Family on ICE. (Looking for better title)
Quick note here: An American is writing this. I know very little about Russian and Japanese culture. I do not mean to offend anyone who is of those cultures that might be reading this. I know that I don't know a lot, but I am working on learning. I read up quite a bit to write this! I know about (and love) the world in which Yuri! On Ice is in, and I'm writing in that world. Thank you!
Irena Plisetsky wasn't well known, and had very little spectacular about her. She had performed well on the Russian college entrance exam and, at the age of twenty-two, was focusing on her studies. She would graduate with a degree in accounting soon. From there, she would probably find a boring job in a boring accounting firm.
She worked her whole life to make her family proud. It was her cousin, however, that her family focused on. Despite her academic accomplishments and the age difference, she lived in his shadow. Yuri's shadow. The "Ice Tiger of Russia".
Yuri was, Irena understood, deserving of the attention and praise their Grandfather gave him. He was a tiger on the ice.
And all of this isn't to say she was jealous or bitter; the feelings were more complicated than that. She knew every time he would be on television, and would watch every single time. She would also text him and congratulate him without fail. Sometimes he'd reply, sometimes he wouldn't.
Irena would never admit it, but she was practically living vicariously through Yuri. If nothing else, his life was sure more interesting.
The blonde girl sighed, closing a textbook she couldn't bring herself to look at anymore. A headache was building slowly, and it was getting late besides. She turned off the reading light she had, and shuffled in her bed, a top-bunk in a bunk-bed tucked away in a corner of her tiny dorm. In the middle of pulling the covers over her, she heard the door to the dorm open.
And what's worse, the light turned on. It wasn't helping her headache.
"Hey, Irena!" Always so cheerful.
Irena's roommate was Lilly. Lilly was an American, coming to Russia on a student visa to study in a hard-to-get-into specific music program. She was an undeniably smart, talkative girl that Irena became fast friends with.
The language barrier was nearly a non-issue because Lilly had taken it upon herself to learn enough Russian to have basic conversation before she ever came to study. The conversations her and Irena had, Lilly would say with confidence, were quickly filling in the gaps.
Often, they would even watch the ice skating competitions together.
"So, wait, he's your…cousin?" Lilly said, watching Yuri perform his first senior program. That sliver costume he wore fit him so well. He almost looked like he was spinning on his spine … or flying. Both. He looked…. beautiful.
"Yeah, he's our family's little kitten." Irena laughed, entranced by what she was watching. He completed his program, and in that moment, one of his fans – who must have somehow become aware of his family's nickname – threw a headband with cat ears perfectly on his head.
"That's," Lilly paused for a moment, placing her hands over her mouth. "That's just too adorable. He's great on the ice, though. Amazing, even."
"They call him a prodigy for a reason." Irena nodded.
"I was almost asleep." Irena groaned.
"Sorry," Lilly tip-toed over the mess that was Irena's side of the room. To be fair to Irena, it was mostly clothes and useless school papers. Nothing too gross – like food left uneaten or anything like that. "I finished my practice late again."
"I know. I was hoping you'd get in after I feel asleep." Irena muttered.
"Man, you're grumpy when you're light on sleep."
"You already knew that." Irena shifted again, turning on her side to face the wall opposite Lilly.
"Well, I figured this would happen." She spoke, holding out a cup of coffee that Irena hadn't noticed she'd been hiding behind her back. "I brought your favorite coffee."
Almost immediately, Irena sat up and grabbed the cup, beginning to sip on the warm, sweet liquid. Coffee was Irena's ultimate weakness, her favorite thing. After a few sips, Irena watched Lilly sit at the desk on the other side of the room.
Something was off here.
"Why are you being nice to me? You never bring me coffee."
Lilly sighed. "Am I that obvious?" She grabbed a laptop from her blue backpack and set it on the desk. "Well…I know that the Grand Prix Finals are coming up…" As she spoke, her voice got more and more excited.
"Okay," Irena was glaring at her now, taking judgmental sips of her coffee.
"You know I was born on a military base in Spain, right? Well, I've always wanted to go back. And they're in Barcelona this year!" As she spoke, Lilly was frantically typing something in to her laptop, pulling up a website about the Grand Prix Finals. "Your cousin's made it all the way there! Let's go watch him! Two birds, one stone!"