he falls in love with Katsuki Yuuri’s music at first hearing.

Movie composer Katsuki Yuuri is trying to bounce back from a series of flops when his idol shows up with absurd requests.

Victor wants Yuuri to compose about him; Yuuri wants Victor to skate about him.

#yuri on ice #yoi #victuuri #fanfic #fanfiction #victuuri fic #victor nikiforov #yuuri katsuki

[backstorywithdanalewis]

Russia Dissent Back Story with Dana Lewis podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016881/7499026

Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (00:00) Your father was killed on the 27th of February, 2015 in front of the Kremlin gun down there. It must've been a terrible moment for you and probably still is. Zhanna Nemtsov: (00:11) It was, uh, uh, the most dramatic moment, uh, in my life. I think it was, uh, and it is still, it's a big tragedy for myself. And at the same time, it was a decisive moment. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (00:33) Hi everyone. And welcome to backstory. I'm Dana Lewis. On this edition, we talked to a young lady whose father was one of the leading opposition figures in Russia. And for speaking up and speaking out in Putin's Russia, it cost him his life. Also the former prime minister, who later tried to run for president and unseat Putin. He speaks on the recent demonstrations across the country corruption in the jailing of opposition figure Alexei, Navalny, and an expert view on what happens now or at John, and then SOF joins us now from Nizhny Novgorod John, how are you? I'm fine. Thank you. And you very well. I mean, it, it, your father was killed on the 27th of February, 2015 in front of the Kremlin gun down there. It must have been a terrible moment for you and probably still is. Zhanna Nemtsov: (01:31) It was, uh, uh, the most dramatic moment, uh, in my life. Um, so you wanna, you want to talk about my feelings, what I felt when I, uh, learned that my father had been assassinated? Yes, I think it was, uh, and it is still, it's a big tragedy for myself. And at the same time, it was a decisive moment. Uh, back then, uh, there was one question, should I, uh, keep, uh, silent or should I act, and back then it was a moral choice for me. And I understood perfectly well, uh, those risks, which are normally associated with, uh, being outspoken in Russia. Uh, and so I thought for probably one or two days and realized that, uh, I would be called otherwise, uh, it would be a betrayal of my father, and that's why I, uh, played an active role in the whole investigation. Of course, it was pretty clear for me that no proper would be conducted, uh, but I did what I could to push it forward. So we initiated, uh, and we employed some mechanisms of international oversight, uh, of this investigation and the parliamentary assembly of the council of Europe, uh, approved of a resolution. And it basically outlined, uh, uh, those drawbacks, which, uh, they were in the whole investigation. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (03:34) So the drug that the chief drawback would be if the state doesn't want to cooperate and they're not sincere in finding the killer is they're not going to be found, Zhanna Nemtsov: (03:44) They are not sincere. They can do that. I think it's not a complicated case for them, uh, but, uh, they don't want to, uh, identify most of months, or of course they don't want to identify the motive behind the investigation. These two questions, uh, still remain and answered. So we, uh, had, uh, the same procedure at, uh, there at the OSI. So, uh, we have the official position of two important international organizations regarding this investigation, but I still believe, uh, that, uh, the truth will come out. Uh, but I understand that is almost impossible that we will, uh, get the truth under the current political leadership in Russia Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (04:43) Who killed your dad. Do you think Zhanna Nemtsov: (04:50) You wanna, you wanna, you want me to say that, uh, they S uh, killing was, um, uh, authorized or directly ordered by legitimate Putin? I don't know because we, uh, no, uh, we, we don't know a lot, or we know very little about all the circumstances, uh, of, uh, of, of this murder, of this brutal murder. Uh, we know some, uh, some people who were directly involved and, uh, they were by the way identified, but, uh, Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (05:29) Well, these are, these are the guys, these are the guys who pulled the trigger. Zhanna Nemtsov: (05:33) I mean, I mean, we have to basically, uh, not we, but the central investigative committee has to, uh, interrogate, uh, rums on Kuduro, uh, who I believe was directly involved in my father's as destination. And it was my request. I filed this requests on a number of occasions, but of course the central investigative committee, uh, does not do its job properly and they are doing it intentionally because, uh, effectively, uh, there, uh, top Russian officials blocked this investigation and it is itself a crime to block, uh, criminal investigations and at least, uh, and I, I said it six years ago and I would like to repeat it right now that [inaudible] best political responsibility for my father's murder. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (06:37) I knew your dad. And, uh, I liked him a lot as a journalist for NBC. I was based there originally in 1998 when the financial crash happened. Uh, and he was one of the first people I interviewed and he talked about how he was removed as deputy prime minister, because he wanted to close all the banks down, all of these corrupt dozens and dozens of banks. And, uh, they were trying to clean up the system and in the end, Yeltsin buckled under the pressure probably of oligarchy. And, uh, but, but then I followed your father also in Sochi when he ran for mayor, um, and asked him why you, you know, look, he was a governor of new Janine Novgorod region, and then he was deputy prime minister, and then suddenly he's running for mayor in Sochi. And the question was why, and obviously we knew the Olympics were going to go there, but, um, following him around in Sochi and Gary Kasparov was there. Um, and he just said, look, we have to start somewhere again to build a bridge of democracy, a free media, um, and then return Russia to back to development again, instead of this stillborn dictatorship. Um, and he was deeply inspired to do that. So it's a terrible loss for Russia, because if he had stayed as a, as a big political player in Russia, don't you think it would be a very different country today? Zhanna Nemtsov: (08:10) So, first of all, I would like to follow up on, uh, your, uh, uh, most recent remarks and just add to it that my father, uh, also, uh, participated in the original elections in the city of jaroslava and in 2013, he won their elections. He had got elected to the, uh, regional parliament or, uh, of the province of Urus Lovell. And he worked there quite effectively, I should say yes. And, uh, I think that, uh, he was not, uh, an arrogant person and he, uh, wanted to do something, uh, on any level and he was effective and he had a lot of experience in government governance, uh, for example, the region of [inaudible]. Um, so, uh, it's difficult. Uh, I would say yes, if, if my father, uh, had been elected president, uh, in 2000, we would have lived in a totally different country. Uh, of course, Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (09:21) What was the point of, and by the way, many people thought that Boris Yeltsin was grooming him to take over, um, and that he would be president one day. And so it was this great opportunity missed by, I think a lot of people think, but what was the point of silencing him, uh, within assassination, because he had been critical of the administration and Putin and the Kremlin for many years, what was the point of it? Zhanna Nemtsov: (09:46) We can make guesses, but we cannot be so sure of our guesses. Uh, so you know that, uh, Russia is a repressive state, uh, it's governed by an autocrat. And of course, all, uh, leaders of the Russian opposition are under threat and on the attack, they can be killed. They can be thrown into prison, they can be poisoned. So it was the case with Alex [inaudible], uh, he was poisoned with Navi, choke a nerve agent, but he managed to survive and was a miracle. So it is how old, uh, autocratic States, uh, behave. There is nothing new about it. They're afraid of losing power and the ultimate goal for any older crowds and put in is by no way, an exception is to retain power presumably full life. So, and of course they are afraid of, uh, any people who, uh, oppose, who are critical of the government, uh, why they, why they, why they chose my father as a target that I don't know, I want to get an answer to this question. It's an important question. Uh, but he was the powerful voice and he was, he was an experienced politician. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (11:19) He was a powerful voice for sure. And I completely agree with you, John. And some people say maybe because that's when the invasion of Ukraine was taking place in the Crimea and he had, he had certain facts on what was sticking out. Zhanna Nemtsov: (11:31) I would, I would, I would, I would say different things regarding what you've just said about Ukraine. Yes. He was working, uh, on an investigative report about Russia's involvement, uh, military actual involvement into Ukraine, but, uh, you have to bear in mind. Uh, their political are in 2014 and 2015. It was very different from what is happening now because Putin, uh, has lost a lot of his legitimacy since 2015. So not back then. Uh, the level of support of Putin was really high. It was literally 87%. So, and, uh, he, uh, of course in this environment, it was way easier to attack, uh, opposition, politicians. And I also think that probably putting head something personal with my father, because my father, uh, I would put it this way. I made really impolite remarks, uh, uh, in regard to Putin, uh, and probably he was really offended with his remarks. I think that he takes a lot of things really personally, Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (12:48) If I can ask you then, are there parallels with Alexei Navalny because Nevada needs video of corruption in the Kremlin and Putin Putin's wallets, where he talks in names, names about people who have kept money and shadowy offshore companies for Vladimir Putin, this billion dollar palace. I mean, he is called him a thief and basically called him a mafia leader. Um, it is very personal. Zhanna Nemtsov: (13:15) I would S I would add to that. He calls him a very old man, and that is really personal. Uh, I cannot, I cannot translate it into English directly, uh, but he, uh, he refers to him as [inaudible]. I have to, if you, if you can, if you can translate it, uh, please do that. So, uh, I think that he regards Novalis as his enemy number one, and of course it's because, uh, of Nevada is, uh, investigations into grant corruption in Russia. And of course, because of his personal, uh, attacks, uh, that are that target mainly put, yes, I absolutely agree. And also Nevada, he is a very powerful politician. Uh, he has a network of offices all across Russia and his infrastructure is extremely efficient. So he managed to bring together active people, very capable of working and very passionate about, uh, bringing change to Russia. Uh, of course all these factors contributed to what had happened to all [inaudible]. I mean, his attempted poisoning. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (14:41) Do you fear for his safety in prison now because they tried to poison him in August? Um, they have, he has since come out with this videotape embarrassing, the, and Putin and all of the people around Putin, um, including the federal security service, uh, you know, all sorts of people in government, um, what's going to happen to him. Zhanna Nemtsov: (15:04) Oh, well, I would refrain from making predictions. Um, I am extremely worried. Uh, I think that, uh, there are real threats, uh, for him, and that was the reason why I joined the protest in [inaudible]. I think our active, um, engagement can save his life. And I'm not an exception. I'm a citizen of my country. Uh, I don't want my country to be, uh, an unlovable state. I want my country to be a democratic state, and I want, uh, our rights as citizens to be observed by the authorities. And of course, I feel very personal about Aloxi whom I regard as my friend. So we, uh, we were in touch before his detention. So we met on a number of occasions and I do, I truly believe that he, uh, I would like him to be our next president. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (16:17) What do you think is going to happen with these demonstrations? They are calling for more of them. Do you think that the, and how is the Kremlin going to deal with it? Zhanna Nemtsov: (16:26) Oh, I am not. Uh, um, pre-school who is put in spooks, man. So you have to ask him about, uh, about, uh, their plans. So my plan is the giant, uh, demonstrations on the 31st of January in support of Alexina wildland and in support, uh, of, uh, the idea that we should get rid of our older credit regime, and we should, uh, bring change, bring democratic change to our country. So, uh, I know one, the one thing as we are talking right now, these news came, um, I think one hour, two hours ago. So, um, he is, uh, Allison, Yvonne is not on the arrest till, uh, the 15th of February. So they hearing, uh, regarding, uh, his, um, suspended sentence, uh, is scheduled for the 2nd of February. Uh, but also, uh, there gonna be another hearing on the 28th of January. So, uh, they are going to, uh, consider whether his current arrest, uh, is in with our laws. Zhanna Nemtsov: (17:51) And so I think that is, it is a reaction to massive protest that we had last Saturday. So I think that's a sign that the authorities I afraid of are big crowds and they cannot ignore, uh, our views, our opinions, and the fact that thousands of people took to the streets, not only in most consent Petersburg, but the nutrient auger, the biggest demonstration, and now in the history of our city and everywhere in big cities, in small cities everywhere, I think we are witnessing now affirmation of a nationwide movement. It is what, uh, we didn't have several years ago. Now it might evolve into yes, a nationwide movement against the current political regime. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (18:44) If your father was alive today, what would he be saying? Do you think, Zhanna Nemtsov: (18:49) He'd be saying Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (18:52) These demonstrations about an avant that they knew each other? Of course, Zhanna Nemtsov: (18:56) Of course they work with the charter. My father was very supportive or like Saint of Alexander valine, uh, or he would have joined the protests for sure. I think that he would, uh, have been real outspoken. Uh, he would do everything to, uh, defend Alexina volley because he always, uh, he always defended all political prisoners and he, uh, participated in one man protests in support for political product, uh, prisoners all the time. I think that, uh, he would have been really inspired with what, uh, I swore last Saturday, very martial arts, Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (19:40) Knowing your dad. I think he would be inspired. I know he was tough and he was open and democratic, and I think he would be very proud of genre Nimsoft today. So, Zhanna Nemtsov: (19:52) So probably I will have a chance to ask him one day though. I'm not a religious person. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (19:58) Are you going to last question? I know you've done journalism. Are you going to go into, Zhanna Nemtsov: (20:04) I'm still a journalist? What Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (20:06) Are you going to go into politics in Russia? Zhanna Nemtsov: (20:09) Uh, no. Uh, so I basically, I founded the bore center foundation for freedom in Germany. It's registered in Germany and, uh, now I'm focused on the development of the abortions of foundations of freedom. And I find this job really interesting. And I think, uh, we ha we don't have a lot of impact because we are a smaller organization, but we have some input and I want to grow this organization to make it really impactful. We have very few organizations such as the bore center foundation. Uh, it's a policy organization. Yes, we are focused on education on journalism next like that. I am a journalist, uh, uh, till 2020, I worked for Dutch Valley, the German public broadcaster. I interviewed the world leaders, um, in many, in many countries of the world. Um, now I'm, I'm a freelance journalist and I am working on my own projects. Uh, basically all these projects and I'm in English. So I want to switch to English language, journalism, wish me luck, Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (21:16) Good luck. And really it was a privilege knowing your dad and it's wonderful meeting you. And thank you so much on it. Zhanna Nemtsov: (21:24) Thank you very much. Have a nice day. Good luck to you. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (21:32) All right, Mikhail, Kasyanov joins me now from just outside of Moscow. He is a Russian politician who served as the prime minister, uh, from 2000 to 2004. And I've interviewed him many times and respect his opinion very deeply on what's happening inside Russia, Mikhail, some stunning events, uh, on the weekend. When you take a look at the, not just the numbers of people, but when you take a look at the landscape of protests, I mean, close to a hundred of them, right across the country. Mikhail Kasyanov / former Russia P.M.: (22:01) Yes. Landscape geography as like we say, geography is amazing. It's never happened before in Russia in the last, last 20 years. In fact, it's more than the 500 cities in the old Russia, just, uh, on the streets of conduit, more than a hundred cities, people appear to, to protest, to protest against, uh, against what's what going on in Russia, in the country and protests against arrest of Alexander Berlin. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (22:32) What got them out there? Is it just Navani's arrest or is there more to it Mikhail Kasyanov / former Russia P.M.: (22:38) Deeper in fact, people already are tied to of, um, uh, uh, and the discontents by the circus radiating. It has been the Kool-Aid that. And, uh, um, I will say a little less behavior of, of, of authorities on many, many respects. Uh, uh, I would say, uh, of, of authorities to establish some kind of a channel for communication with the, with the society. And, uh, uh, I would say elegant behavior, et cetera, et cetera. But the three gov, this was arrested of [inaudible] who after poisoning came back to Moscow and was arrested at the airport. People were shocked, shocked by that. And a blast on that off the recent, the movie, I would say video reach a place, an interim [inaudible] about the corruption route here, man, the game, of course, uh, just added to these two disrespect as well, too. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (23:39) I sat through that entire video. Um, and I was, I thought it was remarkable. It's very detailed on the corruption of, of Putin, uh, people around him, hundreds of millions of dollars taken this palace near the black sea, you know, Putin shrugged it off this week and kind of smirked. And as you said, arrogantly responded, you know, maybe one day he'd like to have a winery, but, uh, the Kremlin has just said, all of this is false and fiction. Is it fiction? Or is it real? Mikhail Kasyanov / former Russia P.M.: (24:12) Yeah, all people of course believe is real. It's not necessarily to be registered as a, as ownership box. In fact, just two minutes, two main factors that, that, uh, the, the sky was locked around that. And, uh, but for, for, for, for, for aircraft and the final quarter, Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (24:31) No fly zone by the FSB, the federal security service, Mikhail Kasyanov / former Russia P.M.: (24:34) Uh, it was done officially by ministry of transportation because of their authority. But of course, uh, uh, of course I'm the, I'm the security and the whole, the whole area is under security of FSB or secret service, which protects the people. Um, high-level people around it. That's why people, people of course have no doubts, uh, about, about it Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (24:57) And are people outraged. I mean, you know, people are struggling during the pandemic. The economy's not good, their stagnation in Russia. I think that when they take a look at this monstrous palace that, you know, it looks like another Versailles, they must be furious. Mikhail Kasyanov / former Russia P.M.: (25:16) There's not, there's not a real, I would say a major aspect, as I said, that was like a trigger or just a decent old, or let's say discom thing to discontent and the people, uh, uh, unacceptable behavior of authorities, et cetera. But, you know, just corruption in Russia is always was a problem. And, uh, a majority of, um, of, um, the generations they lived during the corruptions of during Soviet period. