#i hope ISU will burn to the ground

[crazykuroneko]

Imagine being so great at your sport that once you retire from the competitive circuit, the sport organization is panicking because they lost their biggest market. that's on karma 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[deiaiko]

#20.3 Company

"Where's Dan and Novick?" Grace asked, finding the living room unusually empty.

"They're going to the cinema since Agni gave us a day off today, cluck."

"Is that so?" Of course Agni had thought this far ahead. No wonder their teammates didn't try to wake either of them up. "I think we do need some time off."

"Speaking of, where's Agni?" Gyetang glanced at Grace and Agni's door.

"Ah. He's quite sick right now. I was about to fetch him some medicine and get us breakfast." Grace made his way down the stairs and allowed Bam to follow him.

Gyetang peeked from above. "Would you like me to take over your shift for lunch, cluck?"

Grace considered the offer. He did like cooking, and it usually worked wonders on easing his anxiety. But then Agni came to his mind, and Grace wanted nothing but to stay by his side until he got better. "I would really appreciate it, Gyetang. Sorry about that."

"It's no problem! How about macaroni soup?"

"Sounds good!"

"Got it, cluck." Gyetang gave him a salute and disappeared from his view.

Gyetang's cheerful aura filled some of the emptiness in Grace's chest. It sort of reminded him of Rak and Isu, and it made his heart ache again. He didn't want to cry now– he had cried enough last night, but the corner of his eyes started burning from the unshed tears. The fact that he would never be able to see them again was still a hard pill to swallow.

Bam tugged his shirt, and Grace realized he had been staring into the distance, stopping just in front of the storage room. He gave Bam an apologetic smile and went in, quietly searching between the aisles for the medicine Agni had listed. Bam not once let go of his shirt, as if he was trying to ground him. Surprisingly, it worked, seeing that his mind was brought to the weight of Bam's pull. Grace wondered how much Bam knew, looking at Bam's attempt to comfort him. Hwaryun must've told him what was going on, right? Was it the reason for his visit? Or did Bam just want his company after yesterday's breakdown regarding Rachel? Grace hoped it wasn't the latter.

Pocketing the needed medicine, Grace led them back upstairs to the kitchen where Gyetang had prepared two portions of reheated omelet fried rice and three glasses of orange juice. Looking at it, Grace realized he never had to find out what his old team's favorite foods were. So many moments he had missed, times that he could've used on getting to know them better. How could they still consider him a friend?

Gyetang waved from the living room, pulling Grace out of his daze. "Have you eaten yet, Viole? I can cook you something quick, cluck."

Grace could hear Bam's stomach growl, yet Bam didn't say anything. Grace figured Bam was probably torn between accepting and not being a bother to Gyetang. So he placed his hand on Bam's shoulder. "You can have Agni's share. I don't think he can stomach it right now anyway. I will get him some snacks instead."

So they both sat in the cafeteria, while Gyetang resumed playing on the game console. Bam stole careful glances at Grace between taking a spoonful, although Grace tried to ignore the worried look and ate his own ration as well. He wasn't really in the chatty mood right now, and he was thankful that Bam didn't try to start any conversation, or worse, pepper him with questions.

The food tasted bland, but maybe it was just him since Bam seemed to enjoy it. Grace finished the meal quickly. The uneasy and cold shinsu coming from their dorm room was getting harder to ignore. "Sorry, I can't accompany you for long. I really need to check on Agni."

Bam locked eyes with him before looking away, swallowing his food. "Okay."

Grace felt guilty for leaving his guest unattended, but he was more restless if he left Agni for longer. Even if Agni currently wasn't in immediate danger, Grace just couldn't help but worry. Still, he felt the need to make it up to Bam. So he put his hand on Bam's shoulder and pulled him into a side hug, "Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to me."

Bam leaned his head to the embrace. "I will stay here for a while, if that's okay."

The unspoken 'I will be here if you need me' was clear to Grace. A warm feeling filled in his heart and he knew everything would eventually be okay again.

"Of course. Make yourself at home." Grace gave Bam a few pats on the back before pulling away and making his way to the kitchen to wash the dishes. "Is there anything you would like to do in the meantime, Bam?"

Gyetang overheard Grace's raised voice from across the room. "You're welcome to join me, cluck! The game is more fun with multiple players."

The offer seemed to pique Bam's interest. Bam looked at Grace with twinkling eyes, as if searching for approval that he shouldn't need to ask for. Grace returned with a nod and a warm smile, knowing very well that at this point Bam hadn't gotten the luxury of being able to play games, let alone with a friend.

After putting the dishes to dry, Grace rummaged through the kitchen cabinet to find some salty crackers. He put them on a tray along with the juice and a bottle of water. Before going into his dorm, he cast one last glance at Bam and Gyetang. "I will be back for lunch. Just knock if you need me."

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[teecupangel]

vampire au but (almost) every assassin is a vampire bc i mean.. vampire edward tho 👁🫦👁

I promise I'll make an actual long fic idea but now, just let me drool over the idea of Assassin vampires.

Alright, now that I got that out of my system (absolutely not), I guess we'll start from the beginning.

Buckle up, it's long because I 'accidentally' included all main AC protagonists in this fic idea hahaha

For a Vampire AU, my top two ideas are:

Let's make it full AU. We replace the Isus with Vampires.

OR

Vampires are one of the 'failed' experiments of Juno and Aita, just like the werewolf in Atlantis (maybe it was meant to give a body that can survive the solar flare but, instead, it freaking got a weakness for sunlight, super fail)

Regardless, one of the vampires survived the solar flare. We'll call this one the 'progenitor'. This progenitor vampire has a body that needs blood to survive. Human blood is the best because they're the closest to the progenitor's body. Animal blood barely helps. It would take dozens to be equivalent to one adult human.

So this progenitor drinks human blood. Through trial and error, they understand the limitation of their body. Sunlight burns them. They're faster and stronger than humans, being able to easily pin down a man three times larger than them.

Their senses let them see everything clearly. White means food. Red means danger.

They stay in the dark. They keep to themselves.

Then, one day...

Someone finds them.

Has been tracking them down.

Because one of the humans they fed from had a rich father who was willing to pay handsomely for their head.

So they fight the mercenary that found them. They fought and overpowered the mercenary.

But the mercenary manages to nick them. And their blood drips to the panting mouth.

And that's when the progenitor realized.

They could make humans loyal to them by giving them a bit of their blood.

To make them a thrall.

And that's how the Misthios Kassandra from Sparta became the progenitor's first thrall.

With Kassandra, the progenitor starts to experiment with just how much blood is needed to make a full thrall. Kassandra needed more than a drop but the drop was enough to hypnotize her, just like how their progenitor could hypnotize humans with their voice if they focus hard enough.

So he kept feeding Kassandra more blood until she became a full thrall. Loyal to a fault. With the same limitations as a human but just a tad stronger than humans and wounds that will heal the same quick speed as them. Unfortunately, even a full thrall must drink their master's blood regularly. Otherwise, the thrall will be removed.

And that was what happened with Kassandra. They fought once more. This time, the strength she received from the progenitor was enough to scare the progenitor and they hurt her too much. As she's dying, the progenitor tried to feed her their blood, in hopes that she will become a thrall and her wounds will heal.

She dies.

They bury her.

And she raises from the ground the next evening.

Not as a thrall.

But a vampire like the progenitor.

