bakerstreet | winter is a lingering season

Thanks. [With the snow melting all over him, Yuuri ended up taking off his glasses to shake the stuff off before attempting to scrub the rest of his face clean with his jacket sleeve.] You have a brother, Emil?

[It struck him again, just how little he really knew about the rest of the skaters, with Phichit as the exception of course.]

Okay, I'm trying this again! [With a flare of determination and just a bit of competitiveness, Yuuri didn't bother making his snowballs pretty this time, only packing them all together hurriedly before he swiftly peeked out and lobbed the ammo toward the other fort. He grinned when a few of them found their targets.]

Edited (I can words) 2017-01-16 23:28 (UTC)

A little brother, yeah. [He paused to duck an incoming snowball that exploded part of the barrier just in front of him, and he popped his head up long enough to stick his tongue out at the opposition. When he came back down again he worked on scooping some more snow up toward them to return the gesture.

Once again they were pelted, but at least he was able to land a couple more hits. But he suddenly got a clearly fantastic idea, and he turned to Yuuri, snapping off the removable hood of his parka.]

Here, fill this up with balls. Let's make a kamikaze run on them before everyone has to go home.

[It had started to snow again, after all, and he was starting to get hungry, signalling the approach of supper. They could sit around and watch it fall from under an actual roof.]

[Watching Emil play around like this so freely made the nostalgia hit him hard. Hadn't he, Yuuko, and Nishigori done the same before? He smiled up at Emil as he took the hood and gave him a thumbs up.]

Gotcha. [Working quickly, Yuuri packed the fresh snow into balls and dropped them into their makeshift basket.] Hey, I saw a hot chocolate stand nearby. I don't think the kids will stick around too long after this... [Yuuri glanced up at the sky that was just beginning to darken.] But we could always send them off with something to keep them warm while they're heading home.

[Emil worked on helping to fill the hood with snowballs in kind, and hefted it in the crook of his elbow before signalling a countdown, three-two-one, then nodding and bursting out from behind the wall of their fort with a war cry that cracked a little in the cold air. It was a little harder to run with the fresh snow just starting to pile up in the already shin-deep coat of it, but he was about as good at snow as one could expect. So he was on their opponents before they realized that it was a free for all now, and between himself and Yuuri, exhausted most of their ammunition before falling over with his hands up in a truce. They'd been killed by sheer numbers, he announced, then sat up and put a hand into the air, announcing that it was definitely time for hot chocolate. Yuuri had the right idea, after all.

So while they headed off toward the stand to claim the spoils of their battle, Emil lingered back with his hands in the pockets of his parka, the hood resting atop his head without being reattached.]

I don't think I've ever actually seen you laugh before. [He smiled down at Yuuri, just casually pointing out the pleasant change.]

[There had been a soft, pleased smile on Yuuri's face as he walked beside Emil, the kids' voices still audible behind them. The self-consciousness immediately set in at Emil's words, though, faint color spreading across Yuuri's cheeks as he ducked his head slightly.]

We didn't talk all that much before. [Yuuri pointed out quietly, tucking his cold hands into his pockets to warm them up. His eyes flicked back to meet Emil's with a hint of curiosity this time, rather than avoiding his gaze altogether like he might have done once before.] Is it a bad thing?

[His hands came up, his own smile softening somewhat.]

No, not at all! It's nice actually. When you're competing you look like you're really stressed out though. I'm glad I caught you out here!

[After all, all of the skaters were considered his friends until they decided otherwise. That mentality had come about thanks to his parents not quite understanding his competitive skating career, and it kind of stuck. Yuuri was no different, and off the ice he wasn't even a competitor.]

Oh. [Some of the tentativeness left his expression as he took that in, and part of him wasn't too surprised that the other competitors had noticed his anxiety. It wasn't exactly a secret in the skating community, after all. That didn't make it any more fun to talk about, though.

He nods, chewing at his bottom lip.] You're not wrong. I really love skating, but during competitions, the pressure really gets to me. [More quietly--] I don't like letting people down.

[His hand came down on Yuuri's shoulder, giving him a hopefully reassuring little shake.]

Well for what it's worth, you impressed me!