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (25:47) I mean, it's one thing, if you have corruption by bandits, it's another thing, if your leader is seen to be stealing billions of dollars from people though, Mikhail Kasyanov / former Russia P.M.: (25:55) Well, young people for new generation who don't have this in there and their memories, of course, for them, it's like explosion for, for, uh, teenagers and on a cheek talk, uh, just, uh, different movies and the different placement there, of course just, uh, very much created the whole atmosphere around it. But as I say, that's not the main issue for majority of those people who were in the streets. Um, now last Saturday, um, mainly that is, uh, um, uh, I would say, uh, discontent is maturing in their minds. And that's what I would like to say. Just the main, the main issue for these 2021 East just constitutional events, elections to state Duma. And that could be, I would say the critical point for the whole historical, I would say, period of Russia at this moment. And this, Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (26:51) The thing is that you have parliamentary elections, the Duma, and they're coming up in September and what what's at stake here. Mikhail Kasyanov / former Russia P.M.: (26:59) Yeah, that's, that is that's when, uh, that is the issue when, uh, that is the point when people started to understand that, uh, their constitutional rights, they watch our storm or authorities don't allow at all, or in principle, don't allow people to express their, the, the, the, uh, uh, position, uh, to express their opinion. They don't allow opposition parties to participate. They don't allow a position that candidates to participate in elections, or even for those, uh, few, uh, which they allowed to come in. They just then falsified the results. That's what, uh, it happened in December, 2011 and could happen 2022. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (27:44) You ran for president. So Mikhail Kasyanov / former Russia P.M.: (27:48) Parliamentary elections, when it goes in present, they cut me from elections. When my supposed to grow, they on the earliest stage one month after registration, they caught me because just them, the stood, that could be a danger, but I mean, I mean, in December, 2010, 2011, there were, there was a results. There was a bill I'm in three elections. And then at that time, um, uh, I would say hundred thousand people in Moscow appeared, uh, Pete on the streets to protest. And at that time, uh, I, sorry, just put started to somehow to relax the situation. Uh, he made a decision to, I would say, ease registration on political parties and some other minor things. But then when demonstrations disappeared from Moscow streets, they stopped all those changes and even, uh, squeeze the whole environment, they won't fill them all Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (28:44) Very quickly. What do you think of Nevani? You know, him, you've met with him many times. You were in a coalition with him where you, at one point what's what's, what's your take on him? I mean, he bravely came back. I don't think a lot of people, Mikhail Kasyanov / former Russia P.M.: (28:58) His breath cross on. That's no doubt about that. Even for many, many people who doubt about his, I would say political, I would say strength. So political political position, because sometimes people criticize for him, for him for extreme rights, expressions, or extreme lefts expressions, et cetera, et cetera. But he's really a real leader of the, of the protests on the street progress. He's the leader of this and he's leader of youth. That's definitely, there is no any other of such a, I would say it was such a popularity and he's very brave person. And because of his coming back, many people who didn't support him right now change the attitude to miss Nevada that's. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (29:44) So in that video, then we'll come back to that video for a moment. I mean, she called Putin, abandoned a thief. He listed all of the people with their pictures, with their names, the so-called wallets, the people who store the administration, not the administration store, the president's money illegally in the shadows. That seems like an act of, Mikhail Kasyanov / former Russia P.M.: (30:11) As I say, there is no doubt that a in the, right now, the bright sister presented of a position and no one is a, I would say, have doubts about it. Now that's never going to get out of prison. Uh, I don't, I mean, the prison, Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (30:30) Is he ever going to be allowed out of prison after doing that video? Mikhail Kasyanov / former Russia P.M.: (30:35) That's interesting story right now, there is a discussion about that. In fact, I will tell you on this stage, that behavior of Portugal and the sorority with respect to, um, [inaudible] needs, I would say freedom depends on the position of, uh, leaders of European union, uh, for Russia, for Puccio positional European union. It's very important Russian economy in a very poor position at this moment. And, uh, at least not in relations, economic relations in particular with European union, that's important issue for Mr. Porter. And that's why, that's why, uh, he, I feel he wants and his people around. They want, they want nobody to put the, to put to jail for a long time, but the situation could change. They could somehow to reconsider their emotional or you to this move in. And somehow, somehow just to get a little bit back to the reality and to even legal justice and to release him from these, that would say, uh, convincing what they just artificially created on this stage. And, uh, but in any case he would not be released, uh, completely, but it could be, he could be put on the, in the, in the, in that arrested at home, but not in jail. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (32:00) So you're saying the EU, which is wobbly and wavering on Russia and sanctions. And they met this week and they kind of came up with no decision, which is pretty common for the EU, but they are going to come to Russia. You urge them to take those sanctions. Otherwise, if they don't keep the pressure on Nevada and he may spend a long time in prison, Mikhail Kasyanov / former Russia P.M.: (32:23) I have to express just the whole, the whole, I would say, Oh, to, to, to what's happened around my body. When it, first of all, at the issue, number one, that is, uh, application of, uh, of, of nerve agent luggage that is prohibited. And I, as I understand from all those reports, that there is no doubts of, um, uh, uh, organization of, uh, recognition of chemical weapons that the post maybe joked, and there was application of this in Russia is the same Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (32:56) Chemical weapons convention. Mikhail Kasyanov / former Russia P.M.: (32:59) That is a violation of the month on national law. That's the issue number one, which could be considered. And secondly, of course, more internal issue like Noah and his arrests there, the human rights abuse, et cetera, but the previous, the, the, the, the, the, the, the primary issue, of course, Navy Nichelle, Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (33:18) Ricardo Cassiana hallways, and Hunter to talk to you. Good to see you. Mikhail Kasyanov / former Russia P.M.: (33:22) Thank you very much. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (33:27) Alex Kokcharov is a political risk analyst, and he knows Russia well, Belarus and other parts of Eastern Europe. Hi, Alex, pretty remarkable scenes we've seen, uh, in Moscow and right across the country all the way up to a lot of our stock. Alex Kokcharov: (33:45) Uh, yes, it was quite sizable turn out, uh, in more than a hundred cities across the country from Vladivostok and Yakutsk in Eastern Russia, uh, in Yakutsk people, uh, turned up to protest despite minus 52 degrees Celsius, uh, all the way to the Western cities of Colombian grads, Saatchi and St. Petersburg. So we wanted significant turnout. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (34:11) What do these demonstrations represent? Is this just about the jailing of Nevada County, or is it more, Alex Kokcharov: (34:17) It is a combination of factors and arrest of Nevada was one of those factors. Another factor was a release of, um, a film by Nevada, the steam about allergic, uh, corruption, uh, in the Russian administration and allergic unexplained wealth enjoyed by Alex. Have you seen the video? Yes. I've seen the video. Uh, Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (34:43) I think most people, I mean, I think we have to talk about it for a minute, because just saying there's a film out there is not enough. First of all, it is almost two hours. It is very detailed by Alexa and the Valley and his team going through Putin's accumulation of extreme wealth, um, over 20 years. And he named his names, he does flow charts on, he calls them his wallets. Uh, he shows this palace that he has built near the black sea that supposedly could be a billion dollars by their numbers, interior pictures, orders for furniture. And I mean, he really directly goes after president Putin saying that he's a thief and he's surrounded by thieves any stolen from the country. And people have to go to the street and fight this so that the thievery ends it's very powerful. Alex Kokcharov: (35:46) It is. And, uh, it's, it's a very, you know, uh, very interested in film and dozens of millions of people worldwide, not only in Russia have watched it, uh, it is obviously the blockbuster of, uh, uh, you know, of Russia in 2021. It's been watched by nearly a hundred million people, which is remarkable when, when you think about it, if she Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (36:10) Gonna get out of jail, I mean, I think that Putin and the Kremlin knowing them the way I do, and I was in the country for 12 years. Um, the Putin's can not take this not personally. Um, and I think they're going to throw away the key. Alex Kokcharov: (36:28) I think it is increasingly likely that Nevada only will remain in prison for an extended period of time. The fact that he was reportedly targets of an assassination back in August last year when, uh, he was poisoned re again, reportedly with a Novick choppy chemical agents back inside in Siberia suggests that, uh, you know, the rust, some strong, um, decisions, uh, which are made by very senior people in Russia, uh, regarding the Valley, Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (37:05) He says Putin would have had to sign off. There's just, nobody else would have allowed a political assassination to take place. Alex Kokcharov: (37:11) Uh, pretty much so. Yes. And, uh, it does sound credible that, uh, um, an order of political assassination of this magnitude would come from very high up in the Russian, in the Russian leadership, Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (37:27) If you're good at managing risk and assessing risk in Russia, is this just another attack or do you consider it a new chapter because we've had journalist and it pulled a coast Gaia that was shot at her apartment before because of her reporting on Chechnya, Boris, Nimsoft an opposition figure killed, I mean, literally right in front of the Kremlin. Um, but I mean, the Valley is a very high profile opposition figure for them to take him out now. For what reason? Why, Alex Kokcharov: (38:03) Honestly, we don't know why, you know, if there was an assassination order, uh, we don't know why the timing was in August, 2020. The fact that Nevada has survived it and recovered and decided to come back to Russia, um, obviously sends a strong signal to the Kremlin that he intends to fight, and he intends to, uh, continue his opposition to the Kremlin and to poutine. And it only sends signals to the Kremlin that, uh, in order, uh, to mitigate, uh, Nevada and other opposition figures, uh, the criminal Kremlin must do something. And I think it looks increasingly likely that he will stay in prison for an extended period of time. And the fact that, you know, I think the fact that the way this large protests, uh, it's only, uh, it's only adds to this because if now Nevada said free, it would suggest that the protests work and that the Kremmling, uh, can be pressured into releasing, uh, arrested, uh, political opponents by large-scale turnouts, uh, uh, during protests. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (39:18) Do you think that the Kremlin and Putin are caught in a corner? I mean, they said that they would arrest him the Valley. If he came back, probably hoping that he wouldn't come back, he came back, he forced their hand, and now they're stuck because if they let them out, they look too soft and that's not a good thing in Russia if they keep them in, it's going to keep firing the street and protests. Alex Kokcharov: (39:39) Yes. But I think, I think the calculation is very similar with calculations, which were happening back in 2003 with, uh, businessmen Mikhail. Khodorkovsky there have been threats of his arrest, which he ignored. And he came back to Russia. And despite the fact that he was given multiple warnings, that there will be prosecution against him, unless he stops pursuing political goals, uh, and leaves the country altogether. Uh, he would face an arrest. He disobeyed, he decided to continue, uh, with his political agenda and he was arrested and he spent more than 10 years in prison. And I think it's increasingly likely I see these parallels with Khodorkovsky. And I think it's increasingly likely that the Kremlin will, uh, we'll, we'll keep Navantia in prison for an extended period of time. Despite the fact that, uh, eight, eight, eight is likely to be a trigger to, uh, protests. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (40:45) How do you read Navalny? I mean, Alex Kokcharov: (40:47) Kremlin's perspective, the protests are not life-threatening. They were not yet the way they were quite significant, quite large, but, uh, you know, in Moscow, there are different estimates between 20 and 40, maybe 50,000 people turned up 15 million people, 50, even 50,000 is not significant for protests. So from Kremlin's perspective, uh, Nevada only doesn't come on the streets. Um, so, uh, he cannot mobilize enough people to create genuine threats to the Kremlin, Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (41:24) But he's a popular figure. And they've just made a very popular now. I mean, they've made them, some people have even used the word Mandela. I don't think he's Mendela figure yet, but he's certainly in re in Russia terms, he's not a holder Kowski who was a rich oligarch who ran oil companies and was arrested off his private jet. I mean, Nevada money is, is a pretty common guy. He's a lawyer. And you know, he's not living beyond his means. And suddenly a lot of Russians will identify with him and support him. I mean, you've got videos on Tik TOK where school kids are taking down portraits of Putin and putting up portraits of Nevada County and they have received millions of views. Alex Kokcharov: (42:01) Yes, nav only is quite popular, but we have to remember that his popularity mostly lies with the urban middle is in Moscow St. Petersburg and other larger cities across Russia. And he is still some way off from, you know, popularity amongst various social classes across the country, live in, you know, across different types of localities. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (42:29) Although you saw protests and 11 times zones. I mean, I don't want to overstate the demonstrations either because I think they are still relatively small, but the, the width and the breadth of them across the country shows you that he is tapped into digital media. He is tapped into social media, um, and people now are not getting their news on Navalny from the main Kremlin television stations who get their programming from the Kremlin. I mean, this guy has real support out there in social media with young people, uh, with different age groups in the demonstration. So you can't exactly put a limit on this and say, it's going to end a certain way. We really don't know, do we it's the beginning. Alex Kokcharov: (43:12) Yes. Uh, and I'm not going to dispute this, uh, the fact that these protests took place across the entire country in, in very diverse cities. And, uh, there were, you know, a lot of protests, a lot of protests who actually turned up for the first time to protest, which I think is quite important. Uh, but from the prominence perspective, it's still not enough to, um, to generate genuine threats to the continued, uh, uh, rule of the, of the ruling elite. So of Putin and his administration Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (43:48) Read is right. And I think the Kremlin will dig in here and they're not going to give any ground which leads to more confrontation and more demonstrations in the meantime, last question to you because you deal with risk and you, you deal in, uh, with corporate risk as well. A lot of people, I mean, foreign companies, a lot of them left Russia anyway, with, with the first rounds of sanctions. But do you think that there will be more sanctions because there are certainly a call for that? Alex Kokcharov: (44:15) Well, we've seen these calls for more sanctions by the European union specifically in response to, um, you know, to, to, to, to, to Nevada is the rest and to the use of heavy force against protestors. But also we have to remember that, uh, there are calls, um, for new sanctions in the U S and they STEM from, uh, other things, uh, which also include allegations of cyber attacks by, uh, reportedly Russian actors against us government and us private sector funds. Uh, the cyber attacks, well, very much large scale, and there have been statements from the, at that time. It was still, um, we, uh, team of, uh, president elect by the now president Biden that there will be consequences and that there will be, uh, sanctions coming in response to these, um, incidents. So I think we're likely to see more threats of sanctions and potentially more sanctions. Alex Kokcharov: (45:20) But the big question is what the sanctions will be from the European union. I think personal sanctions against individuals in the, uh, in the criminal administration are more likely rather than, uh, economic sanctions. There are a lot of business interests in the European union, which, uh, still favor doing business in Russia. We know that Russia still supplies a lot of gas and oil to the European union and the infrastructure projects in place, despite the fact that that's subject to us sanctions. Um, so I think is going to be a very mixed picture. Uh, the European union sanctions are less likely to be economic and more personal targeted sanctions against the specific individuals. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (46:05) Let's end where we started when you saw those images on the weekend and how many different cities they were in and watch them unfold through the day. What was your reaction? What did you think? Alex Kokcharov: (46:21) It was impressive. I expected that there will be protests, uh, on, on that day, but I didn't expect that they will be, you know, across the entire country across, uh, so many cities, over a hundred cities across Russia, and they will be such a big turnout. And also I got the impression that the protesters this time around, uh, appear to be somewhat more assertive in their actions and less frightened of the police. And this could mean that could be, can be potential change in the way these protests, uh, uh, take place in the coming weeks. It will be another protest on 31st of January. It's a good Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (47:04) Point because I was watching in Moscow where they were fighting back with police St. Petersburg, where they were pelting them, showering them, burying them with snowballs and fighting and pushing. And, uh, yeah, it's, it's got the potential to kind of spin into a more violent showdown as these continue Alex Cook tariff. Thank you so much. Dana Lewis / Back Story Host: (47:30) Thank you so much. Thanks a lot. Have a good evening. And that's our second backstory on Russia unrest. So much to play for in the country. Putin is getting old and it feels like he's been the president forever 20 years is forever polls show. Most Russians want change. And the question is, will there be a peaceful transition or just more repression and stagnation in that great country? I'm Dana Lewis, please subscribe to the podcast and I'll talk to you again.

