Tumgik
#next up is Toshiya in heels
slapthebass · 4 days
Text
EUROPE TOUR24 FROM DEPRESSION TO [mode of Withering to death & UROBOROS] - Live reports (Warsaw + Paris)
Warsaw - Progresja 19/03/24 (mode of WTD)
Travelled to Poland on the 16th, we had mixed weather during the week-end but it was luckily quite sunny (albeit cold-ish) while we queued outside the venue! My friend and I had Priority upgrades for this show so we arrived around 14:30 & waited right next to the VIP queue. Venue logistics for the queue(s) were a bit fuzzy at first* but we got our laminated passes around 16:00 (just after the VIPs got theirs + goodies) then waited for a bit after 18:00 when the VIPs entered the building. Diru/prod staff keeps a printed list of VIP/priority passes holders and distributes passes and goodies by checking the names.
*Fans were better organised with sharpies and unofficial waiting numbers :)
We went in and waited (again :) ) in the pit for 1h, behind the caution tape separating the VIP from the rest of the room. This allowed us to get some merch at the stand, then at 19:00 the security guards lifted the caution tape and we managed to get nice spots at the 2nd & 3rd rows in front of Die's mic. We waited again for another hour while the general attendance ticket holders entered the venue, then the show started around 20:20 (a bit late because of a technical issue with Die's guitar apparently, that had all their technicians running around looking stressed out), without any intro if I remember correctly, maybe because of said technical issue (but there were Diru remixes being played through the speakers during the whole time we waited inside).
I was unfortunately right next to an annoying (& bulky) man who kept pushing me & other fans around the whole time (I fought for my life the whole set and almost fell when the members entered the stage), but otherwise the show was very nice, it was great seeing them live for the first time even though it felt quite unreal! WTD is not my favourite album but it was still amazing to hear the songs live and the audience was really into it <3 I could see Die very clearly, Toshiya also came around a few times, as well as Kaoru in the end, but my view of Kyo and Shinya was a bit blocked. Die wore his usual tights with a black sleeveless top and red jacket; Shinya had a flowy white shirt as always; Kyo sported a simple black t-shirt & track pants (?) with a nice white make-up on the top half of his face; Toshiya wore the black siren dress (I almost died seeing it with my own two eyes) with thigh-high boots (not the same pair as in the 2024 Yurameki PV though, they had bulky heels instead of stilettos heels for practical reasons obviously :D), and Kaoru wore a black suit with a white shirt.
They all looked a bit jetlagged, having landed in Poland only the day before the 1st concert, and Die was breathing quite heavily during Akuro no oka in the end! The show ended quite abruptly with Akuro no oka, I was expecting Rasetsukoku as they tend to end most concerts with it but they all left the stage (Kaoru, Die and Toshiya being of course the last to leave after throwing picks everywhere).
On a personal note, I was overjoyed the finally see the brown ESP bass which is heavily featured on WTD songs <3
The setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dir-en-grey/2024/progresja-warsaw-poland-6baa32c2.html
The show ended around 22:00, it took a while for everyone to leave the venue!
Warsaw - Progresja 20/03/24 (mode of UROBOROS)
We had VIP upgrades this time & arrived around the same time as the day before, to wait with other fans under a nice sun :) Logistics were better than for the 1st show, with barriers already in place and 3 visible queues (VIP/Priority at the front + GA at the back of the 1st two lines). We heard reports & anecdotes from the previous day's VIP meet & greet and were 'warned' that Kyo had a paper bag on his head, so that saved us some awkwardness later :').
Staff also came while we were waiting, to check the names/tickets and distribute laminated passes & VIP goodies. We got a nice cotton bag, a fan, and an enveloppe to protect the postcards distributed by the group members. This time we got both a laminated pass and a wrist bracelet, to avoid cheating with passes from the day before. Staff also warned us no to take pictures/touch them during the M&G, then we entered the venue around 18:00 as expected. People queued in the stairs then before the doors of the main room upstairs (some went directly to the merch stand while we waited here), then the doors opened and we went inside one by one in a continued file, to meet the members and get the postcards. It was all very quick, I was a bit confused because they stayed in a quite dark area and I almost didn't recognize Kaoru who was first in line, oops. We didn't really had time to speak with them so I just took the signed postcards while thanking each of them; after Kaoru was Die with big sunglasses, Kyo with a paper bag on his head, Shinya with a mask on and Toshiya with sunglasses (he was the most smiley of them all and looked really nice and patient!). They were not yet wearing their stage outfits/makeup (except maybe for Kyo under the bag I guess?), and there was a gift box right next to the table to leave stuff for them.
Then we rushed to the stage and got 1st/2nd row spots, right between Kyo's platform on the left and Die's mic on the right! We waited again for two hours while speaking with nice fans from Romania who were right next to and behind us (hi if you're reading that!).
The show started on time with a nice intro video; it started with Vinushka, which is one of my favourite songs so I was really ecstatic to hear it live **. Kyo had a nice skull make-up which was really impressive with the visuals displayed on the screen! Then everything went blurry & heavy really fast haha, Uroboros really has to be experienced live at least once! HYDRA -666- & Reiketsu Nariseba in particular were especially impressive, they put them at the end of the main set to try and kill us I think :') (I was lucky enough to record the Toshiya-Die interaction during Reiketsu!). One calmer moment was Inconvenient Ideal, during which both Kaoru & Die went AWOL for a while (Kyo seemed to be looking for them at the beginning).
Not that the encore was softer, it started deceivingly 'calmly' with Dozing Green, then it was chaos again with Stuck Man, T.D.F.F. and Eddie back to back. Akuro no oka was again the last song of the encore/show, but they all looked less tired than the day before even though the show was more intense!
The audience was enthusiastic once again and we got pushed a lot from behind, but it was an overall great show.
Kyo left the stage first as usual after saying bye-bye, then Shinya briefly went on the platform to throw his drumsticks before leaving. Kaoru, Die and Toshiya stayed for a bit, throwing picks and water, and I managed to get one of Toshiya's bass picks!
The setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dir-en-grey/2024/progresja-warsaw-poland-6baa32c2.html
We took again a while to leave the venue, and headed to the merch stand to get more stuff (WTD/Uroboros lucky charms, stickers and postcards with cute drawings of the band members as monsters enjoying their trip to Europe <3).
Paris - Bataclan 22/03/24 (mode of WTD)
After a day of respite to travel back home, we headed to the Bataclan concert hall early in the afternoon to queue. I was a bit nervous as I'd never been to this venue before despite living in Paris, and its name was of course associated with dark memories from the 2015 terror attacks, but in the end the excitement to see Diru live again was greater than my anxiety :)
We had Priority upgrades and waited in the queue that was already in place; everything seemed quite well organised at first with three delimited lines but it ended a bit messy in the end with the VIPs moving to another line on the other side of the sidewalk, Priority upgrades members not knowing where to wait, etc. Luckily the weather was nice and sunny, and we waited more or less patiently until staff came with the laminated passes around 16:00. The VIPs got inside the venue a bit before 18:00, then the Priority upgrades; we waited again behind a caution tape inside the concert hall, which was then lifted at 19:00 and we managed to grab nice spots on the left side of the stage this time, I was at the barrier (1st row) right before Kaoru's mic and with an amazing view of Toshiya & Kyo!
There was a support artist this time, a French DJ who did his best to entertain us but I must admit we weren't really into it as we were waiting for the main set to begin. It wasn't that bad but I'd have preferred to wait with the Diru remixes like in Warsaw!
Unlike the 1st day in Warsaw, we had the intro music + video just before the band entered the stage (Die in red&white, Shinya in white, Kyo in black with a touch of eye-liner, Toshiya in the white dress and Kaoru in a steampunk-ish suit and vest **). Mode of WTD was great in Warsaw but it was wild in Paris, the audience sang everything loudly, cheered & clapped and the band seemed to really appreciate the vibe :)
It was the first time I really saw Kaoru so close (except for a few appearances on the right side of the stage in Warsaw) and it was amazing to see him play and make faces at the crowd & cameras, he really knows how to motivate people by (lovingly) yelling at them \o/
There was a funny moment during Akuro no oka in the end, when Toshiya almost began his bass solo too early with a single "klonk" and looked sheepish for a second (Kaoru was like "erm, i'm not finished yet mate" while still playing the guitar :D). I recorded the whole song but my phone mysteriously freezed right at this point so we concluded that Toshiya is actually a telepath and erased it with his preternatural powers :').
A very nice evening overall, it was the perfect combination of great songs & performances from the band + overjoyed participation from the audience! And the crowd was both enthusiastic and very chill pushing-wise on our end, so that was a nice respite from the Warsaw shows physically speaking :)
The setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dir-en-grey/2024/le-bataclan-paris-france-3aa096f.html
Paris - Bataclan 23/03/24 (mode of UROBOROS)
THE BEST CONCERT EVER
(Sorry, this needed to be said first).
4th (and last :'( ) show of the tour for us, so we hoped it would be great and we were not disappointed!
The queue outside was incredibly chaotic: despite being more or less organised the day before, it was a mess this time and nobody really knew where to wait. In addition, the weather was atrocious and we got rain showers, a chilly wind *and* a freezing hailstorm during the afternoon, everybody ended up soaked with chattering teeth for the remainder of the waiting time... But the VIPs finally went inside around 18:00, then us (Priority upgrades again) around 20 mn later.
After the caution tape was lifted, we went to the right side of the stage and had a nice spot in front of Die's mic once again! Then the GA ticket holders went in and the room quickly got quite warm, before the support act even started. It was the same DJ as the previous evening but the audience was a bit more into it this time.
The band entered the stage around 20:25 like the other days, with intro song + video again. There was a technical issue with the projected images on the screen during at least 20 mn, the visuals for Vinushka were really blurry and we also saw a computer error message during the following songs, but it got fixed at some point and didn't stop us from enjoying the show: from Vinushka to Bugaboo, everything was already wild but the band + crowd went really insane after that until near the end of the encore: Doukoku to Sarinu, HYDRA -666-, Gaika, Reiketsu Nariseba... the end of the main set was even wilder than the first time, they left us no time to breathe and we were all screaming, headbanging and jumping everywhere. Kyo looked really satisfied and apparently parted the crowd in two at some point (this is from another live report i read), the audience went wild and the security staff had to douse us with water to avoid more faintings (they had to evacuate at least three people from the pit from what i saw). I almost didn't take pictures this time, except for a few during the calmer songs and interludes because i just couldn't move for anything else than jumping up and down :')
We were already almost dead on our feet at the end of the main set, and the encore finished us, it was as wild as the main set but we managed to find some unexpected resources within us to scream and jump some more! Akuro no oka was a welcome and moving respite at the end (no bass solo mishap this time, a certain bassist was focusing haha), I personally wouldn't have survived another song like the rest and had to sit down after the show ended to re-learn how to breathe properly :') Luckily the venue staff took pity on us and put the AC on during the encore, so we barely managed not to pass out from heat exhaustion...
Then another great time at the end when the band members stayed on the stage: Kyo left quickly as usual but Shinya stayed a second longer than the other nights and threw not only his drumsticks but also a drumskin (??) like a frisbee in the crowd, then the usual suspects Kaoru, Toshiya and Die loitered for a while, throwing picks and smiling at the crowd <3 They looked like they didn't want to leave and neither did we!
The setlist: https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dir-en-grey/2024/le-bataclan-paris-france-1baa7d90.html
Gear
Don't think you can get out from a gear overview! For both albums/shows combined, we got:
Kaoru:
ESP D-KV 7str [Nothing]
ESP D-KV custom (blue JZH)
ESP D-KV 薰 custom (greenish/yellowish DKV - tag to be updated)
Die:
ESP D-DR 7str (lava D-DR)
ESP D-DR (red ESP)
ESP D-DR-300 (red mesh)
Morris S-custom D (acoustic black)
Toshiya:
ESP D-TR [RU-DRIVE Arch] (the brown one)
ESP D-TT [TRICK STAR] 00 (the black one)
ESP D-TT [TRICK STAR] 04 (striped blue)
Shinya:
Remo + Signia drumkit (it seems to be his default drumkit for abroad tours, maybe not to damage his usual Pearl one ?)
Sabian cymbals (probably as I didn't manage to take clear pictures of the brand)
Aaand that's it, thanks for reading all that! :)
65 notes · View notes
kyotakumrau · 3 years
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
2021.09.03 DIR EN GREY at CLUB CITTA' -a knot only- report&setlist
September the 3rd was a gloomy rainy day. But it was a start of TOUR21 DESPERATE.
First, we had to exchange our digital tickets for the paper tickets (also confirming the green screen from the questionnaire), then we used the paper tickets when entering. We used the alcohol for hands, got the temperature checked and then tore the tickets ourselves.
It was starting to rain so my friend and I entered quite early. I bought some extra stickers because 9/3 design had Kyo (normal stickers have a date, of you were lucky you also got a shiny one with a band member or a one with all 5 of them). Then we sat and waited for the start.
I'm not a big fan of seats in CITTA. My seat was the last row of the center block. It was very narrow and they had all rows lined up in a way that each seat was perfectly behing the one in the front. When you're on the side it's probably not a problem but for the people in the center it wasn't the best seat plan. I'm glad I was wearing heels (I knew I'll be 逆最前😆).
The stage was quite simple (for dir), but there was still a huge screen in the back. Kaoru's amps have his b&w drawings (one figure in the dark and two faces). Toshiya's are white.
Kyo's stand has the pregnant lady (belly and legs). Die's amps were his regular red.
From the BGM songs my favourite was Theme of High Heels by Ryuichi Sakamoto! There were many metal songs, including Metallica's Unforgiven and also songs like Enya.
The usual announcements they play before the show about the rules etc got updated, they also changed the person (how many years they've been using the same person?).
And then finally it was 6:34-ish and the lights went off. The opening video for the tour consisted of images of sick white people, hospitals, some images from the US regarding discrimination, one image that I remembered well was a sign with 'AmeriKKKa' (I hope to see next time what the sign said).
Fans greeted the band with clapping, it got fiercer each time one of them came on stage.
Kaoru had a dark jacket with dark shirt, his hair was all styled. Toshiya had a white floaty shirt with a (most likely) flower made of fabric, with white on top and more black on the bottom. Die had a black jacket and his signature hair. Shinya was someone I only caught glimpses because of the taller guy in front of me.
Kyo wore an Adidas jacket over a white t-shirt, and he also had Adidas shorts. Very comfy! He went for gold accessories, he had a chain, rings etc. He wears his hair short, with cropped fringe that goes little longer on one side.
The setlist was so interesting!
SE
01 Spilled Milk
02 -朔-saku
03 REPETITION OF HATRED
04 The Fatal Believer
.
05 てふてふ・Tefutefu
06 欲巣にDREAMBOX
07 谿壑の欲・Keigaku no yoku
.
08 赫・Aka
09 Ranunculus
.
10 Devote My Life
11 CLEVER SLEAZOID
12 T.D.F.F.
13 落ちたことのある空・Ochita
14 人間を被る・Ningen wo Kaburu
.
ENCORE
en15 朧・Oboro
en16 Followers
en17 Rubbish Heap
en18 詩踏み・Utafumi
en19 Sustain the Untruth
The flow of the setlist was insane, they started with MARROW and Wtd and then gradually moved to the newer stuff. It worked so well!
