⟲ Insider Skating Insider-Skating Retweeted . 12m
All Things Skating SkatingSeason . 15m
[A link to the Skating Season website, which is currently streaming the Gala Exhibition.]
Join us in a collaboration with Inside Skating as we stream the Gala Exhibition from this year's Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final! For the first time ever, Junior and Senior skaters will be performing together to celebrate the medalists and top-skaters in figure skating!
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Insider Skating Insider-Skating . 32m
Here is the schedule for this year's Gala!
[A link to the schedule for the gala exhibition. Following the opening ceremony, the junior champions will begin their gala performances, starting with ice dancers and ending with the male single's champion. After a short intermission, all Grand Prix Finalists at the senior level will then perform.]
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All Things Skating SkatingSeason
LIVE CHAT ? THE GRAND PRIX OF FIGURE SKATING FINAL IN BEIJING, CHINA
Welcome to the Live Chat function for the Streaming Party of GPF Gala Exhibition. The exhibition will commence shortly. Please wait for moderators to start the stream . All members of the Live Chat must follow the Live Chat etiquette or risk being barred from the chat. This includes any derogatory and/or abusive language, towards other people in the chat or towards skaters. Let's all have fun and enjoy the Gala Exhibition!
MODERATORS: PlanetNikiforov, SkatingSeason, Insider-Skating
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RussianLegend: aaah! So exciting!
mihana: What time does the opening performance start?
v-nikiforov1: it starts at 2! And then the Juniors will perform
HockeyHouse: Someone tell me when Viktor's up
SarenFigure: Lol, he's the last to perform, like always
SkatingBot: They always use Viktor like a fucking carrot, dangling him in front of us to watch the whole stream ?
skatingfox: For real
figureon: I'm excited to see Giacometti's routine again ?
deluxenina: This is a Bubble Butt Chris appreciation page. Nobody's gonna survive if he shows up in those leather pants.
SynchroAttack: Bubble Butt Christophe Rights!
HockeyHouse: Viktor in a skirt tho? ? ? ?
suminina : Amen
SynchroAttack: Amen
deluxenina: Amen
NikiforovNight: I wonder if Ana's gonna perform the same old, dreary sob story again.
GoldenBlades: Hey, don't call my queen dreary (fight emoji)
NikiforovNight: She's a beautiful skater, but if I have to listen to another rendition of Celine Dion, I will rip my ears out
skatingfox: Let her speak! She isn't wrong. If I hear 'Jack, come back', echoing against the rink speakers, I will kms
NikeNikkie: What about the Junior skaters? Any we should look out for?
deluxenina: ? ﾸﾏ ? ? ﾸﾏ
RussianLegend: ?
figureon: ? ? ?
mihana: Well, someone has been living under a rock. ? ? ?
deluxenina: Since the elephant in the room has been addressed, when is Katsuki performing?
mihana: He should be the last Junior skater to perform!
deluxenina: Noooo ? ? ? Why can't he just open the show? I'm too impatient to wait for Viktor and Yuuri.
NikeNikkie: Is this Junior skater really that good?
RussianLegend: D-did you even watch the competition?!
NikeNikkie: I skip Juniors like everyone does lol
skatingfox: Well, you missed out on some good fucking skating.
NikeNikkie: Really? ?
SynchroAttack: Okay, well you missed out on Katsuki.
NikeNikkie: Why's everyone freaking out about him?
SarenFigure: Have you not been on twitter at all?! He broke Viktor's WR in both the SP and combined score. He was only a few points away from breaking the FS too.
NikeNikkie: ? ? ? Oh.
v-nikiforov1: Yeah, oh.
NikeNikkie: So what's this about seeing his short program?
deluxenina: Most of the Junior skaters are gonna perform their short program, so we get to see him perform it again
NikeNikkie: They didn't prepare a gala piece?
deluxenina: Apparently , there was a miscommunication between ISU and the officials at the competition. They didn't tell the officials until a week ago that they expected the Junior skaters to have a slot at the exhibition, so then the officials had to scramble to figure out the lighting/set up at the last minute.
v-nikiforov1: What?!
NikeNikkie: No way
SynchroAttack: That's so fucking unprofessional!
figureon: The ISU should've made it clear. I wouldn't be surprised if federations start to complain
suminina: I guess we should give them the benefit of the doubt, since it is the first time that Juniors and Senior competition are being held together. Still unprofessional though. I also heard that practice for the gala was a mess . ISU, get your shit together
NikeNikkie: So, are all the Junior competitors going to perform as well ? ?ￂﾠ
RussianLegend: What, and have a gala exhibition that lasts twelve hours? ? Nah, only the Junior champions have a slot and then all of the senior finalists.
NikeNikkie: Oh thank god. Juniors are cute, but I just want to watch Viktor shake his ass in a little plaid skirt ?
suminina: NikeNikkie You have to stay to watch Katsuki's performance since you missed out in the first place!
SarenFigure: Oh, this'll be exciting. Seeing someone's reaction to it live, lmao. I was too in awe myself to see how other people reacted during it.
NikeNikkie: What time is he performing?
SarenFigure: Pretty sure he'll be the last junior skater
skatingfox: Oohh, I can't wait to see his short program again!
HockeyHouse: It was so good. I'm excited to see the triple axel.
v-nikiforov1: If he can.
SarenFigure: Why wouldn't he?
v-nikiforov1: Well, he's not competing and it's a risky jump. Viktor only does the quad flip because it gets the audience hyped. I'd rather he be safe and do a normal triple axel or a different jump.
NikeNikkie: What about the other Junior skaters?
FinestFigureSkating: I only heard about the Junior ladies' single, Nadiya Aksamit, Ukraine. She's got a good triple lutz, but she needs to sort out her component score if she wants to be better.
EatGiacometti: She's only 13 lol. She'll grow haha
NikeNikkie: It's amazing to win in her first year of competition, regardless
FinestFigureSkating: Yeah, but she could be better. Hope her talent isn't squandered since that always fucking happens
TopicCao: Especially cause she doesn't have a big federation backing her
EatGiacometti: Shit, you're right
suminina: Anyone else notice that in Juniors there's a bunch of different countries bagging the top prize, but as soon as it's seniors, it's a pissing contest between America, Russia, China and Canada? ?ￂﾠ
mihana: Japan used to be up there too ? ?, too bad they've been shit for the last decade.
HockeyHouse At least they've got Katsuki now!
viktorsbaby: Yeah, but how long is that going to last ?
EatGiacometti: What's that supposed to mean?
viktorsbaby: Well, he's not consistent. Yeah, he might've been good back in the day, but so what? He should've been in seniors, but everyone knows that he'd be eaten alive if he moved up.
EatGiacometti: He literally just broke the world record, what are you on about
viktorsbaby: Yeah, now . But there's no telling how long that'll stay. Like I said, he's inconsistent. Imo, he needs to prove that he's worth breaking Viktor's record.
suminina: Oh god, you're one of those fans.
viktorsbaby: What? All I'm saying is that it's weird that this no-name skater all of a sudden broke Viktor's junior world record.
EatGiacometti: A no-name skater? He was a Junior World Champion. He won the GPF three years ago.
RussianLegend: You can't watch his performance and say he doesn't deserve it
viktorsbaby: It was a fucking fluke
deluxenina: A fucking fluke?! Wow, a back-counter triple axel is a fucking fluke? Viktor can't even do that. I for one think you're feeling threatened by Katsuki.
suminina: Ignore them. They're being but-hurt because someone who's not from the Big 4 broke Viktor's world record
NikeNikkie: Big 4?
EatGiacometti: Russia, China, USA or Canada. Keep with the program, babe ?ￂﾠ
NikeNikkie: It's not like Japan isn't a powerhouse.
NikiBot: Yeah, a fallen one. They've had shit skaters for decades, name one who has medaled? Oh right, you can't.
TopicCao: Erm, are we all forgetting that Yumi and David got bronze?
NikiBot: Bronze is for losers. How many world champions or Olympic medalists do they have? Zero. The Japanese team wouldn't even have medaled if the French didn't stumble on one fucking lift. The French deserved to be on the podium, they had higher difficulty.
TopicCao: The French literally had a fuck-ton of mistakes? Forget stumbling on the lift, they were out of timing on all their twizzle spins. Yumi and David deserved that bronze. You just don't want to be told you're wrong, lmao
victorsbaby: Fuck you, we're right and everyone fucking knows it. Katsuki won't last a single day in Seniors and it's a fucking joke that he broke Viktor's program
Planet Nikiforov: Please refrain from fighting in the chat. This is your verbal warning. Any other comments against skaters will result in immediate removal and banning from further live parties.
figureskatingpsycho: Say what you want, but I'd rather see Katsuki skate than the fucking jumping competition that male figure skating is right now. I'd take Katsuki's ina bauer over Nikiforov's quad flip any day.
NikiBot: Katsuki will burn up in seniors. There's no way a fucking weak-ass skater like him could ever do a quad.