#nemtsov #@zhannanemtsova putin russia @mkasyanov @mikhailkasyanov @alexkokcharov @backstorywithdanalewis putinspalace russiaprotests

[fypchan]

It is imperative that he regains his bearings, if only to be proud of himself. That’s what matters. The rest does not, as he does not have to prove that he was and still is a great skater.

In the article Patrick Chan doit retrouver ses marques, selon Alain Goldberg, the figure skating analyst weighs in on Team Canada. His discussion on Patrick is translated below.

Why did Patrick Chan withdraw from the NHK Trophy?

He had a subpar performance at Skate Canada International. He made the right decision to take a step back and readjust. It will allow him to regain his rhythm and give himself the time so he’d be selected for the Olympic Games at the Canadian Nationals.

Let’s not forget that Patrick Chan took a break for almost a-year-and-a-half after the Games at Sochi. He has been world champion three times in 2011, 2012 and 2013; he won the silver medal in Sochi in 2014; and then he stops. Since he came back, he’s been fifth in the world [championships] twice. He is struggling to regain his marks, while the other skaters have increased their level. They were inspired by him. They saw what type of skating to go to. They not only increased the quality of their program but also added quad jumps. They have five quads while at the moment Patrick Chan only has two, so he must succeed in delivering the rest of the program.

Patrick Chan deserves our respect. He put his head back on the block when he has nothing to prove. He has been world champion thrice, silver medalist at the Olympics. His help will be greatly needed for Canada to win a team medal. It is imperative that he regains his bearings, if only to be proud of himself. That’s what matters. The rest does not, as he does not have to prove that he was and still is a great skater.

Why can he not do four or five quads if he already has two in his program?

The jumps are not the same, they do not have the same catch of edge, or done with the same supports. You will be better at some jumps than others. For example, there are jumps for which the maximum support is on the left leg, others on the right leg. It will depend on your ability to push on the ice. There are toe jumps and edge jumps. The toe jumps are the flip, Lutz, and toe loop; and the edge jumps are the Axel, Salchow, and loop.

Depending on the torque and the levers you are able to give, you will be able to rotate more or less. It’s completely different to do four rotations on a loop as on a toe loop because the jumps are not done in the same way. There is only one quad that has not been done in competition, the quad Axel. And then, we will be at quints…

Chan has tried to add the quad Salchow, which is an edge jump, but he has a harder time doing it. He managed the quad toe loop. But he also managed the triple Axel, which is a very hard jump because it is taken directly forward on one leg; whereas the other jumps are taken almost on two legs, as if with twice the support.

The Olympic champion, the Japanese Yuzuru Hanyu, did not have the quad Lutz then but now he has it. He will certainly try to have both the quad Lutz and quad loop in his [free] program. The Lutz is the hardest of quad jumps. After that, there is the quad Axel that has never been landed successfully in competition, but it has four-and-a-half rotations.

When we were at the Sochi Games, two quads in a program is phenomenal. In the eight years between the Vancouver and Pyeongchang Games, skating has grown exponentially.

We are so close to the Olympics. Does Patrick Chan have time to catch up to his opponents?

It’s going to depend on him and the team around him, on the psychological difficulties of not finding his rhythm. [If he is] able to forget these worries overnight, he can find the movements he misses. But it will depend on his mental condition to find his bearings; to find them, it was absolutely necessary for him to take off the pressure. And he does just that by delaying [being in front of an audience].

#... pardon my french #fstranslation #1718 #link #patrick chan #tr

[hazel3017]

I promised you guys an essay on the dark ages that was the Mike Johnston era, and here it is. By the way, this is gonna be long and longwinded, but bear with me people. This is all connected. You have been warned.

In 2013, Sidney Crosby was on a ridiculous tear where he scored 56 points in 36 games for a truly stupid 1.56 points per game. It was a shortened season, true, but no one was even close to touching him. If he’d played the full 48 games, he’d have 75 points. Martin St. Louis won the Art Ross with 60. Anyway, what happened instead was the broken jaw, courtesy of a Brooks Orpik slap shot, and Sid didn’t play for the rest of the season (he missed 12 games) which is probably why he didn’t win the Hart (he was nominated, but it went to Ovechkin).

The broken jaw also meant that the Penguins, in their infinite wisdom, allowed Sid to be interviewed while he was CLEARLY high on painkillers.

Sid returned to the ice (wearing a protective cage) in time for the second game of the playoffs (vs NYI) and picked up right where he left off. He had nine points in five games against the Islanders, and 6 points in five games against Ottawa. It was all rainbows and sunshine until the Penguins reached the ECF against Boston and the offence just dried up. Sid didn’t have a single point in that series, and ultimately the Pens only put up a collective 2 goals and were swept in 4 games. It was brutal. Especially for Flower, who really took a lot of flack. He’d been gaining a bit of a reputation as a bad playoff goalie, and the 2013 playoffs didn’t help. It was after this that Flower started seeing a sports psychologist.

For context, since they won the Cup in 2009, the Penguins had only won 3 playoff series before reaching the Eastern Conference final in 2013. Three. Think about that. They didn’t even make it past the first round in 2011 and 2012. 2013 was supposed to be different. They were the top seed in the East, and their offence was on fire through the first two rounds. And then they just crashed and burned. It was the 4th year in a row where they were eliminated by a lower-seeded team. Things were dire. And just to emphasis how truly sucky this time was for Sid, people thought he’d already played his best hockey. They thought the concussion and neck injury that kept him out for almost two seasons meant he wouldn’t ever be able to dominate the way he had before.

(Speaking of the concussion: he missed 41 games in 2010-2011, and 60 games in 2011-2012. Dire, dire times. He’s admitted he thought he might never play again. Also, at some point during this time, Sid and Geno went to a Lady Gaga concert together. Never forget.)

The 2013-2014 season comes around, and Sid is back to being on fire. Because it’s not a Penguins team unless everyone and their mother is out with an injury, Sid had a revolving door of line mates but would still finish the season with 104 points in 80 games for 1.30 PPG. Because he is stupid like that.

One of the injuries, by the way, was Pascal Dupuis in December 2013. The Pens were playing in Ottawa when Marc Methot hip-checked Sid, and Sid went flying into Duper, who almost got Sid’s skate to his face, and also tore his ACL. Duper needed surgery to repair the ACL damage, and while he was recovering, he started developing blood clots and serious health issues related to that, which he would never really recover from. He tried to play while on blood-thinners for a while, but ultimately had to call it a night in the 2015-2016 season. I bring this up because it will play a role in the timeline later.

So, mid 2013-2014 season; Sid is the engine that keeps the Penguins going, the NHL takes a break in February for the 2014 Sochi Olympics and we get the NHL Revealed series, which is actually pretty cool (there is a scene from Geno’s house and you can see his fridge where he has decals of himself and Sid, Tanger and Flower. It is adorable. Also there is Geno whining to Sid about Sid not warning him about their flight being delayed because then he would have just waited at home). Chris Kunitz is also an Olympian, and everyone at the time was pretty much in agreement that the only reason he was there was because of how well he played with Sid, and then they didn’t play well together at all. And everyone was up in arms about how Sid wasn’t scoring enough, but Canada still won gold (both Sid and Kuni scored in the gold-medal game) and Russia did not, and so Geno was sad and grumpy for about a month. Then Sid wasn’t having it anymore and talked to Geno because he obviously needed a friend, and Geno was no longer sad and grumpy.