The thrall was gone.

Her hatred stays though. Not only that, but she was now a vampire like them. She tries to attack them but she cannot.

For the progenitor is her sire. Her blood refuses to harm them.

So she leaves.

And the progenitor is alone once more.

====================

Years passed.

The progenitor travels. They can feel Kassandra still alive, still angry.

But just as lonely as the progenitor.

So they stay away. Travel elsewhere.

That's when they saw her.

A human yet not.

A vampire yet not.

A dhampir, a union of vampire and human.

Kassandra's child.

But why was she alone?

Did Kassandra not realize that her child was not fully human?

Did she leave to give her a chance for a normal life but accidentally give her a life of loneliness, full of fear and confusion.

So the progenitor adopts the scared child, taught her all they know.

They treated her like their own child.

And experimented on what will happen if a dhampir was given blood.

As a dhampir, she grew the same as humans. Sunlight does not harm her. But she was as strong and as fast as a vampire.

Her senses were the same as a vampire.

Yet her stamina was the same as a human. Her body bruised and bled like a human.

She was better than a thrall in some ways, sure, yet limited by her half-human body.

And when she drank vampire blood.

Nothing happened.

How boring.

Yet she was loyal to the progenitor. Not because of any thrall, she was immune to it but because they were her parent. The one person who taught her and took care of her. Blinded by loyalty and love, she stayed with them. Became their eyes and ears in the daylight.

She glowed as blue. Their very first blue.

Their daughter.

And she fell in love.

To a medjay.

And he loved her back.

They give the progenitor humans to feed on. Criminals. Bad people.

The progenitor didn't mind.

Blood was the same regardless of how many laws a human broke.

If it soothed them, gave them an excuse not to feel bad about sacrificing fellow human beings... Then so be it.

The dhampir married the man. The progenitor stays with them. More like an in-law than anything.

Everything was peaceful.

They could not have any children.

The progenitor realized it was because the dhampir was sterile. A common trait of 'hybrids'. Still, the dhampir and her husband were together and in love.

But all things must come to an end.

Egypt is thrown into chaos and they are caught in the middle. The man lay dying in his wife's arms.

And so...

The progenitor tries once more.

The man who had never been their thrall was gifted with the progenitor's blood.

He dies that day.

And he wakes that evening.

As a vampire.

They are happy once more.

In their happiness they forgot to feed the man.

Deep into the night, when they have grown tired from the stress and the celebration, they go to sleep. The man wakes up and drinks the blood of the first person he sees.

His own wife.

His hunger fulfilled, his mind was clear once more. And he saw what he had done. He runs in shame. The commotion wakes the progenitor who sees the dhampir barely clinging to life.

So they try.

They gives up their blood to their daughter and prays.

The following night...

She wakes.

Not as a dhampir but as a vampire.

And she is angry.

Not at the progenitor but at her husband.

For running away instead of staying with them.

The progenitor tries to remind her that it was shame and grief that propelled him to leave. That he still loves her.

But she did not listen.

She leaves to find him. Whether to kill him or to bring him back, the progenitor does not know.

What they did know is that they are, once again, alone.

====================

Years passed.

They feel Kassandra, Aya and Bayek yet they do not see any of them. The world is too big for their paths to intersect.

Or perhaps it was more accurate to say they themselves try not to get close to any of them.

For Kassandra, they knew it was better this way. Kassandra's anger still burns strong.

For Aya and Bayek, it is... pettiness that keeps them from following either of them. Their selfishness brings the progenitor nothing but irritation and tiredness. So they stay away.

In their travels, they meet a shieldmaiden who sees them drinking blood. She calls him a draugr and she hunts him. He runs and runs but she is a good hunter. A good tracker.

When there is nowhere left to go, they fight her. Pent up anger for his three stubborn childes propelled them to turn her into their thrall. To make her their slave. To do their bidding with no free will at all.

And when she grew old and weak, they let her go. Let her shout about the draugr that enslaved her. Let her words be heard and mocked.

As they returned to the shadow once more.

====================

But someone follows them. Someone from the shadows. Not like them.

But their blood...

The progenitor could taste the blood of their daughter running through them.

Too weak.

Like this human had an ancestor who had been a thrall instead.

And that made him weak to the progenitor. To desire a closeness with them.

So they let the human live. Give them a bit of their blood, not to enslave them but to show them that they can be a kind master if they wanted to be.

And the human guides them to the Hidden Ones. A cult created by his daughter, taking evil men from the streets and offering them to her.

To their queen.

And they know of the progenitor.

The one they call the Master.

And so they took the seat their daughter left empty, all because she is still searching for her husband.

And, to the man who brought them here, they rewarded him with the title of mentor.

The man cast away his birth name of Hytham.

And became the first Al Mualim.

====================

Centuries passed and they grow bored.

In their boredom, they grow complacent.

And that is how they are captured.

Encased in an iron chamber that pierces their body in places that will not kill them.

But will make them bleed.

So they bleed.

And the one who captured them...

The latest Al Mualim...

Uses their blood to create an army loyal to him.

Years passed.

They are forced to drink blood from a contraption Al Mualim created for them. Fresh human blood, yes, but fed to them like they were livestock.

They bleed.

And their blood creates thralls that Al Mualim controls.

They are powerless. Encased in an iron chamber that bleeds them. Chained and locked with an absurd amount of locks and chains.

But it was enough to keep them contained.

Unable to escape.

Until...

The chains fell.

The locks dropped.

And the chamber finally opens.

And the first person they see is a man with golden eyes.

Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.

The first of their favorites.

====================

To be turned became a reward only given to the most loyal of their Brotherhood.

Not a cult anymore.

But a Brotherhood of Assassins.

Serving the light by staying in the shadows. Assasinating only to rid the world of evil.

Blah blah blah

They didn't care all that much as long as they feed. And they were fond of Altaïr.

Being saved does that to most beings, even someone as old as them.

And perhaps they were lonely too. Estranged from their first childe, forgotten by their daughter and her husband...

Altaïr was a curious man, unafraid of them. He treated them like they were equals. He asks questions but he also indulges their whims. He never tries to keep them locked in a room. When night comes, he joins them as they sit on the top of their tallest tower, enjoying the cold breeze and the freedom they lost all those years ago.

He gave them a name. For he believes everyone must have a name.

Desmond.

From the French word 'des mond(es)'... The Worlds.

A grand name.

They like it. They will wear the name with pride.

And they gave Altaïr a gift in return.

For saving them.

For treating them well.

Altaïr was not their first childe. But he will always be the first childe they sired not out of fear or desperation or by accident.

A childe sired out of love.

====================

There was a coup. By those who believed they deserved to be turned. They failed.

But many died.

The remnants of the Brotherhood returned to the shadows. The loyal thralls made their way all around the world. To build safe houses and connections that can be used by the inner circle.

By Desmond's inner circle.

They travel. Years passed traveling all over. They stayed in the continent that will later be called Europe. The Templars, the Brotherhood's hated enemy, change their name as well. Yet, they still hunt down the Brotherhood.

They hunt down Desmond.

The one they call The Devil.

But Desmond is not afraid. Why should they be? They finally had childes who care for them.

They had a family.

One of the thralls did well in Italy. His descendants became a noble house and they welcomed Desmond and his inner circle with open arms.

One of the children was a curious little boy.

And Desmond indulges him. Plays with him.

