(Author's Note: Ch390 was expanded so if the last thing you read was about Yuri pointing out that Viktor forgot the lore behind Asahi's nickname, go back and read the new stuff or 391 won't make as much sense.)
CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED NINETY ONE
v-nikiforov
[image: Group photo with awkwardly-smiling Asahi (pic on AO3)]
19,163 likes
v-nikiforov Ϭy-nikiforov and I would like to extend a formal welcome to Ϭofficial-saito-asahi to Instagram. He's totally new to social media so everyone please go easy on him.
#NeedsSponsors #PleaseSendMoney #JiroAkita #AllJapanMedalists #JNCExhibition #CoffeeIsLunchOfChampions Ϭviktuuri
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4 Hours Later...
[Japanese Taiko Drums - Pro Series (4/9)]
Lights were out on the audience, focused instead on the circular island of carpet that overtook the first third of the rink. Small specks of light dotted the edge around the entire circumference, giving an eerie glow to the five taiko drummers and two flutists scattered within it. Three of the group played hard on medium sized chū-daiko drums, leaning back from their tilted faces with their ankles hooked into grooves on the sides. As the intensity of the performance waxed and waned, the two remaining drummers jumped in and out on their smaller shime-daiko drums, with one of the flutists occasionally stepping up to their own as well.
Local skaters were starting to gather in the wings, holding their stick-mounted ribbons close to their frames for lack of space on rink-side. When the moment came, and the drummers hammered on their instruments even harder, the lights on the ice switched, and the skaters embarked onto it like a flock of starlings, ribbons fluttering out around them in every direction. Most were white, and their associated skating outfits were made to match, while perhaps a quarter of their number carried ribbons and wore costumes of red. They wove in and out through one another with an energy to match the music. By the end of it, the red skaters took hold of the end of the white ribbons and pulled them to center, while the reverse was true towards the outside. On the last note, they all stopped moving; the red skaters facing out from a circle they formed in the middle, with the white facing inward, their streamers creating lines between them.
From the audience, it was clear to see that the red and white stripes, and the positions of the skaters themselves, corresponded with the imagery of Japan's Imperial 'Rising Sun' flag. Common at sporting events, especially in support of the Japanese athletes, it was a welcome sight that earned a grand applause from the crowd.
Not missing a beat though, the show progressed, and a figure in a wide, ballroom-esque dress stepped into the midst of the group. Her dress was a muted silver, with bright scarlet swaths draped around it. A cape hung from behind her back, and an elaborate back-plate rose up in an arc across her shoulders and behind her head.
In the wake of the original group, the Exhibition's skaters were assembled at rink-side by the doors, blade-guards off and ready to fly out onto the ice on cue.
Sighing, Viktor held to the peripheries, holding Jiro up against his shoulder while Yuri stood close by, "I'm so jealous. I want to go out there..."
"Consider it an investment," The younger said quietly, giving the pup a few head-scritches before moving out in front of his partner.
They had mere seconds left, but Yuri handed off his jacket, revealing his solo-Exhibition outfit underneath. Without the rules of the competition holding back his choices, Yuri's costume looked quite a bit like the street-clothes of his 'The Ghost' ensemble, though the color scheme was a bit darker. He wore a loose white t-shirt with a black jacket on top, open in front, studded around the shoulders and back in silver and gunmetal. The pants were of the 'Body Engineer YUREI jogger ANTHRACITE' variety; medium grey with darker grey stripes around the thighs.
"If you don't skate tonight then you can skate later." Yuri finished, accepting his husband's surrender to the fact as easily as he accepted the kiss that came quickly after. He reached his hands up and ruffled his hair a little bit, giving it a slightly messy look, and copped a quick slide down his partner's backside before joining the mass at the doorway with Asahi.
Viktor sighed and waved, then stepped aside to avoid being run down.