Fast forward a little bit, and we reach the playoffs. The Pens played against Columbus, and it was super weird because almost every game ended 4-3 and no one could keep a 3-1 lead. Also, Sid wasn’t scoring. Again. It was a thing. He was still putting up points, and he averaged 1 PPG against Columbus, but people would not shut about how he hadn’t scored a playoff goal in 13 games dating back to 2013. He kept insisting that he was healthy too, but he actually had a busted wrist, which was the result of a Ryan Reaves hit where he got his wrist caught awkwardly against the board in a game in late March. The injury meant he had trouble putting any power behind his shots, which meant no goals, although he was still dominating possession. Add to that the abuse he took from the likes of Dubinsky and Marc Staal (and also Lundqvist squirting water at him lol!) it was a pretty miserable playoffs for him.

All of this is made worse by his deteriorating relationship with Coach Dan Bylsma. Now, I know I have read this somewhere, and I can’t for the life of me remember where, but there was a rumour—a rumour, mind you—that Bylsma had specifically instructed the players not to stick up for Sid when the other team’s players were abusing him. Apparently, Bylsma threatened with benching people if they got into scrums after the whistles. (RUMOUR, remember. Take it with a grain of salt). But Bylsma and Sid obviously weren’t getting along that great during the Rangers series, at least, and it didn’t help that Bylsma kept playing his favourites, aka Craig Adams and the gang. Jesus. As I recall, Kuni and Geno were pretty much the only ones sticking up for Sid, especially Kuni who was playing on his line. The Rangers series did give us this gem of an interview though.

Game 7 comes along, and the Penguins lose. They’d been up 3 games to 1 at one point, and again they were the higher-seeded team. Shortly after, reports about Bylsma losing the room started popping up and it was pretty obvious that there would be a new management. Sure enough, Shero was fired first, and then Bylsma later.

(Bylsma was actually fired by Jim Rutherford. Ownership said they wanted the new GM to decide if he wanted to keep Bylsma around or not. It was pretty obvious that Bylsma would have to go too, and a lot of people were upset that they kept Bylsma so long when that could potentially keep him from getting a job elsewhere.)

And now, finally, we enter the dark ages. Or, in which GMJR did the one mistake he needed to make in order to find the one true Penguins coach: Mike Sullivan.

Mike Johnston. What is there to say about Mike Johnston? He had pretty much only one facial expression in that he looked perpetually shocked, he snuffed out the offence of a team that has always been built for scoring goals and made them play boring, sluggish, defensive hockey instead. It very nearly broke Sidney Crosby. That is not to say that it was all MJ’s fault, but he was very clearly unsuitable for the Pens and vice versa.

Consider this: In 2012-2013, Sid went from a 1.56 PPG to 1.30 in 2013-2014. A pretty steep dive, but still dominating his peers (Ryan Getzlaf was the closest to him in points that year. He had 87 points. Sid had 104.). From 2013-2014 to 2014-2015, Sid’s PPG dipped again, even more this time as it reached an all-time low of 1.09. He’d never been below 1.26 before. Not so incidentally, the Pens went from 242 goals total to 217, and their winning percentage dipped from .665 to .598, the lowest it had been since the 2005-2006 season. This all coincided with Mike Johnston becoming coach. The Penguins just barely edged their way into the playoffs that season. They made it with literally the last game of the season, against Buffalo.

(No offence to Buffalo, but they were ranked dead last that season.)

The Pens lost the first round of the playoffs against the Rangers. They only managed one win in 5 games. Sid played okay, he had 4 points on the series, but the Pens were so sloooow. They kept being outskated by guys like Zuccarello and Hagelin—no wonder, with guys like Craig Adams and Rob Scuderi slowing the Penguins down.

(Also, would you believe I used to strongly dislike Carl Hagelin?)

Sid didn’t stick around for the fallout. He called the GM of Team Canada the same night they were eliminated and jumped on a plane to Prague. I actually think the World Championship did him a ton of good. He won another gold medal in the Olympics the year before, but I really think it must have messed him up going so long without playoff success. No one expects more from Sidney Crosby than Sidney Crosby.

Anyway: Worlds.

I’m pretty sure that what happens at Worlds stays at Worlds, but Sid seemed to have a really good time with his x1000 boyfriends. Like, there was Giroux (what????), Seguin (we don’t kiss and tell), MacKinnon (of course), and even Brayden Schenn (lmao).

Also, there was Geno and the pictures that launched a thousand plot bunnies. Because you can’t have one without the other.

Sid won gold and was happy, he became the 26th member of the Triple Gold Club and was happy, and he came home from Europe and promptly entered an existential crisis, I’m pretty sure. He turned 28 that year and freaked out about it. Probably, he realised how sucky the last few years had been for him. He grew a beard. It was very disturbing for everyone involved. He also went to all the weddings, hosted his first annual hockey school, and filmed the documentary that would win him an Emmy award as the “talent”. That is an actual thing that happened, people.

And then the new season began. And here, my friends, we must circle back to Pascal Dupuis.

So because of the blood clots Duper developed after his ACL injury, he had to sit out the rest of the 2013-2014 season. He was cleared for the start of 2014-2015, but again was out for the rest of the season when they discovered blood clots in his lungs in November 2014 and he had to go on blood thinners. The next season, he was cleared again, but was still on blood thinners to manage the blood clots. He was being monitored by medical professionals at the time, and it was a procedure that had worked for other athletes, but Duper experienced side effects like serious chest pains. In the end, he was forced to call it quits. This was in December 2015.

Up until that point, from the start of the season, Sid had 18 points by then. He was 86 in in scoring. 86. Comparatively, he had 29 points by the same time next year. In 5 fewer games. No one knew what was going on. Sid didn’t know what was going on, but there’s probably a few things that explain his low offence. If you believed the media at the time, he was washed up. They were literally writing up the obituary of his career. Sports Illustrated posited that he would be a 4th-line centre at the World Cup. People were wondering if he would even make the team. The Team Canada GM had to publicly state that Sid would be on the roster.

So what actually did cause the notorious slump? Like I said, a combination of things.

First, MJ’s system meant that Sid had to play a 200-feet game. “But he does that now!” you say, and true, he is defensively responsible, and the NHL is gonna have to start thinking about giving him Selke consideration sooner than later, but he’s always thinking offence first, and his line’s puck possession means he’s spending more time in the offensive zone than defensive zone. They only had a 52.2% defensive exit rate under MJ during that December. Under Sully, it was at 73.1%. Consequently, MJ’s defence first mentality meant that Sid had to constantly haul ass from one end of the rink to the other; he was overexerting himself. 

Second, he had bad puck luck. No, really. The puck just wouldn’t go in the net for him, and he had one goal on 30 shots at one point. That’s a 3.3 shooting percentage. Around 9% is League average, I believe.

Third, the power play was a mess. MJ had no clue how to configure it, even with the kind of fire power the Penguins’ boast. They just couldn’t make it work, which meant that Sid was missing out on the points he usually get from the power play.

And finally, there was Duper. Now, this is my personal opinion, but I honestly think Duper’s situation really messed him up. I think he spent so much time and energy worrying about Duper being okay that if affected him on the ice. When Duper was forced to retire, Sid was heartbroken. Consider this extract from Duper’s Why We Play the Game article:

One leg was twice the size of the other. It was a few hours before the game. We were in Edmonton last November. I was warming up in the hallway, doing some band work, some quick-feet stuff. At some point I looked down and saw that my right leg was really swollen.

When you are dealing with blood clots, this is the moment you always fear. Your body is betraying you. You can’t deny it. You can’t fight through it.

I took my equipment off and put on a tracksuit to go to the hospital to get checked out. As I was walking out of the locker room with the doctor, one of my teammates gave me a hug and just broke down in tears.

“Not again, Duper. Are you kidding me? Again?”

That’s the moment I realized that I needed to draw the line. People weren’t just worried about me playing hockey. They were worried about me playing with my life.

I believe that teammate was Sid, and I feel as if Duper confirmed that, but I can’t remember where I saw/heard it.

Once Duper was out for good, Sid noticeably started playing better. He had 9 points the rest of December alone. Also, on 12 December, GMJR fired Mike Johnston and hired Mike Sullivan. Hilariously, Sid was accused of being a coach killer, and the reporter outright questioned the legitimacy of hiring Sully was MJ’s replacement in the same article.

JOKE’S ON YOU BRETT CYRGALIS.

The rest, as you say, is history. The Penguins finally found a coach who can wrangle Sid and Geno and Phil, and GMJR isn’t having any of your shit anymore NHL, so he went out and got Ryan Reaves to protect his star players from being abused. Which will probably be either really awesome or really awful. Time will tell.

#tag: about sid #mj - the dark ages #an essay

[sinkingorswimming]

omg!!! outsider POV (idk, phichit, the Katsukis, Chris???) of the early days of Taker when they were still just having sex

Oh my God yes this thank you for this beautiful, golden treasure.

It’s not quite that the season’s in full-swing yet, but Chris knows mid-July is bearing down on him like a plane making an emergency water landing. Still, he enjoys what quiet he can between meetings with his choreographer, Josef, and his costume designer. He’s thinking something sexy, like a teasing shower display for a lover for the short—they just haven’t pinned the song yet.

Chris checks his Instagram feed, seeing that Yuuri’s Thai bestie has posted a series of videos to his story—it’s him landing his newly-ratified quad. Chris is probably the only figure skater in the world who doesn’t know this musical, but he thinks maybe he should check it out someday as he watches Chulanont’s beaming smile and West End-caliber grace.

Speaking of Yuuri, though—Vitya’s been in Hasetsu for about two months, give or take. Though, he’s been quiet for a week. Chris sends a text with an attached pic of Bianca’s dainty body curled up in the nook of his arm. 

Allo, Vitya! Comment vas-tu?

It’s only then that Chris pulls up the timezone for…what was it called? Kyushu, that’s right, he thinks and he sees that it’s going on ten pm there. Hm, well hopefully he’ll get a reply tomorrow.

He gets comfortable on his best chair with a cup of rosehip tea and Bianca by his arm, turning to his Netflix account. He’s been working his way through an American drama about a family of morticians when his phone chirps.

Chris adjusts his glasses and checks the screen. Defying all odds, it’s Vitya. 

Hello! Sorry—things have been a bit hectic.

Chris smiles and shrugs. The season hasn’t technically started, how hectic can it be? Is Yuuri demanding all of your time, off-rink and on?

It takes a while for him to respond.

…You might say that.

Chris stares at his phone. He thinks of half a year ago in another part of the world, champagne flowing, inhibitions dropping like flies. He thinks of the first solid smile he’d seen on Victor’s face in longer than he can recall, a furious paso doble, stripping and taking turns holding each other while wrapped around a pole as “Partition” filled the room…

He thinks most of all of a shell-shocked Victor’s eyes lighting up and glowing, a faint flush on his face as a drunken Yuuri begged him to be his coach, and the way Victor led him out of the ballroom, Yuuri’s pants in one hand while his other fished in them for a room key, Yuuri half clinging like they were one person.

Good on you, Chris thinks. Ah, such young lovers. I should have guessed truly.

There’s another long break, and Chris gets up for more tea. The phone chirps twice while he boils the water. The rosehip blend is lovely, a birthday gift from his mother. He should thank her again.

Chris gets cozy with an afghan from his Grandmere and Bianca, sipping the tea. Then he looks at the texts.

Yuuri and I aren’t romantic.

…I think.

Chris raises an eyebrow as a third text comes in.

We’re not just professional, but we’re not dating. I’m pretty sure we’re not dating.

Before he can reply, he sees the animation that tells him Vitya is typing. It goes on for a while, sometimes disappearing altogether. He’s starting a text before scrapping it entirely, Chris realizes.

Then finally: No, we’re not dating. We’re just—I mean, it’s not really anyone’s concern but ours, but we’re not an item. We’re just what we are. 

Which is? Chris prompts.

It takes so long for a reply, Chris thinks Vitya’s fallen asleep. It’s fine if he has—he’s an early riser by trade. He finishes the tea, washing the cup and drying it with a ginger touch. Inherited bone china, priceless and impossible to replace.

Bianca sits by her dish, offering a plaintive meow. Chris smiles. “Ah, bebe,” he says. He kneels and she rubs against him before sitting by the dish. Her fluffy white tail swishes once. “Not dinner, not yet. But—some anchovies—”

He grabs them and gives her two. She eats them happily, licking her whiskers clean when she’s done. He notes he’s low and needs more, so he adds them to his shopping list.

Chris heads back to the television to turn it off, having missed the bulk of the show. An old rerun of Tintin is on the telly, and his beautiful girl’s namesake sings an aria on the screen. His collection of the comics is quite impressive, and he managed to win a Herge original a while back.

The phone beeps. Chris reads.

How do you tell someone you want more than they’re able to give?

Chris’s face becomes a bit dark, like the very beginnings of a summer storm. I don’t follow what you mean.

Vitya replies thus: How do I tell Yuuri that he means more to me than just a body at night? And how do I make him see I ache to be that more to him?

Chris removes his glasses, cleans them, then puts them back on because surely he didn’t read that right. Alas, no, he did, it’s absolutely what he saw the first time—Yuuri is having casual fun and Vitya’s in deep, mataphorically and presumably literally. 