TopicCao: You're acting like quads are the be all or end all. He can beat everyone with just triple jumps. Cao Bin competes with only triples and he's competing with Viktor.
victorsbaby: Cao Bin get's fucking silver or bronze. Fuck Katsuki and fuck his fans. You think you're all that because he broke the record? Viktor is still the best skater. Fuck you-
This message has been deleted by the moderators.
PlanetNikiforov has removed Nikibot and viktorsbaby from the chat.
deluxenina: I think it's fucing ridiculous that Viktor fans are trying to put down a junior skater. What the hell is wrong with them?
Алиночка: Apologies from an actual Viktor fan. Most of the fans that get into fanwars are actually old Artyom fans that switched over. We hate those guys because they used to hate Viktor back in the day, but as soon as he beat Artyom at the Olympics and won silver, they've been acting like they've been fans for years. It's so frustrating.
figureskatingpsycho: They need to be put on a fucking leash
EatGiacometti: Anyways, let's just focus on good things
deluxenina: Ohh! The opening ceremony is starting
[The livestream shows the Opening Performance of the Grand Prix finalists. Viktor is leading the brigade, as the spotlight focuses on him skating around the rink, waving towards the fans. Everyone is wearing simple clothes, like hoodies or t-shirts, except for Jinglei and Xu Han, who will be performing first.
They are wearing their short program costumes. Near towards the back, there is a slight lag as the Junior skaters look around shyly, although they keep close towards Yuuri as he stands in front of them, dragging them around with the other senior skaters.
Suddenly, the lights turn off, and then the rink is showered in hues of soft purple. The lights flash in time with the beats, and then suddenly, there is a shower of multi-coloured neon lights and the speakers burst out in 'Dancing Queen'.]
EatGiacometti: What are they- IS THAT AN ABBA SONG?
deluxenina: HAHAHAHAHAHAH
FinestFigureSkating: ARE THEY ACTUALLY PERFORMING TO DANCING QUEEN?
suminina: I'M GOING TO CRY, LOOK AT HOW HAPPY VIKTOR IS
mihana: Odds on Viktor being the one to suggest ABBA?
NikeNikkie: What are you going to do when the two-time Grand Prix Champion asks for Abba? Say no ?
skatingfox: ? dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen! ?
HockeyHouse: They're all so adorable, awwww, look at the Juniors trying to keep up with the other skaters loool
v-nikiforov1: Every single one of the senior skaters are crack-heads. The poor Junior skaters look traumatised ?ￂﾠ ?ￂﾠ
[The camera pans towards the rest of the skaters, who are following simple routines on skates, lifting their arms up in an arrangement of simple dance moves. They move from one side of the rink to the next, turning so that every part of the audience can see them.
The camera pans around towards the Grand Prix Champions in ice dance, Russia's Annika Kuznetsova and Michail Lebedey. Matching the lyrics, 'You can jive', the two break out into a funny little jive step. They are currently in the midst of some fancy spiral work, although Lebedey is pulling faces to the amusement of the audience. When the lyrics 'You come to look for a king' comes on, the camera swiftly pans towards Viktor.]
skatingfox: Hahaha, nicely done cameraman
v-nikiforov1: Whoop, someone give this man a raise! His timing is impeccable
NikeNikkie: Viktor, my king! I'll be your dancing queen !
[The camera pans out to the rest of the group, showing the intricacies of their dance positions. The group move, albeit slightly clunky, together. The whole performance is entirely about having fun and not being perfect, at all.
Skaters are laughing to themselves, and the entire performance fuels the arena in an atmosphere of joy. The large group breaks out into smaller clusters of groups, they've ended their main choreographic section, and now are on to freestyling the song. The athletes all skate around the arena, singing along with fans as an array of spotlights turn on different skaters to highlight them all at once.]
EatGiacometti: Wait, oh my gosh, is that Katsuki and Chris?
mihana: WAAAIT THEY'RE SO CUTE?
NikeNikkie: ARE THEY PRETENDING TO DO A TANGO TOGETHER? HAHAHAHAH
EatGiacometti: WHERE DID CHRIS GET A ROSE FROM I'M DYING ? ?ￂﾠ
[When the lyrics 'You're a teaser, you turn 'em on' comes on, the camera pans directly towards Christophe Giacommetti, who is dancing towards Yuuri. He's swivelling his hips, pointing directly at him with a greasy grin. Yuuri himself bursts into laughter, bent over trying to catch his breath as Christophe does his best, greasy expression, swiping his hand through his hair and jutting his hip out.
Yuuri rolls his eyes, but grabs Christophe's arms and pulls him into a very impromptu, but incredibly impressive, rendition of a tango-like dance when the lyrics say 'You're in the mood for a dance'. Chris somehow procures a rose, and sticks it between his lips, all while Yuuri is trying to stay upright despite laughing so hard he's shaking.]
deluxenina: Look at Yuuri dying, omg
EatGiacometti: They're so freaking cute together, I had no idea they were so close.
SarenFigure: They used to compete in Juniors together, right?
mihana: Oh yeah, I forgot that Chris is only 19 ?
NikeNikkie: Damn, Viktor wearing just a simple, white t-shirt? ?
v-nikiforov1: Viktor, my love!
EatGiacometti: I can't believe Christophe and Yuuri are that close, look at how much they're laughing together!
EatGiacometti: Sara's joined in omg! Oh my god, she's jumped on Yuuri's back and he's spinning her around! How cute!
[The performance ends with a very cute, if slightly raw, pose, with everyone huddling together, hands up in the air. Viktor stands at the centre, the camera focused entirely on him. From the periphery, you can see Yuuri, grinning alongside Sara and Chris, his cheeks flushed red. The arena breaks out into applause as the announcer says through the speaker 'Our Grand Prix Finalists, everyone!']
deluxenina: That was so much fun!
figureskatingpsycho: They all look like they were having a blast!
v-nikiforov1: ABBA is always a good choice.
53 other people have entered …
casuallyinlovewithvitya: When is Viktor starting
Nikiforovie: Vitya!
VikkieBabes: So exciting!
GoldenVitya: Vitya, we're only here to watch you!
PViktor: Viktor!
expertnikiforov: ? ? ? ?ￂﾠ
[The livestream picks up after a commercial break. You can hear the commentators say 'That performance was by the Junior Ice Dance champions, Canada! Now, welcome to the stage, the Junior men's single champion, Yuuri Katsuki of Japan!']
mihana: ゆりくん！私はとても興奮しています！ああああ！[Yuri-kun! I'm so excited! Aaaaaaah!]
NikeNikkie: So, this is the person who broke Viktor's record?
EatGiacometti: Yes!
deluxenina: NikeNikkie prepare yourself for the best short program-
13 people are typing ….
mihana: 何してるの？カツキユウリ [What are you doing, Katsuki Yuuri?!]
EatGiacometti: That is not his short program costume.
PViktor: When is Viktor coming on
SarenFigure: WOW
figureskatingpsycho: Now that 's a costume, oh my god
FinestFigureSkating: He's so freaking pretty O.O
NikeNikkie: That's Katsuki?! O.O
SarenFigure: NikeNikkie Isn't he the most gorgeous person you've ever seen?
NikeNikkie: He's so attractive wtf
HockeyHouse: That costume oh my god, you sure it's not a competition piece?
skatingfox: Why is Yuuri's gala outfit better than most people's competitive costume T.T
EatGiacometti: No, because I'm literally gasping for air, those fucking sleeves
NikeNikkie: You said he was going to perform his short program! What is this?!
[The camera is focused on Yuuri as he makes his way towards the center of the rink. His eyes are closed and his hair is swept back. The stage lights are a bright contrast to the teal hues of his costume. The commentator states "Katsuki is performing a new piece, which he titled 'The Sounds of Hasetsu: Tenkyuu'. After breaking the world record in the short program and the combined total score, all eyes are on Japan's Yuuri Katsuki."
Yuuri takes a deep breath, and then the music starts.]
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ASAHI SPORTS CENTRE ✓ Asahi_Sports
はしつ音：ジュニアグランプリチャンピオン、ユウリ・カツキ選手が故郷の輝きを世界に披露
[Sounds of Hasetsu: Junior Grand Prix Champion, Katsuki Yuuri-senshu shows the world the brilliance of his hometown]
The Mainichi News - Sports ✓ 毎日新聞
ガラ展：カツキユリ選手は、彼のショーを止めるガラパフォーマンスで日本の優雅さを例示します
[Gala Exhibition: Katsuki Yuuri-senshu exemplifies the elegance of Japan in his show-stopping gala performance]
讀賣新聞 ✓ Yomiuri_Sports
琴の音：カツキユウリ選手が故郷を北京の高みへと導く
[The sounds of Koto: Katsuki Yuuri-senshu brings his hometown to the heights of Beijing]
東京スポーツ ✓ TokyoSports
日本のジュニアエース：カツキユウリセンシュは、彼の美しいガラパフォーマンスで故郷と日本に敬意を表しています。
[Japan's Junior Ace: Katsuki Yuuri-senshu pays homage to his hometown and Japan with his beautiful gala performance.]
NHK SPORTS ✓ NHK+Sports
意見: ハセツの音：カツキユウリ選手のガラ展が画期的な理由。
[(OPINION): The Sounds of Hasetsu: Why Katsuki Yuuri-senshu's Gala Exhibition is groundbreaking.]
