text | calling across the cosmos

[genice]

There's quite a few of us who are new arrivals, yeah? I'm told we should make ourselves comfortable and get to know our neighbors. It's been eight months since I last really moved anywhere, so hello! My name is Victor Nikiforov. If any one of you feels like discussing our new location or occupations or anything else, please join me for a drink!

[ He even includes a ping for the bar he's at. Conversations up to this point have been anything but promising. So here he is. In space. Surrounded by space people. Talking to other "we did not want to end up in space, probably" people. ]

Also, three questions! Who is fond of dogs, is there anything like Instagram on these, and who knows anything about figure skating?

Comments

[remainingtwin]

I'm not old enough to drink, I'll pass.

[She debates on what else to say, because just saying that sounds rude as hell. She stares at his other questions, stares at a wall for a few seconds to debate her life, then heaves a sigh and continues]

Dogs are cute. I don't know what an instagram is. I've done figure skating before, but it wasn't something I was allowed to really do so I stopped.

[genice]

[ He's glad to hear this person knows their boundaries pretty well. Good on you, person who is most likely a teenager! Given the differences in drinking ages in the countries he remembers the drinking age of, it's... the only presumption he's really willing to make.

Is there a drinking age in space? Huh. Never occurred to him to ask. ]

Why weren't you allowed to figure skate?

[ Sure, it's expensive if one plans on going anywhere significant with it, but that's... not the same as being "allowed" to figure skate. Meaning he's been derailed off the rest of what he's saying, because that is honestly baffling to him. ]

[remainingtwin]

[Well he's not wrong. She's got about 2 years before she hits the drinking age of japan... Who knows what the drinking age in SPACE was. Maybe some crew members would know, but Mio isn't inclined to ask.

She also regrets this conversation already because she knew that question was going to come. This is what she got for trying to be honest.]

My twin sister was hurt when we were little. She couldn't walk very well, let alone skate. I couldn't do anything she couldn't do, not really. I did do ballet though, and she'd do sitting gymnastics... I tried skating, but she didn't like me doing it, so.

[So obviously she had to quit like what else could she do??]

[genice]

[ That's too much a pity, in his opinion. At the same time, he's not feeling any need to say much about what appears to be a complicated family situation. ]

I'm sorry to hear that. Ballet is an intense field, on its own. Many of the competitive figure skaters I know have some skill in ballet as well. The two can overlap surprisingly well.

[ It may or may not actually be surprising. ]

As far as dogs, let me see.

[ He then sends along a picture where he's cued Makkachin to sit up and hold one paw higher, like he's waving at the "camera." Ergo, the prelude into mentioning what Instagram is as well! ]

Makkachin says hello! Instagram is a site where I usually post pictures of the places I'm in or interesting things I'm seeing. Or of cute things, like Makkachin! I'd probably add a hashtag of #hellofromspace to something like this.

[remainingtwin]

I didn't know that, but it makes sense. [Wait...] You know a lot of competitive figure skaters?

[A fan? A skater himself?? Mio hasn't really kept up on anything like that, but it'd be pretty cool. She's also come to terms with the fact that people are from different times and worlds and all that bullshit--honestly, with her life so far, it just doesn't pay to not go 'why not?' at weird situations now. So if he is wellknown, it's likely he's either not from her world, or not from her time.

This whole this was crazy.

Also who can think about those things when THERE'S AN ADORABLE DOG.] He's very cute. Instagram sounds interesting. And I guess other people can see it too? Your dog must be popular then.

[genice]

You could say so! Until this most recent season, I've been a competitive figure skater for most my life.

[ Twenty years out of twenty-seven total counts as a majority. Skating had been his life, and he had finally been connecting to a life beyond skating, then — this. ]

Yes! It's a site where anyone can make an account and follow other people's accounts. Makkachin is so cute, he's very well loved!

[ Victor is probably his number one fan. No: definitely his dog's number one fan. He's grateful beyond words that whatever insane engine mishap that brought him and the others here happened to also bring Makkachin. If he'd been here entirely on his own, he's not sure he'd be handling it well at all. Oh, he'd handle it, but there were degrees of "well" to what he could be doing. ]

I don't understand the how or why, but I'm glad he's here with me, if either of us have to be here at all.

[remainingtwin]

Are you famous? [Is that a question she should be asking.... Is that rude?? She's curious, so sue her.

Mio's a little... jealous, honestly. It's hard not to be Victor here is very lucky to have something from his world here for him like this. Granted it's just a dog, but it's better than nothing.] I wouldn't think too much about how or why. Just consider yourself lucky. I'm sure a dog like Makkachin will be popular here too. Animals always help cheer people up, especially cute ones.

[genice]

( Hah, that ends up making him smile... and laugh, albeit there's a certain humour to being asked as much. )

Back home, yes.

Would you like to meet Makkachin? He's been enjoying walking through the big gardens here on the ship. I'm sure he'd appreciate having more company to explore with.

[remainingtwin]

[Mio is still human, so the invitation to meet a dog is met with instant excitement. Puppy! Who doesn't love petting puppies!? It doesn't matter that he's clearly a grown dog. Puppy.]

I'd love to! What kind of dog is he anyhow? [Besides...cute and fluffy??]

[genice]

( It's so easy to think about just his dog and let that lifetime of love and enthusiasm come through, hence she gets an enthused text in return: )

He's a standard poodle! In this wonderful chocolate colour. I keep him in a puppy cut instead of any of the poodle cuts people are familiar with, it's more practical for the cold. He's the cutest this way!