The ball-gown-wearing woman in the rink suddenly cried out, raising one arm up to the side, then the other, then both at once. The taiko drummers played anew to the beat of the music, and the ice was bathed in red and purple light.
['A Beautiful Song (Simone)' - NieR: Automata OST, on 'Handsome Jack' channel for intro]
It-suo me rron Risi pahl ste
Menn tom rrom Fresty vome
Tse snoff
Skaters flew across the frost from both entrances, stretching out into two lines before weaving through one another, pausing, turning around, weaving through again, and then stopping on the cut-off.
Suyaf ta
Safian fe churi
Kiyat-la
To terus tsetnia
The singer stepped off the carpet and onto the frost, dress concealing the skates she walked on, toe-picks down for the moment to control the slow speed. Skaters zipped all around her as she went further forward, converging into curved lines that rotated around her like windmill blades.
Ainen bi
Two of the four lines stopped, twisted around, and started moving in the opposite direction, each of them weaving through the coming group in tandem.
Twu elun Mafto
I fi yun ni rronta sity
The remaining two wings that hadn't changed direction then suddenly dispersed, scattering around like rogue ping-pong balls on the ice, 'bouncing' off the rink-wall and heading off into new directions.
Frres vome risi
Risi mo tsom
Risi men som rrome
The Ladies Gold medalist, and Yuri in substitution for Viktor, pulled out from the wall to skate around the figure in center. The 'windmill blades' parted to let them through as they built up speed, gliding in the opposite direction as their rotation, making their way all the way around to the opposite side before each of them bent around into an outside spread-eagle.
I kendio ston
They both launched through an Axel jump, the Ladies with a triple and Yuri through the quad. They landed smoothly and arced over themselves into another outside spread-eagle to 'split' the blades again as they came around.
Dhis tomen so
Musweede davi saza
The Ice Dance medalists pushed into the fray after that, all three duos spreading out and thrusting themselves into various pair-spins. The 'blades' broke up even more as they passed over each one, until the 'singer' in red released them to disperse. With that, the three Pairs medalists and the remaining Ladies spread all around the ice, joining those who had already moved away.
Yazwi toreo
Fizi se hela
Yageto rze i magite
Metwi de elessa
The spins moved off, and the rest slid through in a grid pattern, pushing off the wall towards and through one another, parting just enough to get around the red singer. Once on the other side from where they'd started, most of the skaters started following the rink-wall, moving around in a big clockwise circle while the Pairs medalists stayed in center to show off a few special spin-lifts.
Dei
O midi saqwale e
The group suddenly stopped in place, each of them turning to face the same direction, reaching out one hand as they followed it down into a low bow towards their forward blades.
Span matle qireto e
They rotated in place, dragging their toe-picks along as they moved, then slowly started moving gain around and through one another. The red singer joined them in the meandering, with skaters she neared speeding off as though she repelled them somehow, like the wrong sides of two magnets coming close to one another and resisting contact.
Onn matle seqwale e
Ize
[End 2:05 - Skip to 8:07]
All skaters dropped to one knee, bowing their heads down as the lights went back to focus on the taiko drummers for a moment, who hammered on their instruments in time with the beat. The lights then switched back to the ice; the singer had stopped in the center of the open space, and skaters were pushing off to slide around her.
Suyaf ta
Safian fe churi
Kiyat-la
To terus tsetnia
They formed two big single-file lines, moving around the ice in wide, serpentine paths, cutting through one another where they switched sides of the rink.
Ainen bi
Twu elun Mafto
I fi yun ni rronta sity
The music was already starting to fade, and the athletes' lines were losing cohesion as they all started to spread out. The red singer slid towards the safety of the rink wall while a few of the skaters quickly put a few last jumps on display.
Frres vome risi
Risi mo tsom
Risi men som rrome...
Everyone was on the wall by the time the music died out, and the arena slowly lit up to normal. The skaters clapped excitedly as much as the audience did, and they all bowed their gratitude towards the crowd before gathering up in a smaller space in the center of the rink.