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The Sounds of Hasetsu: Why Katsuki Yuuri-senshu's Gala Exhibition at the Grand Prix Final in Beijing is groundbreaking.
It is an understatement to say that for the past ten years, figure skating has been dominated by Europe, currently being spearheaded by the prodigal-genius of Russia's Viktor Nikiforov, who won his first senior title at sixteen years of age and won Olympic silver at nineteen, becoming the youngest Olympic medalist in over a century.
Asia, in contrast, has failed to produce the greats that they once so heavily boasted back in the 1970s, with only recently, China's Cao Bin medaling at senior events. No country feels this downturn trajectory more so than our own country, Japan.
After Sawamura Aiko won bronze at the Winter Olympic Games, their first and only figure skating medal, Japan has seen a steady decline in athletic achievements in comparison to their Western counterparts.
Only a handful of Japanese female skaters have been invited to compete at ISU sanctioned events, even less so when you think of mens.
Once seen as one of the country's most popular sports, figure skating has fallen out of the public consciousness in favour of more profitable and popular sports like baseball and basketball.
It's no stretch to say this is a result of it's penchant for victory, with Koshien becoming a staple in Japanese culture after the success of many of its players in both the NPB and MLB and Japanese basketball consistently ranking first as Japan's favourite sport.
In effect, figure skating is dying in Japan because athletes have failed to medal, bringing no merits to the public's attention, unlike other competitive sports.
The drop of figure skating from a national sport to one that is only remembered during the Olympic year, mirrors the fall of our country's world placing. You can see this at last year's World Championship, where the highest scoring Japanese male skater ranked 28th. He was Japan's only qualifier for the event.
It seems to all that this downward trajectory would continue as the Olympic year draws closer and closer, but then, patterns never do take into account anomalies.
The 13th December 20XX. The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final commences at Capitol Gymnasium Arena, Beijing, China.
Most of our readers have most likely never heard of this competition before. But to athletes and fans alike, to be able to compete at the Grand Prix Final was indicative of your World standing. After rigorous qualifying events, the top six athletes will compete across the four disciplines to crown the best of the best - the Grand Prix Champion.
Japan only had three teams qualify in the senior bracket - Takahashi Riku in ladies, Sato Hitomi and Yuma Takemi in pairs, and finally the current face of Japanese figure skating, ice dancers Kihara Yumi and Yamaguchi David. There was only one Junior skater to even qualify for the event, a skater named Katsuki Yuuri, aged 18.
Perhaps our readership recognises the name from a few years ago. Since I have been employed at NHK Sports, I have closely followed Katsuki's career since his time as a novice. In fact, I can say without a doubt that I am one of his staunchest supporters.
But I write today, not as one of his fans, but as a reporter. With all my years as a journalist under NHK, what I witnessed during the Junior Grand Prix Final was nothing short of insanity.
If figure skating is a small community within Japan, junior competitions are miniscule . Yet, when I attended the All-Japan Junior Championships, better known as Junior Nationals, the magnitude under which Katsuki-senshu commanded the stage left me speechless.
Under a new coach, Katsuki-senshu decimated the competition. With a new short program and a complete rehaul of his long program, both of which he himself choreographed, Katsuki won the championships with points to spare. Coming into the Finals however, he was not a favourite to win. In fact, Katsuki had barely scraped by the qualifying event.
Even though those of us who were able to watch the magnetism that Katsuki showed during his mesmerising performance at Junior Nationals, the international audience did not even know his name. There was no expectation for our only Junior skater at the Finals.
And then he stepped on to the ice, and all the world could do was watch in awe .
Viktor Nikforov is the face of figure skating. He is the reigning World Champion, two-time European Champion and, after winning this year's Grand Prix Final in the senior division, he won two, consecutive, Grand Prix Champion titles. He has been unbeatable, and nothing says this more than his Junior World Records. For over four years, Junior skaters have tried to break his old world records and no-one had ever come close.
Katsuki-senshu did.
After setting a new world record, he then went on to win the title, becoming Japan's first Junior Grand Prix Champion in over three years (the last, ironically, had been Katsuki-senshu himself, who had won the title when he was fourteen).
He cemented himself back in the international audience's eye, with a short program score of 84.04. In layman's terms, the sixth place at Senior men's event was 72.83. Katsuki had beaten the senior skater by over 11.21 points.
His technical merit and command over the ice is nothing like anything we've seen before from a Japanese skater. Katsuki's short program score proves that he could compete at senior level and could very-well medal at some events too.
Then, yesterday happened. The 16th December - the Gala Exhibition.
After each major figure skating competition, there is an exhibition program that is set up by the hosting nation's federation. It is where athletes can interact with fans and celebrate their achievements, showing performances that exemplify their individuality that is sometimes lost under the strict regulation of competitive ice skating.
All Grand Prix finalists were invited to perform, with only the Junior champions of each discipline allocated a spot within the beginning of the event. When everyone was itching for juniors to end so that the main event, the senior athletes, could start, Katsuki-senshu stepped on the ice, the last Junior skater to perform.
There was a hush around the arena - everyone there had seen his performance earlier the week. Most Junior skaters had opted to re-perform their short program, and there was anticipation from the audience that they could see the program that had broken Viktor Nikiforov's record once again.
He did not perform his short program, like everyone, myself included, assumed he would.
No, Katsuki-senshu entered the ice, wearing a beautiful kimono-inspired costume, set alight with gold trimming and teal-accents. He looked like a Crown Prince from a manga, a figure from a Japanese historical painting - he looked ethereal under the spotlights at the Capitol Gymnasium.
With a program he titled 'Sounds of Hasetsu: Tenkyuu', Katsuki-senshu changed everything.
Before I explain why, I would like to give some context to our readership.
For the past few years, there has been criticism aimed towards the International Skating Union (the ISU) and it's judging system. I would like our readership to know that connecting steps (or transitional elements as they are also known) are an integral part of the judging system within figure skating.
Between jump elements, there are points that need to be met - one of which asks that jumping passes are integrated within the program. And then, the quadruple jump became a staple in men's figure skating.
The quadruple jump needs time for the skater to build up appropriate speed. It means that programs nowadays are filled with long loading times, where skaters simply do two-footed skating in order to pick up speed. Viktor Nikiforov himself utilises this, having a long loading time so he can build up speeds before a quadruple jump.
Even though it means that they do not meet one of the criterias of the judging system, most skaters say that it's worth it. Why? Because the base value of a quadruple jump is so high. Most critics would argue that the high reward of quadruple jump inhibits the very core of figure skating - it's artistry.
This can be seen with the future generation of skaters coming up to seniors - more and more, skaters are prioritising quadruple jumps in their programs. We have yet to see a skater perform two quadruple jumps in one program, but it's become general practice that most skaters try to include a quad into at least one of their programs. The top male skaters, Nikiforov, Giacometti and Cao, all attempt to do a quadruple jump per program - one in the short, one in the free.
For most traditionalists, figure skating is no longer an artistry sport, but a jumping competition. That is the background from which Katsuki-senshu competes.
Despite sporting incredible technical ability, Katsuki-senshu's biggest merit as a skater is his musicality. He includes transitional elements into all of his jump entries, the most impressive of which is a back-counter triple axel. These transitional elements present his jumps as part of the routine, as if they were simply dance elements rather than requirements of the competition. They have purpose within the performance.
For those who do not know, the triple axel is one of the hardest jumps that a figure skater can do that is not a quadruple jump. Similar to quads, the jump is also subjected to long loading times.
Katsuki-senshu threw the figure skating world into a loop when he did a back-counter connecting step as his entry into a triple axel. It has never been done before.
What this means is that Katsuki-senshu's jump was fully integrated into the competition - there is no telling that a jump would even occur, because it is disguised under the guise of connecting step elements.
He is a technical mastermind, and yet, when it came to show who he is as a skater at the Gala Exhibition, Katsuki-san did not include a single jump element.
Performing to 'Tenkyuu', a traditional koto piece that exemplifies Japanese history and tradition, Katsuki-senshu embodied the strength and grace of Japan for the world to see.
In a time when gala performances are a mirror to a skater's soul, Katsuki-san's choreography was a love-letter to the sport he loves and the country that raised him.
Paying homage to his hometown, Katsuki-senshu showed the world that there is a figure skater from the country of Japan that will fight with the behemoth Western countries. Japan was here to stay.
Only time will tell what his senior career will shape up to be, but at this moment in time, all I can do is watch in amazement everytime Katsuki-senshu skates. I hope his future is as bright as his art.
もろおか ひさし [Morooka Hisahi],
figure skating commentator and
sports journalist, NHK Sports.
k-yumi1989 32m.
Imperial Hotel, Beijing, Republic of China
[PHOTO: A set of four pictures. The first picture, the one that shows up on Yumi's feed, is of herself, David and Yuuri.