Even as the boy grows older, he still gravitates towards Desmond.

Not because Desmond was the progenitor, the most important secret of the Brotherhood.

But because of Desmond's kindness and smiles.

The boy is loyal.

The boy brings the entire Templar Order in Italy on its knees.

And cuts its head off.

Only then does Desmond realize.

That they had been blind for years now.

The boy they saw had been a man for years now.

And the man deserves a reward.

Ezio Auditore da Firenze was not their first childe.

But he was the most successful of their childes.

====================

They continue to travel. To see the changes of the world. And to keep people from realizing that they do not grow old. It is during these travels in the high seas that they are attacked by a pirate ship. Their ship was damaged but they won.

But Ezio had been severely wounded, dripping blood all over the dying pirate who nearly cut his head off while he was protecting a wounded human brother. They didn't know it at that time though.

The chaos and Desmond's panic over Ezio almost dying were more important. They threw the corpses overboard.

That night...

Edward Kenway rose from the depths of the sea.

Edward Kenway became a rogue vampire. He only cared for gold and glory. The Brotherhood stayed and observed. They guided when they could but left Edward Kenway alone.

Desmond had asked them to.

For Desmond wanted to see.

What kind of vampire Edward Kenway would be.

Years passed...

The age of piracy comes to an end.

And Edward Kenway comes to them.

Comes to Desmond.

Asking for guidance.

Pleading for a purpose in life.

So Desmond welcomes him.

And gives him purpose.

As a member of the Brotherhood.

====================

Edward did not know it then. That he had a daughter.

And a son.

Different mothers. The wife he left to become a privateer then a pirate later on. The woman he spent the nights with while on a mission for the Brotherhood.

Edward found his daughter. Welcomed her into their Brotherhood.

His son was lost. Taken by the Templars who whisper in his ears the kind of monsters vampires are.

The Templars are successful in indoctrinating him.

Haytham Kenway.

The Templar's very own vampire hunter dhampir.

Haytham Kenway became their very own boogeyman. The strength of his vampiric lineage and the weaponry of the Templars serving a keen and observant mind.

The Brotherhood learns of his history and things become more complicated.

Orders to not kill Haytham Kenway resounded all over the Brotherhood.

For he was of Edward Kenway's blood.

Of Ezio Auditore's blood.

He was their family.

But Haytham Kenway used this weakness to his advantage.

Killing any and all members of the Brotherhood he found.

Humans.

Thralls.

Vampires.

In desperation, Edward did what was forbidden.

That winter night, the dhampir Haytham Kenway died in his father's arms.

The following night, Haytham Kenway awakened as a full vampire.

====================

Haytham Kenway as a vampire did not change his stance. He was still loyal to the Order and he still hunted the Brotherhood.

All it did was make him hate himself more. Hate his vampiric nature.

And that hatred only made him more dangerous.

On the other hand...

As he was sired by Edward Kenway, he could not harm Edward anymore. As Edward's sire, he could not harm Ezio as well.

And, most importantly, he could not kill The Devil.

So he took in members of the Order. Trained them in his ways. He did not turn them, of course not, that would only hinder them.

And they became the best of the Templars' vampire hunters.

But one of them was better than all of them.

May even be better than Haytham as a vampire hunter.

Shay Patrick Cormac.

A man who used to be a member of the Brotherhood. A thrall that left after a horrifying event that changed him.

Haytham found his successor.

He found the vampire hunter that will kill The Devil.

====================

Perhaps it had been a moment of weakness.

Perhaps it had been true love.

Regardless of the truth, the fact remained.

Haytham Kenway had a son.

And Edward found him as a babe, nursing from his mother's tit. Shrouded by the darkness, he took the child away and returned to Desmond.

He gifted the baby to Desmond.

A way to repent for how he had inadvertently created their greatest enemy?

A desire to have even just a piece of his son yet shackled by guilt and pain?

Edward did not say his reasoning.

All he asks is that Desmond takes the dhampir.

So Desmond did.

Connor Kenway was raised as a dhampir who believed he was Desmond's son. He was raised with love and his days were filled with happiness.

His favorite was Uncle Edward who sometimes visits to give him the nicest of gifts.

As he grew older, he learns the truth.

Of his parentage.

Of Haytham Kenway.

So he tries.

He tries to build a bridge between Haytham and them.

But the bridge he was trying to build was on top of a raging river that destroys everything that falls into it.

In the end, Connor had to make a choice.

A father who he knew nothing about and hellbent on destroying everything he held dear.

Or a father who raised him with love and gave him a choice.

In the end, Haytham Kenway dies in the arms of a son he did not know.

====================

They followed Shay Cormac to Paris where he gathers what remains of Haytham Kenway's vampire hunters and the rest of the Parisian Rites of the Templar Order. Amidst the cries of the people and the growing tension between the nobles and the common folks, two young people are driven apart by their family.

Elise de la Serre becomes a Templar and trains under Shay Cormac.

Arno Victor Dorian is turned into a vampire by Ezio Auditore who takes the young man under his wing.

Their shared history comes into play as Elise starts to dream. Dreams that leave her hot and wanting.

Her nights are filled with such delicious dreams. Her days are filled with horror as more and more of their members are killed or gone missing.

Yet, this does not break her. She is a strong-willed human. She learns the truth soon enough.

Of how Arno had used their past, their previous romantic entanglements, to make her his thrall. How she gave him everything the Order told her or what she learned all on her own.

How her knowledge was the reason why so many of the Orders died.

She tells Shay all of these. Shay gathers what remains of their forces and they help her remember.

Remember the place that Arno always takes her when she is under his thrall.

The temple underneath Le Marais.

They go there to find clues.

What they found was a trap.

And they learn that Elise did break. After learning how everything was her fault, that she led all of those people to their death...

To be told that the reason why Arno had been able to enthralled her was because, underneath all that desire to be a Templar, to be taken seriously, was a lonely child wishing to be loved by a father and mother who were too busy trying to keep the Parisian Rites of Templars alive.

That underneath all that loyalty to the Order, she hated it for taking her parents away.

Two factions entered the temple underneath Le Marais that day.

Only one faction left the temple that night.

====================

Evie and Jacob Frye were children of the Brotherhood. They were wild and brave.

And they had something to prove to dear old father.

So they travel to England to hunt down the Templars. They create their own gang and destroyed the Templars plan.

The words of their deeds (and the chaos that came after them) reached Edward Kenway who was... perhaps a bit estranged from the Inner Circle by this time. A self-imposed punishment, perhaps. He sees the joy and brashness of the two and it reminds him of how he was before.

So he turns the twins into his thralls. Not enough to enslave them but enough to just give them a little boost. And he guides them.

He helps them.

He builds a family with them.

Years later, when England is fully under Brotherhood control, it would be Edward Kenway who would greet his fellow favored childes with a grin. He would hug his grandson who was now a fellow childe, one of the progenitor's favorite if the rumors were to be believed.

And he would be the one to introduce the Frye twins to Desmond.

And ask that the progenitor reward them.

And Desmond would see the joy on Edward's face. The peace in his eyes.

And they would smile as they say yes.

====================

Decades would pass and humanity will grow. They will develop cures for diseases that once killed hundreds, if not thousands, of them. They will invent objects and techniques that would make their lives easier. Humanity will prosper and destroy itself, over and over again.

