While JJ's music seems very on the nose, at the front of the group watching in the back area, with Victor at his side, it's still impossible to not see the caliber of his skating. The cleanness of his moves. The height of his jumps. The sheer level of audience involvement as the voices begin to sing along. When he lands a quad lutz in the second half, even the announcers point out Victor hadn't.
There's a sinking feeling pooling in Yuri's stomach as JJ is kissing the ice. There's no way he'll hold first against that. Which feels like dread and disappointment much more than anything that even resembles relief. But he's distracted by the sudden buzzing of his phone vibrating in his pocket, and he looks down to see 真利 at the top of his screen. Slipping back through the people and further from the tv, wondering why his sister would be calling.
It was a habit for them to call after, but this was early, and the last thing he wanted to do was tell them they should wait for JJ's scores so they aren't congratulating him for the wrong thing. It's prepped in his mouth to say as much, likely even on a speaker phone, when Mari's voice comes on and something is wrong. Something is. Her tone is a hurried hesitation, already apologetic and apologizing and the prepared sentence falls for a concerned confusion digging into his stomach.
Familiar dread spiking into his chest, suddenly, when Mari says that Maccachin stole some of the buns. That they'd gotten stuck in his throat and everyone was at the vet. That he might not make it. While Yuri stood by one of the interview walls paralyzed with the familiarity of the phone call, this moment. The slam of fear, and the want for anything but this. Not again, not again, not again.
His eyes shooting for the crowd only to find Victor nearby, possibly having followed right after him. His voice a dazed, not quite steady, when he covers the bottom of the phone and microphone to relay. "It's Maccachin. He got into the steamed buns. They're at the vet. They think he might not--"
But, then his sister asking him what to do on the phone. As though he's the one to ask. His sister who had Victor's number just as likely as his parents did at this point. But called him. From the vet. Where none of them had even watched him skate. Because Maccachin -- Maccachin was there --
Everything is a cascade in his head. The way everything fell apart, crashing and burning in despair that was a grief that couldn't be felt deep enough, or sated, by any abandonment, or overeating, or comfort. He hadn't been there for years, had seen Vicchan in years, and it'd been another year entirely before he got to see the family shrine to Vicchan.
Even the idea of putting something like that in the room with Victor, putting Victor through something like that, Victor who is right here, right in front of him, makes everything in his head disjoint with screeching denial. He has to be there. With Maccachin. Not here. Not at some competition. Not at Yuri's side, if there's a chance it could. He. Macachin. Could.
There's only one right way. Only right thing, and it's shooting out of Yuri's mouth at Victor instead of Mari. Loud enough she'll hear it though. "Victor. Go back to Japan right now."
Go to Maccachin. While there's still time. "I'll face the free skate tomorrow on my own!"
Wherein it all starts to go wrong
While JJ's music seems very on the nose, at the front of the group watching in the back area, with Victor at his side, it's still impossible to not see the caliber of his skating. The cleanness of his moves. The height of his jumps. The sheer level of audience involvement as the voices begin to sing along. When he lands a quad lutz in the second half, even the announcers point out Victor hadn't.
There's a sinking feeling pooling in Yuri's stomach as JJ is kissing the ice. There's no way he'll hold first against that. Which feels like dread and disappointment much more than anything that even resembles relief. But he's distracted by the sudden buzzing of his phone vibrating in his pocket, and he looks down to see 真利 at the top of his screen. Slipping back through the people and further from the tv, wondering why his sister would be calling.
It was a habit for them to call after, but this was early, and the last thing he wanted to do was tell them they should wait for JJ's scores so they aren't congratulating him for the wrong thing. It's prepped in his mouth to say as much, likely even on a speaker phone, when Mari's voice comes on and something is wrong. Something is. Her tone is a hurried hesitation, already apologetic and apologizing and the prepared sentence falls for a concerned confusion digging into his stomach.
Familiar dread spiking into his chest, suddenly, when Mari says that Maccachin stole some of the buns. That they'd gotten stuck in his throat and everyone was at the vet. That he might not make it. While Yuri stood by one of the interview walls paralyzed with the familiarity of the phone call, this moment. The slam of fear, and the want for anything but this. Not again, not again, not again.
His eyes shooting for the crowd only to find Victor nearby, possibly having followed right after him. His voice a dazed, not quite steady, when he covers the bottom of the phone and microphone to relay. "It's Maccachin. He got into the steamed buns. They're at the vet. They think he might not--"
But, then his sister asking him what to do on the phone. As though he's the one to ask.
His sister who had Victor's number just as likely as his parents did at this point. But called him.
From the vet. Where none of them had even watched him skate. Because Maccachin -- Maccachin was there --
Everything is a cascade in his head. The way everything fell apart, crashing and burning in despair that was a grief that couldn't be felt deep enough, or sated, by any abandonment, or overeating, or comfort. He hadn't been there for years, had seen Vicchan in years, and it'd been another year entirely before he got to see the family shrine to Vicchan.
Even the idea of putting something like that in the room with Victor, putting Victor through something like that, Victor who is right here, right in front of him, makes everything in his head disjoint with screeching denial. He has to be there. With Maccachin. Not here. Not at some competition. Not at Yuri's side, if there's a chance it could. He. Macachin. Could.
There's only one right way. Only right thing, and it's shooting out of Yuri's mouth at Victor instead of Mari. Loud enough she'll hear it though. "Victor. Go back to Japan right now."
Go to Maccachin. While there's still time. "I'll face the free skate tomorrow on my own!"