They're outside what looks like a lobby entrance, with fancy wall art and long, ceiling lights that give an elegant ambience to the photo. Yumi is in a slinky, floor-length black dress that seeps around her like second skin, whilst David is wearing a matching, all-black, three-piece suit. Yuuri is in between the two of them, wearing a tailored black suit that's unbuttoned to reveal his white shirt and matching black tie. They all look incredible.
The second picture is of all the other Japanese athletes, sitting together at the same table, with varying amounts of peace signs and thumbs up thrown around. The next picture is of David, Yumi, their coach, and Sato Hiroto, the JSF official in charge of the senior division.
The last picture is of David with his mouth wide open, inhaling a flute of champagne with something you can only describe as crackhead energy.]
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liked by v-nikiforov, christophe-gc, and 12,012 others
k-yumi1989 : ＃チームジャパン ガラ展宴会で！
[#TeamJapan at the Gala Exhibition Banquet!]
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r-takahashi 21m.
Imperial Hotel, Beijing, Republic of China
[PHOTO: A picture of Riku Takhashi, the Japanese representative for ladies' singles at the Grand Prix Finals, her coach and the Junior Grand Prix Champion, Yuuri Katsuki.]
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liked by minako-okukawa, , k-yumi1989, and 281 others.
r-takahashi : ジュニアグランプリチャンピオンのゆうりくんと一緒に！あなたが先輩に来るのを待つことができません！
[With the Junior Grand Prix Champion, Yuuri-kun! Can't wait for you to come up to seniors!]
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18m.
Imperial Hotel, Beijing, Republic of China
[VIDEO: An instagram story with the captions, "時間の男" which translates to 'Man of the Hour' and "彼らはとても速く成長します ๐·°(৹˃̵﹏˂̵৹)°·๐ " which translates to "They grow up so fast". The story is a zoomed in video of Yuuri talking to Sato Hiroto, the senior division JSF official. At the end of the conversation, he bows extremely politely towards the elderly man, before turning towards David's direction, sighing in relief before he realises that he is being recorded. His face turns into a pout as he waddles towards the older skater, who you can hear laughing in the background of the video.]
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christophe-gc 10m
Imperial Hotel, Beijing, Republic of China
[PHOTO: A sequence of photos of Yuuri and Christophe, posing outside of the banquet venue. The first one is very dapper, where Chrisophe has his elbow on Yuuri's shoulder, and the two of them look like something straight out of a photoshoot. The next few pictures however, show the reality and complete chaos that is Christophe and Yuuri when they are together, showing the slow descent of madness as Christophe loses his footing and then collapses on top of Yuuri. The last picture is of the two of them sprawled on the floor, dying of laughter.]
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liked by v-nikiforov, , sara-crispino, and 626,821 others
christophe-gc : The bestie finally made it to the big stage ?ￂﾠ
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v-nikiforov 21m
Imperial Hotel, Beijing, Republic of China
[PHOTO: Viktor, with a glass of champagne between his fingers, staring at the camera. It's a professional picture of his outfit, a bespoked, two-piece suit, obviously taken with a camera and not a phone. His suit jacket is fasted at the front by two, golden buttons, exposing his white, mesh undershirt. It's see-through, exposing a sliver of skin that is tasteful but alluring. His hair is pulled back into a sleek, high ponytail. He is a vision to behold.]
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liked by nike-official, louisvuitton, i-askarov, adriana-ferreira and 1,101,212 others
v-nikiforov : Готовы отпраздновать банкетный ужин в честь #BeijingGPF! Спасибо моим друзьям из LV и за то, что сшили мне костюм!
[Ready to celebrate at the banquet dinner for the #BeijingGPF! Thank you to my friends at LV and adriana-ferrerira for making my suit!]
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Imperial Hotel
Beijing, China
The Gala Exhibition Banquet Dinner
19:00 PM
Yuuri is feeling a lot of emotions and he is too sober to deal with it.
Banquets. He's been to far too many, more than he ever thought he would've. Viktor would never let him live down their fated first meeting. It became known as the Banquet™ .
Each year, one of his friends, usually Phichit, would remind everyone of the Banquet™ as soon as Yuuri was holding a flute of champagne. Viktor would have far too much fun in teasing Yuuri, wrapping his arms around his waist tightly and declaring that this time around, he would not let Yuuri go for fear of him disappearing again.
It had become an inside joke between their inner circle, enough so that just experiencing the ambience of the event was giving Yuuri a migraine.
The atmosphere itself was strange to say the least.
For one, Yuuri couldn't drink this time around. It wouldn't be so bad if Yuuri could drink, but alas, one of the JSF attendants had pulled him aside, suggesting that even though it was legal for him to drink in China, he was still two years away from becoming legal in Japan, and that he had a reputation to uphold, now that he was the face of Japan.
That had sent Yuuri into a slight meltdown - he could feel a slight tremor fill every movement he made, coiling around his body like lightning about to strike him at any moment if he so much as looked at the pyramid of champagne at the center of the banquet.
Miyamoto was nowhere to be seen, and Minako had disappeared sometime when the Federation staff had cornered him next to the chocolate fountain machine.
Surprisingly, his saviour had been Sato-san.
Yuuri had thought the elderly man, who was the Japanese Federation's representative (Yuuri made a mental post-it-note that he is very important for future reference), would tell him the exact same thing that the other officials had.
Instead, he had clapped Yuuri on the back, warding off further talk about his 'duty to always look perfect' by the other officials, who had clammed up at the sight of the elder man. Sato-san had steered him away, through the large crowd of other federations, a warm hand guiding him away from danger.
"Our people mean well, Katsuki-san. They're a little overly eager, but it's because they've never had someone with as much potential as you. The time will come when you will need to perform, as they say 'your duty', but for now?" He shrugs, the dimple of his smile-lines deepening.
"You are young. Enjoy yourself."
His eyes had been alight with something akin to mischief, and he motioned towards David, who walked towards the two of them, eyes stretching out into a smile of his own. "I look forward to seeing you grow, Katsuki-san."
David and Sato-san fell into familiar chatter. The elderly man mentioned something to David, who in turn nods with an uncommon seriousness, before he gives his farewell and disappears amongst the crowd of other federation members. David then latches on to Yuuri, linking their arms and dragging him towards a circular table near the back of the room.
Yuuri recognised the other members there, skaters from his own country. Yumi waved brightly, and David nudged him into a seat before the food was served. It was fairly simple, small portions of palatable food, aimed at a mostly European audience. He had spotted Christophe further away, next to some other skaters from his rink, inhaling the creamy pasta.
Yuuri's eyes travel across the rest of the banquet hall, noticing Sara attempting to seduce a French skater, all whilst Michele is latched at her side. He laughs to himself, turning his eyes away when suddenly, he feels his blood turn cold.
"Fuck." Yuuri whispers, horrified.
Minako. There she was, drowning what was her third champagne flute of the night, sitting at the designated coaching table. Clad in a deep, navy-blue power suit, she's sitting in between Celestino and Yakov , of all people.
She catches his eye from across the room, sends a cheery wink his way, and then completely ignores him . He needs to get out of here. Like fast.
By the time the deserts are well and truly scraped off all the plates, Yuuri barely notices the crowd of people that flock towards him. Selfies and photographs are taken, in fact, Yuuri barely even realises what's happening, too blinded by the flash of cameras to understand what is going on.
When he's finally released from their clutches, Yuuri realises he had been in the smallest of crowds. Tables are cleared by waiters with graceful practice, and soon the room is filled with idle chatter. There was a person playing piano at the front of the hall, a gentle song, classical of some kind (Yuuri vaguely recognised it as a Liszt piece, one that was a personal favourite of his mother).
It was a tasteful evening, as all banquets should be.
Christophe was somewhere amongst the chatter, weaving in and out of conversations with the grace of an extrovert. He notices Yuuri at the periphery, eyes promising mischief, and swivels his head around to find Minako. He takes one look at Yuuri's coach who is having some kind of chat on Yakov's phone, and makes a signal towards the back door.
It would've worked, except Christophe is about as subtle as a six-pile car crash on the highway. So, obviously, Minako notices.
Yuuri groans to himself, burying his face in his hands. Is it too late to act like he has no idea who Chris is?
David circles his arms around Yuuri's shoulder, laughing outright as Christophe tries to make his way towards them, until he is engulfed by another crowd of his friends from seniors, offering congratulations. Yuuri tenses when he recognises the group.
It's Viktor, linking an arm through Christophe's and dragging him amongst the star-studded group. There's China's Cao Bin, the only person of Asian descent who had made it to the final - the bronze medalist. Alexander Ricci, of Italy and James Richard of America were flanking either side of Viktor's shoulders, like bodyguards ready to protect the Crown Prince. Arthur Dupont, the French skater who had just missed out on the podium, was sending very appreciative glances at Christophe's ass. Yuuri quickly looked away, for fear that he may actually throw up.
Young Viktor and his group of superstar skaters were really in a completely different world.
Perhaps it's because his first introduction to Viktor was a blurry haze of drunken amnesia, but Yuuri did not know if it was technically possible for him to go up and talk to Viktor. Was there a rule of some sorts? A ' Don't you dare touch the King, it's treasonous! Off with his head!' kind of thing? Yuuri was too drunk to know if he somehow made himself become a social outcast, but inn his defence, in that timeline, Viktor had crashed through the doors of Yu-Topia Katsuki, fucking naked in front of Yuuri when they first met.