The rules from CITTA said no shouting and singing, no moving from our seats (standing up was okay) and no excessive headbanging😂 as in to avoid touching other fans in any way, but even in the narrow space each of us got some of us managed😆
Audience side was QUIET but the response each song got was fierce, with arms in the air, people jumping in place and some (non-excessive!😂) headbanging.
Most of the short breaks between the block of songs were quiet as well, Kyo went to his area in front of the drum set.
There was one video with an abandoned boarsing school or pediatric psychiatric hospital that was quite disturbing, the pig. (maybe DREAMBOX or Keigaku???)
The ending of DREAMBOX was so raw woah.
Even as we couldn't join in singing Kyo often gestured at us when it was our part leaving it unsang (Toshiya was doing those parts) so we could join with our hands and with our hearts.
And damn, Ranunculus.
The break that followed was the only break when we clapped.
The video for DEVOTE, omg!!! They again had the currupted Olympics video. It started with 'TOKYO COVID-19' and then had the giant gold babies marching and fighting, money everywhere, the last image was an olympic logo made from 5 coins that were melting. We went nuts.
And the last block of songs, that was so brutal, so amazing! Kyo was headbanging himself, or jumping, all the time looking at us and asking to give him more.
T.D.F.F. works so well live!! Even with us not being able to go truly crazy the song slayed.
After the main part we continued clapping until the band came back. But it was quite fun as we kept changing the speed and rhythm😂
I think all band members changed for the encore. Kaoru has a dark jacket but with an interesting tie with geometric print. Toshiya wore a black floaty shirt. Kyo the tour t-shirt with the sleeves cut off. Shinya... something black? Die wore the purple tour shirt with the sleeves cut off.
Oboro was very raw. I'm so curious what it will feel like when the rules for concerts change/go back to normal.
And then Followers. SAVE brought up so much warmth, so much energy, we all stayed with our hands raised high, both emitting and charging at the same time.
Then from Rubbish Heap we got to use some of that energy😆
Before Sustain Kyo got up on his stand and announced LAST song, while punching his chest he said to let them hear us from 'our hearts', our 'heart voice' 😊
I feel, I hope, we delivered!  During Sustain Kyo went to the sides of the stage, singing while looking at fans, making sure everyone is there 100%.
I also remember one moment when Toshiya was standing by the edge of the stage had his bass high above his head.
When encore ended, there were so many smiles from the band members! Kyo stayed a bit on his stand, clapping with us, pointing at various areas before waving bye and leaving. Other band members moved a bit more on the stage. Like we were sending our heart voice, I felt Kaoru was sending us his heart picks, because he walked and stood with the pick in his outstretched hand😆
Die was the last one to leave the stage, his last wave showed he got quite emotional😊❤️
The applause!!!!👏👏👏
129 notes · View notes
endlesscloudsoftime · 6 years
Text
What Brings Us Together
For @yoiroyaltyweek Day 3: Tokens of Favour. (Late to the day, yes I know, but life.) 
If you want to read it on AO3 then here is the link!
Hope you enjoy ^.^ 
-x-
Viktor blinked rapidly, hoping that the more his eyelashes fluttered shut and open the faster he would comprehend why his dog was holding a pair of blue rimmed glasses while being caked in mud.
She’s such a smart girl though, is the thought that ran through his mind when he noticed Makkachin holding them gently by the wiring in between the two lenses. Her tail was limp, a telling sign that she was aware of her mischief, but Viktor did not have it in him to scold her in public. More importantly, he could not, for if he did it would draw attention. Attention is something he did not need at that moment, especially as he was trying to be one with the crowd.
He really did not want his guard escorting him back to the palace.
With a heavy sigh, Viktor plucked the glasses from Makka’s mouth and wiped them clean of any residual dirt. Glad for the oversized hoodie he had managed to grab before being thrust amongst a throng of strangers, Viktor pulled the hood tighter around his head to prevent exposure of his extremely distinctive head and weaved his way through the crowd forming around them. The soft, high lilt of the Japanese pleasantly rang in Viktor’s ears, reminding himself of why he had gone through the risk of being house arrested again. Wandering around the host city for this year’s Meeting of the Royals, it was easy to forget that his beloved companion had somehow drenched herself in mud, but the slight pressure of the glasses in his hand was a stark enough reminder.
A very puzzled Viktor made his way through the city’s populated areas and into side streets that led to pockets of silence and tranquility. His bewilderment did not stop him from marveling the wonder of the city, and he wished he were more familiar with the different kinds of human settlements.
[Practically of course. Not everything can be learned through a book.]
After finding a vending machine in the middle of the quiet street and spending his time ‘ooh’-ing and ‘ahh’-ing about it, Viktor purchased a cold green tea and a bottle of water. Making sure his hoodie covered his pants sufficiently enough, Viktor carefully seated himself in a discrete corner and proceeded to gently wash Makkachin off as much as he could with the water he had. Just as he was finishing his task, an abnormally loud sound had both him and Makka turn their heads around just in time to see a man in an oversized beige coat, scarf, face mask and is that a cat eared beanie?!?! stumbling from another side street onto theirs. The stranger managed to catch himself just short of planting his face into the wall and brushed his clothing in place. He froze on turning his head and spotting the pair staring at him, only letting his eyes turn to slits as he squinted at them.
The Russian Royal was fascinated by this man, and let his eyes roam up and down the bundled figure hoping that imprinting the scene in his mind now will let him remember this as one of the more exciting moments of his trip here. It was when he took in both the squinted eyes and the mud lined shoes the man was sporting did his mind clink. Wordlessly, he walked closer to the man, and before the stranger could flee Viktor offered the glasses to him, palm outstretched.
Cat-beanie man cautiously plucked the glasses from Viktor’s palm. As he rightfully placed them, his face lit up with relief and joy, and soon Viktor was attacked with various forms of ‘Thank you’ s and “I truly appreciate it’ s and “Your dog is adorable” s. The Japanese man punctuated every two words with a bow and Viktor could only grin as the stranger shook his hair out of his eyes each time, only to have them flop again at the next bow.
“You should really only be thanking Makkachin, she’s the real savior here!”
Cat-beanie man knelt down in front of his hero and patted her head. With the softest smile Viktor had ever seen on a person, the man whispered, “Thank you Makkachin, you really helped me out.”
His old girl barked in response and excitedly nuzzled her head into the petting, but Viktor was distracted by the image before him. Something in him trilled and put him on alert because he was sure that he had seen a watered down version of the smile before him recently. Not only that, but the way cat-beanie man moved, even when his hands were flailing about him as he apologized, made Viktor feel all the more certain that he had seen him somewhere.
Before he could voice the questions pooling at the tip of his tongue, however, the man straightened and looked at Viktor. “I’m sorry but I really need to get going. Thank you for all your help, I will forever remember this.” With a parting smile, he turned and left just as quickly as he had entered.
It took a while for Viktor to tear his eyes away from where the stranger had vanished to Makkachin’s curious ones. His body finally registered his exhaustion, and seeing that Makka felt the same, Viktor sighed, “Let’s go back Makka, we do have to get ready after all.” Shades that had been perched atop of his hoodie came back down again, and Viktor donned his urban battle costume before heading back to the stifling world he had no choice but to accept.
 -x- 
“Oh, the food is exquisite here! I need to have this in my life.”
Queen Hiroko, Empress of Japan clasped her hands together and giggled in glee. “Well, as it turns out, I actually helped make tonight’s dinner so if you ever want to learn I can always teach you!”
Viktor immediately lit up and beamed brighter than he ever thought he could, all the while completely failing to notice the gobsmacked expression on Crown Princess Mari’s face as she approached the pair. “Thank you so much, Your Majesty. It truly is an honour that you consider me worthy enough for your time and guidance. Especially as I have just gotten to know you properly.”
“Oh Your Royal Majesty-“
“Please do call me Viktor.”
“Viktor then. It really doesn’t feel like we have been recently acquainted. Why, my-“
“Mother!” A slight pressure by Viktor’s foot made him briefly glance down to the heel that Crown Princess Mari had just avoided stomping his shoe with in her haste to interrupt Her Majesty. “I think Father wants you by his side, it seems urgent.” As she straightened her figure, leaning away from her mother, the heir apparent for Japan tilted her head in the direction of the current ruler. His Majesty did seem to be glancing over at their group quite frequently, with each glance loaded with increasing desperation. Queen Hiroko sighed fondly, excused herself from their company, and made her way to her husband. King Toshiya visibly relaxed once she reached his side, and not for the first time did Viktor wish for a companion who could make him feel the same.
The sound of a throat clearing drew his attention away from his silent musings. The Tsar immediately plastered an apologetic smile for Mari who dismisses it with a wave of her hand and a nonchalant expression. “Honestly, they can be such a handful. The same can be said for us though.”
Viktor chuckled shortly before casting his gaze around the room. “I was told that you would be joined by His Royal Highness too for this event, was I mistaken? Or am I just not able to locate him here?”
Mari emitted her chortle behind a gloved hand as she said, “Oh Yuuri hasn’t made it to the floor yet I believe. It is his first time attending the event so I assume he’s nervous. The boy surprises me sometimes, so I wouldn’t put it past him to arrive exactly when he’s needed.”
“Hmm.” Viktor had been intrigued by what he had heard of the elusive second-in-line’s reputation and prowess. Loved by the majority of his kingdom, His Royal Highness Yuuri Katsuki rarely showed himself publicly and preferred to handle work in the shadows. Despite the obscurity, his reach and success in helping the rest of his family rule the country is apparent to his subjects and other nobility alike. The few times Viktor had seen the Prince were in broadcasts of the entire family, and even then he could not recall the Prince’s face for those public appearances were few and far between. By attending this year’s Meeting of the Royals in Japan, Viktor had hoped to finally be acquainted with the enigma. Seeing that he wasn’t even present at the event, though, made the Tsar slowly lose hope.
Well after his conversation with the Crown Princess of Japan, and his subsequent ones with the Crown Princes of France and Italy, Viktor found himself staring at an abandoned rose by a corner of the room, next to a high table littered with used glasses and plates. Drawn in by the striking hue of the flower, Viktor bent to pick up the midnight blue flower, marveling at the unusual shade. His fingers abruptly halted the turning of the flower when he heard a timid “Excuse me” and glancing over his shoulder he found a familiar face twisted in embarrassment.
Viktor could not move a muscle as he watched Cat-beanie man flap his mouth open and close for a few seconds before stuttering, “Um. I was searching for that but. Uh. It seems, you’ve,” Viktor’s eyes automatically flickered to the man’s lips as he licked them nervously, “found it. The rose. Ah, it’s for you. I mean, I got this for you so. Uh. It found it’s intended.” The sweet smile that punctuated his explanation twisted Viktor’s heart in a way he didn’t dislike, and he wanted to know more about the interesting man twisting his hands in front of him. Before he could ask though, the man suddenly jumped, and only when he straightened did Viktor’s mind finally put two and two together, the click echoing in his mind mockingly audible.
“Oh. I haven’t introduced myself yet! How rude of me. Your Imperial Majesty, my name is Prince Yuuri, second born of King Toshiya, Emperor of Japan. Pleased to meet you.”
36 notes · View notes
ellayuki · 7 years
Text
11.04.’17
a thoughtless moment's blessing
yuri!!! on ice, yuuri pov, victuri royalty au
in a kingdom where touching the crown prince calls for the death sentence, yuuri, a simple tailor's apprentice, saves prince victor's life and fully expects to be executed for it.
(ao3)
~
oh no.
that's the only thought that passes through his head. he opens his eyes, just a bit, just enough to see the shock of silver hair in front of them, and then he squeezes them closed again.
oh no, oh no, oh no.
a shocked kind of silence has settled around him, and yuuri can hear his own heart pounding.
'umm...' he hears, voice hesitant, from the person in his arms, and he lets go immediately, as if burned. the person lifts their weight off of him and yuuri scrambles to put a bit of distance between them. he kneels, bows, forehead pressed to the ground, every nerve ending screaming at him. 
'please forgive me, your highness!' he begs, voice trembling as much as his body. 
he’s gone and done it. his body had acted on its own. he’d seen the way the horse had startled at something and surged forward, carriage and all, straight for where the prince was standing admiring a flower arrangement, and he just moved.
but in saving the crown prince’s life, he's also signed his own death sentence.
no one is allowed to touch the prince. ever. by law, only his close family and the select few carefully chosen to attend to him (his personal manservant, his personal medic, his personal seamstress, his personal guard), are allowed to physically touch him with other royals and members of the aristocracy being temporarily granted permission on special occasions.
peasants like yuuri (who is a mere tailor’s apprentice), obviously, are forbidden upon pain of death, no matter the circumstance.
so yeah, he's dead.
but, yuuri thinks to himself as he keeps his deep bow, at least prince victor will be okay.
a commotion starts back up, the royal guard finally snapping out of their shock and surrounding their charge and the still prostrate yuuri, swords out and pointing at the bowing man.
one of them grabs yuuri, pulls him up intending to tie him up, when the prince speaks up.
‘stop!’ he orders, and the soldier hesitates. ‘leave him be.’
‘but, your highness, he broke the law. he touched you so he will be executed.’ the guard is hesitant, but he does not release yuuri.
when he speaks again, victor’s tone is absolute.
‘he was doing your job. you will unhand him. now. i will not have a man killed for saving my life.’
still terrified, yuuri keeps his head down, eyes trained on the ground in front of his beat-up boots, and says nothing. he dares not hope he might actually get out of this with his head still attached to the rest of his body.
footsteps approach, shiny, silver boots entering his field of vision, and he tries to swallow past the knot in his throat.
‘what is your name?’ the prince asks, and it takes yuuri a moment to realise that yes, the prince is actually addressing him.
‘yuuri, your highness,’ he manages to choke out, a flush burning his face. ‘katsuki yuuri.’
‘yuuri,’ prince victor repeats, sounding almost thoughtful. ‘like my youngest brother.’ yuuri doesn’t have anything to say to that. the prince continues. ‘thank you, yuuri.’
yuuri scrambles to bow, says, ‘oh, no, your highness, you do not have to thank me. you are my prince, i could not have let any harm come to you.’ and hopes to god he won’t be executed just for being so bold as to directly address the crown prince of the realm.
fingers come up and gently touch his chin, applying enough pressure to lift yuuri’s face up. it takes all the courage he can muster to look up, meet the prince’s gaze. and his breath catches in his throat. the prince’s eyes, blue-green and sparkling, gentle and curious, are even more beautiful up-close, and yuuri is completely entranced.
‘oh,’ the prince says. just that, and it’s breathy, almost surprised.
for a few moments, neither says anything, just looking at each other, the world falling away around them.
then, like a thunderclap, the bubble breaks when the guard still holding yuuri clears his throat. yuuri takes a sharp breath and bows his head again. bites his lip and tries not to panic.
‘your highness,’ another guard starts, ‘what should we do? the law is the law…’
victor has yet to stop staring at the bowed head in front of him, but he finds his voice.
‘i think, in cases of life and death, even the law can be bent. he saved my life. he will be rewarded, not punished.’ then, he turns to yuuri. ‘tell me, yuuri, what is it you do for a living?’
yuuri, still not daring to hope, and still a bit dazed from gazing into victor’s eyes, says in a quiet voice, ‘i’m but a tailor’s apprentice, your highness. and you need not reward me. i’m just happy that your are safe.’
victor lets out a soft chuckle, then says, ‘nonsense. which tailor?’