[The JSF would like to extend its gratitude to all the athletes who are here for the Exhibition Gala tonight in Osaka.] The announcer called overhead, giving the signal for the huddle to disperse and skaters to leave the ice for rink-side again, [We are happy to have everyone join us as well, as we celebrate these competitors for an evening of fun and a more relaxed atmosphere before they venture forward into the new year, and a season finale seen only every four years. Let's hear it for the All Japan Championship Exhibition Gala!]
The audience roared and clapped, until the taiko drummers and the singer and the big carpet were completely removed, and only one skater remained close to the rink. The lights died down again, plunging the crowd into complete black, and the Ladies Bronze medalist ventured under the spotlights in center, wearing something that could only be described as an oriental variation on the famed Zatanna outfit.
Yuri went quickly to get his blade-guards on again and seek for his partner, finding the Russian and their pup close to the doorway to the waiting area. Asahi followed nervously after him, but kept a safe distance anyway, watching their fond interactions in the dark.
...It gets easier to look at them with every passing hour... I wonder if this means I've really found some kind of peace with everything that's happened?
"C'mon, Asahi, let's get under before it gets too loud out here." Yuri commented, waving the man over as Viktor pulled up the dark blue curtain.
Like a human-sized puppy, Asahi followed on command, pulling his jacket on as he went. He spotted his team just within, each of them with stunned looks on their faces. Nagisa came rushing up first, phone in-hand, "Asahi! Look!"
"What?" He wondered hazily, the bright lights making him squint. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, but when he looked at the phone's screen, he spotted something he hadn't expected.
official-saito-asahi ✓ [Follow] ↓ [...]
1 post - 24k followers - 3k following
Asahi Saito
Japanese Figure Skating - Imari, Saga Prefecture, Kyushu
Gold Medalist • Silver Medalist • Bronze Medalist
□: [URL]/AsahiSaitoFigureSkating
Seeing the numbers made the skater's hand rise to cover his mouth without him even realizing.
"Look at how many people are already following your account! This is incredible!" His coach was saying, "But you won't believe this other part..." She turned the phone back to herself and started clicking around until she switched to a different tabbed page, then turned it over again, "Look how much money people have already pledged on your GoFundMe account...you've gotten more than 40 times what you asked for, and this is just to start. Your funding account has a bunch of people signed up on repeating donations already, too!"
"...What...?"
Yuri and Viktor watched quietly, though the Russian already had his phone up and was clandestinely recording the entire thing while Yuri took Jiro for a moment to give him room. Viktor looked up over his screen when he realized the mood shifted, "Uh oh..."
"Eh?"
Asahi suddenly dropped to his knees, barely able to hold himself up. He could hardly breathe he was in so much shock.
Yuri rushed forward, popping into Viktor's video unexpectedly, but went down to a knee as well beside the stunned figure and set a hand on the man's back, "You okay? Do you need water? What's happened?"
The athlete's eyes were already filled with tears of disbelief, "...I...I've already raised more than $20,000..." He admitted in a quiet voice, "And I thought...you two were insane when you said I should set it to $5,000..."
"You only let us put $500." Yuri reminded, making a face, "But we told you...all you needed was a way for people to find you. Now you can afford to live your own life. Just don't go spending it all in one place, okay? You're going to have to learn to manage it in a big hurry so you can make it last."
Asahi nodded, though his head felt as fuzzy and weird again, like it had earlier in the day, "Th-this is too much...I can't..."
"What do you mean?" Yuri wondered nervously, pushing up to his feet again, learning forward a bit with Jiro in one arm and a hand on the man's shoulder, "Outside of our winnings, this is how Viktor and I live. You'll probably see it taper off and settle down at less than what it caps at, since people will be excited to donate now given how you've only just turned up online suddenly...but if you keep up your social media presence, and foster those relationships with fans, even from a distance...you should be able to manage something steady."
"...H-how much do you guys get?"