There wasn't a lot that didn't make Yuuri embarrassed about it, but all of the tension had zapped out of him because Viktor had been the one to make the first move. By the time Yuuri had responded, Viktor was apparently already halfway in love.
This time it was different. Viktor himself was amongst a golden crowd, surrounded by suitors and sponsors alike, all clamouring to get a photo with the two-time Grand Prix Champion. There was no way Yuuri could just waltz up and introduce himself.
It also didn't help that Viktor looked fucking mouthwatering .
Unlike a generic black suit that everyone in the room seemed to be wearing, Viktor's body clung itself to a bespoked, emerald-coloured two-piece. It was tailored to his every muscle, clinging like a second skin with every movement he made.
The cut was sharp , his torso exposed in a clean vee, exposing a sheer, white tulle-kind of blouse underneath. The piece was made of some kind of soft material, a velvet-skin that contrasted with all the sharp edges of Viktor's angular features. It made Yuuri's mouth drier than a desert.
And his hair . Yuuri's jaw still hurts from the way it had unhinged itself when Viktor had walked in through the banquet halls alongside Yakov and Mila.
His long, gorgeous, silver hair was pulled back into a tight, sleek ponytail, no strand out of place. He looked like one of those statues in the Museums that he used to drag Yuuri around all the time- like someone had carved him out of marble, lovingly moulding each intricate slope of his features so that they would be gazed at for all eternity. Yuuri had never been one to appreciate art, but suddenly, he could understand the itch to preserve something so beautiful.
Viktor stood there, untouchable . An idol made to look, but not to touch.
Something cowardly wrapped itself around Yuuri's chest, making it hard to breathe. He knew the thought of Viktor as some kind of Herculean deity, placed on a pedestal to be adored by the masses, was wrong to do - Viktor was human , and as was the human condition, he too felt loneliness and despair.
To think of Viktor as this godly idol was to do him a disservice. Yuuri knew that, and yet his stomach still churned at the very thought of speaking to him - because this wasn't his Viktor.
He was young, hair long and flowing around him. He was not the twenty-seven year old who had been on the top for decades, who people had asked at every waking moment when he was going to retire, what his plans were for the future, when he was leaving the sport. He was not a Viktor who, for years, already had the entire world curled in his palm. He was not the Viktor who was tired of the game.
This Viktor was young, he was bursting with energy. Maybe, if Yuuri had time-travelled to the year after Saratov, when Viktor had won all there was to win, when he had chopped off his beloved hair in a bid to reinvent himself, who clung so desperately at a game that he already won because it was his whole life , things would've been different. That Viktor was more familiar, a Viktor that Yuuri knew how to handle.
There is a flush of anger that floods through him, justifiable in his mind. How could Yuuri think that any part of Viktor was hard to deal with? How dare he? He, of all people, knew the pain and loneliness that Viktor had felt throughout his entire career. Why, why was he so scared to just speak to him?
For months, Yuuri had slaved away for this exact moment. The whole point of continuing to compete was so that, somehow, he could escape the trapped, monotony of life that Hasetsu had caused to fester inside of him, one that was far away from the glitz and glamour of Viktor.
He wanted to grasp at anything to do with his former life, and the only way to do that was competing.
He had thought just seeing Viktor from afar would be enough, that it would tide him over, calm the storm that was inside him. Viktor was the eye of the storm, the calmness within a calamity.
Yuuri needed him - needed to know that he was okay, that he could survive at the center of the storm, even if he was alone. Now, looking at him amongst the dazzle of the lights and the adoration of the world, Yuuri, horribly, feels small.
Because that's the bottom line.
Yuuri is scared that Viktor won't want him this time around.
Just thinking those words makes Yuuri want to crawl inside himself, to give up on even surviving in this timeline. He knows that it's his brain repeating a worst-case scenario, but if he never goes up to Viktor, then Viktor can never be disappointed in him, right?
He just wants Viktor so much , that now, when he was only a breath away, Yuuri's cowardice strikes. It was like an itch had formed at the center of his spine, constantly uncomfortable but too far away for his arms to reach and relieve it. Seeing Viktor from afar is not enough. But to reach out, to feel so much and so suddenly, Yuuri felt a flush of shame flood through him. He feels caged .
"I- I need to go to the restroom."
He doesn't look closely to see if David hears him over the noise of the crowd. All Yuuri could think about was getting as far away from the room as possible.
The bathroom wasn't far across the lobby, a pour of visitors still making their way towards the doors of the gala. Yuuri feels like a fish swimming against the time, slivering through the small gaps as fast as he can without touching anyone. He doesn't want to be noticed.
The bathroom is huge, the kind of restroom you'd expect at a fancy establishment. There are tall, floor-length mirrors and sinks made out of marble. An accent wall is painted an opulent emerald, with panelling all across in structured, squared boxes - the same colour as Viktor's jacket.
Yuuri sharply inhales and tries to focus on something else. There are towels on the marble countertops, rolled up inside pine-coloured baskets, bunched together to look like a bouquet of flowers. It's so extravagant and lavish that Yuuri feels like a fake for even stepping into the room.
He's, blessedly , alone in the restroom. Patting cold water on his face, he waits in hope for the coldness to numb his face, or at the very least, be enough of a shock to get him out of this stupor.
He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, counts backwards from 100 and tries to calm the shuddering way his heart thrums against his chest. He wants his sister, wants Minako- needs someone-
"You okay there, kid?"
Yuuri's body turns cold, eyes clenching down fiercely. His brain is going into overdrive - danger, there's danger, not safe, not safe- His fists turn white, gripping the corner of the marble counter. He doesn't know what he says, but suddenly, there is a warm hand resting on his clenched hands, smoothing them out of their flexed grip.
"Let's take a deep breath." The man speaks out the words in a deep and kind voice. It's warm, familiar , and Yuuri feels his body start to relax.
"That's it, you're doing a great job, kid."
"- ory - '' Yuuri's voice rips out of his throat, guttural and thick. "Sorry." He repeats, shoving the word out of his mouth, as clear as he can. "I'm- I usually handle it better."
"You're doing amazing." There is no lie in the man's voice. "Let's talk about something else." Shift your focus , Yuuri remembers the words Celestino had taught him. "How many wood panels can you see on the wall?"
"Four."
"You're right. They're all connected to make a little square. Can you see that?" Yuuri finally squeezes his eyes open, turning back towards the emerald green wall. His breath hitches at the colour, but he focuses on the lines of wood that are jutting out. He follows each connected panel, and nods his head when he sees the squares.
"Yeah." He gasps out.
"Good. How many towels are in the basket?"
One, two, three, four, five. "Six. Six towels." His words come out along with his breath, wheezing out in a sharp exhale. His shoulders lax at the same time.
"Very good. Take one more deep breath for me."
Yuuri listens to the voice. He feels the air being sucked up through his mouth, feels it travelling within his body, towards all the trembling parts of his limbs. He's returning back to himself. Throughout it all, the warm presence of a hand on his arm stays, bringing him back inside his body.
"Well done." The arm pats him, and Yuuri shudders his eyes open.
"You're Yuuri, right?"
(America is scary, is the first thing Yuuri thinks to himself after stepping off the airplane.
Nothing could have prepared him for Michigan, not the long layover hours or the stream of constant people surrounding him.
Yuuri, renowned for hating confrontation, had to wrangle his way through the baggage carousel against the hundreds of students all coming over for University.
With his limited English, Yuuri couldn't help but feel like he was just a blight on the landscape. Everyone here knew someone else, linking arms with friends or hugging relatives. If not, at least they could speak the language. All at once, he could feel panic start to swell through his body. Yuuri was a small fish in a huge ocean, and he was drowning.
"You're Yuuri, right?"
Exhaustion lines the edges of Yuuri's face as he stands there with only two suitcases, his beanie pushed down as far forward on his forehead as it can.
He turns frantically towards the person speaking, recognising his name amongst all the noise of the airport. He tries stuttering out a response, "Hello. Nice to meet you.", seems like a safe bet, but then he stumbles against the vowels, his tongue losing a battle with the foreign language.
A man stands before him with a gentle smile. "I thought you might like having someone here to pick you up. It's nice to finally meet you in person, Yuuri. We've only ever talked through phone calls and emails! I'm Celestino, your coach." )
"Yeah." Yuuri breathes out. "Yuuri. My name is Yuuri."
The banquet is in full swing by the time Yuuri returns. It had only been half an hour, but the exhaustion had already crept into Yuuri's bones. Celestino had told him that he would feel exhausted, and to at least have a nap somewhere to counter the effects of being emotionally drained. He would've done it too, but the thought of not speaking to Christophe at all today had waned on his conscience. He had promised to at least try to be social.
With Celestino's number firmally in his phone, Yuuri steels his heart and enters the room. The two of them make it back to the banquet hall, Celestino immediately being drawn into a conversation with some other coaches.