Jesus. 

He wipes his mouth with his hand. I think you should just ask him what his expectations are for you both, and you should be up front about yours in return. If you don’t see eye-to-eye, perhaps it would be best to cut and run.

Again it takes a while, and Chris opens the book on his end table. It’s a non-fiction account of Josephine Baker’s life. She’s stunning and fascinating—a huge inspiration for his skating.

He’s so perfect and I knew with the first—well, I knew right away that I’m his. That isn’t going to change if he—

It’s another fit and start.

I feel how I feel. It won’t change. But is it so wrong to want him to feel the same for me?

Chris grimaces. Not that he has a lot of serious relationship experience—just one when they were both too young and naive to make it solid for the long haul—but he knows better than this. Vitya should in theory too, though he mostly keeps to himself when he’s at loose ends. 

Sit him down, ask him. If given the green light, keep it going and see what happens. If a yellow or a red, you should stop whatever it is until he’s figured himself out. 

He thinks, then sends another.

Try not to expect anything. And Vitya—if you think you’re capsizing, bail before you drown. Please.

Vitya doesn’t reply this time, either because of Yuuri or because he’s asleep. It hardly matters. Chris worries he’s overstepped a line or come across like ordering instead of offering advice. 

Chris puts his phone facedown on the side table. Bianca curls in his lap as he ignores the telly for the light’s slow fade out his picture windows. Yuuri wouldn’t hurt Vitya on purpose…but on purpose isn’t not at all. 

He recalls again the night in Sochi, the stars in Yuuri’s eyes and heavenly-light of his smile as he dipped Vitya, pulling him tight hip-to-hip and spinning like they were the only two in the hall.

Chris breathes and talks himself out of the worries. They’ll be fine. They’ll even end up happy.

At least, he thinks they will.

#cause i'm a taker cause i'm a giver it's only nature #christophe giacometti #victor nikiforov #victor x yuuri #i'm sorry intended this to be funny and instead it's sad?

[thisdaynews]

Oksana Masters: Paralympic champion on Chernobyl, Tokyo 2020 and upbringing in Ukraine

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/oksana-masters-paralympic-champion-on-chernobyl-tokyo-2020-and-upbringing-in-ukraine/

Oksana Masters: Paralympic champion on Chernobyl, Tokyo 2020 and upbringing in Ukraine

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Oksana Masters

Standing on a podium by Russia’s Black Sea coast, Oksana Masters felt a surge of pride as the anthems played. It wasn’t her first Paralympic medal, but this one was extra special.

She had just won cross country skiing silver at the Sochi Winter Games of 2014. As she held her prize, the flag of neighbouring Ukraine was raised for the winner, Lyudmila Pavlenko. Masters was herself born in Ukraine in 1989, three years after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. She was born with severe physical defects caused by exposure to radiation.

In Sochi she was competing for the USA, the country where she grew up, an adopted child raised by a single mother. Returning to somewhere so close to the country of her birth had been a big motivation for qualifying to compete in Russia.

“It was kind of coming full circle,” she says. “It wasn’t my gold-medal moment, but it sure felt like it.”

Oksana’s moment would come. Four years later, two of the five medals she won at Pyeongchang 2018 were gold. And this year she will be competing on the Paralympic stage for a fifth time – at the summer Games of Tokyo 2020.

It will be another chapter in the remarkable life story Oksana shared with BBC World Service. A story that begins in the Ukrainian orphanage that was her home until the age of seven.

Masters says she and her mother “faced many unknowns together”

I have good and bad memories. I remember fields of sunflowers. I don’t know if it was because I was tiny but they seemed massive. There was also a plum tree and we didn’t get a lot of food so we would steal plums and pick seeds off the sunflowers.

Whenever I see sunflowers now, it’s a good memory because what you read about eastern European orphanages is pretty accurate. I definitely remember the really, really sharp pain in your stomach from being hungry all the time.

Right from birth I was put up for adoption. I was born with six toes, I was missing the main weight-bearing bones in my legs, my knees were floating – they weren’t supported by anything. My hands were webbed; I was born with five fingers, without thumbs. I don’t have a right bicep, I’m missing some organs. I have one kidney and don’t have any enamel on my teeth. When I came to America I found out that the only thing that can strip enamel before birth is radiation.

They linked it to Chernobyl because I was really not that far from there, and the fact that radiation levels continued to rise years after the explosion. It definitely lingered on years later to when I was born. There was also a power plant in the village of the orphanage that would go off frequently. Whenever the radiation was high there was this one cop who would drive round and tell us to board up the windows and doors, not to go out.

I’ve just finished watching the TV series Chernobyl. I knew parts of it. I knew that things went on behind the scenes to cover up the magnitude of it. It’s sad that it took away so many lives and homes. That part of the country will never be the same.

I don’t want to say I was a product of it but, out of something horrific, it’s about how you can see the potential and possibilities – like becoming an athlete – instead of dwelling on it.

Masters has grown up to compete at four Paralympics – with Tokyo 2020 set to be her fifth

When I was five I was called into the director’s office and they said: “We have a picture to show you – this is going to be your new mum.” When I saw her face, she had the warmest eyes and warmest smile.

She’d never met me. She made her adoption choice on a picture of me. Every day until she came to the orphanage I would ask the director: “Can I look at my mum?”

Sometimes, if I wasn’t good – because I was a troublemaker – then the director would use it against me and be like: “You can’t look at the picture today. You’re a bad girl. This is why she’s not coming, because you don’t listen.” Because the process took two years I started to believe that. But her picture kept me going.

She fought for me for two years, and then she came and saw the situation I was living in. When she walked in the hallway there were people chipping away at the ice on the floor because the radiators had frozen.

Masters’ adoptive mother, a professor at the University at Buffalo in New York state, knew that her daughter’s left leg would have to be amputated. She had the operation at the age of nine, after moving to the US. In 2001, Masters’ mother moved the family after taking a new position at the University of Louisville, Kentucky. A year later Masters became a double amputee.

In an Instagram caption to this picture, Masters wrote: “Mom, no words will ever come close to describe how much I love you and how amazing you are. I cherish this picture of us so much and your smile is all I need to feel complete and loved.”

I didn’t know I was different until I came to America. It was only then I realised that everything I had experienced was not normal.

I was diagnosed with ‘failure to thrive’ – basically starving to death. When I turned eight, I was 34 inches tall and weighed 36 pounds – that’s a pretty healthy three-year-old here in the US! I had to wear toddler-sized clothes for my first couple of years.

Now that we’re older and we can talk about her experience, I respect how hard it was for my mum. It was nearly impossible for a single parent to adopt. She had to do multiple psychiatric tests, with people asking ‘why are you single? What’s wrong with you? Where’s your husband?’

I didn’t realise all the struggles that go into adoption. I can’t imagine how she faced that before she came across and met me for the first time. It shows her strength and her pure heart. Any parent who adopts kids is a pure gift but my mum doing it on her own is on a whole new level.

She knew my left leg had to go – it was six or seven inches shorter – so it was amputated when I was nine. That was hard but it was harder when I was 13 and the doctors told me they couldn’t save my right leg.

For the longest time, I wasn’t ready, because I knew what I was missing after the first amputation. I knew how limited things became for me. But the pain in my right leg had become unbearable and I said ‘OK, I’m ready, under one condition – I can keep my knee’.

A lot of people don’t realise that amputees aren’t all the same. Your leg has an ankle and knee – two joints – so I didn’t want to be missing four joints.

They said that was OK but right before I went on the operating table they said ‘we’re going to amputate above the knee’. I was so sedated I didn’t know what was going on, but I will never forget that feeling of waking up in hospital. I tried to get up but didn’t have that leverage from my legs anymore and fell backwards. That was really hard. Honestly, I still have a bit of frustration and anger about that.

In the end, it was to avoid having more surgeries down the line but it was weird because I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to that leg because I didn’t know I’d be missing all of it.

Oksana also had multiple surgeries to both hands and began adaptive rowing in 2002. She would go on to win Paralympic bronze in 2012 – her first medal – partnering Rob Jones in the mixed double sculls. For Sochi 2014, she switched to cross country skiing.

Masters celebrates her first Paraylmpic gold medal at the 2018 Winter Games – she won both the 1.5km sprint classic sitting and 5km sitting events in cross country skiing

The first person that mentioned the Paralympics and racing internationally was Randy Mills [Louisville adaptive rowing club’s programme director]. I’m so competitive, I hate to lose, and he saw that. All I needed was that fitness guidance to get to the next level.

I looked up the Paralympics in 2008 and I was like: ‘Oh my gosh, this is so cool!’ I didn’t have a visual of someone that is like me, missing both legs, but racing for the USA at a high level. It took until London 2012 for me to realise: ‘I belong here.’ Then I dedicated everything to it.

Before those Games, Masters posed nude for ESPN’s Body Issue.

I struggled a lot with my self-confidence as a girl. It’s the end of the world if you’re having a bad hair day or you have a pimple on your face for school picture day, let alone if you have prosthetic legs and hands that are hard to cover up.

Masters will be completing in the cycling events at the Tokyo Paralympics this summer

Then society has put this label on you, even though you don’t see yourself as ‘disabled’. That’s something that’s put on you.

I don’t want the next generation of young girls and kids to grow up not having that person to look up to and want to aspire to. Every kid had a picture of Michael Jordan on their wall. Why can’t it be a normal thing for that to be someone who has had an accident or was born with a disability? I don’t want to say that because it’s not a ‘disability’. That’s just a term society as a whole has put over everybody that looks different.

I believe that seeing is believing and the more times you see the Paralympics or a Para-athlete, the more normal it’s going to become to the person that doesn’t know what it is. It’s really cool to watch that growth.

Masters won a bronze and silver medal at Sochi 2014 – both in cross country skiing. Four years later at Pyeongchang 2018 she won her first gold. At those Games, she and her partner Aaron Pike became four-time Paralympians. Now, Masters has reverted to cycling for Tokyo 2020, having just missed out on a medal at Rio 2016.

Aaron’s such a patient person. I don’t know how anyone can deal with my chaos. We started skiing together at the same time and spend the whole winter together so we push each other in training.

He’ll get me on the downhills but I’m like ‘haha, see ya’ on the uphills because I climb faster than him. We can’t switch off the competitive switch. If we play Monopoly and you’re winning, it’s not going to be a good experience for you!

But having someone like Aaron there is great on the training days when you’re finding every excuse to not want to be there. You look over and it’s your best friend, your partner, your team-mate. He’s not just a great boyfriend. He has the same amount of genuine want for other people to do well and shares it with the team.

At Tokyo, the main goal is to win both of my events in the road race and time trial. In Rio I had limited time to really prepare because I was still spending my season nordic skiing and I transitioned within a few months.

I definitely have unfinished business going into Tokyo.

Read More

#Tokyo #upbringing

[anonymous-mary]

Wow Meryl is still using the same skates. It looks like a chunk of leather is missing from her right one.😳

I think she got a new pair of Harlicks since Sochi. Maybe she just can't bear to part with her old ones.

[deepwithinmybonesfic]

Deep Within My Bones Ch 18- Scarlet

Yuuri watched as Viktor left the competitor’s room, through the kiss and cry and waited for his cue to glide onto the ice. Yakov was still his coach, but had been largely absent that morning, spending his time with Yurio instead.

“It’s pretty ballsy for him to show up after disappearing for almost  a year.”

“Word is he bribed the judges to let some nobody compete with him.”

Yuuri’s mind snapped from worrying about Viktor to the chatter that picked up once he had left the room.

“So he spent the last year coaching? What a waste of talent.”

“Are you kidding me? He should have stayed out and let someone else at the gold. His glory days are over.” 

Something boiled deep inside Yuuri--- whether it was anger or nerves, he couldn’t tell any longer. He had spent so long feeling sick and tired that it had just become background noise. He stood up, marching to the doors that led to the kiss and cry. He slid past and under a camera man until he was at the gate where Viktor would skate up to after finishing his routine.  Yakov was sitting on the bench, holding a familiar looking furry tissue box case in his lap, his expression somber.

The performance was flawless. Viktor hit every jump and spin with a perfection only the God of Figure Skating could reach.

Viktor, caught up in the performance and the adrenaline was out of breath as he stepped onto the ice. Yakov had his ice guards, but Yuuri wobbled past him. Black feathery fluff fell from Viktor’s costume as  Yuuri grabbed a fistful of it and pulled him down into a fervent kiss.

“Yuuri! Save the Eros for the ice!” Viktor cooed, unaware of the flush that reached his cheeks, as if transferred from  Yuuri. He couldn’t say he didn’t like this side of Yuuri, however surprising it was.

“Good luck, my zvesda.” Viktor gave a quick kiss, taking his blade guards from Yakov. It was Yuuri’s turn to take to the ice.

Viktor seemed to glow as he walked with his coach to the bench on the kiss and cry. He had no idea what his score would be—he had been thinking of the next performance, Yuuri’s. He had five gold medals and years  of competitions behind him.  This year, it was about completing the dream of the drunk beauty that had poured his dreams out on a dark night in Sochi.

“Mr. Nikiforov, you’ve been seen with Special Olympics skater Yuuri Katsuki, who has joined you at the Cup of China. What is he to you? “

It was not the first time the media had asked him about his private life. Usually it had been for the magazines, or  if he was stupid enough to be seen with someone the night of the Olympics.