‘my father, katsuki toshiya.’
‘i see,’ victor says, thoughtful again. then, lightning-quick, his mood changes and he turns on his heel.
‘well, yuuri, thank you again. i owe you a great debt.’ yuuri opens his mouth to speak, to deny, but he’s cut off. ‘men, let him go already, we need to go back to the palace, it’s getting late.’
and just like that, he leaves, saying no more and fully expecting his orders to be obeyed. yuuri’s finally released, and he bows deeply to victor’s retreating back. he’s still bewildered and breathless and somehow, miraculously, still alive.
~
(he almost dies of a heart attack the next day when he gets a missive from the palace, requesting his presence.
and another when victor announces yuuri will be his new personal tailor.
because somehow, his life has turned into something like a fairy tale without him noticing.)
63 notes · View notes
skeysesil · 7 years
Note
what's your favorite looks/era's of all the different dir en grey members? I'm kinda new to the band, but for Kyo at least, I love the Saku PV look...
HIIII ANOOOON!!!!!
ok let’s get on with this one, fasten your seat belts, it’s gonna be a wonderful ride, sit back, relax, munch on your popcorn and enjoy ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
KYO
first of all, Kyo is a man of change and even though some of his looks weren’t his best, you gotta give it to him he rocked each and every one of them. I don’t have a “oh my God I HATE THAT LOOK” thing going on with him, the most I think is just a cringe, the only major problem I have with him is what he used to do on stage and by that I mean the cuts he’d give himself. It’s a bit hard to watch, for me at least, especially when he did the “fish hook” thing where he cut the inner parts of his cheeks with his finger nails then spit the blood. Boy was going through something.
Anyway, back to the main subject here, I’m gonna say that I am mostly drawn to these looks
Tumblr media Tumblr media
I’m a slut for undercuts ^
DIE
ok this dude over here changed his style and went from “pale grunge princess” to “nazi fire demon” to “ready to stab you in the fucking heart with my spiked knee cap pads while wearing booty shorts” to “snow white” to “extreme MATRIX raver / S&M latex kinky pineapple” to BEING ACTUAL NEO for [KR] Cube to pimp daddeh to…God knows what, denim overalls, ripped jeans with a tshirt, satin suits with white pointy shoes, wine divorced mother, you name it, this dude did them all. I for one have no problem with his looks, I managed to swallow them all, but of course some looks were better than the others. [can we please not talk about his golfing phase where he wore that ugly ass golfing hat? I hope someone burned them all]
Of course there are some fails like:
Tumblr media
but we’re not here to have that conversation
what really tingled my senses regarding his looks during the eras…hmm…
Tumblr media Tumblr media
TOSHIYA
let’s get one thing straight about this guy [the only thing straight about him tho]: he can wear ANYTHING. This guy’s early androgyny [which in a way still exists] is a work of art. From bitch to stoned nudist to GOD DAMN CHOKE ME anchor arms in just a matter of years. What I love is that he didn’t ditched the skirt/dress look and manage to still rock it even after all these years. I can’t get enough of him in ARCHE where he wears that black skirt with black leggins AND boots with high heels. THOSE ARE SOME MOTHERFUCKING SEX LEGS
I want to remind everyone of how erotic and ethereal he was in Garden
Tumblr media
He is an exquisite human that looks good in everything but as much as I love me some androgynous Totchi, I’m more of a slut for this
Tumblr media
SHINYA
I don’t know much about this princess over here but what I know is that he makes a better woman than me. Back in the late 90s you could’ve mistaken him for a girl easily until 2000 something when BAM! TESTOSTERONE! Die looked like a bitch next to him to be honest.
fun fact: Die thought he’s a girl when he first met him and was actually in love with Shinya for 6 months, but we all know he still has a crush on him even after 20 years.
the look I LOVE so much on him is from the “Withering to Death” era, it’s hard, it’s sexy, it’s dark, it makes him be the most masculine from the entire band
Tumblr media
bitch don’t try me
he is adorable on a daily basis but this right here is my most favorite look // he’s actually an angelic being that deserves only the best and surrounded in Cheburashka plushies
KAORU
ah finally El Padre. I have no idea what the fuck happened to him at one point, he somehow became Alejandro Fernandez Juan Miguel Sanchez Lopez de la Frontera and from that mexican moustache I came up with the nickname “el Padre” which he kind of took it too seriously and actually dressed up as a priest on stage…
he looks like a done father with all 3 kids in custody since “mama” Die decided to divorce him and live a free life, but seriously, DEG is just a bunch of kids you have to look after and Kaoru always has to be in charge since he’s the leader but don’t be fooled he himself has no idea what he’s doing and goes wild sometimes. But back to our topic, dude…never failed to deliver some…atrocious looks. He was normal! He was colorful, he was the fuchsia/lilac/purple one from the band but then something went wrong, like his system got a worse error than 404 and it shutted down, he went from “I’m a Spikey girl in a colorful world, life in latex it’s fantastic” to “DEATH TO ALL MORTALS”. He started wearing this really horrible hat that looked as if it was straight from some Alien vs Predator movie, like God no PLEASE TAKE IT OFF what’s missing is for the legs to start moving. He’s my fellow aquarius friend but god damn boy, I thought Kyo was extreme. Well, anyway, suddenly he turned normal and started being decent, and after that decency the nightmare started: he let his hair and facial hair grow and looked like fucking Pedro Alfonso, your weird but actually well intended neighbour that hands out candies to your kids in the street. The dude is dark, Kyo is actually a baby compared to him, anywho back to our sheeps, what looks I loved the most on him, well let’s see.
Tumblr media
leaving jokes aside, he’s your friendly yakuza guy
Tumblr media
well that was about it ^.^
48 notes · View notes
Text
Deep Within My Bones- Ch 14- Apples
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? Ch 1-6 is Setup, start at Ch. 6 for the cute romance-y and drama
It took a few days to get back into the normal routine.  Part of it had been Viktor—after waking up at his usual time with Yuuri, he decided to ignore the time  and the idea of practice. He laid with Yuuri until he woke up on his own—which was midday without an alarm, apparently.
Then they had the Katsuki’s. They ate lunch together, and when Yuuri, ever dedicated Yuuri, brought up practice, his mother shot it down. They spent the weekend together, the Nishigori family and Yuuri’s old ballet instructor joining them for a game night. Viktor had dreaded it, going with the flow, but secretly mad that he hadn’t had a private moment beyond his homecoming. Sure, his parents had been welcoming, and Mari had done her duty as an embarrassing big sister. It was completely different to be around people Yuuri grew up with and had known for years. Viktor had felt out of the loop and new, fearing that he would lose the ground he had gained with Yuuri, and would starve for touch.
But, yet again, Yuuri reminded why he loved this place so much. How he was letting his old scars come back to the surface. Yuuri did not shy away, sitting next to him, leaning into Viktor.  As the night went on and everyone around them got drunker, Yuuri became heavier. Next to each other became together, Yuuri moving onto his lap during a particular daring game of Jenga. He hid his face against Viktor’s shoulders when the photo albums came out.
It was everything Viktor wish he had grown up with.
The next morning, Toshiya nursed a hangover while Hiroko shooed them into the van.
Viktor had dealt with a lump of dread sitting in his stomach until Yuuri woke up enough to translate.
They spent the day in an orchard, eating apples they pulled off the trees around them. Hiroko gasped and giggled as Viktor had sunk his teeth right into the flesh of a green apple.
“What’s so funny?” Viktor said through a mouthful. The best apple he had in months—the ones in the stores were pushing 500 yen, and Viktor had avoided them. Why get one apple when you could get a whole lunch?
“She says she forgot you’re foreign sometimes,” Yuuri blushed, letting his mother take another freshly picked apple out of his hands. “and no wonder I like you.”
“Huh? “ This did nothing to clarify anything for Viktor. Hiroko took a paring knife from her bag, and skillfully peeled the skin off in a perfect spiral.
“It’s dumb…. When I came back from Detroit, I ate like that too. Everyone in Japan peels their fruit.” Yuuri looked sheepish.
“I like it when you bite into me,” Viktor cooed, Yuuri looking red, turning on his heel to look at the tree behind him. Each tree had a cardboard label with a name scribbled on it in black marker, but it was useless to him.  Even if he deciphered the hiragana Yuuri had taught him, the poetic names did not connect to the Russian names in his head.
Besides, Yuuri was more interesting than the apples.
Viktor had been so enveloped in dreaming about Yuuri on the ice, of competing together at the finals… that he hadn’t realized how he loved him elsewhere.
Everything was so Yuuri.  How the man took time to hold the branches so he didn’t pull anything more than he needed to when he picked an apple. How he swayed while he rocked. How he had brought the canes Viktor had seen Phichit with at the Gala…. And then left them on the picnic blanket, leaning against Viktor instead.
He even loved how Hiroko patted Viktor’s arm, pulled him closer and rubbed in the bug spray into his neck and cheeks.  He missed the motherly touch. He loved how Hiroko thought of him, even if it embarrassed  Yuuri. He could tell, when  Viktor was the first to get a plate of Ritz salt crackers, topped with a thin slice of apple and a melted marshmallow. The Nishigori triplets were the only others to get the treat, besides Yuuri, who reluctantly opened his mouth for Viktor.
The family had done their best to erase the trauma and stress of the day Yuuri fell on the ice.
They mostly succeeded.
Viktor had enough peace of mind to think of what to get Yuuri practicing on. He stayed off the ice, neglecting to put his skates on as if he had been the curse to bring him down.
It was stupid, and useless, as he had seen the medical records, and Yuuri had another appointment later in the week.
But he still felt responsible.  Everything weighed in on his mind, especially after leaving Yuutopia behind.
Viktor hadn’t notice he had lost himself in his own world until the scrape and slice of the ice stopped.
Yuuri was mad.
He wasn’t Yakov, mad,  or Yuri mad. There was no yelling or kicking or anything really.
He was quiet.
Too quiet.
He glowered at Viktor, his mouth set in a hard pout, the rest of his expression closed off.
Viktor looked up from his phone. “Yuuri! Great job,”
“What do I need to adjust.” He said flatly, a few inches away, the wall of the rink the only thing between them. He felt a lot further away.
“Uh, I think---“
“You weren’t even watching.” Yuuri interrupted.
“I was!” Viktor squeaked.  He dreaded this new Yuuri, who moved his hands when Viktor went to hold his cold fingers.
“You weren’t watching enough.” He leaned over, a small blessing, the blessing withering when Yuuri peered at Viktor’s phone.
He squinted, taking the phone and holding it closer to his nose.
“What is it?” He said, his tone softening at the end, tilting the black and white rows of Cyrillic.
“Just a page from a friend.” Viktor said, his throat closing up.   Yuuri closed up again, taking his thumb and scrolling up.
Damn Chris for sending him a Wikipedia link.
Yuuri switched it to English, then to Japanese with a surprising about of ease.
Viktor hated himself.
“Life expectancy of leukemia...?” Yuuri stared at the screen. He sounded empty, and sad.
He sounded like Viktor had felt, before all of this.
“Yuuri, I can explain, I just… I just want to  know everything.”
“So you can be prepared?” Yuuri’s hand tightened around the phone, but all Viktor could notice was his veins standing out under the fishnet and lycra half-gloves.
“So I can help you fight it.” Viktor’s voice broke, and he felt fresh stinging of his cheeks as tears trailed down them without warning.
So this was it.
He could feel everything fall apart as Yuuri was quiet, staring down at Viktor’s phone in his hand.
“Not here, Vitenka. Not on the ice.” Yuuri set the phone down, balancing it on the wall between them, before pushing off, skating back to the middle of the rink.
He threw himself into another jump, landing sloppily. He didn’t improve,  moving into other maneuvers and spins, never ending gracefully.
Thankfully, he never fell.
He kept at it, until Viktor realized that he couldn’t wait for Yuuri to come back.
He left the side of the rink to lace up his skates.
“Yuuri.” He easily avoided Yuuri as he finished another messy jump. He looked at him, but didn’t say anything.
“Nagano is next week.” Yuuri’s eyes fluttered downward. “For your exhibition… Viktor continued. “We should do a pair skate.”
“Only winners get an exhibition, Vitenka.” He said it as if Viktor was being stupid.
“Perfect—if you don’t place, I will, and we can do it at the Cup.” Viktor lifted his arms, his hands spread wide.
“It’s a week away.” Yuuri said, sliding back and forth, the same action of scuffing his toe against asphalt.
“You already know most of it, we just have to change the end of it to pair skate.” Viktor could feel his heart lifting as Yuuri humored him more and more.
“I’m not skating Eros like that.” Yuuri stammered. “If I even am allowed to compete.”
“No, silly.” Viktor skated closer, kissing his cheek. “Stammi Vicino.”
“That’s your routine,” Yuuri said softly.
“I’ve seen you try it.” Yuuri jerked, looking panicked and embarrassed. “I want to do it together.”
“There’s only a week!” He started to worry his bottom lip again. He didn’t stop moving.
“You took the podium at an international event, Yuuri.  You can do it.” Viktor reached forward, taking Yuuri’s wrists in his hands, then gently unfolding Yuuri’s hands into his own.
“This is different. This is you.” It was maddening that he still couldn’t face Viktor, even with his touch and what they had said in the storm and in bed. It was awful.
But Yuuri’s lack of confidence was worse.
“Please?” Viktor leaned down, making himself look into Yuuri’s eyes. “I want memories, too. “
“Memories of you being ridiculed for showing up skating with a nobody?” Yuuri made a sour face, a corner of his mouth curling up in self-deprecation.
“Of skating on the same ice as my love. “ Viktor forced another stage-smile, pushing Yuuri’s chin up  gently. “Wasn’t that your dream?”
“Who told you? Phichit?” Yuuri turned pink.
“You did, silly. The first night we slept together.”
Yuuri nearly collapsed. “We did that?”
“Sadly, not that. You just are an incredibly good cuddler.” The smile was genuine now. “But if you wanted to…” He teased.
“Don’t be stupid.” Yuuri whispered hoarsely. “No one in my family knows what privacy means.” He was even pinker now. The heavens opened up, angels sang. Viktor thought he was still in bed, dreaming about this miracle.
“Are you saying….?” His voice peaked at the end. He hoped Yuuri didn’t notice his heart beating a mile a minute.
“Not in Hasetsu.” Yuuri said firmly, worrying his lips again, biting them, and driving Viktor crazy.
“Let’s go to Tokyo!” Viktor sang.
“What? Now?” Viktor bobbed his head, clapping his hands happily in affirmation. “Are you insane?” Yuuri squeaked “That’s the other side of the country! It’ll take hours!”
“Aahhh… Hiroshima?” Viktor smiled.
“Still… two hours on shinkansen.” Yuuri wilted slightly. “You don’t know anything about Japan, do you?”
“I know about you..” Viktor shrugged. “Tokyo is close to Nagano, isn’t it?”
“It’s a little far… and I don’t have membership for their rink.” Yuuri rubbed his fingers against Viktor’s, deep in thought. “We can go to Fukuoka.”
“Are you sure…?” All Viktor knew about the city was it held the hospital and an international airport.
