CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED TWELVE
"Welcome, viewing audience, to the start of this year's Trophée de France Men's Singles event! In less than an hour, we'll be starting with the Short Program...and the lineup is tough!"
Footage played of all the different skaters coming into the building, acknowledging the indoor 'official' media for the event as they shuffled through to the prep area under the stands.
"Reporting to you from the city of Bordeaux in beautiful France, this is Newscaster Morooka! As you can see, a number of this evening's athletes have already arrived with their coaches. Some long-time favorites and familiar faces have already gone back-stage... Czech Republic's Emil Nekola, South Korea's Seung-gil Lee, and the United States of America's Leo de la Iglesia. We also have some shockingly talented newcomers, such as Germany's Helmut Knabe, who just made his Senior Premiere this year at Skate Canada with a Bronze Medal. Skate Canada's Silver Medalist, Yuri Plisetsky, is also here representing Russia, along with rink-mate Georgi Popovich, who is skating today in his first event of the Grand Prix Series."
The Asian reporter was standing with his back to the doorway as Chris and Yuri finally made their way in, with Chris shaking out his umbrella to the side of the entrance before finally ducking within. Yuri pulled in with Viktor's things as well, seeing the media-man and waving, "Newscaster Morooka! Hii~!"
"Ah! It looks like the entire Skate Canada podium has come to Bordeaux this weekend...we have that event's Gold Medalist, Yuri Nikiforov, here alongside Swiss skater Christophe Giacometti, who took Silver himself at Progressive Skate America. We are also pleased to present Russia's very own five-time World Champion, Grand Prix Final Gold Medalist, European Champion, and National Champion..."
Viktor backed in with the massive umbrella as Chris held the door, pulling the wet fabric around the aluminum pole to tie it off. He reached over to get his carry-bag back, slipped the damp umbrella through the top, and slung it over his shoulder as he put his free arm over Yuri's.
"...Returning to regular competition for his first event of the year, following an unexpected break to become a coach last season...Viktor Nikiforov!"
The announcer finally turned back to face the camera after holding his hand out to introduce the trio to the audience. They all waved politely as they went to take their place in the prep area backstage.
"As many in our viewing audience recall, Viktor took time off after winning Gold at the World Championships in Tokyo the year before last, and became coach to then-Yuri-Katsuki, one of Japan's top skaters. Yuri had made it to his first Grand Prix Final that same season, but after a humiliating collapse, coming in 6th at the Final, and then 11th in his subsequent National Championships, was thought to be planning retirement from the sport. Skater Viktor shocked all of Russia when he suddenly went to Japan to pull Yuri back into fighting form, and coached him to win last year's Grand Prix Final Silver Medal! Skater Yuri went on to defeat Viktor by a razor-thin margin at the World Championships, taking Gold for himself and leaving Viktor to win Silver for the first time in an unbroken five-year winning streak. With both Nikiforovs participating in this season's Grand Prix Series, excitement is high as expectations loom that both skaters will face off against one another in the Final. Who will rank amongst the remaining Final Four to challenge them? Stay tuned!"
Chris lead the way into the backstage area, and as Viktor guided Yuri through the doors, he pulled his arms up and drew in a deep breath.
"I love the smell of competition!" The Russian sighed happily.
"Doesn't it smell the same as Calgary?" Yuri quipped.
"This is my event though. It's different!"
The younger skater shook his head and laughed quietly to himself, but then turned his attention around the hall. Dozens of people were bustling about; skaters, coaches, choreographers, judges, event organizers, even the odd high-ranking ISU official. Every now and then, he'd see a small wave of heads turning his direction, though he suspected it only looked that way because he was standing by Viktor.
[The other big-name regulars are trying really hard to get attention because interviewers keep asking what they're going to do when they face-off against you two at later events.]
[I even heard at the Skate America Banquet that the ISU officials planned it this way to build hype for the Final.]
He shook his head, and felt the Russian moving off again, slowly coaxing him to come along as they found and claimed their own small corner of the prep area. Almost mercifully, they spotted Yakov with his team soon thereafter, and quickly shuffled over to set up shop alongside them.
Yakov took one look at Yuri, and the two lanyards around his neck, and gave a flat look. He stepped over warily, bypassing Viktor's greeting as he reached for the badges, pulling Yuri a little closer as he held them up to read them.