Somehow, this time, it was hard. He couldn’t brush it away with a bright smile and concomitant wave of his hand. They were asking about Yuuri. His Yuuri.

But what was he? They slept together, in the holy and the unholy sense. But they had never gone on a date or celebrated an anniversary. The word boyfriend never came up in conversation. They just had the pet names, and he was finally Vitenka… but what other title was there? Lover felt to shallow, like Yuuri was part of the group of one-night stands and dead end streets.  Boyfriend was too casual, but fiancée wasn’t official. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to commit to  a lifetime with Yuuri… It was the opposite. They merely lived, wordlessly, as if their time together would never end.

“Yuuri….. is..” Viktor could tell that the media was waiting for an answer. Even Yakov was getting irritated. “The love of my life.” Viktor  said, before escaping his head and smiling dreamily for the camera.

He let Yakov comment on the score,  after he did the obligatory smile about placing high enough for another guaranteed Gold. He hugged his coach, before leaving the camera behind and focusing on the ice,  and his everything that was stepping onto it.

The instant the cameras were back on the ice, Viktor ran to the kiss and cry.  He could tell Yuuri’s shoulder had a weight to them that made him wilt slightly, and he prayed that the judges did not know him as well as Viktor did. His heart beat faster as Yuuri’s arms rose, and he turned his eyes to Viktor, licking his lips,

If Yuuri didn’t take the podium, he would riot.

Viktor watched every jump and step and breath Yuuri took on the ice. Yuuri slid off the ice and into Viktor’s arms, immediately heavy and tired.  He smiled, out of breath to the point of wheezing. Viktor held Yuuri up and walked with him to the Kiss and Cry, secretly enjoying the cameras on them.

The same reporter was back, with the camera trained on the pair.

“Yuuri Katsuki,  you’re new to the scene. Who is all-star Viktor Nikiforov to you?”

Yuuri smiled. “The most important person in the world.” He  said it without hesitation, still breathy, sweat running down the side of his face. Viktor’s heart swelled, and he turned and kiss Yuuri back. He deserved everything he gave, returned ten-fold, after all. Yuuri laughed, embarrassed, but didn’t bat him away, only squeezing his eyes close. “Vitenkaa.” He said shyly. God, would he ever be able to return what Yuuri made him feel? He stared lovingly at Yuuri, almost forgetting that the score would be reported.  He watched Yuuri squint at the far display, hugging the makkachin tissuecase close to him. He  had seen it countless times before, but it didn’t lessen his love for it, and everything about him.

It took a few seconds for it to register.  It sounded like a good score, until the commentator went on to put the placement.

Fourth.

It placed him fourth, just behind Phichit, who had skated first.  Viktor’s dream of standing beside the love of his life on the podium was shattered by a mere two numbers.

And it angered him.

Yuuri’s polite smile disappeared when he turned his eye to Viktor. “What’s wrong?” He asked, reaching up to brush Viktor’s hair out his face without a second thought.  

“I’m sorry…” Yuuri’s voice fell at Viktor’s expression, and his gaze dropped. “It wasn’t good enough…”

“Oh Yuuri…” Viktor instantly regretting letting go of himself. “Never, never. I was.. am.. I’m angry, Yuuri. You deserved to take the podium.” He reached for Yuuri, pulling him closer into a hug. “The score is pointless.”

“Not in front of the cameras.” Yuuri whispered into Viktor’s arm. He tried to pull Viktor up, but couldn’t move freely enough to swing himself up. Viktor ended up moving them both off the bench, the next competitor already forgotten.

~~

“Viktor, you need to let it go. I’m happy.” Yuuri prodded him again, but Viktor couldn’t wipe the displeasure from his face. The rest of the skaters had not failed spectacularly, despite the evil eye and curses he had wished upon them. Yuuri held onto fourth, but did not climb any hire like Viktor prayed for. Cristophe took Silver Phichit and Phichit bronze, and Viktor couldn’t bear to wish ill will on his and Yuuri’s best friends.

“We still get to skate together.” Yuuri had done this nonstop throughout the competition, his own anxiety bubbling up. But Viktor couldn’t brush it away. Yuuri had taken the podium before, and he should have done it that day.

“Vitenka.” Yuuri said seriously, and he couldn’t ignore that. He turned to Yuuri, and looked into his eyes, now back behind his oversized glasses. “You need to focus. We’re skating together soon.”

Shame burned at the back of his throat. Here he was, stewing like a little baby, and making Yuuri worry about him, when the day before Yuuri barely dragged himself out of bed.

“I’m sorry, my Yuuri.” He said, but the bitterness didn’t fade from him. It burned his throat, boiled in his stomach and flowed through him like blood. This was not he had spent  nights dreaming of and days pulling strings and favors and making promises. This was not the fairytale he dreamed off. It had faded, tarnishing at the edges,  the corners peeling away.

“Then stop. I don’t want to remember the day I’ve been dreaming of for years as you pouting.” Yuuri’s words stung, no matter how softly he had said them.

“I’m so--.” Yuuri pressed a cold finger to his lips.  “I know.  I’m not mad.” He said, taking Viktor’s hand in his. They had changed into their exhibition skating costumes, their palms covered in matching black gloves.  His designer had been happy to make another version of the costume for his favorite season, for some reason.  He sent pictures of Yuuri, and his measurements, and the blue and purple set came back four months later. Perfect.

“Let’s go.” Yuuri said, hearing the cue that Viktor missed, his mind slipping back into the emotion that still had a twisted grip around his stomach. The staff knew of their plan, but the audience had no idea who would be joining Viktor on the ice. He met his cue on time, even though   it had only been practiced for  a week and a half. He spun slowly, arcing his arm toward the spot he knew Yuuri would sweep toward him.  Violet light flooded over them and turned the ice into some otherworldly place. Yuuri was perfect, his glasses gone, his eyes were trained on Viktor’s, warm and full of love and determination. Fuck the scores, fuck the federation, this was all that mattered anymore. He could only hear the blades carve the ice and his heart beat, as they turned together, his hands meeting Yuuri’s body as they started into the first lift.

Viktor’s eyes met with one of the judges, and they didn’t leave, the anger and bitterness he hadn’t been able to fully push back bubbling up to the service. He turned again, keeping his eyes on the judge, before moving to the next step.

His arm missed the air and hit something hard. He swung around on his skates, his heart somewhere between his toes. “Yuuri!” Any bitterness crystallized into regret. Yuuri blinked away the tears  that sprung to his eyes as blood dribbled down his nose. He smiled at him and laughed even as the tears spilled over his cheeks from the pain.   He swept his hand across Viktor’s face, cupping it tenderly, and moved into the spot where he knew they had the tandem step sequence.

He wanted to quit. Stop the show, turn off the lights and the music and cradle Yuuri until he breathed the apologies Viktor had for him. Apologies for pouting so long, for pouting on the ice, and letting his old self get in the way and distract him. Letting his old self hurt Yuuri.

The violet light turned the blood spattered on the ice into a macabre black, and Yuuri’s step sequence drew it out into spider-like lines. Yuuri pulled him through, until they finally struck the finishing pose,  Yuuri’s heart pounding enough for Viktor to feel it through his back.

“Yuuri!” He didn’t hold the pose long enough for the normal lights to return, spinning him around and catching him. Yuuri squeezed his eyes shut, dizzy, his mouth and chin covered in scarlet. The crystals glued onto his costume lost their luster under the blood that dribbled onto the front of his shirt.

It was too much.

“Oh Yuuri, I’m so sorry, I should have never..”

“Viktor, please.”

Viktor’s throat nearly closed. “Please what?”

“I’m going to ruin yours too.” He wiped off a droplet of blood just above Viktor’s own chest. “I need a tissue.”  He leaned far enough, that Viktor gave in, and went with Yuuri to the kiss and cry. Phichit was there already, with a tissue box and a handful of tissues. Yakov and his not-wife-not-ex showed up with a box of baby wipes and a mouthful of scolding as they scrubbed at their costumes. It irritated Viktor, but Yuuri merely took it, scrunching his nose and eyes shut as they scrubbed the dried blood from his cheeks. Phichit sat on the edge of the bench, his hand on the back of Yuuri’s neck, helping him lean over and forward into a second wad of tissues.

Viktor felt like throwing up.

He stayed by Yuuri’s side, until Yakov pulled him up for the medaling ceremony. The flowers didn’t seem as vibrant as the ones growing back in the Katsuki’s garden. The medal felt heavier than the many that had rested on his chest before.

It was the first time, even he, Viktor Nikiforov, the King of Faking it, could not muster a smile for the crowd.

#Yuri on ice #yuri on ice fanfic #Viktor x Yuri #victuuri #viktuuri #Viktor Nikiforov #yuuri katsuki #yoi #cw:blood

[droewyn]

Intervention, Part 2

Part 1 here.

Cold.  He was lying on his back.  It was cold and dark and a heavy weight was pinning him to the ground. He tried to groan and wound up with a mouthful of hair, Victor’s favorite styling gel bitter on his tongue. “Vitya?”  No response.  Yuuri forced his eyes open, and found himself staring up into the night sky.  It had been the middle of the afternoon just moments before.  His husband was lying on top of him, unmoving.  “Victor?”

“Tell Yakov I’m dead,” It was a drowsy mumble, and he let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.  Whatever the hell had just happened, Victor was okay and Yuuri wasn’t alone.

“Victor, you’re crushing my kidneys!”  

He felt Victor’s breath hitch an instant before his head snapped up to look at him.  “Yuuri?”  The word was laced with confusion and worry.

He tried for a reassuring smile.  “I’m fine, love.  Just… get off me?”

Victor blinked, then swore and rolled quickly off of Yuuri.  The two men helped one another to their feet, clinging tightly to each other’s hands for comfort as they looked around them.  

They were in an alley somewhere in a city center, though the buildings were all wrong for it to be St. Petersburg.  Skyscrapers that Yuuri recognized as being in the American “art deco” style stood next to shorter, slightly more modern structures of glass and concrete.  The juxtaposition was oddly familiar.  He found himself staring at one building in particular, a rusty brick and sandstone tower.  Spotlights illuminated the upper floors, which were decorated with a mosaic of patterned tiles, and a flag waved from the spire.  

“Yuuri, I think we’re in the past—” “Victor, I think we’re in Detroit—” The words made no sense, all jumbled together as they talked over one another.  The words made no sense, period.  To go from day to night, halfway around the world, in the span of a kiss?  It wasn’t possible.

Victor was staring at his phone as though he expected it to bite him.  Yuuri peered at it and blinked.  The display didn’t change.  Wordlessly, he reached into his back pocket for his own phone, thumbing the home button automatically to wake it up.

Their lock screens were identical.  Twin images of Victor lifting a radiant Yuuri during their Stammi Vicino gala skate. Status bars showing cell reception (LTE? Downtown?  Was America(?!) really so backwards in updating their infrastructure that their metropolitan areas still had 4G?), battery life, and various app notifications.  Clocks showing 9:37 pm.  Dates?

Friday, January 15.

The year wasn’t displayed, and Yuuri bit down on a laugh that would have been more than slightly hysterical if he’d let it escape.  Why would anyone need to know what year it was, it wasn’t like, it wasn’t like people could just--

“Time skips aren’t real,” he whispered, willing the words to be true.

“What else could this be?” came Victor’s hushed reply.

Time skips were an urban legend -- a joke -- and the only people who took the idea at all seriously hung out in the tinfoil-hat parts of the internet that also believed in chemtrails and people with Rh- blood being descended from alien lizard people.  The History Channel ran programs on time skips, for pity’s sake!  Faux documentaries where people with overactive imaginations talked about being instantly transported through space and time in order to meet up with their past selves and prevent them from making some kind of terrible mistake…

But he and Victor were standing in the heart of downtown Detroit.  The air was chill but not quite freezing and carried the normal city smells of food, car exhaust, and garbage.  The sidewalks were clear, with the ghost of an old snowfall in the corners where people didn’t walk.  A half-moon hung low in the west.  The least romantic moon possible for a night like this, he remembered suddenly, the bitter satisfaction of the thought echoing forward through the years, except it wasn’t a memory because it was this moon and it was happening now and Yuuri felt the blood drain from his face because he knew why he needed to be there.  Yuuri knew.

“Fuck.”  He was moving, sprinting, ignoring Victor’s startled cry.  His love was just going to have to catch up and keep up on his own because it was 2016, it was after Vicchan, it was after Sochi, it was after Nationals, it was after setting Celestino loose, and he needed to get to the river right now and there wasn’t enough time.  His phone was still in his hand, and he breathed a prayer to the gods of wireless technology that the network would recognize the same international carrier and the same phone number and that it wouldn’t notice the oddity of two phones with the same credentials and that Phichit would be there and pick up and—

“Yuuri?” Oh, thank you.  Thank you.

“Yes,” he gasped into the phone.  “No! Sort of.” He couldn’t allow himself to slow down for an instant, and his voice was harsh with exertion.  “He needs you.  Yuuri needs you.  At Hart Plaza.  It’s an emergency.”

“Yuuri’s on a date,” Phichit said slowly.  “He met someone and they’re going out to dinner in Royal Oak.”

“And you believed that horseshit?”

There was a pause, and then Phichit swore explosively in Thai.  “Who is this?” he demanded.

“Just hurry,” Yuuri said. “And bring his skates!” He ended the call and kept running.