“Mm. It’s  a big city, and has a lot of import stores.  We can say we are getting ingredients for a Russian dinner.”
“Do you know anything about Russia?” Viktor teased, the smile fading at Yuuri’s serious look.
“Your favorite  food is syrniki.” Yuuri said flatly. Viktor kissed him. “I am not Russia, but I love it.”
2 notes · View notes
yoireverse · 7 years
Text
homecoming - p2
((hello all!! welcome back to the reverse au! quite a bit has been happenin’ on the blog since the last update, hahaha, but here ya go. ;) ♥♥♥ as always, i luv the reverse au! ♥ ps - don’t forget to check out [rev au zine signups]! ♥))
summary: Yuri pulls Victor to the side with an unkind expression and the older skater wills himself not to snap at the teenager. "So what comes next? What's your scheme here?"
Victor takes a long moment to compose himself. He has to be the adult here. "There is no scheme, Yura."
For the time being, they are at an impasse. word count: ~2.8k rating: t ✮chapter 1 | ✮read on ao3 | ✮reverse fic tag | ✮reverse art tag →my personal | →em’s art blog!
Yuuri decides to organize his tour of Hasetsu in neat little blocks. First, he’s going to take his guests to the city, where they can shop. Then, he’s going to take them to his favorite restaurant near the pier. After that, there will be stops at his childhood hang out spots - Minako’s ballet studio and Ice Castle Hasetsu.
Victor insists on taking a photo with his fiancé at every monument. Yuuri is pretty relaxed about it, all things considered, because he likes to move at a slow pace, and he knows how much Victor likes taking pictures for his social media. The person who is surprisingly quiet during the first part of their journey is Yuri.
The older men loop arms and let him be for the first few hours of the morning, because the teenager is groggy and jet-lagged. They’ve all been up earlier for practice, of course, but this is vacation, and if the blonde wants to hang back and let them chat about the history of Hasetsu, Victor and Yuuri are patient and understanding about his wishes.
He still manages to snap a few pictures, though, because the statues are just too ridiculous to pass up.
Once the three of them get to the market area of town, Yuuri is pleased to see that the blonde is excited. Yuri drifts between the narrow shops, excitedly lingering around one particular t-shirt. Victor, meanwhile, is fawning over different earrings and pointing them out to his partner, who is just rolling his eyes.
Yuuri approaches their young companion and says, “If you like it, you should get it.” 
The blonde scoffs at him. “I’m going to, Fluffy. Stop breathing down my neck.” Yuuri shrugs at that, heading back to Victor’s side, where the tall man immediately attaches himself to the brunette’s back.
The older men are disgusting, and it’s truly outstanding that Yuri hasn’t dropkicked both of them into a ditch yet.
//
When they stop for lunch, arms laden with bags, Yuri and Yuuri are both exhausted. Victor, on the other hand, looks like he couldn’t be more refreshed, fussing with the new blue earrings Yuuri had just bought him and his abundance of purchases. Lunch turns out to be nothing fancy - it’s just a stall that overlooks the ocean, but Yuuri murmurs with the owner for a time until three steaming bowls of ramen are in front of them.
Victor and Yuri drool over the smell of the meal for a time until Yuuri presses his hands together and murmurs, breaking apart the disposable chopsticks. The two younger skaters stare at him as he fluidly eats his meal, and he raises an eyebrow at them with foggy glasses.
Yuri snorts, but his waiting comment is cut off by Victor’s smirk. “So, are you going to embarrass yourself out here too, Yura?” Yuri clenches a fist, cheeks growing warm. Yuuri, stuck between the hotheaded younger skaters, just ducks his head down and continues to eat, ignoring the splashes of broth from the foreigners digging into ramen with sloppy chopstick technique.
The stand owner pats Yuuri on the shoulder. The dark haired man just smiles back to him apologetically, murmuring that the two of them will definitely be cleaning up behind themselves.
Walking down the shores after their meal keeps Victor alarmingly quiet and distant. Yuuri wants to reach out, but he decides to talk absently with the teenager instead.
Yuri looks at Victor, reaching out to the ocean, and says, “He always does this.”
“Does what?”
He points. “He likes the sounds the seagulls make.” Green eyes flick upwards at Yuuri. “He’s never told you that before?”
Yuuri’s lips grow thin as he presses them together. “I guess it’s never come up.”
Victor puts his right hand out to the midday sun before sighing in contentment, rushing back to Yuuri’s side, slipping their hands together. Yuuri smiles at the warmth of him, although he’s curious to know what’s going on in Victor’s head.
//
Their final two stops provide more insight about the eldest of their group than the rest of their trip. In fact, Yuuri schedules his time with the rink and the studio for the following day, so that his guests have plenty of time to rest before they spend time with Minako and the Nishigori family.
The name of the second group startles Victor at dinner. “Who?”
“Mm,” Mari pats Victor on the back. “Yuuri’s childhood friends. You’ll like them. Sweet.” Her English is choppy, but that isn’t why the blue-eyed man is startled. He stares at his coach in wonder.
It makes him realize there are things he doesn’t know about Yuuri, despite the older man’s lengthy catalogue of interviews that he’s poured over.
Hiroko tries to swat at her son’s head, trying to muss his hair at the table, but Yuuri swerves to avoid her hands. Toshiya tries to give Victor and Yuuri some of his fine saké and Yuuri vehemently refuses, turning dark red at the notion of casually drinking while he’s home. Victor gets breathless and giggly at the actions of the Katsuki family.
The blonde teenager stews in a quiet rage for most of the evening, trying to gather his thoughts as far as what he’s going to tell Victor before their week of vacation is over.
//
Minako beams when Yuuri and his small entourage come into the studio. There isn’t much to see, but even Yuri marvels at the beauty of the small studio. The long-haired woman leans against the walls and talks to her old student, congratulating Yuuri on his engagement and giggling when the twenty-eight year old flushes and twiddles his thumbs, looking outrageously young in the moment. She suppresses the urge to bundle him up in her arms for protection, doing a small twirl instead, still as poised and graceful as she ever was.
Yuuri says as much and Minako pinches his soft cheek. “I never fell out of practice. Did you?” He grumbles for a minute, edging away from her and failing to escape the grasp of her long fingers. “I have spare sweats in the dressing room. Go change and do your stretches. The Ice Castle can wait.”
“Minako-sensei,” Yuuri whines. He’s been teaching Victor the basics, and he’s not out of practice with his ballet training, per se. He’s just been more focused on getting in shape for the next skating season.
She still drives him hard while Victor and Yuri watch, amazed to see the older skater moving through the steps, even though Minako is calmly correcting every one of his minute mistakes.
In that moment, Victor feels both a cathartic pleasure in seeing his coach suffer and a sad empathy for Yuuri’s plight, knowing that Yuuri had worked him just as hard the previous season. Now, at least, he sees where the man gets his drive for ballet from.
His eyes drift over to Yuri, who pulls further into himself as Victor’s coach dances. When the teenager notices Victor staring, he stands up and jerks his hand towards the hallway. “We’ll be back,” Yuri spits the words out, waiting for Victor to stand up and follow him with a sigh.
The long-haired skater waits until they are a fair distance from the studio to fold his arms over his chest. The teenager glares at him for a time, so Victor closes his eyes and opens the platform for discussion, not in the mood to wait for Yuri to violently lash out at him. “Yura, what is it?” Victor likes surprises, but he doesn’t like playing guessing games with his young rinkmate. Guessing what Yuri’s trying to tell him is like pulling teeth from a feral animal. When Yuri still doesn’t say anything, Victor turns on his heel and almost catches his leg on the blonde’s. “Honestly. I am trying to listen. What do you want?”
“What’s your angle?” The young man turns his head sharply, glaring at Victor with full force. “What’s your scheme?”
Victor impatiently scowls. “Yura, what? What are you talking about?”
Yuri grabs Victor by the collar, making the taller man’s eyes narrow. “What is the point of all this dumb shit? You hang around with your coach all the time in Saint Petersburg, so what’s different this time? You always keep your crushes around and then you drop them, so why are you so...disgusting this time? I’ve never seen you like this.”
An obnoxious snort passes through Victor’s flared nostrils. “I don’t know if you somehow missed the memo, but we are engaged.” Victor forcefully pulls out the teenager’s grip to flash his ring, angry energy rising in his chest. “Yes, it’s different. I love Yuuri, and you know why we’re here. So cut the crap and tell me why you really called me out here.”
“Are you serious about this?” A hard edge bites at the teenager’s tone, and if Victor weren’t trying so hard not to snap, he would shake the blonde down and tell him to watch his manners. “You’re honestly fine with life like this? You’re not one for settling down, Nikiforov, let alone in this sleepy little port town. What’s your game?”
After sucking in several deep breaths, Victor presses his lips in a line. “There is no game, Yura. I told you my reasons. If this is where Yuuri wants to move after we retire, I’ll consider it.” Clarity hits Victor in that moment, and he laughs quickly. “You’re frustrated! About what? My retirement? Yuuri’s? The fact that we could be leaving you? You’re being a child.”
This makes Yuri drop his fists and snarl, kicking at the floor. Victor smiles at that. Yuri is being roundabout with his fury, but at the end of the day, he’s still very young, and he’s never been good at verbalizing himself.
“It’s not a decision I have to make any time soon,” Victor assures him quietly, lowering his arms and walking away. “When I’m ready to leave Russia, I’ll do it on my own terms, and I don’t care what anyone says, you can’t stop me.”
Yuri stays there with his hands curled in fists for several more minutes, waiting for Yuuri and Victor to emerge from the ballet studio and link arms as they walk to the ice rink.
Yuuri flicks dark eyes back to the teenager a couple of times, fidgeting with his glasses and wondering why the youth looks so terribly furious.
//
Yuuko, Takeshi, and their three children rush to greet Yuuri as soon as they walk up to the rental counter at Ice Castle. None of them had brought their proper skating gear, because they’d come to Hasetsu on vacation, so they’re really just here to meet Yuuri’s friends and hang out for a while.
The petite woman has a bright smile, and she’s so soft around Yuuri that it makes both of his guests stare in wonder. Amazingly, the more physical of the couple is Takeshi, who pulls Yuuri close and ruffles his hair. It’s always such a treat for Victor to see Yuuri with his hair less polished that he jumps at the sight, enamored all over again.
Once the triplets tell Yuuri their stories, he ushers them out of the rink with a wave to the Nishigoris, headed home for the afternoon. He lets Victor walk ahead of him as they walk down the steep slopes, giving his partner a knowing nod and walking beside Yuri.
Yuuri sticks his hands in his pants pockets and smiles gently. “Everything alright? Are you not having fun?”
Yuri shakes his head, pouting. “It’s fine, I guess. Weird. Not bad.”
“Mm,” the older man says, reaching out for the blonde and startling the teenager with a soft grip on Yuri’s shoulder. “You know we’re always here for you, right? You’re not like, fighting us by yourself. We’re here for support.”
Green eyes flick up to Victor, who had nearly throttled him earlier, blue eyes cutting and sharp. It hadn’t exactly been a moment full of support. “Just something stupid. None of your business, Fluffy.”
Yuuri shrugs and sighs. “If you say so. Just remember that, okay?”
Victor had said the same things earlier, even though he’d been testy. Yuri supposes that he really should start trusting that they do want to hear what he has to say, even if he himself isn’t sure what he’s thinking about.
//
The next few days, the Katsuki family mostly stays in, asking Yuuri to do a few chores. Victor volunteers to help as well, and drags Yuri to aid them as well.
Over the course of the week, Victor gains key insights to Yuuri’s childhood from his relatives. There’s a lot of hodgepodge translating going on via Yuuri and Mari, but Victor understands that Hiroko is a soft, cuddly woman, much like her son.
She pokes at Victor, tangles her fingers in Victor’s hair, just smiling. Victor learns to lean back and let her have her way, loving the feeling of her soft fingers on his scalp. Yuuri hisses and Mari rolls her eyes, but for the most part Toshiya just smiles and watches the madness unfold in his house.
Everyone gradually includes the teen in their antics as well, fussing with his blonde locks. Mari pulls Yuri into a headlock when he’s supposed to be peeling potatoes, and when he stumbles into her chest, they all share a long laugh and Mari just pats him on the back, knowing he hadn’t meant anything by it.
By the time they ship off, Yuuri’s family hugs the three guys. Hiroko and Toshiya both pat their son quickly on the shoulders before Minako zips by in her little car.
It is most telling that Yuri falls asleep as soon as they get on their train to the airport.
Yuuri leans over the armrest to whisper to Victor, “Do you think we wore him out?”
“He invited himself. Let him be a little worn down,” Victor murmurs back, fingers running over Yuuri’s. “I really am worried about him. Perhaps he’s gotten a bit attached.”
Yuuri fixes Victor with a look. “And that’s a bad thing?”
Victor hums, sinking more lowly into his chair. “No. Not bad at all. I just wish he’d come out and say so. His teenage angst is driving me up a wall.”
Yuuri flicks Victor in the forehead. “Don’t say that sort of stuff around him. We’re supposed to be people he can lean on when he needs help.”
“And he can get it,” Victor says, kissing his fiancé quickly on the cheek, “Once he’s ready to ask and to listen. I don’t like being kicked in the shins for being nice to him, you know.”
“You make fun of him for being short once a week. What’s fair is fair.” To add insult to injury, Yuuri kisses Victor chastely on his pouty lips. “He’ll come around. Like you said, he just needs time.”
Victor sighs in understanding. “I know.” After a pause, he grips Yuuri’s hand tightly. 
//
[extra]
Long after Yuuri’s flight takes off, the Nishigoris, Katsukis, and Minako have a conference after all of them get off of work.
Hiroko is the first one to speak, leaning against her husband, who loops an arm around her waist. “He seems like a nice boy.”
“Very tall. And so handsome!!” Minako claps her hands together and Mari rolls her eyes. “How did the week go?”
“It was nice,” Mari says, poking Axel in the head lightly when the little girl tries to slap the woman in the neck. “They brought a kid with ‘em, real cute. Surly. Reminds me of one my favorite members of a band. You can tell that the three of them are close.”
“Ahh, yes,” Yuuko bubbles over at that, reaching across the table to pass Minako more liquor. “I’ve never seen Yuuri so touchy with anyone before! What a cutie.”
“I know, right?” Takeshi chimes in between ruffling Loop and Lutz’s loose hair. “I mean, it’s really nice to just see him so at peace. Feels like it’s been years since he came home and just really took a break. He was always just here to pay his dues and then get back to skating. This was a proper visit.”
Hiroko smiles, holding out her glass when Mari offers to pour her more as the bottle makes its’ rounds at the table. “Yuuri’s always been so reserved, so I’m glad. His boyfriend really brings out the best in him.”
“Fiancé,” Toshiya murmurs in correction, pointing to his own ring. “Those two couldn’t stop holding hands or flashing those rings. Young love shines brightest, or so they say.”
A shared laugh passes around the table while they eat snacks and drink, Takeshi and Yuuko jetting off first so that they can get the triplets to bed.
The rest of the evening is spent talking about Yuuri’s flustered embarrassment and refusal to translate everything his parents had said about he and Victor, Mari’s love of Yuri, and their overall enjoyment of the company.
Minako toasts in the middle of the night, when Toshiya is starting to get loud and boisterous, “Miss them already!! To their future as a couple in skating, and to many more visits to Hasetsu!!”