"Competitor Viktor Nikiforov...and Coach Yuri Nikiforov." He side-eyed his former pupil, "Vitya, seriously."
"What?" Viktor's bemused look instantly changed to flat, yet sarcastic indignation, "I didn't want to sequester him to the audience! This was the easiest way to make sure he could be backstage."
"You'd never get away with all of this if not for your record."
"Which is exactly why I'm taking advantage of it!" The silver-haired man mused, "What good is being a Champion at anything if there aren't any perks?"
"You should've gotten him a guest pass then."
"He wouldn't have had the same kind of access. That's why my uncle isn't down here right now, right?"
Yurio glanced up at him from where he was giving his due to his Japanese counterpart, "He's not down here because he came and left already. He's up in the stands right now, waiting for shit to get started."
"Minako-sensei is with him, right?" Yuri wondered, holding one hand to the teen's shoulder.
"Yeah, they're glued at the hip these days."
"And you really spent all 2 weeks with them instead of your team?"
"Yeah?" Yurio gawked at him, green eyes giving a suspicious look, "Why?"
"N-nothing!" The older skater backpedaled quickly, waving his hands around defensively, "I just didn't think they'd be your style! Especially after hearing that you went back to St. Petersburg early after Minako-sensei went back with you guys to Moscow that one time!"
"That's because they were insufferable back then." The teen grumbled, "After shit went down in Calgary, I knew that if Okukawa was here, I couldn't let them be all obnoxious with their game of 'we're not into each other but we really are' while I was around."
"What? So you made them admit they're dating and then inflicted yourself on them for 2 weeks as punishment?" Viktor laughed.
Yurio shrugged, but he seemed to be smirking a little, "Maybe."
"And you call me a monster." Yuri scratched his jaw with one finger.
Chris leaned into Viktor's space and whispered quietly, "I'm going to go find Josef. I'll see you guys again in a little while."
"Mh. Bye~" The Russian turned to watch him go, but it only served to bring his attention around to something that was even worse than what the two Yuris were talking about.
The media frenzy.
The Swiss skater vanished quickly before being caught by the stampede of cameras, smart-phones, and notepads. Reporters were calling out for Viktor, not even seeing Yuri at the back of the group. The young skater's eyes went up though as he saw his partner turning away from him, and only seconds later, the whole lot of them were surrounded in a semi-circle by a pressing throng of reporters, each asking questions at the same time, and none of them heard over one another.
Viktor held his hands up to quiet the swarm, though it took a little effort given all the excitement. When the thrum of questions had finally died down enough that any given person could even hear themselves think, he lifted his head, "...Hiii~!"
They erupted with questions again, almost shouting over one another in an attempt to be heard. Viktor's hair was practically blowing back from the intensity of the onslaught.
Almost unexpectedly, Yuri snuck out in front of him and held up his own hands, "ENOUGH!"
The crowd silenced again, leaving everyone, the Russian included, blinking at him in confusion.
"He can't hear a single one of your questions when you're all talking over each other! One at a time or NONE at a time!" He insisted, scanning the crowd for whoever he thought would be the most 'worthy' to ask their question first.
Viktor huffed a quiet laugh to himself and perched one arm over his husband's shoulder, "You've gotten good at crowd control since the wedding party."
"I didn't need a Yurio-phone this time." He said back, then finally picking his first 'victim,' "You...what was your question?"
She was an older woman with brown hair styled up in a swirl, and her microphone bore the insignia of the ISU. She was a natural first choice, and she nodded in acknowledgment, holding the mic out towards the Russian Champion, "Viktor Nikiforov...I won't bore you with the same old questions you're going to hear all weekend." She started, getting their attention like a can opener in a room full of hungry cats, "We've all heard the story that your partner is singing your Short Program for you. It's expected that both of you will make it to the Grand Prix Final. We know you've challenged Yuri Plisetsky to medal with the you at the end, so you can do a Team Skate for the Exhibition. That's all fine and well. The real question that fans want answered though is..."
The Russian's expression was keen, focused. Slate blue eyes watched her carefully, wondering if it was a trap of some sort. His arm on Yuri's shoulder slid behind until his hand held to the man's back, grasping lightly to his still-damp coat. Yuri could feel it, but he waited.
"...You said at your World Championship post-event interview that one theme for you this season would be rage."
"Mh." Viktor nodded.