[Which, admittedly, probably wasn't worth all that much. After all, they'd barely spoken before now, and had seen eachother maybe a few times face to face. But Emil kept track of the other skaters, ever excited to see how the others were coming along and looking forward to the even matches of the season. And Yuuri shooting to the top tiers as fast as he had, especially after the implosion of the year previous, had definitely garnered more attention than just his own.]

Have you ever tried any other sports? I might go to the Sapporo snow festival again this year, hit the slopes in Hokkaido. Since I didn't place I have time to do that now.

I did...? [Much like when Minami had told him he looked up to him, all Yuuri felt was some degree of surprise. Sure, this year's performances were infinitely better than the lackluster ones he'd given last year, but surely Emil remembered the many mistakes he'd made?]

Oh, I dance as well. My ballet instructor was the one who introduced me to figure skating. [Thankfully, Emil had moved onto another topic before Yuuri could really get caught up in his thoughts again. Yuuri's all too glad to move on.]

I've never gone skiing before--or snowboarding? [Yuuri glanced at Emil, wondering which one it was.] It looks like fun, though. If dangerous. [Even if a sport like figure skating often meant injuries, there was something particularly intimidating about speeding down a slope on just a board or two sticks.]

[His expression brightens further, if that was actually possible. The mistakes made Yuuri's victories that much more spectacular, from where he was sitting. It meant that Yuuri had won over the judges on wow factor, something that he could only achieve some times with the height and precision of his jumps.

Yuuri's comments about being intimidated by skiing and snowboarding had him nodding some.] I learned them both but I'm better at snowboarding. It's dangerous I guess but most sports do have their risks. I could teach you though, if you think you would be interested.

[Sorry Yuuri, you might be looking at an adrenaline junkie.]

Edited 2017-01-18 06:16 (UTC)

[Yuuri isn't sure what this says about him, but the other skaters all seem to be catching him by surprise lately. Anyone can see that Emil's friendly and going, just like Phichit, but Yuuri still hadn't been expecting that kind of invitation from someone he's only talked to a couple times.]

You're offering to teach me, just like that?

[It's unexpected in a nice way, he thinks. He's never been particularly close to any of the other skaters, but this year had felt different than the others. If he hadn't been ready to have ties with everyone else in the years before, he thinks he is now.

Yuuri smiles.] You sure you wouldn't mind helping a complete beginner instead of going off on your own?

[Yuuri is a nice guy, and weirdly humble in spite of his standing in the Japanese skating circuit. He's done a lot on his own merit, and Emil could readily admit that he admires that kind of tenacity. Besides, he's still a friend until proven otherwise, in Emil's eyes.]

I bet you could be good at it after you figure out the standing up on a slat part.

[He beamed, his hands coming up in a small shrug.]

Besides, if I'm gonna be in the area anyway it'd be cool to catch up, even if you don't take to it.

You really think so? [Now wasn't this novel--someone actually believing he could be good at something? Yuuri had to admit, though he had some misgivings, Emil's easygoing nature was convincing him to give it a try.

The answer was already at the tip of his tongue, and this time Yuuri didn't want to bite it back and stew on it like he normally would.]

Okay. [There. He said it. His smile widens.] I think I'll take you up on that.

[Emil was of the mind that if someone wanted to try and do a thing, they could damn well do it, and even be great if they put in the effort. And if there was one thing he'd learned just watching Yuuri, it was that this guy definitely had it in him.]

Awesome! It's not until February so you don't have to worry about preparing right away at least. This is exciting though.

[They were coming up to the stand by now, so he cut off and started a headcount of the kids and then the two of them, opting to split the cost with Yuuri so that everyone could get what they wanted. He might have liked the cold weather, but little compared to a hot beverage to offset the chill. In moments like this, it was a lot more obvious how much younger than many of the senior division skaters Emil was.]

If you want, I can give you my contacts. I know you're in Instagram at least a little but that's not as great for messages.

[slipping his wallet back into his pocket, Yuuri grinned ruefully.]

Ah... I only got the instagram account because Phichit bugged me to. I don't really post much to it. It's useful when I want to see what everyone else is doing, though.

[And now as they waited for their drinks, Yuuri fished his phone back out.]

We can swap numbers though. Texting is a better way to get a hold of me. Or email.

[Emil's phone appears out of nowhere; he's not on it as much as some of the other skaters, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't keep it in him as much as possible just in case. It's handed over for Yuuri to plug his contact info into.]