The other three at the table lift their glasses for a clink.
76 notes · View notes
shrubbyscribe · 7 years
Text
When The Sun Chases The Moon From The Sky (ch3)
I started this chapter. And then it kept going… and going… and going.
Thank you all for the likes, reblogs, and follows! I appreciate all of your support! Please enjoy!
Day and Night AU is by @beanpots
AO3 Chapter 1 Chapter 2
“I want to know more about Selene and I want to learn everything about you.”
Those had been Viktor’s parting words to Yuuri less than twenty four hours ago.
Yuuri could feel his heart race each time he remembered them. Their time spent together the previous night had kept Yuuri awake through the day hours as he mentally went over everything that had happened. Viktor had confirmed the roses were sent by him, they had casually spent the night together enjoying the festival, and they had even exchanged charms as gifts.
Did that qualify as a date?
Phichit seemed to think so when Yuuri had been cornered by his best friend to spill every detail when he had returned to the palace at dawn.
Yuuri could feel the weight of the sun charm tucked safely in his sleeve pocket. He didn’t know why he was still carrying it around but every time he went to put  it down, he couldn’t. It was a reminder that his time with Viktor was real.
And maybe, it would happen again.
Viktor had said Yuuri would be hearing from him soon, though he never specified what that meant. Would it be a few days? A week? An entire lunar cycle? Maybe longer?
The idea that he could hear from Viktor at any moment was eating away at him…
“Yuuri,” Mari drawled, and the sound of his name to bring him back to the present.
He gave his older sister an apologetic smile before focusing on the task at hand. She liked to accompany Yuuri during some of his kingly duties, mostly the ones where he used the magical abilities she hadn’t inherited from their parents. And the task at hand was to do something of a maintenance check on the night sky.
They were in the Star Atrium, the most sacred area of Selene’s palace grounds, where every ruler of Selene was crowned and managed the sky above. Small sconces were scattered around the circular room and each held a small blue flame to provide a soft light to the area. The walls were decorated with the patterns of constellations, star clusters, and galaxies previous rulers had shaped into the sky, serving to remind the current king of their notable accomplishments.
Yuuri’s eyes drifted over the glowing pattern of Lyra on a nearby wall; five small points glowing bright white where each star made up the constellation and soft yellow lines were drawn around to make the shape of a lyre. Etched beside that, a glowing orange spot with blue tendrils swirled around it to represent a spiral galaxy a previous king had placed deep in the sky.
Even their father Toshiya had a few star clusters decorating the walls.
Yuuri would one day add something as well to the sky above and have it appear on the walls surrounding them. But on this night, he was only checking everything to be where they should.
With a deep breath, he turned his eyes upward to the glass ceiling. The beams were arranged in a grid-like pattern which allowed an easy assessment of where each star was located in the sky. Yuuri raised his arms, feeling the sensation of magic drifting to his fingertips and with a small flick of his wrist, he gently nudged Vega back into proper place for Lyra, seeing it had started to drift away. He gathered the star cluster Pleiades back together neatly next to Taurus and corrected the curve of Ursa Minor.
He could close his eyes and easily envision the night sky around him, his body easily gliding between the stars and moon with confidence at the familiarity. His feet moved him across the open floor gracefully, the weight of the star cloak swung out behind him and from it, the night sky from above spilled out of it to fill the entire room.
It was easy to clear his mind and only focus on the magic surrounding him. To lose himself among the familiar constellation patterns he had known and memorized since he was a child. To feel the warmth of the brighter stars in his palms and the silky tendrils of swirling galaxies slipping between his fingers.
Yuuri could almost hear a song in his head, guiding his movements in a natural sway around the room.
His worries about Viktor’s parting words melted away, dissolving into metaphorical stardust as Yuuri’s feet moved in time to the silent melody.
He could think about that later.
For now it was just him and dark universe he could immerse himself in…
A loud bang and a shout of his name startled Yuuri out of his trance. He barely managed to keep from tripping over himself as he came to a halt and looked to the entrance while the magic filling the room dissipated immediately.
Minako was standing in the doorway, slightly out of breath and clearly frazzled as she marched toward the royal siblings. The commandant of the Night Guard ignored any sort of proper greeting which already alerted Yuuri to something being out of place.
“You need to come to the front gates right away,” she stated while moving to grab Yuuri’s wrist. A quick swivel on her heel had the woman marching back out the door with her king in tow.
“W-what happened?” Yuuri questioned as he allowed himself to be lead at a quick pace. A glance back confirmed Mari was following after them, easily keeping pace with Minako’s long stride.
It didn’t seem there was much room for conversation when Minako responded with a quick “You’ll see when we get there.”
The trip across the grounds to the palace entryway was rushed with no interruptions from anyone they passed by; Yuuri partially chalked that up to the commandant looking ready for war as she blazed the way. The badges on her lightweight armor glinted in the different colorful lights lining the palace walls, serving a quiet reminder of her high rank of the Night Guard; which she had ascended to quickly after being relieved of her personal guard status of Yuuri when he had come of age.
Otabek was waiting for them at the entrance with his stern expression as he guarded the door with purpose. Seeing his superior officer and king, he raised his right fist to rest over the crescent moon emblem on his uniform in greeting when they approached. Minako returned the gesture while Yuuri stared down at the dog sitting at the man’s feet.
“Is that…” Yuuri couldn’t bring himself to finish the question.
The dog in question, however, immediately perked up upon noticing the king and bounded over to Yuuri without hesitation, knocking him over in one swift movement to lick at his face. The king made a startled sound but waved off Otabek with one hand as he attempted to push the creature away with the other; its fur was as soft as the cumulus clouds Viktor had supposedly crafted it from the day he had been crowned King of Theia.
Yuuri wiped a wet cheek with his sleeve when he finally managed to get the dog to sit back and properly look at him.
“It’s Makkachin,” Minako stated seriously as she gazed down at the pair on the ground.
Minako had been right to be concerned. Makkachin was well known between Theia and Selene not only for its origin but also for the common knowledge that the dog was rarely separated from Viktor. If it was here then that meant…
“Yuuri, why didn’t you tell us His Grace would be stopping by today?” Hiroko called to get her son’s attention.
Time seemed to slow down as Yuuri turned his head in the direction of her voice and his dark eyes met blue. His mother was escorting Theia’s king up the palace steps and Yuuri could feel the eyes of his subjects on him but Viktor’s presence drew his attention. He could only focus on Viktor.
Viktor, who was now standing in front of him.
Who was holding out a hand to him.
Who was pulling him up.
Who was smiling down at him with that brilliant radiance before turning it on their captivated audience.
Who was addressing Yuuri’s family and royal guard with an ease of a longtime friend rather than a foreign ruler.
“I’ve come to realize how little I know about Selene and have decided to learn everything to better understand the shared bond of our kingdoms.”
Oh.
Viktor really had arrived for a visit.
Yuuri could understand the intention as well. His own lessons prior to ascending the throne had enforced keeping good relations with Theia. It was important the kingdoms maintained proper balance in power given their shared space in the sky and the physical closeness of the kingdoms themselves.
But even so, it was uncommon for the rulers to arrive unannounced. And without any sort of company at all…
At the very least he should have brought Yurio along. “The dawn always ushers in the day” was the common phrase of Theia and Selene. For even the Prime Minister of Dawn to be missing, there must have been another reason for Viktor to have arrived without warning.
“And so, that is why I decided to stay here.”
A questioning sound escaped Yuuri’s throat as he finally focused on Viktor. He had been so lost in his thoughts he had really only been staring at the glow surrounding the other man rather than actually looking at him. Or behind him. Lower ranking officers of the Night Guard were carrying a large amount of luggage up the staircase leading to the castle.
Viktor was staying.
“So where is my room?” Viktor beamed.
In Selene.
Yuuri was at a loss for words as the other king’s gaze fell to him once again.
His family had moved to a private residence on the castle grounds once Yuuri had ascended the throne. Minako and Otabek stayed in the garrisons of the Night Guard and Phichit had been assigned the designed house of the Prime Minister of Dusk. None of those would be up to standard of housing a king.
“There’s still an unused room in the palace,” Hiroko offered, seeming to be the only one of the group who was pleased with the development. “We’ll bring Your Grace’s belongings there.”
Yuuri glanced over at his mother in gratitude, she was always able to handle surprising situations with elegance when she ruled as queen and she hadn’t lost her touch.
“Wonderful!” Viktor seemed to glow even brighter, squeezing the hand Yuuri realized he had never let go of while they were standing in front of his family and guard. “Thank you for welcoming me into your home.”
Yuuri had a feeling things were about to become a lot livelier in the kingdom of Selene…
*
Yuuri took the first opportunity to slip away from Viktor’s brilliant gaze.
It wasn’t that he didn’t like Viktor being there, he was just needed to wrap his mind around the fact that he would be seeing the other king a lot more frequently now.
Not to mention Minako looked ready to sit Yuuri down for a very long interrogation session about why Theia’s king just showed up on their doorstep and what he knew about it.
So when Mari volunteered to clear out the vacant room in the palace, he had seen the lifeline she had thrown him and grasped it firmly by offering to help.
It wasn’t unusual for the royal family to do some manual labor around the palace, most of Yuuri’s duties maintaining Selene were physically demanding at times and part of the reason his father had stepped down from the throne.
Hiroko had stepped in to lead Viktor away to the kitchens, wanting to welcome him properly with a meal after his travels as she was prone to do for all guests to Selene.
As it was, the royal siblings were in Yuuri’s childhood room, down the hall from his current one. Mari fitted a fresh set of sheets on the bed while Yuuri tidied up the provided guest furniture. As the Night Guard filed in Viktor’s belongings. Yuuri started wonder if there would ever be an end to it.
Just how long was Viktor planning on staying?
Mari made a curious noise from across the room and fished a stack of papers out from under the bed.
“Do you know what these are, Yuuri?”
The king felt his face immediately flush a deep blue as he watched his sister flip through the stack. He rushed over, trying to take the papers from her but what Mari lacked in magical abilities, she made up for in being an experienced older sibling. Which meant that despite Yuuri’s few inches of height on her, the woman was still the best at playing keep-away.
“Hiding some declarations of love in here?” She teased, quickly sidestepping his grabbing attempts as she held out the stack as far as her arm would reach even though it kept her from being able to look through it.
“N-no!” Yuuri stammered out unconvincingly. “They’re nothing. Just… give them here.”
One of the papers came loose and fluttered down to the floor between them. The page was covered in designs for a sun constellation a younger Yuuri had drafted long ago.
The two siblings stared down at it, unmoving.
Yuuri was the first to break the silence as he buried his face in his hands and groaned. Waited for the laughter and teasing while Mari reached down to pick it up.
It wasn’t uncommon for the rulers of Selene to add to the night sky something they were passionate about. Or someone…
Yuuri’s interest in Viktor was no secret to any member of Selene’s royal court but never had it been so blatantly obvious it was more than admiration…
Mari’s hand ruffle his hair, easily passing through the crown of constellations without any magic of her own to interfere with its placement.
“Here.” Her voice was soft, her smile was understanding as she finally relinquished the papers to Yuuri. “Go hide those away before Phichit finds them and paints them into his next masterpiece.”
*
When the Prime Minister of Dusk arrived for the evening, he was in a tizzy and had instantly tracked Yuuri down to relay the latest gossip of the kingdoms in the sanctity of his study in the castle.
Apparently the royals of Theia were in a panic at the sudden disappearance of their king. Viktor had been missing since dusk and his room had been found cleared out. Yakov was trying to keep quiet about the situation but it could mean disaster for Theia to be without a king! Plus, with the sun crown being taken with him, the disappearance could be an act to seize control of Theia by kidnapping the king.
Yuuri groaned as he sunk his head down to the banister of Phichit’s balcony. He was tempted to not reveal the actual whereabouts of the missing king. While Theia and Selene were on good terms with one another, he’d rather not have the Sun Guard marching up his palace steps under the assumption Viktor had been kidnapped in an attempt to shift the balance of power.
But Phichit needed to know. Because soon everyone in Theia and Selene would know.
“He’s here?” the younger man exclaimed when Yuuri broke the news to him.
A charming laugh had carried up from the palace grounds as if in reply and Phichit moved to join Yuuri on the balcony to spy Viktor, ruler of the day, strolling through Selene’s palace grounds as though they were his own.
He was easy to spot with the golden glow about him and the pale yellow shade of his robes. Makkachin bounced alongside its owner, a faint but still present glow around its frame as well. Yuuri’s father, Toshiya, seemed to have decided give Viktor some company as he walked the grounds. Thankfully, with the newly waxing moon, the grounds were bathed in pale moonlight, allowing easy visibility for one not accustom to the full darkness of night.
“He really is here…” Phichit murmured beside him and Yuuri could only nod in response.
His eyes followed Viktor’s every move without meaning to; he seemed to draw in the gaze of all those around him much like the fireflies that would take up residence in Selene during the summer nights.
But unlike the summer visitors, Viktor seemed aware of his surroundings enough to notice he was being watched.
Yuuri considered ducking down behind the banister when Viktor looked around the area but he was spotted too soon.
“Yuuri!” Viktor called out cheerfully with a wave. They were only a story up from the ground, it was easy enough to hold a conversation.
“Yuuri, if you’re finished with the evening report, come down and show our guest the grounds,” Toshiya said with a smile.
Yuuri couldn’t outright refuse his father but to be alone with Viktor…
I want to learn everything about you…
Yuuri could feel his face flush as those words echoed in his head and he seriously considered curling up behind the banister to hide his embarrassment.
Phichit, noticing the hesitance, answered for Yuuri as he smiled down at Viktor and placed his hands on his friend’s shoulders. “He’ll be down in just a moment, Your Grace.”
Yuuri didn’t realize how tense he’d become until Phichit guided him back into his study.
Though “study” wasn’t quite the appropriate term. It was more or less a room full of painting supplies and canvases scattered everywhere.
As Prime Minister of Dusk, Phichit’s main job was to paint the sky at the end of every day to allow the transition to night and as such, the walls were lined with canvases of countless versions of the setting sun fading into the night sky. Not one to waste his creativity, Phichit liked to keep a stock pile of every sunset he could imagine, even asking Yuuri to add in some stars here and there to add dramatic flair.
Phichit gently squeezed Yuuri’s shoulders in a show of support, “Don’t worry, you already survived one night completely alone with His Grace at the New Moon Festival. You must have done something right the charm him into wanting a second date so soon.”
Yuuri blushed and hid his face in his hands but he couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto his face. Viktor had told his family he was staying to learn more about Selene but they didn’t know the other reason. Yuuri had asked Phichit to stay quiet about the lunar cycle of roses, the returned bouquet, and the evening spent with Theia’s king.
He still hadn’t told his best friend everything about that night. He wanted to keep the charm exchange and Viktor’s parting words to himself for just a while longer; things only meant to exist between the two of them.
Viktor’s words that caused his heart to skip and stomach to flutter were still there but Yuuri felt a bit calmer. He took a few deep breaths and forced his shoulders to relax under Phichit’s hold before smiling at his best friend in gratitude.
“Now,” Phichit started, giving Yuuri a gentle push towards the door with a teasing smile, “it seems I suddenly have a lot of work to do and little time to do it with my king here distracting me.”