Yuuri was hoping to say goodbye to Christophe and sneak back without being accosted by other people. It would've been easy, if Minako and Christophe weren't somehow drunker than an elephant inhaling water through its snout.
Because that's what Chris was doing, being a disappointment to his federation by snorting champagne. He chokes, which is deserved , egged on by Minako, both who are sitting at a table near the entrance, completely wasted.
"Drinking champagne through your nose is so not worth it." Christophe tears up, his voice is slurred and his shirt is a mess. His head snaps up as Yuuri makes his way towards them.
"Yuuri!" He cries out. "My bestie! Come, come, have a drink! I saved you some champagne." He gestures towards the table, where there are at least twenty empty champagne flutes. There is not a full one in sight.
Minako's head snaps up from where it's laying on the table. "Yuuri can't drink yet. The JSF said so."
"What?!" Christophe screams, outraged. "But he's eighteen!"
"The legal age is 20 in Japan." Yuuri pulls Christophe into a sitting position, untangling the tie that is almost choking him. He tucks it into Christophe's jacket pocket for safe keeping.
"But it's legal in China! I should know, I asked Bin specifically so we could celebrate!"
"Celebrate what?" Minako narrows her eyes.
"It was supposed to be a late birthday present!" Christophe wails. "I was going to pay for his drinks, we could've gone clubbing!"
He gasps loudly, grabbing Yuuri's hand. "We could still sneak out. Here, I'll find your coach and distract her with my charm and wit, and you can make a run for it!"
"Nice, who are we distracting so that Yuuri can run away?" David pops up behind, materialising from thin air and evidently not drunk, despite downing a worrying amount of alcohol.
"Yuuri's coach!" Christophe cackles.
Yumi follows behind David, immediately coming to wrap an arm around Yuuri's shoulder, keeping him rooted at her side. "Where were you, hotshot? Everyone wanted a picture with the resident history maker, but he disappeared from the public eye."
"Heh." Yuuri rubs the back of his neck. "Bathroom. Anyway, Chris is trying to distract my coach so that we can leave to get drunk at some club."
David raises an eyebrow, looking between Christophe and Minako pointedly.
"Yeah I know. He told her the plan before he told me."
"Yuuri, Yuuri, look here! I made a new friend, her name's Min-adgaasds." Christophe's mouth slurs over the words. "She's a ballet teacher! You did ballet! You'll like her! She outdrank me like a champ."
"Christophe." Yuuri grabs his friend's shoulders. "Minako is my coach."
Chris' mouth drops open.
"She," Yuuri stabs his thumb towards Minako, who's grinning broadly. "Is my Coach. Minako Okukawa."
"No she isn't." Christophe's forehead scrunches up. "She's a ballerina ."
"Yes. She's also my coach."
Chris gasps loudly. "She's a ballerina and a coach?"
"Correct."
" Wow ." Christophe turns to Minako, eyes exaggeratingly wide. "You're so cool."
"Thank you, Christophe." She snickers.
"Wait, why is a ballerina your coach, Yuuri?"
"I think we're getting sidetracked. Please, tell me why you're going to distract me so Yuuri can escape." She raises an eyebrow, winking devilishly when Christophe's face turns red.
"We… we were going to sneak him into a club."
"Yuuri hates loud noises, especially when it's a crowd of people."
"Then we can go to a bar! Anywhere where he can drink."
Yuuri pinches the bridge of his nose. "Okay, I think there's been enough alcohol consumption at this event to last a lifetime. Let's go back to the hotel and sober up."
"No! Christophe is right!" Minako grabs Yuuri's arm, winking. "We should be having a late birthday party with you! Come on, we'll have a small nap and then go out! David, Yumi, join us!"
"Nope, we're going to the hotel. Senpai, can you help me with Christophe?"
"You got your ID?"
"Does a Japanese license count?" Yuuri glowers, holding it out. "I didn't want to bring my passport."
"You have your license?" Christophe grapples it out of his hand, far more sober than earlier. "Since when?"
"Since I was 16."
"It's a motorcycle license." Minako pipes up from the side. "He still has to take the car test before he graduates high school - have you done the written exam yet?"
"I'm doing it after Worlds."
"You have a motorcycle? "
"Nope. I have a bicycle." Yuuri laughs at Christophe's questioning look. "My sister has a motorcycle, which I use occasionally. She does deliveries for the inn, so I needed to have the license in case I had to take over."
"I- the more I learn about you, the more I am amazed." Christophe shakes his head. "You can ride a motorcycle ."
"Yeah, yeah. We established that. Come on, let's go." Yuuri shivers, zipping up his hoodie. "It's fucking cold ."
"Who told you to wear just a hoodie?"
"I'm not wearing a nice sweatshirt when I know we're going to end up in a ditch somewhere, since you and Chris are already drunk."
"I resent that!" Christophe gasps loudly. "I was drunk. That one-hour nap in your room did me wonders . I'm serious, your mattress is so much better than mine. Where are we meeting David and Yumi?"
"I can't believe you're coherent enough to remember that we're meeting them."
"You haven't seen me actually drunk yet. It's a sight to behold."
Yuuri's nose scrunches in disgust. "I'm sure."
They make their way towards the Imperial Hotel, where David and Yumi are waiting outside, clad in their own, comfortable clothes. David immediately beelines towards Yuuri, slinging an arm around him. "So, what's the agenda for the birthday boy?"
Yuuri's cheeks flush furiously. "My birthday was two week ago."
"But we're celebrating it now!" He cries. "In Beijing of all places! Where to start?"
"Can we eat first?" Yuuri motions towards Minako and Christophe, who each have linked their arms through Yumi's, clinging on for dear life. They are definitely still feeling the aftereffects of the banquet's champagne. "I want them to eat before we inevitably end up drinking again."
"A mature choice." He leans a hand up to ruffle Yuuri's hair. "Baby, what's the nearest restaurant?"
Yumi's eyes turn into slits. She looks pointedly towards her arms, which are full with keeping Minako and Christophe from falling over. "Call me baby, and I'll break your dick."
"Is that a promise ?"
Yuuri mimes throwing up towards Yumi, who laughs loudly. "Darling, I will castrate you in your sleep."
David cackles, pulling out his own phone and searching for the nearest open restaurant. Beijing is cold at night, but the ambience is something out of a movie. There are red lanterns hanging from lampposts, illuminating the street in arrays of golden hues. Hundreds of people are milling around, holding warm drinks in their hands as they meander through the crowds of people.
"Wait, have you tried the night markets yet?"
Yuuri's eyes widened. "Where's the closest one?"
"20 minutes. I'll order a DiDi ."
The others are on board with the street food idea, waiting patiently as a large, six-seater cab comes to pick up all five of them. By the time they make it to Wangfujing Food Street, the smell from outside has them salivating.
"Ooh!" David yells at Yumi to follow them, dragging Yuuri to the closest vendor. There's an array of steamed baozi and jianbing .
"Can we have four xiaolongbao and three vegetable ones, please?" Yuuri, after speaking a mix of his awful Mandarin, English and Japanese, finally orders for the group. They inhale their dumplings, sucking in some broth that was given to them in little, takeaway cups. It's the best food Yuuri has eaten, better than the banquet.
Minako and Chris seem to get better as the night progresses, and they end up walking through the night markets, sampling as much Beijing delicacies as they could. Yumi snaps some pictures of them together, tagging everyone on her Instagram. "Yuuri, what's your username?"
Minako cackles loudly. Christophe sighs mournfully.
"What?" Yumi asks, confused.
"Our Yuuri doesn't have social media."
Yuuri blushes deeply. "I don't look good in pictures."
Yumi's mouth drops open. David chokes on his lamb skewer. They both look at each other in disbelief. "Yuuri, you went viral on twitter the other day."
" I did what?!"
"Shhh!" Minako wraps an arm around Yuuri's neck from behind, placing a hand on his forehead and shoving his head back into the space by her neck. "There, there. No need to think about it."
Christophe pouts. "I've been trying to get him to open one for years . He's as elusive as the wind."
David is still gaping. "You're eighteen. Okuakawa -sensei has an Instagram."
"Is that a dig at my age, Yamaguchi?"
Yuuri ignores Minako, biting off a piece of lamb. "It's not that big of a deal."
"It's actually really sad." Minako commiserates with Yumi. "He doesn't realise how photogenic he is."
"I'm actually in shock." She cries. Minako pats her shoulder, symbolically showing her support.
"Isn't this supposed to be my birthday present? Why is everyone making fun of me?"
"Fine, fine." Chris rolls his eyes. "What does the birthday boy want to do now?"
Yuuri looks around, eyes focusing on the shift of the crowd. It's late now, almost eleven. They don't look like they'd be allowed inside a club, not with the insane Beijing fashion. Suddenly, his ears pick up on some music, turning towards the entrance of a colourful bar-type place.
Laughing, Yuuri's face stretches into a wicked grin.
3h
Wangfujing Food Street, Beijing, China
[PHOTO: A set of three pictures. The one that shows up on his feed is a very nicely shot picture of two boxes of baozi, the steam emitting from the food being showcased through the photo. The next picture is of Yuuri, mouth drooling at the snack box. The next is a short clip of Christophe, suffering because of the spiciness of the dumpling. David is heard cackling behind the camera.]