And the Brotherhood will remain in the shadows. Forever foiling the plans of the Templars. Taking in thralls to keep them in check while securing their safety.

But there will be humans who will find their way into the Brotherhood.

Who will become part of the Brotherhood.

A girl raised in an orphanage being run by the Brotherhood.

A talented woman with a knack for technology.

A curious man who found the truth among thousands of conspiracies all over the world.

A broken man trying to keep himself together and looking for a place to belong.

A frustrated woman wanting to be acknowledged for the work she has done.

The Brotherhood welcomes them all.

Whether they stay as they are or become a thrall is up to them.

Perhaps...

They might even be rewarded by the progenitor.

[decemberelegy]

Figure skating is dead takes are getting so annoying... I’m glad people are having fun in a group (because I can’t see what else posting something like that accomplishes other than shouting with the mob) but figure skating cannot possibly die as long people enjoy putting on ice skates and trying to walk/dance on ice. Everyday there are people in the tumblr tags posting about their skating journey. Adults or teenagers who haven’t taken up figure skating early enough to have hopes of going to the Olympics, but who enjoy learning various pretty ways of moving across the ice nevertheless. That’s still figure skating and that’s something people will keep doing regardless of it being an organized sport or not, regardless of ISU being called the ISU or a different name. There will always be people who stop to watch others skate; people stand on the sidelines even in my city when the public rink is open in the winter and watch people doing nothing more than skating in circles and overtaking each other. Even if the ISU as it exists today burns to the ground, I believe some other people are going to rebuild it in some shape of form, as long as the pleasure of skating still exists in us. 

[sophiekraymer]

A Very Long Victuuri Fic Rec List

Hi! So I made a super long list of Victuuri fanfic suggestions for my friend who just finished watching Yuri on Ice. I figured I’d go ahead and also share them here! 

Warning: I’ve been reading Victuuri every night before bed for about a year, so this list is very very long (aka there are 37 fanfics on here)

********Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/8748484/chapters/20055247

Words: 197,681 Chapters: 14/14

SINGLE HANDEDLY THE BEST FIC ON THIS ENTIRE LIST!!!!

‘…Of all the rivalries in the world of sports over the years, perhaps none has become so legendary as that of Russian figure skater Viktor Nikiforov and his rival, Japanese Yuuri Katsuki…’

A single event changes the course of Yuuri’s life, throwing him into a bitter rivalry with Viktor Nikiforov that spans across his entire skating career. But as the years go on, rivalry and hatred begin to develop into something very different and Yuuri doesn’t seem to be able to stay away, no matter how hard he tries.

Hatred and love are two sides of the same coin and even though everything changes, some things are still meant to be.

********Of Bright Stars and Burning Hearts-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/10450500/chapters/23069073

Words: 208,409 Chapters: 9/9

THE SECOND BEST FIC ON THIS ENTIRE LIST

Viktor doesn’t remember the first time he met Yuuri Katsuki.

This however, is what Viktor does remember…

Part 2 of the Rivals series and companion fic to ‘Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches’. One small change alters the course of both Viktor and Yuuri’s entire lives, creating a rivalry that spans across many years and a world where they both tell a very different side to the story.

****Magic & Ice-  https://archiveofourown.org/works/9322724/chapters/21127244

Words: 303,928 Chapters: 41/41

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has begun accepting NEWT transfer students. For 5th year Yuuri Katsuki it’s a dream come true, and a chance for his to find his place in the world, both on the ice and off.

16 year old Yuuri is off on a fun-filled adventure, full of friends and discovery, as he learns how to fall in love, and how to love himself. He might be chasing his idol, 17 year Viktor Nikiforov, but Viktor may be closer than he seems, as he too struggles to find his place in the world.

The Harry Potter AU where they’re still Skaters!

****Gubraithian Fire-   https://archiveofourown.org/works/11256162/chapters/25165083

Words: 117,957 Chapters: 18/?

Seven years have passed since the end of the Second Wizarding War, and with the world turning a little brighter in the aftermath, the wizarding world has grown a little closer. Mahoutokoro might be the logical school of choice if you live in Japan, and Uagadou if you live anywhere in Africa, but if Hogwarts just so happens to have a more intriguing curriculum, why not go there instead, now that they actually accept students from outside the UK and Ireland?

Well, frankly, Ludmila and Ilia had little choice but to send Viktor there just in time for his sixth year of education. With a dark wizard, or several of them, on their heels, there really had been no other option than to flee from Russia, settling down in a flat in London’s West End instead, with top-rated aurors on the case and a chandelier the size of the moon in the living room.

With worry gnawing in the back of his mind and his heart attempting to hammer itself through his rib-cage, Viktor plunges himself into studies, Quidditch, too many towers, friendship, and… wait, who’s that guy with black hair and glasses that suddenly set the world aflame by breathing in his general direction?

Welcome, students, to the Hogwarts Role Reversal AU.

***All The World’s A Stage-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9135670/chapters/20759239

Words: 112,291 Chapters: 10/10

The romance actor victor fic where Yuuri is hired to teach him to figure skate for a movie

Everyone has a guilty pleasure.

For Yuuri, it just happens to be romance movies starring famous heartthrob Victor Nikiforov.

(And, honestly, on the spectrum of guilty pleasures, he figures that his is on the far, far more innocent side.)

***Come Out of Hiding (I’m Right Here Beside You)-  https://archiveofourown.org/works/9083449/chapters/20654911

Words: 84,345 Chapters: 33/33

THE BROADWAY AU!

After forgetting the words to his song during a vocal competition as a teenager, Yuuri Katsuki decided singing was not for him. Instead he went to NYU to study English. He never expected Viktor Nikiforov, Broadway star extraordinaire looking to direct his first production on the stage, would ever find his up-and-coming lead… in him.

***The Rules for Lovers-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9645131/chapters/21790376

Words: 323,342 Chapters: 20/20

Prince Yuuri Katsuki has a duty to his country, above all else (his desires, his dreams, and his happiness included), and he knows this alliance will help to ensure the safety of his people. That’s the only reason he accepts Prince Nikiforov’s hand in marriage. The pleasant surprise, of course, is the part where they fall in love along the way. The unpleasant one, well…

That’s a long story.

**Bear Your Soul on the Ice-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9092290/chapters/20670766

Words: 166,203 Chapters: 25/?

At age fourteen, Katsuki Yuuri had been determined to be Japan’s next great figure skating hope, but with no coach that would never happen, so his ballet instructor packs him up off to Russia to train with Yakov Feltsman. The Yakov Feltsman, otherwise known as the coach to rising figure skating star – and Yuuri’s idol – Viktor Nikiforov.

**Empty Spaces Between Stars- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10847568/chapters/24084063

Words: 99,146 Chapters: 11/?

Victor gets just as drunk as Yuuri at the Sochi Banquet, and they disappear together after the dance-offs. They wake up the morning after with rings on their fingers, and pictures of them kissing after getting married the night before are all over the tabloids… but neither of them remembers a thing. They decide to stay married for a while for the sake of Victor’s sponsorships, and in exchange, Victor coaches Yuuri through nationals…

**Like a Fairytale-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9373529/chapters/21220337

Words: 73,412 Chapters: 13/13

In which Prince Victor gets swept off his feet at a royal banquet and will go to any length to find his ‘Cinderella’ Yuuri.

(And Phichit is the fairy godmother who has no idea what he’s doing).