Yuuri couldn’t help but laugh at his friend’s theatrics. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest.
“You’re right, I hear there is an important guest in the courtyard and it would leave a bad impression to keep him waiting much longer.”
*
His father had taken his leave by the time Yuuri made his way into the courtyard, leaving Viktor to study one of the statues decorating the area as he waited and Makkachin explored the other half of the grounds.
“What is this piece?” Viktor asked as Yuuri came to stand beside him.
“This was a gift from Hypnos, the City of Dreams,” Yuuri answered, giving the artwork a look over.
The sculpture was taller than the two of them; a large jar carved from marble with intricate patterns etched into the rim was tipped on its side and stars made of every type of crystal spilled out of it into a marble pool with a pitch black basin.
Viktor hummed curiously as he tilted his head to the side. “I’ve never heard of Hypnos.”
“Most kingdoms haven’t. They only have an alliance with Selene.”
“What? Really? Why is that?” Viktor was looking at him with wonder and Yuuri recalled the history he was taught as a child.
“Hypnos is a dangerous kingdom but it also serves to revitalize every person and creature of our world when we sleep,” he began. “Their king is eternal and must not be disturbed from his deep slumber but the city is so dark, dreamers visiting Hypnos, and even the residents themselves, would become lost and never wake again.
“Selene, being the Kingdom of Night, was the only one capable of forging an alliance; we can pass through the darkness without trouble and we offered a way to guide the dreamers through the city without waking the king. ”
Yuuri waved a hand at the statue and Viktor gasped in excitement as the subtle magic inscribed in the stars activated, lighting them up and giving the illusion they were tumbling down into the awaiting pool.
“Starlight is gentle enough not to disrupt the darkness of the city so Selene made a bargain with Hypnos; while Selene couldn’t give them the stars from the sky, if they collected our fallen stars, Selene would recharge them to hold their brightness again.” Yuuri glanced up at the night sky twinkling above as he continued, “Since they can’t be placed back in the sky, Selene had no real purpose for them.
Viktor hummed in thought and Yuuri nervously glanced over at him, afraid he had rambled on too long but the other king was now looking upward at the sky with a new form of fascination. That was a good sign.
“Unknown kingdoms, a secret history, stars falling…” Viktor listed off, lifting a finger to tap at his lips before giving Yuuri a sideways glance and a knowing smile that made the younger king’s stomach do a flip. “It seems I have a lot to learn.”
Yuuri blushed under the gaze but he could feel a small wave of confidence growing.
“Then let me show you,” he said.
A quick glance at the sky was all Yuuri needed to locate the weak pulse of a star ready to fall any moment.
Back when he was younger, Yuuri would do this with Mari when a star shower wasn’t expected for a while. It had been one of the first things he had learned to control with his magic and they would spend hours knocking the weaker stars out of the sky much like how the Lunar Garden staff would prune the plants to allow healthy growth.
Yuuri reached out into the sky with his magic, prodding the chosen star. It held little resistance in its spot, wobbling like a precariously placed glass on the edge of a table.
It was easy enough to wedge it free with a quick twist of the wrist and the star came loose, descending from above.
He heard Viktor gasp and looked over to see his blue eyes widen in amazement, following the star as it fell towards the ground and landed with a small clink a few feet away.
Yuuri moved to collect the small item and brought it over to Viktor. The star was cold as ice; a sign it wasn’t meant to last much longer and the light flickered weakly inside its crystal shell.
He deposited the small object into Viktor’s gloved hands and watched him poke and prod at it. He turned the star this way and that, holding it up to the light of the moon to get a better look and watching the last bit of light finally snuff itself out.
“Amazing!” Viktor chimed in delight and Yuuri couldn’t help but smile. It was something so normal to him and the residents of Selene but seeing Viktor’s reaction was endearing.
“And now we can recharge it,” Yuuri instructed, moving closer to stand in front of the other king.
He almost lost his nerve when those azure eyes met his dark brown. But the intrigued smile encouraged Yuuri to continue as Viktor nodded and held up the crystal shell between them.
Before he could hesitate any further, Yuuri lifted his hands to cradle Viktor’s. The fabric was soft to the touch and Yuuri had to fight back the urge to run his fingers over it. Instead, he focused on the crystal, imagining energy flowing back into it.
Yuuri would do this with Mari back when they were children. Even though she did not possess the ability to use magic, it was still a part of her through lineage. All Yuuri had to do was manipulate it with his own to make it work.
It was one of the most basic forms of magic that anyone adept was taught but every ruler needed to know them before they could do anything more advanced such as altering the alignment of stars or learning to fix the swirl of a  galaxy.
As Yuuri focused his energy into his palms to reach through to Viktor’s own, he felt something of a shock go through his hands.
He really shouldn’t have been surprised given that the king of Theia should have a similar amount of magic. Everything about their two kingdoms was about balance. But it was the first time Yuuri had felt something equal to the magic coursing through him after being crowned.
It was dangerous and alluring.
Yuuri forced himself to remain in contact with Viktor as the crystal began to flicker again with new life. He heard Viktor make a soft sound of excitement but didn’t dare look up. His heart was already racing in his chest, he didn’t want to chance it getting worse seeing the expression the other man was making.
The star soon came to a steady light and in the quiet moments following, Yuuri felt like something else was stirring around them. It made the hair on the back of his neck stand up and he realized just how close he was to Viktor. The fringe of the other man’s hair was tickling his cheek and he felt a strange pull between them that Yuuri wasn’t sure he wanted to resist.
He wanted to be closer.
He needed to be closer.
Before he could act, the star between them rose up from their joined hands, pushing its way between them to force some distance, and some sanity, between them. It floated between their faces for a few moments before darting off across the palace grounds and over the walls as the two kings watched it go.
“Where is it going?” Viktor asked, though there was a distracted tone to his voice.
“Hypnos called to it, like all recharged stars,” Yuuri heard himself explain though his mind was elsewhere.
The warmth of the gloves were still under his hands and Yuuri was definitely moving his thumbs over the fabric now. When had he started that? Viktor didn’t seem to care either way. Or maybe he didn’t notice.
The entangling of their magic had stopped once the star had taken off but there was still a static sensation surrounding them.
Yuuri mentally steeled himself before he turned his head back to look directly at Viktor, jolting a bit when he was met with an intense azure stare.
It wasn’t anger but Viktor’s expression was that of a man trying to solve a complicated riddle with a simple answer. It soften quickly enough, though Yuuri wasn’t sure if that was a good thing because now it was something he couldn’t recognize. The gaze was still intense but there was a new meaning to it.
“Your Grace…?” Yuuri’s voice was barely above a whisper but it was heard clearly in the little space between them.
Viktor stopped any further words as he raised a finger to lightly rest against Yuuri’s lips. He moved impossibly closer and Yuuri was forced to tilt his head back partially to maintain eye contact, his newly freed hand hesitantly moving to rest against the other man’s chest while the other was held gently by Viktor’s.
“Yuuri,” Viktor’s tone was stern but something else lurked under it. Combined with the half-lidded gaze and the growing tension of something between them, it was enough to send a noticeable shiver down Yuuri’s spine. “We’re both rulers of our kingdoms, there’s no need for formalities or titles. Call me by my name.”
If Yuuri wasn’t blushing before, he certainly was now.
He could feel his breath caught in his throat and his head was swimming at the command.
Viktor was all he could see, all he could feel. As the sun overtook the sky and covered the light of the stars during the day, Viktor was overtaking all of Yuuri’s senses and drowning him.
I want to learn everything about you…
“Viktor…” Yuuri breathed out against the gloved finger and there was no mistaking the tremble he felt under his hands.
The vibrations of a hum traveled through Viktor’s chest and Yuuri was certain he was going to crumble under the intensity when those blue eyes came closer. The finger on Yuuri’s lips trailed down to his chin to rest under it.
Yuuri felt a warm breath ghost across his lips…
“Viktor! I knew you were hiding here!”
Startled by Yurio’s shout, Yuuri quickly pulled away from Viktor. The spell of whatever was going to happen had been broken.
Yuuri held one hand over his chest trying to get his heart rate back to a normal pace while the other rested against his blazing hot cheek in an attempt to will away the blush. He couldn’t even look at Viktor.
“Ah, Yurio!” Viktor was back to his easygoing tone. “What brings you here?”
“You know why. You disappeared without a word when the day ended, your room was cleared out, and you took your mutt with you,” Yurio spoke harshly to his king, stalking toward the pair. “Everyone at the castle is searching for you or convinced you were stolen away by some other kingdom.”
Yuuri stopped in front of them, giving the night king a full critical look up and down before crossing his arms, “Looks like Yakov wasn’t fully off the mark.”
Viktor, ignoring the last comment, wagged a finger at the Prime Minister of Dawn.” If I had said where I was going, you and Yakov would have definitely tried to stop me.”
“You’re damn right we would have! You can’t just leave on your own, you have a kingdom to rule. You’re lucky I was the one to figure out you were here before anyone else. Before I left, I heard Georgi talking about sending out the Sun Guard to bust down every kingdom’s door until you were found.”
So it was as bad as Phichit had relayed earlier and getting worse…
“You’ve had your fun, now let’s go,” Yurio stated, leaving no room for argument.
“I don’t want to,” Viktor stated in petulance and pouted as he moved to hide behind Yuuri’s smaller frame. Clearly there was room for argument. “Yuuri was teaching me about Selene so I can have a better understanding of our kingdoms’ shared bond.”
Yurio was unconvinced. “We have a library at the palace for that. If you actually went there to study instead of playing with clouds all the time, you would know all you need to about this dismal kingdom and we would have all been spared this whole ordeal.”
“Actually, Selene omitted a lot of crucial points of its history from textbooks that would be kept in libraries other than its own. It would do Viktor well to learn directly from the source.” Yuuri recognized the voice as his own but it was hard to imagine he was the one talking. He just couldn’t stop himself, hearing that Viktor was to leave after… whatever it was that transpired between them. He couldn’t let it happen.
“Sounds like a ploy to hold him hostage in your kingdom,” Yurio snapped. He was not backing down easily.
And neither was Yuuri.
If the young Prime Minister of Dawn had come to seriously take back Theia’s king, he would have brought the Day Guard. It was easy to assume Otabek had allowed him to enter Selene’s palace based on Yurio’s position but the captain wouldn’t have let him stray too far out of his sight.
Yuuri set his jaw and looked down at Yurio; severely lacking the discipline required for speaking to those in positions above him. Yuuri folded his hands into the sleeves of his robe, a technique he often used while holding court in response to unruly visitors as it held an unspoken message that he would not be intimidated.
Yuuri felt his fingertips brush over the sun charm still hidden away in his sleeve.
He couldn’t let Yurio take Viktor away…
No.
He wouldn’t let Yurio take Viktor away.
“Theia and Selene have held an equal share of power since the kingdoms were created,” Yuuri stated firmly. “To understand that balance, your king has chosen to stay here and learn what is required in order to maintain that balance. I have accepted him into my home, given him the proper accommodations, and have granted him access to all of my kingdom as a token of my trust. While you may have come here alone to avoid any attention from Theia’s council, I shouldn’t have to remind you that you’re still on foreign soil and what you have been alluding to is grounds enough for me to take you hostage in the event Theia does decide to use armed forces against Selene. You may be associates with Captain Altin and assume you are safe to make whatever claims you like but allow me to remind you, the captain’s loyalties are to my safety and Selene’s protection.
“Now, I will grant you safe passage back to Theia and you will tell His Former Grace Yakov that Viktor is free to come and go as he wishes but if the Sun Guard becomes involved, I will have no choice but to take that as a threat to Selene’s well being and I will respond in kind which, I’m not sure you’re aware, would be detrimental to the relations of our kingdoms. Even more so with your king behind my walls.”
The teenager was clearly flustered under the onslaught of words. Minako had taught Yuuri the tactic for situations that could turn hostile; put out all your argument points all at once without letting the other party respond, finish with a subtle threat, and watch as it buys you time while they struggle with what to answer first while under pressure of open hostilities arising.
Yuuri nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt Viktor’s hand rest heavily on his shoulder, forcing him into a more relaxed posture while the taller man laughed in a lighthearted manner.
“You’ve been out-maneuvered, Yurio,” Theia’s king said with a smile. “There’s no need to call in the Day Guard. I left Theia of my own volition and I will return when my business is finished here.”
“Then who will hold court?” Yurio was quick to snap.
Viktor hummed before tilting his head and giving a brighter smile, “Why not you?”
Both younger men made a sound of surprise as they gawked at Viktor.
“Yurio, you need to learn better etiquette when speaking to other nobles and especially ones in a high position than you,” Theia’s king explained. “I’ll grant you the temporary allowance to hold court in my absence and address any problems as you see fit while I learn what I must over here in Selene. I’m sure Yakov and Lila will be more than happy to provide council.”
For a second time, Yurio was left speechless. He was looking at Viktor like he had grown a second head and was trying to figure out which one to look at.
Viktor, paying the baffled expression no mind, turned his attention Yuuri next. “I think that settles this dispute,” he said with his charming smile and a gentle squeeze of Yuuri’s shoulder.
Yuuri could only nod in agreement, clearing his throat before addressing the Prime Minister of Dawn.
“Your king has given his answer, please report it to Theia’s council immediately and know our kingdoms remain in good standing for the time being,” Yuuri stated. “Otabek will see you to the palace entrance.”
On cue, the captain of the Moon Guard moved to stand in the doorway, clearly having been present the entirety of the conversation. Yurio glanced back at the guard before throwing once last glare at the pair of kings.
“I’ll rule Theia in your absence, Viktor,” he spat out. “Hide away in this decrepit castle as long as you want. When you get back, Yakov will take that crown off your head and name me ruler of Theia.”
The teenager spun on his heel in defiance, storming out of the courtyard with Otabek following after him dutifully.
Viktor’s sigh was the first thing to break the silence once the tension had left the area with Yurio. “Spouting such ideas of grandeur, he’ll get himself in trouble like that,” Viktor said in exasperation.
Yuuri nodded silently, still trying to process all that had happened. He had been so caught up in the moment when Yurio threatened to take Viktor back, Yuuri hadn’t thought before he spoke. All he knew was that he wanted Viktor to stay with him.
Yuuri could feel heat rising to his face as the realization dawned on him and he quickly turned his head away to hide it. Viktor still hadn’t let go of his shoulder.
“I want to apologize for what I said earlier… about calling the Night Guard on Theia,” Yuuri stammered out. “I didn’t mean to use a threat like that. I would never actually…”
Yuuri’s words trailed off as he felt Viktor’s hand slide down the full length of his arm and loosely grasp his hand with those gloved fingers.
Yuuri bit his lower lip to keep a gasp from escaping when Viktor’s voice was in his ear, lower than he’d ever heard it before. “I’ve had plenty of suitors approach me with gifts and promises beyond your wildest imagination,” Viktor’s warm breath whispered against the shell of his ear, “but none have ever been so bold as to threaten my kingdom and risk losing everything themselves for my attention.”
Yuuri couldn’t stop the shiver than ran through him. He couldn’t look at Viktor like this.
“You really are full of surprises, Yuuri.”
The night king slowly turned his head to look directly at the day king, eyebrow arched in disbelief.