?ￂﾠ ➤
liked by sara-crispino, mari-k, v-nikiforov and 172,132
: christophe-gc can't handle the spice ? ﾸﾏ ? ﾸﾏ ? ﾸﾏ
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k-yumi . 3h
Lucky Voice Karaoke, Beijing, China
[VIDEO: Yuuri is impeccably rapping "Slim Shady" by Eminem, English lyrics and all. The hood of his jacket is thrown up over his head and he's rapping to David, who's got an arm around him, hyping him up. The camera then pans to Chris who's attempting to twerk on beat, but he's just flailing around, his drink flying everywhere. Suddenly, the camera flips from the back camera to the front so that it's in selfie-mode, as Yumi looks at the camera with a deadpan expression, and then downs her beer can.]
?ￂﾠ ➤
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k-yumi1989 : 彼らは2時間以上これにいます。ヘルプを送信
[They've been at this for over two hours. Send help.]
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christophe-gc 2h
Lucky Voice Karaoke, Beijing, China
[VIDEO: The camera is focused on Christophe and Minako, next to the karaoke screen, belting out a rendition of happy birthday. The camera pans to Yuuri, who's wearing a child's birthday hat on his head, the string digging into his neck uncomfortably. David is seen filming the whole thing on his camera, sitting beside Yuuri. Christophe tries to outshine Minako, adding a little run at the end of 'You', but his voice cracks loudly. Yumi can be heard off-camera saying 'I got that on camera!'. The video then pans towards Yuuri, who is dying , head thrown back in screeching laughter.]
?ￂﾠ ➤
liked by k-yumi1989, , minako-okukawa, v-nikiforov and 421,852 more
christophe-gc : A very late birthday present for my favourite person in the world, Yuuri! Video credit: k-yumi1989
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Imperial Hotel
Beijing, China
01:12AM
"I'll wait for you here." Yuuri's voice seeps happiness, giggling uncontrollably with Christophe, the two linking arms together tightly.
"Someone needs to wait with you." Minako sighs. "I can't leave Yuuri drunk outside . What if someone sees him? The JSF will have my head."
"I'm not drunk!" Yuuri cries. (He is only slightly tipsy.)
David outright laughs, balancing his weight on Yumi's tiny body. She glares up at him, sighing as if it pains her to have a six-foot beefcake (Chris' words, not Yuuri's) draped all over her. "I'm taking this one inside."
"Oooh, at least buy my dinner first." He screeches when one of Yumi's pointed nails digs into his side. "Woman, you need to cut those claws."
"Shut up." She tightens her grip on the arm he has thrown across her shoulders. "Chris, you still need to take a shit?"
"Yep." He detaches himself from Yuuri's side, coming up to help Yumi grapple with David. "Wait for me, Yuuri and Yuuri's ballerina coach! We'll walk back to the hotel together."
Yuuri makes an 'ok' sign with his fingers, bringing it up so that it curls around one of his cheekbones. David coos at the sight. "Bye, bye, my beautiful kouhai . I love you!"
"Love you too!" Yuuri flails his two arms above his head in an imitation of a wave as Yumi, Christophe and David disappear into the Imperial Hotel in hysterical laughter.
"At least wait inside the lobby, Yuuri." Minako sighs.
Yuuri shakes his head. "Someone might notice me inside.`Sides, you're just gonna ask the reception if they have your bag, right?"
Minako looks back to the hotel entrance, and then to Yuuri. "Okay. Here, you sit right there." She maneuvers Yuuri so he's sitting next to the door. "Do not move. I'll only be ten minutes. You've got your phone?"
Yuuri sifts through his pocket, branding it out like a prize.
"Good, keep it in your hand."
He nods his head, tapping his shoes together as he slides down the wall. Minako leaves him with a heavy sigh, but it seems to be the hour that Yuuri has turned from a happy drunk into a sleepy drunk. She prays that nothing will happen for the ten minutes she's gone.
The cold air wakes Yuuri up, and he sighs softly, giggling at the sight of his air turning into frosty snow. His hoodie is thick around him, and he stuffs his hands into his pockets to keep them from turning frigid.
It was a great late birthday, Yuuri smiles. It would've been better with Viktor, though.
Yuuri heaves out a huge whine. He should've at least tried to talk to Viktor. He could've walked straight up and acted like a cute little kouhai - it worked with David! If he made a mess of himself, well he wouldn't have to see Viktor for the rest of the year!
Oh. Oh no .
Yuuri's a Junior! How did he forget that? The Grand Prix Final was the only competition where Seniors and Juniors were at the same event. He won't see Viktor again at all for the rest of the season! What has he done?
There's no other option. He has to see him. Now .
Viktor hates his life.
The banquet had drawled on. When he first came to seniors, Viktor had been delighted by the spotlight and attention focused on him. He had eaten up the flattering compliments by sponsors, had winked impishly at older skaters, had drunk his fair share of expensive champagne to his heart's delight - and yet, as he attends more and more of these events, the boredom starts to seep in.
Somehow, in the time between Yakov walking Mila back for her curfew and returning back, Viktor had slipped out of the banquet. Leaving his blazer on a chair to make it seem to all those watching him that he would be back imminently, Viktor had taken the first opportunity he could to escape out of the fire exit.
He hated when the banquets were held in the same hotel he was staying at. There was nowhere to escape except for outside. Even he could tell that this time at the banquet, Viktor had been a mess .
The heat of the room had caused his baby hairs to become a disarray of flyaways, and the tight pull of his ponytail was giving him a migraine. He didn't think twice before yanking the hair tie out, wincing sharply at the pain that erupts. His hair probably has hundreds of crinks in it, bobby pins flying everywhere. He doesn't care .
It didn't help that Katsuki had disappeared half-way through the banquet. No-one had seen where the Junior Grand Prix Champion had gone, and it had left Viktor in a sour mood.
He finds himself outside. If he turns the corner, he'd be right next to the entrance. Sighing to himself, he finds a wall nearby, sliding to the ground. The cold had made his dark mood even worse. The alcohol in his veins was running overtime to keep him warm, but it wasn't enough to make him tipsy , let alone drunk. Sometimes, he hates how impressive his tolerance is.
Crouching on the floor, Viktor pulls out his phone. He pulls out his instagram, mildly amused as the rush of notifications pile up. At least here, people think he's cool. It was a good fucking photo, angled perfectly so the lighing hit off his cheekbones.
He looks down at himself now, sitting on the cold, dirty pavement, probably staining his sheer blouse. Ksenia will kill him. He hopes that security is good enough to keep unwarranted press and fans away from the area. It would really crimp his style if he's seen looking like a beached whale.
Once, he used to bask in the affection being thrown at him, but suddenly, it became harder and harder to keep everyone on his side. He tried everything in his power to keep people looking at him, to keep their eyes and affection and warmth on him. He had to surprise them to keep them interested. The constant need to be seen as perfect was burning him up.
He's just so tired , all the time. Bored and tired, the two adjectives that described his life. Viktor didn't even think he could cry anymore, until he had watched Katsuki skate and more emotion in those three minutes than he had in a whole year.
He goes towards his feed, scrolling through aimlessly. When his fingers automatically trail down his screen, the page refreshes and suddenly, there is an influx of new posts.
k-yumi1989 : 彼らは2時間以上これにいます。ヘルプを送信
[They've been at this for over two hours. Send help.]
His throat tightens. He clicks on the post again, and again, and again.
Katsuki, in all of his glory, having the time of his life. His head is thrown back in laughter, face split in a gorgeous smile. He's wearing glasses . They're circular, thin and silver, like Harry Potter glasses. It makes him look soft, nothing like earlier.
Viktor's brain malfunctions. There's no other way to describe it. He can't place this Katsuki with the one ingrained in his head. It can't be him .
He scrolls through the rest of his feed, until a video uploaded by Christophe pops up.
christophe-gc: A very late birthday present for my favourite person in the world, Yuuri! Video credit: k-yumi1989
The distinctive yelling of 'Happy Birthday, Yuuuuuri' that erupts out of his phone is enough to silence all thoughts in Viktor's mind. His fingers click through the rest of Christophe's page, seeing all the tagged pictures, finding David Yamaguchi and all of his pictures of Katsuki, but not a single one of them had tagged Katsuki's account.
How the fuck is Viktor supposed to talk to him if he's always disappearing? What, is Katsuki just going to drop from the sky right into Viktor's lap-
" VITYA!"
Viktor shrieks, his phone slamming into his lap. Oh god, is there a fan her- Viktor blinks slowly, eyes not computing what he was seeing.
There, running towards him, cherub-cheeks flushing a beautiful red, is Katsuki himself.
He's wearing a thick, black hoodie, one that falls over his fingers so they curl around the cuffs of his sleeve. He's gasping for breath, like he's ran just to meet Viktor. His eyes are so round, hidden behind his glasses. They settle on the bridge of his perfect, little nose, and Viktor can't help to look closer and notice the way it's tinged pink from the cold.