“The crown prince of the Nikiforov kingdom, infatuated with a mystery pastry chef he’s only just met. This is exactly the kind of scandalous love story my life has been missing… So, what’s he look like? What exactly is Prince Victor’s type?”

“…Sweet.”

“Well, he does make pastries.“

**Love So Life-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9226067/chapters/20923982

Words: 114,335 Chapters: 12/12

Yuuri Katsuki was simply living his college life, teaching ice skating lessons to little kids, when suddenly his idol and champion figure skater Victor Nikiforov bursts in and requests that he start babysitting his three year old nephew, Yuri Plisetsky. Yuuri finds himself growing to be a part of their family and helping them work through their complicated family issues.

This is an AU based on the shojo manga Love So Life (2008-2015) by Kaede Kochi. The main difference from the manga will be the ages of Yuuri (23 not 16) and Victor (27 not 25), so therefore the “waiting until the main character is of age” plotline is not necessary or present. That also means that my story will be more focused on romance than the original :)

**Six Hours Ahead-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/10355178/chapters/22879563

Words: 88,416 Chapters: 14/?

When Yuuri downloaded the harmless quiz app, he didn’t expect to become best friends with the Russian boy who asked him for a rematch.

-

Porkcutlet: Wait, you’re from Russia right?

Makka: I am, why?

Porkcutlet: I was just wondering what it feels like to walk on the same ground as a real life angel?

Makka: Umm

Makka: It just feels like walking?

-

(In which Yuuri unknowingly befriends Viktor online and gushes to him about the living legend himself)

**The Unusual Truth-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/11898384/chapters/26878350

Words: 132,618 Chapters: 16/16

***I don’t usually enjoy Alpha/Beta/Omega fics, but this one is actually quite good and subverts the trope a bit

A different kind of ABO love story

It’s a few weeks before his 19th birthday and Viktor Nikiforov has just won his first Grand Prix Final Gold. He should be busy celebrating, but instead he’s forced to attend the ISU’s stupid presentation seminar. It was going to be awful, not just because he was sure to be the oldest newly presented skater there, but also because he would definitely be the only Omega. Being stuck in a room full of Alphas was definitely low on his list of things he wanted to do just days after his first major Senior Gold.

That is until a tiny boy walked into the room and went and changed everything.

*Body Music (Reverse AU)- http://archiveofourown.org/series/620569

A series of 16 oneshots in which Yuuri is older than Victor and Victor comes to Yuuri begging him to be his coach.

*Heel Sit Stay- http://archiveofourown.org/works/11651712/chapters/26213652

Words: 22,211 Chapters: 4/?

Yuuri gave up a skating career to care for his ailing dog four years ago. Now he’s at the 2016 World Dog Show in Moscow, his faithful partner Vicchan in perfect health. They’re athletes of a different sport now–doggy agility–and they’ve come to defend their titles as reigning champions. For Yuuri, though, it was just a nice way to pass the time. Nothing truly nerve-wracking ever happened at these dog shows.

He really should have realized that there was a high chance he’d run into a certain Russian dog lover.

(AKA the dog show AU)

*Lessons in Love- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9250658/chapters/20972102

Words: 106,456 Chapters: 11/?

All Viktor wants is for his son to be happy - and if that means spending countless hours at the ice rink, a million more in the ballet studio, and devotedly cheering for Katsuki Yuuri at every competition he enters, then that is precisely what he’ll do. He just didn’t expect to become a fan, too. (He didn’t expect to fall in love.)

*Miliy-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/11471580/chapters/25721622

Words: 42,794 Chapters: ¾

Viktor finds himself in a sticky situation – referring to more than the mess in his pants after watching his favorite camboy’s show.

In other words, how do you tell a camboy with a celebrity crush on Viktor Nikiforov that you are, in fact, the very man you role play with him as? The answer - you don’t.

*Story of My Life-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/11145114

Words: 5,354 Chapters: 1/1

There are 3,140,000 results on Google Search for why you should meet your idol. Meeting your idol could allow you to tell them personally how much they mean to you and can inspire you to be more like your idol.

However, there are 20,300,000 reasons why you shouldn’t meet your idol.

Or; AU where Victor is a famous author and Yuuri is his biggest fan.

*Sequel to My Life- http://archiveofourown.org/works/12303582

Words: 14,116 Chapters: 1/1

Victor has always wished his life was like a novel.

You know, one of those romance books with a hot, half-naked guy pictured on the cover that ends with an engagement and a steamy sex scene.Victor wishes his life is like those young adult stories where there are four different confusing love triangles and three different misunderstandings that somehow resolve each other by the end. Yeah, those kind of books.

But instead, he lives in a boring reality; one that is as far off from a romance novel as possible. There are no steamy sex scenes, and well scripted dates, and misunderstood love triangles between the main characters.

Just a steady, two month, long-distance relationship with the most precious man he can ever think of. And while it’s no Victor Nikiforov romantic comedy - although nothing could truly be as well scripted as a Victor Nikiforov book - he supposes nothing ever is.

Sequel to Story of My Life.

All this, and love too-   http://archiveofourown.org/works/9378959

Words: 3,882 One Shot

Royalty AU

“I am wondering,” Viktor whispers into the charged air between them, and when did they get so close? Has Viktor’s nose always been a hair’s breadth away from Yuuri’s? “If it would be entirely improper of me to request a kiss. I know that we are not due to be married for several more weeks, but it would be wrong of me to deny that I have been enamored with you since the first time I laid eyes on you.”

“Only if you mean it.” Yuuri whispers back, lips parting. Breathless, hard to form words, his throat so very dry, his chest so very tight. “Please, only if you mean it.”

“If I am to ever mean anything more than I mean this, then I pray the gods strike me down.”

Bittersweet Dissonance- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10673280/chapters/23628108

Words: 23,898 Chapters:5/5

Victor’s attention is swayed to the gorgeous violinist playing in the park across from the rink. Yuuri is baffled by the kind actions of the attractive figure skater. In the meantime, both learn to open up to each other, and their lives finally take a turn for the better.

Born to Make History- http://archiveofourown.org/works/8785183/chapters/20139673

Words: 11,122 Chapters: 3/3

Victor Nikiforov, Heir Tsesarevich and Grand Duke of Russia, needs a husband and only a Japanese Prince will do.

Enter Stage Left- http://archiveofourown.org/works/12513064/chapters/28491300

Words: 21,616 Chapters: 4/5

"How about we practice lines together? It would be great! Who better as my coach than the guy who wrote it? You said so yourself, no one knows the characters better than you!” Victor suggests.

Victor watches as Yuuri’s eyes search for an answer, flickering between the script and Victor. He wants nothing more than to see them shine just for him.

“Alright,” Yuuri decides shyly. “I’ll run lines with you.”

After all, it’s just acting…

Or; the writer!yuuri and actor!victor fic that no one asked for.

I Will Break the Ice of Your Heart- http://archiveofourown.org/works/9120484/chapters/20728225

Words: 51,474 Chapters: 9/9

“Yuuri…” The teacher whispered near his ear.

Fuck… he’s…

“Y… Yes?” he stuttered.