                                              ~            ~            ~

 Hart Plaza wasn’t much to look at, particularly lying in the shadow of the Renaissance Center’s gleaming silver towers.  It was a park with no green space, a huge concrete and stone terrace designed for hosting outdoor festivals, and judging by the crumbling or outright missing paver bricks it hadn’t been properly maintained in years.  Yuuri ignored scattered works of abstract art and a truly hideous aluminum fountain, intent on not breaking an ankle on the uneven footing.  A cluster of bronze statues with some unknown historical significance guarded the stairs that led down to the riverwalk. Many of the decorative lampposts lining the water were dark, either through neglect or vandalism, but it still only took a glance to spot the lone figure who was staring into the icy water of the Detroit River from the wrong side of the guardrail.

Yuuri knew exactly what worked to pull himself out of various states of mental crisis; after existing in his own head for a lifetime, how could he not?  A physical stimulus could ground his anxiety and help stave off a panic attack, but once an attack happened he could only bear to be touched in certain very specific ways and needed words to focus on.  On days when he lacked the energy to move or care for himself, it was skin-to-skin contact that kept him from spiraling into something darker. When anxiety and depression started tag-teaming him, only solitude allowed him to weep without shame. Thanks to years of therapy and the love of friends, family, and Victor, Yuuri had an arsenal of tried and true coping mechanisms at his disposable.  

Unfortunately, his plan had pretty much evaporated after get there and the frantic half-mile run hadn’t burned off anywhere near enough adrenaline to allow for rationality, much less empathy.  Five years ago, Katsuki Yuuri had done the unthinkable. The unforgiveable.  He’d given up.  And in doing so, he’d apparently fucked up so badly that the gods, or aliens, or the universe itself had needed to rewrite causality just to fix it.  Now, five years later, five years ago, right this minute, Japan’s Ace was within shouting distance of Japan’s Shame.  And now that he was done being scared, Yuuri was pissed.

Unloading on himself like a teenaged Yuri Plisetsky who had just witnessed someone literally pee in his Cheerios was a perfectly reasonable response, given the circumstances.

“You pathetic little coward.”  Rapid-fire Japanese spilled from Yuuri’s mouth almost unbidden as he stormed over to his younger self, who visibly stiffened at the intrusion.  “Phichit and Celestino care about you, not that they don’t deserve better; how do you think they’ll feel when your stinking corpse gets dredged out of the river?”  The other Yuuri’s head snapped up at the familiar names, and he gaped as he met his own eyes and recognized them.  “And don’t forget Kaasan and Tousan; do you think they’ll be pleased when they’re called to pick up their son’s coffin from the airport?  Especially when it’ll be the first time they’ve seen you since you were seventeen. Maybe Minako-sensei will make a special banner for your homecoming.”  He was spitting the words like the poison they were, forcing them past a lump in his throat that was threatening to choke him.

“Yuuri—”

The stupid, selfish boy in front of him was a watery blur now.  “And it’s not like Mari-nee is already blaming herself for letting Vicchan get out into the street, so what’s another layer of guilt?  And, oh god, Yurio, he’ll probably—”  Yuuri’s voice cracked.

“Yuuri!”  Strong arms wrapped around him from behind, steadying him, and Victor’s breath was warm in his ear.  “Enough, lyubov moy.  This isn’t helping.”

“But he’s – I’m – going to ruin everything,” he wailed.  Hot tears spilled down his cheeks, clearing his vision, and he glared at his younger self.  

The other Yuuri was clutching the guardrail as if it was the only thing keeping him standing upright, shocked eyes darting back and forth between his face and Victor’s.  “Y-you,” he stammered.  “V-vi—”  He closed his mouth with a snap, clearly giving up.  

“Nobody’s ruining anything.” Victor’s embrace was tender, but his voice was artificially cheerful.  Yuuri could tell from the tone that if he turned to look at his husband, he’d be flashing one of his celebrity smiles.  “Yuuri-chan isn’t going to be taking a cold bath tonight,” Victor declared brightly, drawing the name out in emphasis, “because he knows that if he does, you won’t be going in after him.”

The younger Yuuri emitted a strangled squeak, whether from the idea of his idol and future self watching him drown in the Detroit River or from being referred to as ‘Yuuri-chan’ by Victor Nikiforov, it was hard to tell. Yuuri would have felt sorry for him in a different circumstance; he’d heard that edge in Victor’s voice before, though it hadn’t been turned on him in a long time.  This was the Victor who’d so innocently wondered how Yuuri could be eating katsudon all the time when he hadn’t stood on a podium in half a year, and who had called Yuri Plisetsky a mediocre kitten shortly before sending him off to be slapped around by a temple priest.  The man who had sweetly ripped a journalist to weeping shreds when she’d tried to manufacture a scandal by suggesting in an interview that Victor’s continued friendship with Christophe Giacometti might be a sign of marital infidelity.

Knowing that his husband was struggling with his own temper was oddly calming.

“No,” Victor continued as though the other Yuuri’s noise had been a polite request for more information, “I’m afraid that I’ll have to jump into that freezing river if Yuuri-chan does.”  One of his arms changed positions against Yuuri’s shoulder, and he imagined Victor bringing his index finger to his lips in studied contemplation.  “Or, if Yuuri-chan already has so little regard for himself, perhaps he is unmoved by the thought of others risking their lives on his behalf.”

Red bloomed across the younger Yuuri’s cheeks, and he shook his head wildly.  “N-no!” he gasped, “I don’t w-want you putting yourself in danger f-for me.”  He glanced at Yuuri.  “Either of you.”

“Excellent.”  Victor clapped his hands together as though the three men had just decided on a restaurant for dinner together.  “Since we’re agreed that no one will be suffering from hypothermia or contracting any diseases from swimming in disgusting water tonight, now it’s time to come back over here where the people belong, yes?”

The other Yuuri – Yuuri-chan?  Might as well use it if Victor was going to, Yuuri decided – hesitated, his gaze flickering between the two time skippers again.  “Please?”  Yuuri found himself begging.  “I’m – I’m really happy.  You have no idea how much.”

After another long moment, Yuuri-chan finally nodded.  Yuuri and Victor helped him climb over the railing, sharing a sigh of relief once he was safely back on the ground.  Yuuri-chan looked at their joined hands, Victor’s in his right and Yuuri’s in his left, making no move to let go.  “This isn’t a dream, is it?” he asked wonderingly.  “You’re really V-Victor, and,” he turned to Yuuri, “you’re me.”

In answer, Yuuri tugged up the sleeve of his sweater.  There was a blue-gray mark on the underside of his forearm, an artifact of a childhood accident that had left a pencil point lodged permanently in his skin.  “Takeshi used to tease me about this all the time,” he said almost fondly.  “Remember? He called it my blue freckle.”

Yuuri-chan looked at the mark – and burst into tears.  Dropping Victor’s hand, he flung himself at Yuuri, who curled his arms protectively around his younger self and let him cry.  Victor moved close behind him, and Yuuri knew that he was rubbing comforting little circles on the small of Yuuri-chan’s back.  It had been a long time since sudden tears had made Victor panic.  “Shh,” Yuuri whispered into thick black hair.  “It’s okay now.  You’re safe, and I’m safe, and everything’s going to be okay.  I promise.”

“I’m sorry!” Yuuri-chan sobbed into Yuuri’s shoulder.  “I’m s-so, so s-sorry!”

“Phichit incoming,” Victor murmured, and Yuuri could hear the stomping footsteps that took the riverwalk stairs two at a time.  Yuuri-chan stiffened, dreading the encounter.  “Go on, solnyshko,” Victor told him, not unkindly.  “You two need each other.”

He looked like he was being sent to face a firing squad, but allowed himself to be peeled off of Yuuri and pushed toward his best friend and roommate, who dropped the skate bag he’d been carrying and shrieked his name, ignoring the two time skippers entirely. Yuuri-chan broke into a run and the two crashed into each other, Yuuri-chan babbling tearful apologies while Phichit alternated cursing him out in a garbled blend of English and Thai and peppering his face with frantic kisses.

Feeling like he was intruding on a private moment, Yuuri looked away from the two oblivious roommates. Victor had turned toward him at the same moment and they shared a small smile, in tune as always.  His husband opened his arms in invitation, and Yuuri sank gratefully into his embrace.

Victor felt like home.

“Are you all right?”

Yuuri huffed a laugh. “I don’t feel like I’m disappearing from reality, if that’s what you mean,” he said.  “Not that I’d know what that would even feel like.  If you’re asking about my emotional state, let’s go with a point somewhere between ‘nope’ and ‘probably going to be’.  What about you?”

He shrugged.  “Slightly less terrified out of my mind than I was. So what happens next?  Are we done here?”

“Hell if I know.  This night is a total blur for me.  I remember looking down into the water, and then I’m waking up tomorrow with Phichit and it’s almost six o’clock at night.  Phichit missed practice and Celestino was livid. I knew I hadn’t gotten drunk, so I always assumed I’d had some kind of breakdown.”

Victor hummed thoughtfully. “That’s a time skip thing, isn’t it? The people who claimed to have done it always said they didn’t remember being there until they were sent back.”

“Those are weird internet people.  Not exactly sources you can cite on Wikipedia.”

“That includes us now,” Victor pointed out.  “Figure skating legends, soon-to-be world’s greatest coaches, and weird internet people.”

Yuuri sniffed.  “Only if we decide to be, and I’m not planning to jump on Reddit with my life story anytime soon.”  He sighed.  “We’re getting off topic, though.  How do we know that we’ve done what we were sent here to do?”  He glanced over at Yuuri-chan.  The other Yuuri and Phichit were laughing more than crying now, Phichit’s kisses were starting to linger, and Yuuri-chan was starting to kiss back.  He found himself smiling wistfully.

“You miss him.”

“Always.  But I’ll get to see him in a couple weeks when he comes to stay with us.  And anyway, that isn’t my Phichit.  He’s Yurio’s age.”

Victor chuckled.  “I’m not suggesting that you drag him off into the nearest bathroom stall,” he teased.  “But no matter how old he is or isn’t at the moment, he’s still your best friend and you don’t spend nearly enough time together in person.  You’ve been given an opportunity; why not make the most of it? Besides, aren’t you just dying to see the look on his face when he realizes who we are?”

“You make a compelling argument,” Yuuri grinned.  Then he turned thoughtful.  “Actually, it might not be a bad idea to show baby-me how great the future is rather than just telling him.  We don’t seem to be going anywhere at the moment, at any rate.  And I do want to make sure.”

“I like it.  I think we have a plan.  Bet you a thousand yen that Chulanont is too shocked to take a picture?”

“You’re on, sucker.”

#yuri on ice #katsuki yuuri #victor nikiforov #phichit chulanont #victuuri #phichuuri #implied polyamory #detroit days #time travel #yoi time skip au #tw: suicide attempt #original content #i have committed fanfiction

[shadowedmiracles-blog]

Hello! Re: the YOI ask you just got: I'm interested in hearing what other changes did you not approve of? I don't remember seeing any that would change the show/characters as drastically as this one, and I'm wondering if I've missed something?

I wont deny that my other change dislikes are a bit petty, though that’s not to say me freaking out over Yuuri winking isn’t petty either. Because it absolutely is. And to be honest, my irks are majorly going to comedown to the opinion that I hate cliches.

For example, my first irk with the blu rays came when they changed the background in Viktor’s apartment to the very cliche “Successful bookworm” that Japan uses to encourage students to be more studious so that they tie in success with being an absolute bookworm. Not that there’s anything wrong with bookworms, I am one, I’d show my bookshelf, but there’s some incriminating evidence on there. >///> I digress, I know that this is super petty, but for me I never pictured Viktor as a book worm type. I wont lie, I based a lot of my character build of Viktor around him being an impulsive person who buys things like pretty bottles to put up in his kitchen for no use, and busts of random men, and a bajillion lights for absolutely no reason than that he likes light. That’s head canon, I know, but it’s still weird to me to try and picture Viktor sitting still long enough to read because he is so active and full of energy. I mean goodness he can’t even sit in a hotel room long enough to wait sleeping beauty to wake up and gush with him, he really wanted to go for a swim in a pool in Barcelona in December. Silly boy.

And at this point you are going, “What even is this person? These are not real arguments.” Touche, my friend, touche. But you asked for more opinion so you shall receive. ;)

Something else that bothers me that doesn’t really affect the characters personalities, but does change the characters, is how much they changed their physical features. Viktor was already super skinny, but now I fear for him being too underweight, and Yuuri isn’t far off after he gets back to his weight that he had before the Sochi GPF. I loved the fact that even after losing his weight, he still seemed to carry a little fat, especially in his face. I loved that it seemed so realistic that even though he was back to his figure skating weight there was still this evidence that he had let himself go, which I believed as a symbolism of: he was not and would never be the same person he was before that fateful GPF. 

Mila doesn’t even look eighteen anymore, to me she looks like a model who is the same age as Viktor. Not saying she can’t be model pretty, but I feel like her new look kind of stole some of that childish innocence from her that said, “I am adult, but I am still precious teenager, so let me tease the grumpy fifteen year old.” When I saw the new image of her hanging on Yurio, I was a little creeped out just because she looks so much older now. Plus they gave her makeup(?) at practice and as a former (high school) athlete I will always say, “Whyyyyyyyyyyyyy?! Mascara burns the eyes! And lip gloss tastes awful! ;A;” Makeup for performance is one thing, but I did love that she always seemed to lack it in her day to day life. Again, kind of broke a stereotype for me. One last thing is that they took away her boobs which made me sad because I feel like all sports anime girls that participate in sports never have boobs, and as a woman not lacking in that department I gets sad. So, again, it felt like the original broke so many cliches that they’ve now added back in.