“I’m full of surprises?” Yuuri questioned, trying to ignore the lack of distance between them or the blush that was still very much present especially when he became aware of that fact. “You left Theia without a word to your council, stole away to a foreign kingdom in the middle of the night, and just appointed Yurio as the stand-in ruler during your absence. I believe you have bested me in surprises tonight.”
Azure blinked at dark brown.
A tension filled what little space was left between them as the two held each others own incredulous stare.
Yuuri hadn’t thought in all his life he would be in such a situation. He would have laughed at even the thought of maintaining composure in a one-on-one situation with Viktor. Now here he was; capable of forming proper sentences into playful banter with their noses almost touching from how much Viktor had invaded his personal space.
It was ridiculous.
And Yuuri couldn’t stop the laughter erupting from his chest.
He pulled away as he covered his mouth in an attempt to stifle the laugh but was surprised when he heard the other man laughing as well. The two chortled and giggled for a few minutes, Yuuri wasn’t quite sure at what exactly, but the mood between them lightened and left a calm familiarity.
Wiping a tear from his eye once his laughter had calmed, Yuuri glanced up at the sky, noticing the darkness starting to give way to a lighter shade of blue. It was nearing dawn.
“Let me show you to your room,” Yuuri said with a gentle smile a gesture towards the entryway to the palace.
Yuuri enjoyed their companionable walk as they ascended the staircase to the living quarters of the palace. Viktor was still in awe over the different paintings and portraits of past rulers adorning the walls and Makkachin bounced through the hallways in a similar excitement as its creator.
As they paused in front of Viktor’s door, Yuuri turned to face the other king as Makkachin trotted into the room.
“I would suggest trying to get some rest,” Yuuri said with a small smile. “Selene is a harsh environment and it’s especially most unkind to inhabitants of light.”
Yuuri knew neither of them truly required sleep in a normal way. Once they had been crowned, their energy had been linked to the sky itself. Yuuri had found himself capable of going upwards to a week without actually laying down in a bed and sleeping. It would have been similar for Viktor.
Viktor nodded in acknowledgment and for a fourth time that night, Yuuri felt those gloved hands taking his own. He even prided himself on not jumping at the contact.
“You are a caring person, Yuuri,” Viktor rolled his name off his tongue like it was meant to be there.
Yuuri curled his fingers around Viktor’s to return the hold on his hands and his thumbs slid over the soft fabric of the gloves without hesitation. He felt the warmth radiating off of Viktor’s body like the glow that surrounded him, both mimicking the sunlight that shown upon the world.
“My kingdom may seem unwelcoming to outsiders but you are an honored guest,” Yuuri spoke with sincerity. “And I hope you find the answers that you seek here.”
“I believe I will.”
A silence hung between them as they gazed at one another.
Yuuri could feel a slight chill run down his spine as he felt a sense of anticipation. A sense that something was going to happen.
And Yuuri wasn’t going to be caught off guard again.
Giving Viktor’s hands a slight squeeze, Yuuri used them as a balance between them as he lifted himself onto his toes and leaned forward.
His lips brushed against Viktor’s cheek as he spoke softly next to his ear.
“May the morningtide be kind to you, Viktor.”
A common phrase of Selene residents when the night ended and dawn began.
Yuuri lowered himself down and pulled away from Viktor. He noticed how the other king let Yuuri’s fingers slide out of his grip but only released him at the last moment as if he was debating if he should pull Yuuri back. Yuuri also made sure to take a look at Viktor’s face before he turned away. He enjoyed the surprise and what was definitely a blush on that face which was always calm and collected, so good at hiding what Viktor was really feeling.
Yuuri forced himself to walk down the hall at a steady, calm pace even though his heart racing and a blush was rising once again to his face.
He could feel eyes those azure eyes burrowing into his back until he retreated into his room and was able to finally let go of the breath he was holding.
Yuuri closed his eyes and sunk his weight back against his door. He took deep breathes to try to calm himself and could see his hands were shaking but his face was hurting from how much he was smiling. Tears were stinging at the corner of his eyes from the happiness welling up in his chest.
Viktor was staying.
16 notes · View notes
lesbianlametron · 7 years
Text
Victuuri Week day 2
Title: Closer 
Author: asliverofhope-the-fangirl
Rating: Teen
Warnings: none
Summary: I interpreted the AU as a historical time period so this is set in medieval times. The two neighboring kingdoms of the Katsuki family and the Feltsman family are both struggling to financially stay afloat. Yakov proposes and unheard of idea to King Toshiya. To unite their kingdoms, his adopted son Prince Victor would marry Prince Yuuri. They come to a reluctant agreement, but Victor may have had more of a role in the arrangement then he lets on.
(I’m not great at keeping deadlines, but I’m trying. My days are busy so I end up doing my writing at night.)
Closer
             “Are you ready to go Prince Yuuri?”
             Yuuri looked at himself in the mirror one last time and sighed as he adjusted he coat so it hung just right. To say he was nervous would be an understatement. He was meeting the well-known, heartthrob prince of the neighboring country for the first time. The whole idea had been strange from the start. Sure, they were trying to unify the two smaller countries, but having two boys marry? That was unheard of. Yuuri didn’t mind the idea, but he knew there was unrest among the older nobles of both kingdoms. Their agreeance to Yakov’s and Toshiya’s idea was reluctant at best, but economically, the union would benefit both countries. Yakov had no blood-related sons, but his heirs were his adopted sons, Victor and Yuri. As for the Katsuki kingdom, they only had Yuuri. Mari had refused every marriage meeting and threatened to run away to avoid it. Yuuri had to admit, he liked Mari’s independence. Even thinking about it now, Yuuri thought it was crazy, but he couldn’t say he was against it.
             Tonight, at the ball, would be their first time meeting and officially beginning their courtship. Yuuri was dressed in his best, but since his country was the smaller, poorer one, he knew it would never compare to clothes in the Feltsman kingdom. He brushed his back from his forehead and sat his crown upon his head, hoping he looked better than he thought. Still, he could hardly believe the Victor Nikiforov had agreed to the marriage agreement. Maybe this will only be a temporary fix and the marriage with be dissolved when they find a better solution. No way would a homosexual marriage actually be accepted.
             “Your Majesty?” Yuuri’s advisor cleared his throat. “The carriage is waiting and you know the Queen Lilia won’t like it if you’re late.”
             “I guess I cannot put it off any longer, right?” He looked at the dark-haired male for confirmation, but Otabek was a stoic as usual. Otabek was only doing his job as his father instructed.
             “You are playing your role as the Prince.” Otabek responded, but only because he felt he had to. He never had anything against Yuuri, but they had never connected. He was more Yuuri’s handler than his advisor. Everywhere that Yuuri went, it was Otabek’s job to be by his side. He didn’t particularly like nor dislike it. As men, it was important to follow the roles set out by their birthright. Some were born to serve others and others born to rule. It was a simple to follow and common sense to Otabek. Sometimes Yuuri’s qualms bothered him, but there was nothing he could do about it.
             --
             Yuuri looked back at his parents one last time before he entered the ballroom. His name was announced and heads turned his way. He was the guest of honor and thoroughly embarrassed by the attention and especially by the weight of a certain pair of blue eyes. He had always admired Victor’s grace and ease at being a prince. Not only that, but Victor’s peopled loved him and he took to leading so naturally. He had a feeling he’d be taking a back seat to ruling with Victor as a husband. Victor was a gifted, dynamic speaker while Yuuri tended to blurt out his feelings.
             Because of his nerves, the walk to King and Queen’s throne seemed to stretch on for an eternity. Yet, once he got there, Yuuri felt less prepared than he had in his room. Victor was basically his idol, he didn’t think he could even speak two words to him. Barely, Yuuri was able to recover from his nerves and properly introduce himself. “Queen Lilia, King Yakov, I’m honored to be invited here today and it is my honor to be able to court your son.”
             Victor smiled when he heard Yuuri’s words and emerged onto the stage next to his adopted father. “Hello, Prince Yuuri! I would say the pleasure is all mine.”
             Yuuri looked up at the sound of Victor’s voice and his breath hitched in his throat. Victor’s formal wear was extravagant, but not in an over of the top kind of way. The cut of his jacket and pants fit him so well that Yuuri didn’t know where to look. Definitely not his face, that would just make Yuuri more nervous. “Prince Victor! I am pleased to make your acquaintance as well.” He swallowed, grateful that at least his words came out right even if they sounded too enthusiastic.
             “Please accept my family’s ring as an official sign of our courtship.” Victor had walked off the stage to meet Yuuri face to face. Yuuri quickly looked away but accepted the ring with what he hoped was grace.
             “Thank you, your majesty. I hope that you’ll accept mine in exchange.” Yuuri’s fingers were trembling, but he managed to slide the ring onto Victor’s right ring finger. It would be moved to the left once they were officially joined in marriage. The room would have exploded in applause if this were a normal courtship, but they were only met with polite clapping.
             “Yuuri, we’re both of equal power, no need to address me so formally. I hope you will call me Victor and that it will be all right for me to address you similarly.” Yuuri’s confirmation was barely a nod, but it didn’t deter Victor in the slightest. “Well then, it would be my honor to be your first dance of the evening.” Victor bowed and held out his hand to Yuuri.
             “I would l-love to. Thank you for asking.” Yuuri slipped his hand into Victor’s and followed Victor to the dance floor. He was in a bit of a daze from all that had happened. He had met the “Charismatic Prince”, as he was casually known by those that admired him. He managed to get through their first meeting so far, but he’d have to be able to be comfortable around Victor. They were technically fiancés now. It was more for show and economic purposes, but that didn’t mean that they wouldn’t be spending a lot time together.
             Of course, Victor took the lead in their dance because he was the taller of the two, but Yuuri was more versed in dance. Yuuri hadn’t really spent time imagining what his first courting ball would be like, but he didn’t imagine himself in this situation. Like all princes, he should have imagined falling for a beautiful noble girl or a neighboring princess, but he honestly couldn’t picture it. He always thought, maybe he’d fall for a princess or girl once he got to know her. At this point, he couldn’t say he didn’t see himself falling for Victor. Victor, after all was a proper match, suitable and sought-after. He had a charming, eccentric personality that drew others to him. If Yuuri put his investment into Victor, then maybe his heart would follow.
             Yuuri took another deep breath and distracted himself from his star-struck daze by focusing his attention away from Victor. It would be one thing if they’re relationship could actually be accepted, but he felt they’d be fighting against the tide for the rest of their lives. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Yuuri took his focus off the other people in the room. He lost himself in the monotonous ease of ballroom dancing. It was his only natural marketable skill, in his opinion, although he wasn’t used to being led.
             The Feltsman grand ballroom was greater than the Katsuki one in every way. It’s high marble ceiling and glass chandeliers were of the best quality. The crystal caught the light from the candles and sparkled in a way that was almost magical. The whole place had a warm, inviting feel to it. The tapestries had been changed for the event. They no long only bore the deep red color and crest of the home country. Next to them were the royal blue flags of the Katsuki kingdom. Yuuri had to admit, the colors looked good together. He closed his eyes and got lost in the chatter of the room. He took in the smells of a well-cooked meal waiting for them and the fresh lilac in the vases around the room. His favorite was the clicking of heels on the hard-oak floors. It was calming in a way and Yuuri felt a bit of the tension within melt away.
For how unconfident and shy Yuuri had been, he was a true artist on the dance floor. It both surprised and amused Victor. He accepted the following role well and Victor barely had to give him any direction. His step squences and footwork were graceful and elegant, and Victor was draw in by Yuuri. He wanted to see what Yuuri would be like leading a dance when he wasn’t worried about the other eyes in the room. “You seem nervous, Yuuri.” Victor commented in a low tone.
“Well I am meeting the famous Prince Victor for the first time. I took the most eligible bachelor of the Feltsman kingdom off the market. Also, this courtship between us is completely unorthodox.” Yuuri answered and tried not focus on how nice it felt to be held in Victor’s embrace or how soft Victor’s hands felt.
Victor pressed his lips together to suppress an amused smile. “This is not the first time we’ve met.”
Yuuri looked up at Victor in surprise. “No, I would have remembered meeting you. Unless maybe it happened when we were just children.”
“Come with me, Yuuri.” Victor moved his hand off of Yuuri’s waist and Yuuri immediately missed its warmth. Even the way Victor said his name was alluring and enticing to Yuuri. It rolled off Victor’s tongue in such a fond way that it sent tingles down Yuuri’s spine. At this moment, he would have followed Victor anywhere. They stepped out into the balcony and away from the crowd. The crisp autumn air relaxed Yuuri and now that they were secluded from the crowd, he felt like he could finally breathe. “It was a year ago, at my coming of age ball.”
Yuuri properly looked into Victor’s eyes for only the second time that night and saw sincere fondness. He was hardly able to respond and was surprised his words came out clearly. “When we met? I attended that ball, yes, but I do not remember us even interacting. I was always too nervous to approach you on my own.”
“Not with a little…liquid courage… you weren’t.”
Yuuri paled at the thought. There was a point in the evening where he no longer remembered the events. In fact, he had woken up in his bed and had no idea how he got there. “Please…don’t tell me I did anything embarrassing.”
“You did go on and on about how you admired me. You wanted us to be friends and you asked me to dance several times. I thought it was completely endearing. I am disappointed that you didn’t remember.” Victor mused, but his tone was a bit sad. There was also a mystery to the explanation that left Yuuri wondering if there was something more.
“Did I do something to Prince Yuri though? He’s been giving me dirty looks all night.”
Victor chuckled a little. “You did say if I would not dance with you, then you would have settled for Yuri. He is used to coming second to me, being the second son so he did not take to that well.” Victor turned his back to the view and looked back into the party. “Though you may score some points for bringing that advisor, Altin, with you.”
Yuuri turned and saw Yuri and Otabek sitting a corner talking over drinks. He was a bit stunned to see Yuri smiling. Outside of his princely duties, Yuri tended to be harsh and very dismissive when it came to other people. Then again, Otabek was similar in a way so maybe that’s why they got along so easily. “Well, hopefully we can at least get along. It would be awkward if I could not even get along with my fiancé’s family.”
“Yuuri, I actually have a confession to make.” Victor turned toward Yuuri and reached out to take Yuuri’s hand in his own. He expected Yuuri to pull away, but Yuuri surprised him by stepping closer. “I gave Yakov the idea to have the two of us united in marriage. He protested at first, but the more logical I made it sound, he accepted. I actually insisted on this.”
“Because you care about our countries futures?” Yuuri asked, not grasping what Victor had meant.
Victor laughed lightly and Yuuri felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment. “You make me laugh. No, I insisted because I wanted to get closer to you. As a prince, there is not much that I am denied, but an affair with another male? That could get even a prince beheaded. I had find a way to make it beneficial, and with that, within the law.”
“Why me?” Yuuri was starting to come around, but he still couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The charming, charismatic, heartthrob prince had chosen him.
“Because you captivate me Yuuri. You seem like a basic prince who is nowhere near ready to rule, and yet you have the potential. I’ve known you only from a far my whole life, but your people love you, Yuuri. You have their full support and they would fight to protect their dear prince. Why?” Victor paused for dramatic effect more than anything else. “because of your heart, your kindness. You may have a heart of glass, but you also care for others above even your own needs. Your leadership could use cultivating and that is what I plan to do.”