Hot…

Yuuri is a talented but very shy student who enters in a new university for his last year. There, he meets a coldhearted and strict philosophy teacher: Viktor Nikiforov. Despite their differences, the two of them start to get closer…

Language Barriers- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10153565/chapters/22557656

Words: 237,735 Chapters: 38/38

Victor Nikiforov had always wanted to travel the world. When an opportunity arises to spend his final year of university study abroad, he is quick to leap at the chance. Twelve months spent in twelve different countries, he can’t wait to see new places, meet new friends, and finish out his degree with a bang. He just didn’t expect to fall in love along the way.

Yuri Katsuki only applied because his friend forced him to. He’s just trying to get through the year, keep his head down and his grades up. Victor has other ideas.

Make my heart beat out of my chest ‘verse-  http://archiveofourown.org/series/656144

A series of 4 oneshots about Adventures with Yuuri Katsuki, living dance legend, and his ridiculous popstar husband, Viktor “I’m Extra” Nikiforov.

Of Dahlias and Deadlines- http://archiveofourown.org/works/10695813/chapters/23690199

Words: 80,867 Chapters: 20/35

All Victor wants is to get dahlias for Khloe and Brad’s wedding in under 24 hours.

Hope comes in the form of the little family florist in his neighborhood and the quiet smiles of one Katsuki Yuuri.

A florist Yuuri and wedding planner Victor AU.

Pulses that Beat Double-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/12210117/chapters/27730044

Words: 41,714 Chapters: 9/?

Katsuki Yuuri traveled all the way from Japan to study medicine in London, but finds himself very short on funds. He’s long had a fascination with the scandalous Baron Viktor Nikiforov, so he’s shocked when the baron takes an interest in him. So shocked he runs away as quickly as possible. But Viktor Nikiforov is a persistent man when he sees something he wants.

AKA The Victorian Era Sugar Daddy AU

Raison d’Être-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/11535771/chapters/25899183

Words: 29,273 Chapters: 2/?

1. reason or justification for existence; the thing that is most important to someone or something; the sole or ultimate purpose of someone.

President Nikiforov of Russia has a few weaknesses: premium rye vodka, an attention span of 30 minutes, and a torrid love affair with the Japanese Prime Minister.

Siren’s Call: A Collection-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/12657330/chapters/30138846

Words: 30,174 Chapters: 62/?

A siren hardly belongs abroad a pirate ship, but love and adventure tend to bend the rules even of nature and myth.

A collection of minute-ficlets for the siren au created by lucycamui and crimson-chains for the YOI Nautical Zine.

Skater Next Door-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/11903991/chapters/26893467

Words: 41,359 Chapters: 24/24

When Yuuri finds out that his next-door neighbour is none other than Victor Nikiforov, he has a small break down.

He has a second small break down when he sees Victor Nikiforov shower his son in love and attention.

And a third break down when Victor asks him, Yuuri Katsuki, a poor, single parent, ballet dancer, out on a date.

Sugar High-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/10221779/chapters/22681472

Words: 115,192 Chapters: 8/?

“Baby boy, you can have whatever you want. Just tell me, and I’ll give you the world.” Yuuri is completely speechless. Was it going to be this easy? To get money from someone so handsome, so alluring, so rich? Just by asking? Victor presses on. “I can’t give you what you want if you don’t tell me.”

“…Will you help me pay my college tuition?” Yuuri finally speaks, deciding to be straightforward, remembering why he signed up for this in the first place.

“If that’ll make you happy, then so be it. Now…lay on the bed.”

–

Yuuri Katsuki is a college student struggling to pay rent, tuition, and just about everything else. When he sets up an account for a sugar daddy dating app, he doesn’t expect anything to come out of it. Instead, he meets Victor Nikiforov, and so begins their walk on the fine line between their physical relationship and something more.

Sweet on You- http://archiveofourown.org/works/11167470/chapters/24926778

Words: 17,910 Chapters: 10/10

Victor Nikiforov is the owner of a popular bakery in St. Petersburg, and he loves it. But just when he starts to grow bored of the same routine every day a cute foreign college student comes to visit and suddenly becomes all Victor can think about…

AKA the bakery au/rom-com that probably no one asked for.

The Chronicles of Katsuki Yuuri, Unconventional Heartbreaker-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9823961/chapters/22058708

Words: 6,757 Chapters 1/1

The five times Yuuri Katsuki unknowingly steals the heart of everyone around him and the one time he does it on purpose (sort of).

The Tsesarevich Lives!-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/10589628/chapters/23407527

Words: 50,123 Chapters: 21/21

An Anastasia AU. Victor is an orphan with no name, no family, and no memory of a time before he was ten years old. Could he really be the missing Nikiforov heir? An adventure across Europe with two con-men will lead him to the answer.

Tu meum Animum-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/8892469/chapters/20382040

Words: 60,419 Chapters: 18/18

Viktor is many things but, lately, there are things that are added in his repertoire and he brushes it off as a trick of the imagination since he does not consider himself a stalker and most definitely not a dork.

—

In which Viktor is a fourth year Slytherin in Hogwarts and is very much infatuated with a cute fourth year Gryffindor.

Twenty-Five Hours-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9677486/chapters/21856832

Words: 22,861 Chapters: 3/3

In which Yuuri spends a 25 hour flight next to Victor Nikiforov, skating legend, and feels it might simultaneously be the best and worst thing that has ever happened to him.

Write Me In C Major-  http://archiveofourown.org/works/9578384/chapters/21657281

Words: 87,188 Chapters: 11/15

Living Legend of figure skating Victor Nikiforov has just won his fifth world title and doesn’t know where to go from here - until he falls in love with Katsuki Yuuri’s music at first hearing.

Movie composer Katsuki Yuuri is trying to bounce back from a series of flops when his idol shows up with absurd requests.

Victor wants Yuuri to compose about him; Yuuri wants Victor to skate about him.

[calciseptinefic]

solo and pair

Yuuri!!! On Ice || Victor Nikiforov/Yuuri Katsuki || Hasetsu, Part IX notes: also available on ao3. warnings: character injury

.

part viii

.

The first half of Yuuri's last spring break passes in a blur. He spends his days following the same routine he would during school; the only significant difference is that he sets the alarm on his phone for nine instead of six. The exhausted, purple-blue bags beneath his eyes fade incrementally as he catches up on much needed sleep.

Yuuri tries not to think about his future. He can feel the stress creeping in on the edge of his awareness—an unrelenting pressure—but he ignores it. Instead, he extends his morning runs by another few miles; tries an unfamiliar dance style in Minako's studio; skates until the redness on his feet deepen to bruises.

It is during such a practice that Yuuko calls out to him from the concrete side of the rink wall.

"Here," Yuuko says bluntly when Yuuri skates over. She holds her phone out; her hand shakes. "I just—I'm so sorry, Yuuri, but I thought you'd want to know."

Yuuri feels a flare of panic in his chest at Yuuko's expression. He takes the phone but doesn't immediately look down; instead, he asks, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she assures even as she pushes at Yuuri's hand. "Yuuri—"

Yuuri glances down. Yuuko's phone is open to an article off one of the many ice skating websites she follows and, even without his glasses, Yuuri can clearly see the title:

The Death of Victor Nikiforov?

Dread floods Yuuri's chest like a deluge and makes it hard for him to breathe. "What?" Yuuri croaks. "Yuu-chan—is Victor—?"

"No," Yuuko interjects before Yuuri's reactionary hysteria can build. "He's not—he fell, Yuuri, and it was—it was bad."