Viktor will 100% blame the coldness for how slow his brain was working, but when it kicked into gear, he realised with shock that Katsuki had called him Vitya.
Yuuri lets out a shuddering breath, heaving with exhaustion. He can feel his body flush under the intensity of Katsuk's stare. He tilts his head up to watch Viktor's face, before trailing it all across his body. Something starts to build in Viktor's body, a warmth spilling everywhere . It floods from his face all the way to the tips of his toes.
"Well, what a surprise." Viktor smiles in what he hopes is his signature, charming smile. "Nice to finally meet-"
" Vitya." The tone of his voice shocks Viktor into a stupor. Katsuki's almost admonishing , and Viktor snaps his gaze to Katsuki's face, mouth dropping open surprise. His eyes have turned into a glare. "What are you doing out here?"
" What ?"
"It's almost two degrees!" Viktor's mouth drops even lower.
Katsuki doesn't even try to wait for him to respond, immediately placing his hands on Viktor's forearms and rubbing them repeatedly. The friction makes Viktor tense all over, shivers filling his body. Katsuki tuts , and Viktor can't help the little squeal escape his mouth.
"I can't believe you're wearing a sheer top in two degree weather! You know, hyperthermia is a real thing! Your fingers could break off because of frostbite!"
He's lecturing him. Yuuri Katsuki is lecturing him.
He's not jealous. He's not even intimidated. He's worried.
"You could get sick , Vitya." There is something so different about the way Katsuki calls his name - the drawl of his voice curls around each letter like it's precious. Viktor has never heard someone say his name with such warmth . There is familiarity in the tone, a touch of awe, like he's wondering how on earth Viktor is real. Viktor's chest tightens.
"Where did you put your blazer? I know it's probably also thin, but it's better than nothing. It was a really nice blazer too." Katsuki's lips stretch out into a glorious smile. "It brought out the blue in your eyes."
The blue in my eye- Viktor is about to ascend to heaven.
"Did you know that your eyes are blue? They're like cerulean or some shit like that, no no, like indigo? Oh, do you know the female junior skater from Ukraine? She's got a cat called Indigo, because his eyes are blue like yours. Wait, no, your eyes aren't like indigo- indigo has a purple tint, no, no oh ." Katsuki's eyes widen in amazement, gasping quietly.
"No." He realises. "Your eyes are like sapphires , they're jewels, Vitya! So shiny and bright! Maybe I should get you some matching sapphires, you'd look so lovely in sapphire. Maybe some earrings- are your ears pierced yet? You are afraid of needles though, maybe a ring? A ring! Yes, I should get you a sapphire ring!"
A ring. Oh my god, he's getting me a ring .
Just as Katsuki's face blooms in wonder, it just as fast turns into reprimanding. He's fucking pouting up at him, eyes turning frosty. "You- you should be wearing more clothes! It's the dead of winter! Hyperthermia is a serious thing! You could freeze to death!" He repeats, like he hasn't already said this to Viktor already.
Determined, Katsuki tugs on Viktor's wrist, pulling it up towards his eyes. With extra care, he slowly pulls off the hair tie that's wrapped snugly around Viktor's wrist. Gently, he pushes himself up onto his tiptoes, and Viktor can feel all the air in his lungs rush out in a swoop.
Katsuki is touching his hair. Katsuki is r unning his fingers through his hair .
There's a contemplative look on Katsuki's face, and oh , he's trying to get all of the bobby pins out of Viktor's hair. At the end of a program or a banquet, that was what Viktor hated the most. No matter how many times he yanks a brush through his hair, there would always be bobby pins tangled through it. Suddenly, he doesn't hate the fact that Ksneia had shoved them into his hair earlier. If Katsuki volunteers every night to take out Viktor's bobby pins, he'll wear millions of them all the time.
His tongue is peeping out of his pink lips in concentration, and it's so damn cute, Viktor can't stop his gaze from falling to them. Fuck, they look so supple, plump like a cupid's bow. His eyes focus on the mole just underneath Katsuki's bottom lip, hidden beneath the shadow of the muscle. Fuck, he really isn't a kid, Viktor realises to his horror.
A moan slips out of Viktor's lips when Katsuki's blunt nails scratch at his scalp soothingly. Katsuki's eyes darken, and abruptly, Viktor can't breathe at all. Katsuki's eyes lift up to meet his, and then, his fingers slip lower, tangling his fingers through the hair at the back of Viktor's head.
He can't help his body's reaction, laxing as Katsuki's ministrations. He's so earnest in all of his movement, slowly slipping his fingers through Viktor's hair until it falls around him, smooth and soft. He really must be trying to kill me , Viktor thinks, when Katsuki runs his fingers from the hair by his temple all the way to the base of his neck.
"Tell me if I hurt you." Viktor whimpers, almost falling over himself at the husky tone of Yuuri's voice. Katsuki gathers the hair together, pulling the hair tie through it so that it's out of Viktor's face. It's loose, ringles framing Viktor's face. He's sure if he moves his head, the hair tie will come tumbling out. He keeps his body as still as possible.
Then, Katsuki tugs Viktor forward, smoothing out the fabric of his very thin, see-through shirt, delicately fussy in his movements. It's like there is no fabric between them, the heat of Katsuki's palm sends a stream of goosebumps along the skin he touches.
Katsuki's not even thinking about what he's doing, if the glazed over look in his eyes says anything, but he's acting like his sole purpose is to make sure Viktor is warm. He doesn't even realise that his eyes are burning with unshed tears, until a harsh wind sends him trembling and his eyes prick from it.
That sends Katsuki into overdrive. Suddenly, Viktor is being shielded from most of the wind, and Katsuki has pulled back, unzipping his own jacket, and wrapping it carefully around Viktor's shoulders. He's fussing, Viktor realises, fussing - over him! What the fuck is happening?
Viktor is frozen in his body. He can't remember a time when someone has worried about him. He can't move, doesn't want to move, so scared that a single jerk could break whatever spell Katsuki is under.
When Viktor doesn't move, too frozen at being touched, Katsuki sighs softly, and places his hands on Viktor's body again.
He pulls Viktor's arms through the sleeves, tugging them so they fall over his hands. Viktor is taller than Katsuki, so the sleeves stop just before his wrist, but Katsuki is evidently bulkier , because the fabric around his shoulders sag around him like a warm hug.
It's cozy, and Viktor freezes in some frantic realisation. The reason the hoodie's warm is because Katsuki was wearing it. Viktor shivers into its embrace, as the man then pulls his other arm in. He's never felt so warm .
Katsuki pulls Viktor forward by the ends of his jacket, focused completely on the zipper. It snags suddenly, tugging Viktor closer into Yuuri's space. They're sharing air , Viktor feels deranged for being so unapologetically content . Katsuki pulls the zip up until it's directly underneath Viktor's chin, letting it rest there before he looks up.
"You'll get cold." Katsuki whispers, and just like that, Viktor is gone . His breath catches in his throat. He can hear the crash of his heart resonate through his whole body, thudding against his chest uncontrollably.
He can't hear a thing that Katsuki is saying, something about staying warm, and going inside. He's already warm, he wants to say, but something inside of Viktor has cracked, and all he wants to do is slump forward and let Katsuki wrap him up tightly, shielding him from the cold wind.
"Do I need to call Coach Feltsman to come pick you up?"
"I-" Viktor takes in a shuddering breath, his voice cracking. "I'll go inside!"
The smile Katsuki sends him is brighter than the sun. "Good. You have to be warm, it's flu season, so you can get sick easier if you're out in the cold. Drink lots and lots of tea, and you need to get a full eight hours of rest, no more, no less!"
Somehow, Viktor is almost by the entrance of the hotel. Everything inside him freezes. No, no, Katsuki can't leave him now! He- he hasn't even properly spoken to him-
"Ah! Wait!" Viktor's entire body snaps towards Katsuki's voice. He would've fallen over if Katsuki hadn't quickly gripped his forearms. If Viktor moved any closer, he could almost convince himself that Katsuki was hugging him.
Instead, Katsuki took a step back. His eyes are bright, so beautiful at night. The wind swept through his hair, like he was a figure of fantasy, a person who would be gone in a blink of an eye.
"You did so well, Vitya." Viktor stills. A hand rests on his cheek, and Viktor can't help but look up, and see all the wonder and affection that pools out of every facet of Katsuki's face. "I'm so proud of you."
A shuddering breath rises through him, and he clamps it down tightly, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Bye, Vitya!" Katsuki takes a step back. He's just as scantily clad as Viktor, bare in a thin t-shirt, and Viktor's throat constricts when he realises that Yuuri might get cold! He wants to protest, but then Katsuki sends him a blinding smile, one that burns like a thousand suns, beaming heat at every turn. "I'll see you later!"
And then he's gone, right before Viktor's eyes.
Viktor's cheeks are wet and his throat hurts and his knees feel like jelly. He touches the back of his palm to his cheek. Tears, trailing down his cheeks. Viktor had only seen Katsuki three, and he's cried for over half of them.
The tears are warm as they slip down his cold cheeks. He thinks of Katsuki, and tightens his grip on the hoodie, pulling it around his body like a hug.