I captive him? Me? The boring, average prince from the humble Katsuki kingdom captivates the Charismatic Prince?! All this time, he thought he had been chasing Victor, but instead he was the one being pursued. Yuuri was speechless and knew he must look like a gaping fish.
“And what’s most endearing is that you don’t know how great you are.” Victor smiled and decided to take another leap forward. “Do you believe in love at first sight, Yuuri?”
Yuuri bit his lip as he mulled Victor’s question over. He’d thought falling in love would only come with getting to know another person. It didn’t matter the gender at this point, but only if he loved his partner’s personality. “No. Actually, I do not. I would want to get to know a person before I would decide that.”
Victor grinned. It wasn’t the answer he was hoping for, but in its own way, it was a very Yuuri-like answer. It was endearing and well thought out at the same time. “How am I doing so far?”
Yuuri blushed and he had the urge to back away from Victor, but he fought against it. He barely knew Victor, but was draw to him all the same. Victor was charming because of how flirty he was. It wasn’t just the flirts, but the confidence in how they were delivered made them successful. Still, he didn’t have a response. Victor noted that, but he wasn’t turned off. Yuuri hadn’t felt these type of things before and he could wait for Yuuri. But Victor wasn’t unselfish, there was something he wanted for himself.
“Yuuri, can I kiss you?”
“K-kiss me?”
“Well, we’re engaged now. It would be natural for it to happen at some point. It would also be a test to see if we really are compatible.” Victor stepped closer and cupped Yuuri’s face, running the pad of his thumb over Yuuri’s cheek. Again, Yuuri surprised him by not pulling away. He knew without asking that this would be Yuuri’s first kiss and that lit a fire in his chest. Victor lingered for just a bit longer to give Yuuri one last chance to reject him. Yuuri didn’t move so Victor took it as a confirmation. Slowly, carefully, he pressed his lips against Yuuri’s and it felt better than he expected. Not just better, but right. Like he’d been meant to kiss Yuuri his whole life. The kiss was a bit sloppy due to Yuuri’s nervousness and lack of experience, but he didn’t mind in the slightest.
“How about now?” Victor teased when he pulled away. Yuuri opened his eyes slowly, but they were clouded over in a happy daze. The kiss had felt heavy and new to Yuuri, but delightful all the same.
“Closer.”
“I’ll take it.”
37 notes · View notes
fictionerd · 6 years
Text
Tumblr media
Good to see you, friends! 
Heh, I feel like I’m getting better at making these recaps go into more detail without being twelve miles long. I’m also getting better at remembering the sequence of events so I don’t have to go back through the episode as much. That being said I’d better get on with the post before I have to eat my own foot.
We open exactly where we left off, with Daigo getting the news that Hikaru moved away. This, naturally, sends him into a downward spiral. Hikaru was the entire reason he picked up playing again after all. He becomes a grump again fairly quickly and it seems like it’ll be there to stay until Toshiya comes by with a letter from Hikaru. 
This letter is exactly what you think it is from the title of the episode. It reveals to Daigo that the news of Hikaru’s move was just as much of a surprise to Hikaru himself as everyone else. He apologizes for not telling Daigo, who he considers his best friend, when they last saw each other, but he couldn’t bear the thought of their last game of catch ending in tears. He thanks Daigo for showing him how much he loved baseball, and he promises that so long as they keep playing one day they’ll team up to form an invincible battery!
This has an appropriately shonen effect on young Daigo who redoubles his training efforts with Toshiya (who, being the intelligent if estranged father he is guessed the effect the letter would have and was still waiting in his car right outside).
We see Daigo catching 130km/h fastballs at the batting center, and Toshiya applauds. Daigo is puffed up with bravado because of how far he’s come, and so is served a slice of humble pie by Coach Toshiya via the suggestion they try 150km/h. Daigo’s reaction is priceless.
Tumblr media
Toshiya quickly explains it was a joke. There’s no need to practice at that level in the Junior leagues. Instead he wants to move on to focusing on other things. On the drive to Daigo’s place, Daigo gets a little somber and says that he’s confident in his catching, but he’s going to be in right field for the upcoming tournament. The old dragon of his weak arm is rearing its ugly head in the back of his mind. He self-deprecates hard in front of Toshiya who gives him the dose of medicine he sorely needed two years before. 
Tumblr media
They go practice down by the river. He has Daigo throw 50m pass, and he does it with some effort. He then drops the truth-bomb on Daigo that the kid was too impatient to hear when he first started out: That a kid in Juniors doesn’t need to be able to throw like a freaking pro. Mind=Blown
Having been actually told in a way and by some one he’ll actually LISTEN TO that he just has to work at strengthening his arm, Daigo sets in to chase his dream of playing baseball with his best bud again some day. This leads him to drag Sakura into the next phase of her arc... PRACTICE I mean he drags her into practicing with him... Yeah.
She mentions how she wants to play and he’s all.
“Then you should”
But she’s all “Parents won’t let me” And he’s all “Well then don’t because you obviously don’t want it bad enough”
And she’s all “Wow for you, self awareness is just something that happens to other people isn’t it?”
And he’s all “What’s self awareness?”
“Forget it I’m gone.”
And scene. 
Of course having been batoned over the head by shonen spirit from both Hikaru and Daigo, Sakura naturally takes his “If you want it you’ll chase it no matter what” attitude more seriously than she lets on and through her overwhelming drive and soulful descriptions of the sound effect of a ball hitting the glove just right.
Tumblr media
She manages to convince them that she’s serious about this. We end at practice the next day where the coach announces that they have a practice game coming up and introducing Sakura as the new team member. Daigo is surprised... for some reason.
Well, that was pretty great. I’ve gotta wonder why Mutsuko’s parents were so dead set against her playing that they made lame excuses. What is it with parents in this show being so weirdly inconsistent. 
SPEAKING of which! Hikaru’s mom. I’ll grant that she had a good reason for moving and it wasn’t what I thought. I judged that hastily, BUT she doesn’t get off the hook. In his incredibly revealing letter to Daigo, Hikaru revealed that his mom deliberately hid the fact they were moving from him until the last possible minute. Literally the night before the move. How she managed to hide this from him when she would have had to PACK UP HOUSE WITHOUT HIM NOTICING is a line of speculation I won’t bother to dwell upon. What I will dwell upon is this idea of “He’ll totally be dead set against it so I won’t bother telling him until last minute so I don’t have to put up with my child being upset that we’re moving again so soon.” 
Of course who am I to judge? After all it’s a well known fact that children are alien creatures who cannot comprehend concepts such as “Legitimate reasons” and “Compassion”. Telling him as soon as you’d made the decision to move so that he could have time to say goodbye to his friends and explain the situation to those who might care to know would only have brought misery to you. Only adults actually care about saying a proper goodbye to the people in their social circle. No Hikaru definitely would have just ground in his heels and been a problem. So it was much better to let him live in blissful ignorance and then force him to pack up his entire life overnight, go to school the next day, and then drive out to Gunma uprooting the fledgeling social life he’d eked out for himself.
{Don’t make us cut you off for sarcasm again} ((I’m almost done, back off))
Anyway YES This was an absolutely FLAWLESS plan with NO LOGICAL INCONSISTENCY WHATSOEVER! After all it’s not like she had time to say goodbye to her frie- 
Tumblr media
Oh... OOOOOOOOOH. 
Yeah, I’m a bit miffed by that. It’s not that it’s badly written. Quite the opposite, it’s a really believable circumstance, because some parents WOULD do this if it was in their power. In my experience the sort of parent who would do this is the sort who wanted to have kids, but didn’t want to deal with little things like: “Their child being upset about something” or “Their child wanting to know why the parent is doing a thing” or “Literally any of the more tedious elements of parenting”
Okay... I need to get off my damn soap box. I’ve never been a parent myself. I’ve only ever been the child in this sort of relationship, but I have seen a lot of parents. I have an understanding, or at least a perceived understanding, of what makes kids “rebel”, and I also know that any responsibility comes with both good and bad elements that we have to undertake if we want to live up to that responsibility. 
Know that critique of parents in fiction is going to be a continuing trend in my posts. Particularly because I have an unreasonably high standard in Junko Kaname to compare them to. xP
For now I’m going to knock off for the day.
Until next post keep talking fiction, friends! I’ll see you soon.
0 notes
luci-the-android · 6 years
Text
The Siren’s Call Chapter One
Masterpost
Next Chapter
AO3 link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11607492
AO3 link for this chapter: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11607492/chapters/26093364
Warnings: for this chapter idk, if you see something tell me so I can tag it
Yuuri opened his eyes, his head damp from sweat. He did not recognise the room he was in, which was extremely humid. There was little light to help guide him as he felt around for clues as to where he was. His hand touched the ground and he felt something soft and as he dug his fingers in he realised he could pick up some of it. He thought it might be soil of some type. He felt around again and felt a wall, rough, and had dips in it, some parts were jagged. It must be rock. As he tried to move farther he felt metal on his ankle, which had previously been clothed by his pant leg, pull down his weight causing him to fall to the ground. He went to cry for help but found he had no voice.
Abruptly, there was the sound of heels clicking on stone. The sound drew nearer and nearer at a steady pace. Yuuri looked for the source of the sound only to fail at his task.
A door swung open, sweeping bright light into the room, causing Yuuri to shut his eyes quickly. In the doorway stood a silver haired man. The man was wearing a black tunic and black trousers. His boots had thin heels on the back, and a cape billowed at his feet. He smirked smugly at Yuuri, approaching slowly. The clicking of his boots died out as he reached the dirt floor. When he made eye contact with Yuuri, his eyes flashed red, distorting the normal blue. “Katsuki Yuuri, son of Katsuki Toshiya, King of the Sirens.” His voice was mocking Yuuri, as was the bow he gave. He was taunting Yuuri. With a devilish light to his eyes he said, “I am Viktor Nikiforov, King of the Vampires, and you were trespassing onto my land.” He glared at Yuuri, sending daggers into him.
Yuuri went to respond to Viktor, he opened his mouth ready to speak before Viktor stopped him.
“Do not bother. I have silenced your vocal chords.” Viktor leaned down to look into Yuuri’s eyes. “I know what your kind can do. It’s the very reason I included the clause in the Treaty of Eirene signed by your father. Sirens are not to enter vampire territory. Or have you forgotten?” Not waiting for Yuuri’s answer, Viktor turned to leave. “I will be back once the fairy king had brought me the potion that will counteract your abilities.” His heels started the clicking noise again once he made it back to the stone floor. Using his magic, Viktor closed the door behind him, letting the darkness once again blind Yuuri.
Viktor walked into his throne room awaiting the fairy king. He boredly watched as his jester tried to entertain him. He would fire him soon. Changing his gaze to the window, he noticed a carriage pulling into the gates. He fixed his posture and awaited the fair king. Minutes passed by as Viktor got impatient waiting for the fairy king.
Soon, a young man walked in. He had longer blonde hair that covered his right eye and half of it had been put into a bun. His torso was feminine, as was the way he walked, though the look in his eyes was anything but. The wings behind him, only visible when he wanted them to be, which was usually for formal gatherings, were tipped in a dark blue and cascaded into white. He glared at Viktor. “I’m here.”
“I can see that Yuri.” Viktor looked regal as he said the words. He did not look evil. It was a complete turnaround from the personality Yuuri had seen. “Did you bring the potion?” He smiled at the fairy.
“Of course I did, I’m not an idiot who refuses a request from you.” Yuri snapped and another fairy stepped out, carrying a satchel. Viktor waved to one of his guards to take the satchel as Yuri asked, “Have you really captured a siren Viktor?”
Viktor’s smile turned into a smirk. “Yes, I did.”
“I’m warning you now that is the last vial of Seirina Elixir for the next ten months. The main ingredient was just replanted as it was wiped out by some witches who came and ransacked the village of Anemone,” Yuri stated.
“I will only need this vial.” Viktor’s eyes turned red. “I need to know the truth.”
“Viktor,” Yuri warned, “how many different species have you captured seeking the truth to why you were turned? I doubt a siren will have that information. What siren have you captured anyway?”
“The king.”
Yuri paled at Viktor’s words. “Isn’t that a little too far Viktor?” He demanded.
“He trespassed onto my land. It is in the treaty.” Viktor’s voice was a snarl.
Yuri sighed. “I’m leaving.” Promptly leaving, Yuri let his wings disappear. Yuri was tired of Viktor’s obsession on finding out why he was turned into a vampire.
Viktor had been the first vampire, and did not even know who had created him. Viktor walked to the guard with the satchel and opened it, finding the small vial of green potion perfectly safe. He wrapped his fingers around the potion, pulling it out of the bag. Quickly, he walked out of the throne room and back towards the dungeon where Yuuri was being kept.
As he reached the final step, he took the cork closing the bottle in his hand as he pulled it up and out of the vial. A blue mist came out of the vial before Viktor drank the potion. He opened the door to find Yuuri still sitting on the ground, though this time he hadn’t bothered to look up towards Viktor. Viktor waved his hand and a red mist came out of his hand and went straight to Yuuri’s throat. Viktor cleared the silence. “You may speak now.”
Yuuri went to speak but ended up coughing. “What do you want with me?” His voice was rough, the exact opposite of what a siren’s voice should be.
“I want the answer to my question.” Viktor’s answer surprised Yuuri.
Yuuri finally looked up, his eyes locking with Viktor’s. “Then, ask it.” Slowly, Yuuri’s voice was becoming less rough.
“Do you know who created me?” Viktor’s demand shocked Yuuri.
With a look of sympathy, Yuuri shook his head. “I’m sorry, but no.”
Viktor’s sharp features faltered and slowly the angry expression fell into one of defeat. “No one knows. I don’t want to be this.” A tear slowly fell down his cheek. Yuuri carefully got to his feet and wiped the tear off Viktor’s face.
“Sometimes we can’t help what we are.” Yuuri’s voice conveyed a strong emotion within Viktor. Viktor felt as if Yuuri understood what he was feeling.
“I have one more question.”
“What is it?”
“Why were you on my land?”
Yuuri hesitated, suddenly shocked. “I was being chased.”
Viktor looked at him, his eyes flashing red. “Chased?”
“Yes, a group of Empusas entered my kingdom and came straight to the castle. My guards,” Yuuri paused to sob, “my guards, gave their lives so I could escape. I got lost in the forest.” Yuuri remained silent as Viktor stared at him.
“Empusa?” Viktor questioned.
Yuuri silently nodded.
Taking in a deep breath, Viktor said, “You’re free to remain here, as a royal guest until you feel you can take on the Empusa. When you are ready to fight for your kingdom, I will give you my army. Though, I have one condition.”
Yuuri looked at him curiously.
“As the potion I took is the last for the next few months, you will have to live here without your voice.”
“If that is what you wish.” Yuuri’s response was short and honest. He would give up his voice for the ability to take care of his people. “How will we communicate?”
“We have paper for now. Eventually, I may be able to convince the fairies to enchant an object to speak for you.” Viktor shrugged. With a smile he said, “You know, without the fear of you deceiving me, or tricking me, you’re a very nice person.”
“Thank you?” Yuuri said, honestly confused on how to take the compliment.
Viktor felt a subtle attraction growing for Yuuri. He took it as the potion wearing off and curtly said, “I need to silence you again.”
Yuuri simply nodded before Viktor released another red mist from his hand to Yuuri’s throat.
6 notes · View notes