Yuuri skips over the first paragraph as quickly as he can. His spoken English is strong but it still takes him time to decipher the latin alphabet. He struggles to pick up the name of Victor's home rink in St. Petersburg and the list of his accomplishments—his eight gold medals and his Olympic aspirations—before the chilling phrase 'was carried off the ice' crops up.

The paragraph goes past the bottom of the screen. Yuuri tries to scroll down to read more but the phone won't read his touch through the thin cotton of his gloves. He makes an inarticulate sound of frustration before using his teeth to pull the cuff over and off his hand; it drops to the ground, forgotten.

Yesterday afternoon during routine practice, Victor Nikiforov was reported to have landed incorrectly when he attempted a quadruple lutz.

"It was horrible," rink mate and fellow mens single figure skater, Georgi Popovich, reported. "Victor's always been good at the technical aspects of the sport. To see him fall—maybe he didn't have enough speed or enough height or—I don't know. I don't know."

Another witness, Oksana Kuznetsov, said, "I didn't see his take-off, so I can't say what was wrong. I saw him land, though. Jumps are quick—a second or less—and you never get the specifics. You only know if it was good or if it was bad. And this was very bad."

Popovich and Kuznestov's disconcertion with Nikiforov's accident echoes throughout the training facility. Nikiforov, who has already experienced an illustrious career despite having recently turned twenty-one, was hoping to win his second consecutive gold medal at Worlds in Los Angeles, California on March 23-29. It would also be his third of the 2008-09 season, following his wins at the Grand Prix Final in Goyang, South Korea, and Europeans in Tallinn, Estonia.

Nikiforov could not be reached for comment. His coach, Yakov Feltsman, released a press statement this morning.

"Victor's injury is currently being assessed," said Feltsman. "We regret that such an incident occurred so soon before competition, but our focus now is making sure that Victor makes a full comeback. Russia will make sure that he has the advice and support of the best doctors and physical therapists available."

Though the severity of Nikiforov's injury is still unknown, Feltsman promised to keep the public informed about Nikiforov's health. We here at Golden Skate, along with the rest of the figure skating community, wish Nikiforov a speedy recovery.

Yuuri is not aware that he is shaking until Yuuko closes her hand around his wrist and gently takes her phone back. Her fingers are surprisingly warm against his exposed skin.

"Do—Do you think he's alright?" Yuuri whispers, his gaze glued to the spot where the ice meets the rink wall. He knows that professional athletes experience injury frequently; most of them are minor, some are bad, and the unfortunate few are career-ending. It is a consequence of pushing one's body to the brink; one day, the body will push back. That it happened to Victor Nikiforov—to the legendary, to the untouchable—is incredibly jarring. "Do you think it's that bad?"

Yuuko is quiet for a minute. When she answers, her voice is as small as his was.

"I don't know," she says.

It is a hard truth to swallow.

.

Over the course of the few weeks, Yuuri spends as much time hunched over his phone as he does on the ice. He obsessively refreshes various figure skating news outlets even though there is no new information after Yakov's statement. There are only articles after rehashed articles and forums filled with wild speculation. Every link Yuuri opens makes the sick knot in his stomach wind tighter. He knows that he cannot correlate Victor's health to a lack of news, but logic doesn't prevent his imagination—and his nervousness—from running rampant.

The first mention of Victor after the accident occurs two days before Worlds, in an article Yuuri sees on icenetwork.com. Yuuri doesn't even read the title of the piece; he merely sees Victor's name and pushes down the laptop's touchpad viciously.

Pavel Egorikhin to replace Victor Nikiforov at Worlds

Early this morning, thousands were disappointed when the International Skating Union quietly announced that Victor Nikiforov's spot at Worlds will be given to Pavel Egorikhin.

Egorikhin, 25, announced his retirement earlier in the season after failing to top Nikiforov's qualification score for Europeans. He represented Russia in the 2002 Winter Olympics and earned several medals in the ISU Championships over the course of his eleven year career. Currently, Egorikhin and his family reside in Moscow.

"I am grateful for the opportunity," Egorikhin said. "Skating at such a high level of competition is not something that I thought I would ever do again. I am saddened that it had to come at a price."

The news of the replacement is not a surprise. Six days ago, Nikiforov was escorted off the ice of his home rink in St. Petersburg. His injury was initially treated by the rink's on-site nurse before he was transferred to Medem International. Though the extent of his injury is still unknown, there have been unconfirmed rumors that Nikiforov required surgery.

Yakov Feltsman—Nikiforov's senior coach—could not be reached for comment.

"We will inform the public of Victor's health as soon as we are able," the skating club Nikiforov belongs to stated yesterday. "We are grateful for all the support and well-wishes that we have received."

Since his senior debut in the 2004-05 season, Nikiforov has secured a spot on the podium. The only competition he did not receive a medal at was during the 2006 Winter Olympics, a stellar performance is still widely contested. Despite being in the senior division for only four and a half seasons, Nikiforov is one of figure skating's most decorated athletes.

So what, exactly, does this injury mean for Nikiforov's career?

"Victor is young," said Egorikhin. "This is his first major injury. I do not know the details, but I have seen other skaters return to the ice after terrible accidents. And none of those skaters were as talented or as tenacious as Victor."

Egorikhin's reassurances do little to ease the worry caused by Nikiforov's silence. While it is unlikely that Nikiforov's career would end, there is concern that he would not be able to return to his former glory…

Yuuri stops reading and exits the web browser. It is not a surprise that Victor was replaced—if Victor wasn't well enough to make a public statement, then he wouldn't be well enough to skate—yet Yuuri is still unprepared for the reality of the situation. He feels… unsteady.

I wonder if he's doing okay, Yuuri thinks as he stares at the poster hanging above his desk. It's several years old, a limited edition print of Victor in a plain white jacket and long gray scarf. His arm are wrapped around his poodle—Makkachin—and there is a small but happy smile on his face. Yuuri rubs his aching sternum. He's probably really frustrated.

The thought of Victor lying curled up in a hospital bed makes Yuuri's eyes burn with sudden, unshed tears. When Yuuri sprained his ankle attempting a triple lutz, he hadn't been able to skate for almost two weeks. He cannot imagine what it must be like for a professional skater like Victor.

"Get well soon," Yuuri tells Victor's poster. "Please."

And in the forgiving darkness of his room, Yuuri can pretends that Victor hears him.

.

Worlds comes and goes. Neither Egorikhin nor the other Russian skater make it to the men's podium, and none of the programs have the same magic as Victor's did. There are good compositions, good choreographies, and good techniques, yet it seems to Yuuri that only Victor has the talent to bring all three together flawlessly.

"I liked Cao Bin's performance," Yuuko comments when as they watch the grainy live stream on Yuuko's laptop. Cao Bin is the last skater in the men's division. "He fumbled that last jump, but not everyone can put a quad that late in their program."

The Chinese skater takes gold despite his less than captivating performance. His total score is a full twenty points below what Victor's was the previous year, a fact that makes Yuuri's heart flutter with strange pride. Yet instead of stating this fact aloud, Yuuri says, "He had a good step sequence."

Yuuko bumps her shoulder against Yuuri's. "Not as good as yours," she says.

Yuuri rolls his eyes at her teasing. He knows that his footwork is strong, having originally trained as a dancer underneath Minako, but his skill certainly doesn't outshine a top-tier competitor in the ISU's World Championships. Yuuri does not point this out. Instead, he mumbles, "At least Cao Bin landed a quad."