That just made Yuri give a bit of a laugh, "More for Viktor than me, to say the least...but that's partly my fault because I post on his account more than my own. People probably think I don't pay attention to it. The numbers don't matter though. If I tell you what we get then you'll just compare yourself all the time. Suffice it to say, it's enough for us to live."
"...This is all so unreal..." Asahi went on, accepting the hand that was offered to him and getting back up to his blade-guards, only then noticing all the people who'd been standing around them, watching and curious as to why he'd collapsed. He turned his eyes back to Yuri though when he heard the man's voice start again.
"It's a lot to get used to. Viktor had to teach me how to make the most of it, too...and even now, I still resist, because it's really not my thing." He explained, "I kind of consider Viktor's account to be our account."
"And I keep telling you to post more on yoouuurrssss." Viktor commented, still holding up his phone...still recording. He flipped the device around and shook his head for the camera with a 'do you see what I put up with?' look on his face before turning it back again, "You were so worried before about what would happen to our income after the RSF fired me. If you used your Instagram more consistently, you'd have your own big donation pool to count on, not just mine."
Yuri deadpanned, though he had his back to his partner so Viktor wouldn't see, "Yeah yeah...I will...eventually..." He huffed, but then turned his focus back to Asahi, "Anyway...keep an eye on how things progress. I'd say you should have a good idea of how things will settle down for you by the end of next month. Give people time to find you...and remember to post stuff."
"Taking advice from a guy who sucks at using social media is always a wise idea." Viktor added, a smarmy tone in his voice.
Yuri just turned his head and gaped, "Do as I say, not as I do."
"Yes dear, always."
"Viktor-"
The Russian couldn't help but laugh.
"...I must be dreaming..." Asahi said, mostly to himself, even as he accepted his own phone from his choreographer a moment later. He closed his eyes and shook his head before turning it on and finding the Instagram app, suddenly looking on in even more shock at the numbers he was seeing in their little red circles at the top and bottom of the page, "What in the world...?"
"Oh, those are all interactions with your page." Yuri explained, pointing with his free hand, "These here are specifically for the public side...Follows, Comments, Likes and such...and those are for direct messages. It's impossible to answer all of them, so what Viktor and I do is we make a post specifically to address everyone in a generic way."
"...How?"
"Oh...either with a photo and a comment, or we'll do a video. Viktor had me do a video after Skate Canada because I didn't go to the Exhibition or the Banquet. I was kind of sick after my Short Program...so I wanted to apologize. The best way to let everyone know what was going on was to make a video on Instagram to explain it. By the time we got to Paris, all had been forgiven and forgotten." Yuri commented, "You could make a thank you video!"
"...Just thank you? Wouldn't it be better as a picture then?"
"No no, you say more than just thanks," Yuri chortled, then pointed again, "Here, I'll do it with you. Just hit that button there and start a video post."
Viktor was fascinated, but kept on recording, commenting quietly so only his own phone would pick it up, "Here we have Dr. Yuri Nikiforov, professor of the human mind at 'Too Friggin Cute' University, helping a new fledgling learn to fly for the first time. As you can see, this is Dr. Nikiforov's third natural habitat...the first being at home with me, second being on the ice." He narrated, starting to circle around them slowly, even as Yuri instructed Asahi to hold the phone up so they'd both be in view, "It would appear that Dr. Nikiforov is offering instruction. It's possible I can get closer without scaring the fledgling away...let's try."
"Viktor, what are you doing?" Yuri suddenly wondered, spotting his husband creeping in the background of the video they were making, "Are you still recording from earlier?"
"...Dr. Nikiforov has spotted me. I've heard that you can blend into the crowd if you don't move. I'll try that now."
"Icanstillseeyou!"
"He isn't approaching. This must be a safe vantage point." Viktor went on, eyes still on his screen, though he looked up over it for a moment and gave his partner a wink.