"Would you be willing to explain in detail where that came from? What inspired that after so many years of programs like The Lilac Fairy, Amnesia, and Stay Close to Me?"
Yuri felt a little tension where Viktor's fingers clasped to his coat, but he did his best to keep himself from reacting to it. Yurio and Yakov behind him were tense as well, but did their best to mask it and let Viktor answer for himself.
"A close brush with retirement." He finally said, trying to keep a brave face in spite of having to hide the deeper truth, "I'm turning 29 next month. The Free Skate I did at Worlds...I originally intended for that to be my last show as a competitor."
The mob was silent, recording every word and listening intently.
"When I won my fifth consecutive Gold Medal at the Tokyo World Championships, I was asked what my future plans were. Back then, I had only just recently turned 27, and I was already out of answers. I went back home to St. Petersburg without a plan. I had a few skating programs partly choreographed, sure...but I felt like I was at the end of my rope anyway. It was getting harder and harder to surprise people." The Russian went on, getting a little quiet towards the end, "But then this lovable fool came crashing into my life like a freight train when he perfectly copied my Aria." He explained, moving his hand from where it was only lightly touching Yuri's coat, to fully pulling him closer with it, "We were only loosely acquainted before that, but Yuri had once suggested I become a coach."
Yuri reciprocated the embrace and snaked his own arm around his partner's lower back, his hand coming to rest on the man's hip.
"I thought it was a good idea, so...why not coach him?" Viktor continued, "Of course, there's so much more to that story than my simply deciding out of the blue to quit my day-job and start something new that I'd never done before...but suffice it to say, becoming Yuri's coach made it possible for me to get my inspiration back as a competitive skater. My rage stems from the fact that I have all these ideas now that I won't have enough time to put together before my time runs out. I've given over my entire bag of tricks to Yuri at this point though, so I can continue showing my love on the ice even after I stop skating on it for medals myself."
"So is that your official retirement announcement? This will be your final year?"
"...I'm not sure yet." He leaned his head down slightly to rest it against the side of his husband's, "I've considered doing the Grand Prix again next year on an artistic level, and see how far I get just on that. I'll know better how I feel about it after Worlds."
Reporters looked back and forth at one another, not sure if their own questions were valid anymore after that bomb dropped.
A middle-aged man stuck his microphone out a little closer though, this time pointing it towards Yuri, "...So you're his Coach now, and his student?"
The young skater went rigid, "...Ah...ehm...sort of?"
"Did you all see the gold skates I got for him at Skate Canada!?" Viktor took the conversation on a total B-line, pulling his own skates from his carry-bag and showing them off, "They're just like mine! So he can win Gold at the GP Final!"
"Back in Coach Viktor mode now?" Yuri mused, side-eyeing him nervously.
"Wish him the best of luck! He's going to do great!" The Russian had set his skates on the ground next to his feet and slid in behind his partner to rub his shoulders.
"...You're talking like I'm the one skating this weekend."
"Oh, right! Sorry! Habit!" He laughed.
.
.
.
"Our first skater for the Men's Singles Short Program is Russia's Georgi Popovich..." Morooka started, with the dark-haired Russian skater heading out onto the ice, rounding back again to meet with his coach on the rink wall.
His ensemble was a bit less clownish as compared to the previous year; black, dark blue, streaks of deep purple, the train of two black sashes coming off his hips, and a voluminous feather boa with matching colors and silver tinsel interspersed within, hanging around his neck and shoulders. Lace went across most of his back, and went around his arms like ribbons to trail off at his wrists. He wore purple eye-shadow to highlight the whole thing.
Yakov was stoic as ever, "You've corrected the mistakes from last year and shone with a Silver Medal victory at the Russian Nationals. Don't let the fact that Viktor's getting all this media attention cloud your vision."
"Mh." The skater nodded, and peeled away to skate a few circles towards the center of the rink to remind his legs it was time to work.
"Skater Georgi's theme this year is similar to last year, but with a twist. No longer bound by the burn of betrayal and heartache, Georgi now performs to the feelings of reciprocated love from a partner beyond one's league. In tune with this, he skates tonight to 'El Tango de Roxanne' from Moulin Rouge."
Ever the dramatic artist, Georgi moved to the center of the ice and took his position, looking like a man who was on the edge of going...
...MAAAAAAAAAADDDDD!