Yuuko bumps her shoulder into Yuuri's again, this time a little more forcefully. Yuuri nearly falls off the bench they're sitting on.

"Hey!" Yuuri exclaims as he catches himself. "What are you—?"

"Seeing if I can knock some sense into you, Mr. Twentieth in All of Japan," she interrupts. "Or have you forgotten that?"

Yuuri doesn't argue with Yuuko. There's no point. She tends to focus on how far Yuuri has come rather than how far he has left to go; Yuuri may only be seventeen, but in figure skating, nearly half of the best skaters have already been introduced to the international stage.

"No," Yuuri replies. "I haven't."

.

The day after Worlds ends, when Yuuri steps on the ice, he does not practice his developing short program or the beginning pieces of his free skate. Instead, he thinks of Victor's wins at Goyang and Tallinn, and moves.

Yuuri cannot skate Victor's long program perfectly. He has to downgrade all three of Victor's quads to triples and he cannot start the lone triple axel from the spread eagle, yet it is these concessions that allow Yuuri to perform the entire program without hesitation. No mistakes are made as he glides across the ice. He is disappointed that Victor was unable to perform at Worlds, and this sad bitterness beneath his breastbone translates well into Victor's theme of regret.

Yuuri is gasping for breath by the time he finishes. Victor may make his programs look effortless, but in truth, they are usually the most demanding.

"Wow," Nishigori comments faintly when Yuuri skates over to the rink wall to grab his water bottle. "That was… really good."

Yuuri shrugs, too painfully aware that he needs to work on the technical aspects of figure skating to take the compliment. "It was okay," he murmurs. "Could've been better."

Nishigori's thick eyebrows furrow and his mouth turns into a sharp frown. Yuuri recognizes the expression easily; it's the face Nishigori makes when he thinks he's right about something and is prepared to argue. Mentally, Yuuri sighs. He doesn't want to fight with Nishigori, especially not when he feels so weirdly drained by Victor's absence.

Thankfully, Nishigori's oncoming diatribe is interrupted by petite bundle of pink crashing into his side. Nishigori grunts and Yuuko—who ran directly into her fiancé's side—all but screeches, "Yuuri! You have to see this!"

Both Nishigori and Yuuri blink at Yuuko's proffered phone. There's a video loaded onto it, the screen dark and ready to play.

"Seriously, Yuuri," Yuuko says. Her tone brooks no argument. "Take it!"

Yuuri takes the phone warily. He remembers what happened last time Yuuko all but shoved her phone into his hands, and he is reluctant to be blind-sided again. So he asks, "This isn't more bad news, is it?"

In lieu of reply, Yuuko releases a wordless shrill and jabs the play button with an impatient finger. An unfamiliar jingle crashes out of Yuuko's phone, accompanied by a logo that Yuuri has not seen before. It is written in Cyrillic and dominates the tiny screen. It lasts for about five second before the image switches to a well-dressed reporter.

"No subtitles?" Nishigori asks as the reporter begins speaking in indecipherable Russian.

"It just came out thirty minutes ago," Yuuko says. "Now hush."

A minute after the reporter's monologue began, the room they are in explodes into motion and sound. The camera shakes as it tries to focus on a pair of figures entering through a door on the left. Blurry and unfocused, Yuuri does not realize what he is looking at until—

"Victor," Yuuri breathes.

Victor is dressed in plain, comfortable clothing—a pair of gray sweatpants, a soft lavender sweater, and unadorned sneakers—and his long hair is piled into a messy bun atop his head. He should look sloppy and unkempt; instead he looks artfully rumpled. Indeed, the only thing that detracts from his image are the crutches keeping him upright.

"That's not good," Nishigori comments.

Unused to the crutches, Victor sitting down at the table that has been set up. Yakov—who has been a step behind Victor the entire time—has to help him sit down. There's a strange tension in the air that is palpable even to Yuuri; then Victor leans forward into the mic, smiles charmingly, and says something that makes everyone laugh.

The knot of worry Yuuri has carried since Victor's accident loosens. If Victor is able to make a joke, then his injury might not be so terrible.

"He looks so tired," Yuuko says quietly as the video progresses. Victor had spoken briefly at the beginning, then opened the interview to questions. Though Victor answers each one he receives with his trademark optimism and light-heartedness, Yuuri quietly agrees with Yuuko.

"Well, he probably had surgery since they transferred him to the hospital," interjects Nishigori. "And he missed a major competition that he was predicted to win. I know I wouldn't be able to sleep if that happened to me."

Yuuri watches closely Victor as he responds. The skin around his eyes and mouth are tight and his movements are unusually subdued. Halfway through the questions, he even begins to gently rub the highest point of his soul mark, a pale tendril that creeps over the collar of his sweater and up the left tendon of his throat. It is such an obvious sign of anxiety that Yuuri wonders how Victor can maintain his calm facade.

Thankfully, Yakov eventually intervenes on Victor's behalf. The noise in the room rises in a sudden cacophony, the reporters shouting over one another; Victor begins to talk into the mic, an action that is cut off by Yakov, who puts a staying hand on Victor's shoulder and murmurs something into his ear. Victor nods and—with more assistance from Yakov—stands up. Then he tucks the crutches under his armpits, flashes one last hollow smile at the crowd, and hobbles away.

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Victor Nikiforov announces ACL tear

Less than forty-eight hours after Russia failed to medal in the 2008-09 Worlds competition, Victor Nikiforov held a small press conference at his home rink in St. Petersburg. Nikiforov, who suffered an injury on March 15, has been silent about his condition since his admission to Medem International.

"You can stop worrying," Nikiforov said to his audience as he sat down. "As you can see, I am still alive."

Nikiforov's charm was present from the start. He apologized for the quickly called press conference and then proceeded to calmly inform the reporters in attendance of his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.

"We couldn't perform the surgery immediately," said Nikiforov with a smile. "That was the worst part, I think. The waiting. I was okay with the tests and the scans because it meant we were doing something, but once the decision was made to actually have surgery, I had to wait awhile for the swelling to go down. I ended up watching a lot of public television."

One of the most common injuries among athletes, ACL tears vary in severity. Some merely require physical therapy and a knee brace while others—like Nikiforov's—require invasive surgery. Nikiforov received an autograft from his hamstring tendon; this procedure is preferred by many since the borrowed tissue is unlikely to be rejected.

"The bruise makes it look a lot worse than it feels," joked Nikiforov.

The minimal recovery time for ACL reconstruction is six months, which would put Nikiforov's return at the beginning of October. Since the 2009-10 season begins on July 1, many were curious about Nikiforov's plans. Nikiforov said that he has no plans to retire; he stated that he will focus on his recovery and return to the ice as quickly as possible.

"Do you think this injury will impact your future performances?" asked Alexei Mikheyev, a sports journalist for Kommersant magazine.

"No," Nikiforov replied without hesitation. "I am confident that I will make a full recovery."

This may be true since reconstructed ACLs have high success rates. The key here is patience; if proper rehabilitation procedures are not followed, the ligament will become less mobile and cause the bones to rub together. Another problem Nikiforov may face is fear. Traumatic impacts can cause the ACL to re-tear and—as we all have seen—one bad fall is all it takes. Take previous 1998 Olympic bronze medalist, Mathis Durand, for example…

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part x

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