Yuri's face flushed, but he quickly shook it out and went back to the video Asahi was trying to make, "...Sorry about that." He spoke up, redoubling his efforts, "My husband is behind us, being an ultra-dork."
Asahi gave a nervous smile at that, "...Anyway, we're here behind the scenes at the All Japan Exhibition, and I just saw how many people have already found my account." He started saying, tilting his screen to get a better view of himself, Yuri, and then..."Thanks to Yuri and Viktor, of course."
"Everyone please continue to show your love and support as Asahi learns the ropes of using social media! This is a long-time coming, and there's going to be much more to come in the future!" Yuri added.
"Please forgive me if I make some dumb mistakes in the beginning." Asahi went on, "But thank you to everyone who's already found me and pledged your support. I hope you'll all watch me tonight when I go out for my turn in about thirty minutes. Bye for now."
"Byyyyye~!" Yuri reached down to gently wiggle Jiro's paw as though in a wave.
"Davaaaaai~!" Viktor called from the background.
Asahi's phone was then pulled down again, and Yuri pointed out how to end the recording so the video could be given a caption and then posted. The Russian still recorded the whole thing though.
"Fledgling Saito's first flight...and you're seeing it all here on v-nikiforov TV."
"Ignore him." Yuri grimaced, giving his spouse another look, though inwardly he thought it was pretty funny anyway, "You can put tags here it you want like we showed you before...the hashtag is for topics, and the 'at' symbol is specifically for other people on Instagram, so remember their names."
"Yours was what, y-nikiforov?"
"Yeah, and Viktor's is with a V. We're easy. My friend Phichit-kun uses phichit-chu and the Russian Yuri uses his whole name, so just be sure you know who you're tagging and how they spell it, otherwise you might tag someone else entirely, or no one at all."
After putting in his tags, the younger skater hesitated, thumb hovering over the last button before it would start the upload.
"What's wrong? Do you want to do it over again?"
"No..." Asahi shook his head, "...I just...remembered something."
"Remembered...?"
"Last night," He tried to explain, "I'm not...sure if it was a dream or if it really happened, or what, but... I thought I...got to talk to Riku again, and he mentioned that his phone survived the accident..."
Viktor quickly cut off his own recording and listened more seriously than before.
"If that's true...there's only one place where it might be." Asahi continued, looking directly to Jiro, then finally up to Yuri, "His parents would've gotten it back with all his other things from Tokyo. If it's still functional, and they have it...I...I know the password."
Yuri was stunned, but then looked hopeful, "You should check it out. Where did you say he lived?"
"Wakkanai."
"Yeeeeeesh that's on the complete opposite side of the country from Imari..."
"...I know..." He sighed. For a moment, the memory pained him, but he shook it away for the moment, and finally let himself hit Post on the video. He lifted his head, and turned towards the silver legend standing behind him, "Once this competition is over...no matter what happens, I'm going to make plans to travel there and see what I can find."
"I agree." Viktor nodded.
"Senpai..." Asahi added, a bit nervously, "...Maybe you don't care, or maybe you'll think it funny...but, Riku once told me...he could see Russia from there."
"Russia...?" He echoed, "Oh, yeah...Sakhalin Island. Other than a short ferry to the mainland, you could take a train all the way from there to Moscow and St. Petersburg. There's even a whole touristy thing where you can take the Trans-Siberian Railway from Vladivostok, which is pretty close to there, all the way to London."
"Wow!" Yuri chimed, "Maybe we should do that sometime?"
"It's a week-long trip, but sure, why not? It'd have to be a summer thing though. Make the most of the daylight and actually see what kind of countryside we're traveling through."
"Yeah! We'll do that for the start of our summer trip to Germany! Then we can stop by St. Petersburg and look at the Summer Garden like you said we should."
Asahi listened to the back-and-forth quietly, but then turned his attention to his phone, and saw that the video had finished uploading. He drew a nervous breath and closed the screen.
Everything is going to change after this weekend...