I can’t diss any of the wardrobe changes though, I love the wardrobe changes. Just…bring back Viktor in a hoodie 2k17! Oh! And I do like that Yuuri’s facial features look more suitable to a twenty-three/four year old.

There was something else they did that bothered me but I can’t for the life of me remember exactly what it was, so that probably means it was even more petty than the bullshit I just wrote.

 Again, I know all of this is petty, and I really do not expect or need anyone to agree with me. Honestly, as I was writing this I realized that I placed YOI on a very high pedestal. which is quite ridiculous. I expected it to be this source of realism and broken cliches, but it really is just a fictional piece that should have no bearing on anything other than a person’s entertainment. My opinions don’t change, but I do see where I’m being a bit unfair.

#Ask #Anon #Yuri on Ice #Should I still put this under the personal tag anymore? #Eh #Personal #my thoughts #I'm rambling again

[creme13rulee]

Deep Within My Bones Ch.3- The Kiss

AU. Viktor wins another gold at the Olympics, and attends the Paralympics as another duty as the King of Ice Skating. Having lost his inspiration and heart, Viktor did not expect to find love in what he sees as the perfect man. Yuuri, after losing his legs, lost his chance to compete on the same ice as his idol. When the world seems to fall into place, what else can be taken away from them?

The neon sign glowed blue into the cold night air. Viktor could see his breathe fog and drift up into the light. He had used Christophe as an excuse, telling himself that he needed to let his friend socialize for a little longer. Long enough for Viktor to get another drink, steel his nerve…and order a car to the restaurant. It wasn’t that far, but wasn’t about to trek through the packed snow and cold. He would appear warm, every hair in place. Perfect.

For Yuuri.

His own Yuri had left with Yakov earlier. The boy was too old for a curfew, but he had probably worked out some excuse to get out of it.

Probably blaming it on Viktor.

They hadn’t spoken since they watched this new Yuuri skate on the ice.

Cristophe pushed open the door, gently waving backwards, shooing Viktor inside. It was almost as dark as the outside, most of the lighting warm candlelight. The walls were dark wood, and the warmth was a welcome relief.  Even though lately Viktor preferred going out and feeling the sting of the cold.

The cold immediately melted away at the sight of him.

He was smiling, his ears and nose still red from the cold. And perhaps the glasses of champagne he had gulped down less than an hour before.   When was the last time Viktor had seen a smile reach someones eyes? When had one of those smiles been directed at him? After 5 gold medals.. no, after 3, the smiles had become more forced on either end. There were only so many records you could break until you went from groundbreaker to someone to break down. His stomach filled with longing, heavy and burning. He had barely talked to this boy, but he wanted the smile to be for him. Not for someone who he had easy crushed in the semi-finals.

Where was this coming from?

Phichit was the reason why he was here. The Thai skater was a friend, not an enemy. He had to remember this. Said man raised a hand, greeting them. Yuuri turned, following Phichits gaze, his doe-like eyes widening. Viktor felt his pulse quicken. But Yuuri didn’t run. Perhaps it was the extra alcohol, or the fact that the seating was benches and kept him from moving quickly.

It didn’t matter.

Viktor easily slid on his smile, moving before he quickly overtook Chris.

“Sorry to make you wait.”  Viktor offered a sad nod toward Phichit, who wasn’t even looking at him. He was watching Yuuri, who stared as Viktor sat beside him, starry-eyed and agape.

He looked even more perfect up close. The way his eyebrows arched perfectly. His jaw line, how his inky black hair feathered around his ear.

But most of all, the grace and strength he held, while also looking like he could be easily crushed in a cold hand.

Viktor had been watching too many Harlequin romance movies.

“No worries, we just got here, right Yuuri?” Phichit barely contained his smirk, which was good, because everyone was watching Viktor and Yuuri.

“Right, Yuuri.”  Yuri echoed dreamily, still staring agape at Viktor. He grew pinker when the king of ice  laughed, radiating the flirt he was famous with the press for.

A waitress stopped by with a basket of warm buttery bread. Viktor watched as  Yuuri woozily doled out a soft roll to each of their plates before his own. He could feel the English he wanted to speak slipping through his fingers like a fine sand. The words fell faster the longer he watched the skater beside him close his eyes, his dark and thick eyelashes against his cheek as he sunk his teeth into the bread.

He had been watching way, way too many movies.

“Thank you for coming out. Yuuri’s a big fan. We didn’t know you were coming out for the Paralympic games.” Phichit interjected after a period of quiet  that Viktor had felt perfectly fine with.

“I didn’t know either. It was a last minute decision. But I’m glad I came.”

Apparently it hadn’t been last minute, but Yakov knew better than to ask (or tell) Viktor anything on the eve of a competition.

“I am too.”  Yuuri said softly, rolling the remainder of the bread between his fingers. “I wish I had been able to do better. I was distracted.”

Distracting, more like it. Viktor tried to keep his thoughts to  holier territory.

“I think it was beautiful.” Viktor murmured, and he hit the target. Yuuri jolted like an arrow had hit his heart, the remaining bread between his fingers squished into a pancake as red overtook the sweet mans face.

“Not as much as you. Y—y-your….oh…” Yuuri stammered, trailing off. It was Viktors turn to be stabbed in the heart. But he had no idea if it was Cupid’s arrow or just the feeling of no longer numbing himself to his heart.

Phichit  dropped the menu from his hands onto the table to hide his own snicker.  Yuuri looked up from his lap, back to his best friend. “Oh… order.” Words were coming hard to him, too.

“I already told the waitress to give us the special.” Pichit smiled. “I didn’t want a repeat of what happened on Monday!” The easy smile came back to Yuuri’s face, and the two friends laughed with such ease that Viktor felt lonely. Chris tilted his head to the side, showing enough curiosity to continue the conversation.

“Oh!  Me and Yuuri went out for lunch, but we didn’t charge our phones!  They died right as we got there, and we couldn’t use any of our apps !  We spent an hour trying to  figure out what to eat before Yuuri remembered how to  say breakfast!”

“I don’t know what we ate, but it was really  good.” Yuuri murmured, his accent thicker than it had been several drinks ago.

“So since then, we decided to leave the menu to the chef.” Phichit said confidently. Yuuri yawned adorably. The six hour time difference wasn’t as bad as the time difference between home and Detroit… But the warm bread, and the warmth sat beside him (and maybe the champagne) was making it harder to adjust. Even with sleeping until the hour before practice.

The technique was flawless. Viktor had the best food he had in a while, warm meat on fresh greens. The wine pairing was phenomenal. He felt sated enough to conduct the usual interview: how was Sochi, how did it feel to have gold again.

“What’s next?” Phichit asked, and Viktor knew he expected “Worlds” or some other simple answer.

But nothing came.

Just as it had since Viktor had bottled up the last few drops left in his desiccated soul into  Stammi Vicino.

What was next?

“Yuutopia.” Yuuri murmured sleepily, his head heavy on his hand. He looked ready to fall asleep at the table, but he kept his eyes dutifully on whoever was talking.

“Yuutopia?” Viktor repeated. He flipped through the dictionary in his head, but came up short. It wasn’t English.

“My parents hot springs. I haven’t been home since Obon. “ Yuuri said  in the same sleepy tone.

Viktor couldn’t bear it. He scooted closer, enough that their thights touched on the dark wooden bench. He didn’t notice.

“You should visit. Japanese hot springs are the best.” He said it so dreamily, that Viktor immediately considered pulling out his phone and checking ticket prices.

“You’ll get to see Vicchan again, too.” Pichit said, moving the remaining food around on his plate. Figuring out which filter that would best show off this meal would have to wait.

“Vicchan…” Yuuri cooed softly, the starry-eyed doe look returning to his face. Viktor frowned. He had heard it before, but it was before the translator had arrived to assist his interview with Skate Japan  and Shoujo Shuukan.

“Mari-nee-chan sent me this picture.” Yuuri said with the same soft coo, pulling out his own phone and unlocking it.  He went into his library, mostly selfies of Yuuri and Phichit, as well as some of the other skaters Viktor had seen earlier that day. He watched as the Yuuri tapped, pulling up a photo of a miniature Makkachin, dressed up in a weird set of jeans-for-dogs and a black vneck tee. It looked more couture than the clothing Viktor had in his own closet, which would definitely not fit Makkachin.

“He’s adorable.” Viktor cooed, and Yuuri immediately scrolled through a long row of pictures, the dog taking up most of his camera roll.

“I miss him. He is the cutest thing in the world.” Yuuri said, staring at the phone with heavy eyelids and a soft smile.

“Vicchan, right?”

“Mhmm. I named him after my favorite skater.” He scrolled to a picture of the dog in a bee costume.

Viktor nearly spit.

“Favorite skater?”

“Viktor Nikiforov.” Yuuri said. Viktor noticed that Yuuri had slumped over, and his arm and side were now against his own. Viktor glanced up to see Chris’ hand pressed to his mouth, stifling laughter that threatened to bubble out.

This was actually going pretty well.

“I happen to have the same name.” Viktor said. What else could he say?

“’n look exack-a-ly like him.” Yuuri said, turning his beautiful smile up to him.

Viktor wanted to see this smile more.

“What if your favorite skater showed up to your hot springs?”

“That’da only happen in dreams.” Yuuri’s tone alluded that he was ridiculous, that it was a joke that it would ever happen. But… was it really that impossible?

Was he really that untouchable? Here he was, draped over him, their thighs against each other, a thousand smiles and looks and accidentally-on-purpose touches of the hand… and Viktor Nikiforov was still strictly in the dream land?

Was this the only thing that would be a surprise?

The bill came, and Viktor took it and slid his card under the clip. It would be the best rubles he had ever spent. (Except for Makkachin’s adoption fee.)

“We should get going, there are more events tomorrow…” Phichit said, watching Yuuri fighting to keep his eyes open, his cheek against Viktors arm. Chris played the traitor, standing up first, forcing Viktor to use his time wisely. He pulled away, but Yuuri sunk closer to him.

“Oh great… We left the chair at the hotel…” Phichit said, his perfectly laid plans fraying at the edges.

“The wheelchair?” He had forgotten about it. The fact that this boy had something about him that kept him from competing in the main Olympics.

“How did he…?” The words left Viktor’s lips before he meant them too. He moved carefully, extracting himself from Yuuri’s weight until we has able to get his feet underneath him.

“He walked in, but if he can’t sit, he can’t walk, and if you’re not careful you could hurt him.” Phichit worried his bottom lip.  He and his best friend were close to the same height, so a few tipsy nights hadn’t been much of a problem. But that had been in Detroit in the summer, not Sochi in the middle of winter.

The problem solved itself, Viktor sliding his arms around   Yuuri’s back and under his knees. Where he expected hard muscle with the soft give of flesh, he was pinched with hard plastic. Though the rest of him drooped, his feet remained straight, his slacks riding up to a skeleton of titanium ankles.

Oh.

“Here,” Phichit said, stepping around the table and grabbing the bottom of the dress shoes, unceremoniously pulling them

And the rest of Yuuri’s leg

Off.

The pant legs below Yuri’s knees deflated, but Viktor no longer had to worry about kicking other restaurant patrons in the head.

“That will make it easier to fit in the car.” Phichit said, tucking the legs under his arm. He obviously knew what was going on and had no issue whatsoever. Christopher knew too. Or he was just cool and didn’t feel like the worlds eyes were upon them.

God smiled upon them, and they happened to stay at the same hotel near the Olympic Oval. Phichit called a car home, the only one smart enough to keep a battery reserve on his smart phone. Viktor, the tallest, was tasked the keeper of Yuuri. In the lobby, Phichit dug out and set the sleeping man’s wallet into his lap, as Viktor held him like a bride over the threshold.

“Thanks. I owe you.” Phichit said, before following Chris up to the fifth floor. Viktor rode alone in the elevator… well, with Yuuri, late enough that the halls were quiet. There was only the hum of the elevator pulling upward, and the soft, even breathing of the silver medalist nestled against his chest.

He somehow managed to unlock the door, thanking all the corporations in Russia that it was a touch-card and not a key. He jostled Yuuri slightly, searching for a light switch on the wall. His arms were tiring, even during the break in the car. Why on earth was he up so high? All the accessible rooms were usually at the bottom floors in order to save costs on ordering evacuation equipment. That was if this hotel was even accessible. It never occurred to him before.

It was a small, single room; the only thing touched in the room was the bed. The expensive water laid untouched, even the complimentary pillow mint was uneaten. Viktor carefully set Yuri on the bed, in the middle of the nest of blankets. He paused, before reaching out to loosen this strange, perfect man’s tie. His eyelids fluttered open, and he stared up at Viktor.

His very core tugged him downward, harder than gravity. He wanted those eyes locked on him, to see what they did when given more pleasure than just a good meal and drink.

But he had just carried him, this boy drunk enough to spill his heart but not tie his idols name to the body beside him. He could not tarnish this image by taking what he could not get a clear answer to.

So instead he leaned down, kissing his forehead sweetly.

“Spokushki, Yuuri.”

#viktuuri #victuuri #yoi #yuri on ice #yoi fic #yoi fanfic #yuri on ice fanfic