Sometimes I kind of forget mine exists, but then that's why there are a bunch of mass uploads on my account. Most of the time it's just easier to text me and then wait.

He shrugs, helping the person at the stand to distribute drinks until all the kids were ready to head off. He waved at a couple of them as they left, then handed Yuuri's drink over before sipping at his own.]

[Amused at the speed Emil had offered his phone, Yuuri types in his number and saves it in the contacts.

Then, hesitating, he pulls up instagram on Emil's phone and finds his account.]

Even if neither of us use it that often, we can still follow each other on there. [He chuckles softly.] I thought I was the only one who wasn't obsessed with it. Viktor, Phichit, Chris, Guang-Hong, and Leo all seem to be addicted.

They love staying connected, I don't blame them. Plus they've all put up some really great content. It's cool to see some of the stuff they get up to outside the sport.

[Like the photos of Chris and Viktor hanging out at the pool. Those were pretty funny, even if that was more of the Swiss skater than he ever actually wanted to see. But that seemed to be a common thing with Chris.

He takes his phone back to confirm the add and return it, then pocket his phone again.]

Hey, sometimes it's good to kind of have a timeline of stuff that happens. For your own memory if nobody else's. So when we can't do this kind of stuff anymore there's a record to remember it all by.

[Yuuri pauses in the middle of confirming the request, looking thoughtful.]

Oh, I've never thought of it that way before. It'd sort of be like a photo album, except online, wouldn't it?

[The phone goes right back into his pocket now.]

I've never really liked sharing things so publicly, but I guess I can see the appeal of keeping the memories where you can find them easily again.

[Emil puts up a finger at that, nodding at the conclusion Yuuri came to.] I do have a couple of private albums for stuff that's just for me instead of sharing it. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of them do too.

That wouldn't be so bad. [Yuuri murmurs, perking up when their drinks are ready.

As he reaches over for the tray of steaming cups, he grins suddenly. Maybe it's because he's had the first snowball fight since he was a kid, but he's feeling a little playful.]

Hey, Emil. Let's take a picture together and post it. I bet it'll surprise Phichit and the others if they see me using my account for once.

[Emil takes his cup from the tray so it's not quite as heavy and starts to sip on it, looking back up from it when Yuuri suggests taking a photo. He grins and fishes his phone out, thumbing across it after stripping his glove off.]

Ok, hold on... [He doesn't even give Yuuri's face the chance to get stiff and uncomfortable with a forced smile before he's turned the lens on the two of them and snapped the photo. He takes an extra second to send it to Yuuri's phone so it could be posted directly to his account, given that not everyone that followed Yuuri also followed him, and vice versa.] Awesome, I can put mine up when we're somewhere warm.

[Oh--hey, it's over before Yuuri can even think about it. And he can't even be annoyed about the lack of warning when his phone chimes with a new message.]

Thanks. [Emil gets a smile for his efforts.] I'll wait until we've passed out the drinks. The kids won't be happy with us if we let their hot chocolate get cold.

[You kind of have to be fast when a lot of the pictures you take are action shots. So he's gotten good at being fast about it, even if his thumbs weren't basically lightning like some skaters out there. He tucks his phone back into his pocket before helping in distributing the hot chocolate to the waiting gaggle of children still watching them. He grins at them then asks them all to smoosh together a little, before taking up a position to take a photo of all of them together, including Yuuri in the background handing out the last of the drinks. It wouldn't go up online or anything, but he thought it deserved commemorating.

He waits until Yuuri joins him again before resuming their walk.]

So, hey, have you ever been to the snow festival? I know it's more of a tourist thing than a real local event but it's still really cool.

[Yuuri's smiling as he sends the last kid off with their hot drink, even waving a little when some of them turn and call back to them as they head home.]

Hmm? [The cup stops just in front of his lips as Yuuri turns his attention back to Emil.] No, I haven't gone before. I didn't really travel outside of Hasetsu much before I left for Detroit. Sometimes for competitions, but that's it.

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huggingcompetition - 2017-01-25 02:00 (UTC) - Expand

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yokunaru - 2017-01-26 17:22 (UTC) - Expand

winter is a lingering season

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omg I switched tenses without even noticing oops

I do that so much no worries ;v;

<333

:>

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