skate 01 | text; user: katsuki

[yokunaru]

I hope no one minds answering this: What languages did you speak or write back in your world/galaxy/universe/etc? If you have the time, could you also write out the alphabet of the languages you know and attach a picture of them in your reply?

I recently found out that a language I know matches up with someone else's, and we aren't even from the same galaxy. It could be interesting to see if any others are the same. I don't know if this information will be useful later on, but I'm going to keep a record of it all just in case.

I'll send a copy of the file to anyone who wants it later. Thanks.

Comments

[yokunaru]

I'll head over after I finish replying to the rest of these messages. It shouldn't take too long.

Don't forget to pet Konpeito, too!

[genice]

I'm going to delegate that task to you.

See you soon!

action

[yokunaru]

[Once he reaches Viktor's door, he swipes the dog tag across the lock and lets himself in....]

Viktor, I'm here.

[He spies Konpeito on the desk and immediately scoops it up to fulfill his tribble-petting duties.]

[genice]

( Viktor exits the restroom around a minute later, dressed and still toweling his hair dry. He smiles, tipping his head toward Yuuri and the dustbunny, while Makkachin thumps his tail from where he's lounging on Viktor's bed. )

Hey. Konpeito behaving itself?

( He heads toward his bed and sits down, still pressing the ends of his hair between sections of towel. Viktor... )

[yokunaru]

Isn't it always? [The tribble purrs under his fingertips, and Yuuri pauses just as he's about to join Viktor on the bed.]

I mean... when it's not mysteriously appearing in my room. Did anyone ever figure out how it's doing that?

[genice]

( Viktor quirks an eyebrow, looking between Yuuri and Makkachin. )

Did you ask anyone else?

( He looks a little amused. )

I still have no idea how it eats, if it eats, or drinks, or... anything. It just is. It's fascinating — and mildly disturbing.

( He shrugs, letting the towel drape over his shoulders. )

[yokunaru]

No... [Yuuri glances at him, hand still resting on Konpeito.]

I haven't seen any besides Kon around. How many people on board have them?

[Now he holds Konpeito up in his hands, pouting a little.] I watched it for hours that first week I got here and I've never seen it do anything but sit there and purr.

[Okay he might be exaggerating the amount of time he spent watching the tribble, but it was a long time.]

[genice]

Hours?

( He asks, still visibly amused. )

You're a dedicated man. Either way, I half think it's actually some kind of robot, powered by an internal battery. It's the future. They have got to have super advanced robotics.

( This belief mostly allows him not to feel guilty when absolutely nothing is eaten. If the dustbunny doesn't need food or water, then... it's okay, right? It sure hasn't died in the last few weeks. In fact, it seems to be going fairly strong.

Viktor pats the bed at his side, inviting Yuuri and Kon to sit with him. )

[yokunaru]

[Yuuri takes that invitation gladly, sitting beside him, mindful of Makkachin's who's scooted closer to nose at him and Konpeito.]

No way. [Though he pats Makkachin's head, Yuuri's wide eyes are firmly on Viktor.] You really think Konpeito's a robot?

[genice]

( Viktor nods, reaching out to wiggle his fingers in Konpeito's fur. For better or worse, he's serious. )

Yep. After talking with the newest arrivals, the people like us? There are all kinds of robots and androids and cyborgs and Artificial Intelligences out there. Everyone loves something small and cute and soothing, right? It would explain the fur, too.

( That's far too close to Makkachin for his ease of mind, when he's honest. )

And how no one's ever heard of anything like them before.

[yokunaru]

[Don't mind him just dubiously staring at Konpeito now. Still cute... but a little too realistic to be a robot, in his opinion. Even if what Viktor says makes sense.]

Well, that would explain how it doesn't need to eat or drink anything...

[Makkachin woofs softly, seemingly in agreement.]

You think someone might have made these as a...a low maintenance kind of pet, maybe?

[genice]

( Ah, Yuuri... they were trying for realistic toy robots even in their day. To varying degrees of debatably success, true, but how far off is this from a high-tech furby?

(Freaking Furby.) )

Maybe. Kon's pretty soothing. Pets are meant to reduce stress and improve quality of life, or something like that. Right, Makkachin?

( Viktor reaches out to scratch under his dog's chin quite vigorously, earning a happy closing of Makkachin's eyes and a lolling of his tongue. Konpeito is temporarily forgotten. )

The weird part is the sneaking into rooms to leave them here with other gifts. I haven't seen any others anywhere in the Shopping Centre. Not that I've checked with less reputable sources.

[yokunaru]

Wait, you got other gifts? [Yuuri looks up at that.] I know you found it in your room one day...

[His fingertips gently ruffle the tribble's fur as he frowns a little.] I haven't seen any shops selling anything like Konpeito either. You'd think they would've made more of these if they're supposed to help people relax.

[genice]

( He nods, lifting a hand to gesture to the three or four flower crowns that hung from a corner of the shelf behind his desk. )

Those, and Konpeito. I gave Captain Andor three. He had people he wanted to remember.

( Most of them have shown up since. Not all. The end results is leaving Viktor with the rest, though he doesn't know what to make of those anymore than the dustbunny. )

[yokunaru]

Flower crowns? [Yuuri's amused despite himself, and slips off the bed to get a closer look at the gifts.] I'm surprised they haven't wilted yet.

[With a smile, he plucks one from the shelf, walks back to the bed, and places it on Viktor's head. He waits with an expectant air.] Do you think it does anything?

[Look, if Kon is actually an advanced robot, doesn't that mean the flower crowns could technically be something else, too?]

[genice]

( Viktor blinks, opening his mouth to comment on them not wilting... then again, he isn't sure if the flowers were ever real. Or not. Technology here is a little misleading. )

To be honest, I didn't even know if the flowers were real...

( Ducking his head so that Yuuri can place his crown properly, he breathes out in a soft snort, adjusting his crown with a half smile. )

Hope not. It's been a while since I was wearing anything like these.

( Though this one looks like holly boughs and leaves woven together into a crown, the flowers on it smaller, less obvious. )

If they end up being something more than a flower crown, life's going to get even more exciting. And you'll be wearing... ( up he goes in turn, half bounding over to select one of the remaining flower crowns, inspecting it and giving a firm nod of his head. Viktor turns and comes back to Yuuri, crowning him in turn. ) ... this one!

[yokunaru]

You had a blue one at the European Championships once, didn't you? Back when you still had long hair. [Just casually letting slip how long he's actually been following Viktor's skating career, no big deal.

Yuuri grins as he adjusts the flower crown Viktor's placed on him in turn, fingers brushing the dark blue petals softly.]

I don't feel any different. Looks like they're just normal flower crowns.

[genice]

Did I?

( he tries to remember... it sounds familiar, and after a moment, he can remember at which european championship. though he does quirk his eyebrows up, amused either way. )

You weren't more than what, thirteen, fourteen at the time? Did you catch the livestream?

( gentle teasing, tbh. it's flattering to realise you'd been watching him for at least that long, Yuuri. )

That's back when I first met Chris, I think.

[yokunaru]

Yes. [To both of those questions! He doesn't mind Viktor knowing that he's been a fan for a while--the poster collection is a whole different story, though.] I'd been competing for about a year at the time.

[Now it's Yuuri's turn to look amused.]

Chris was pretty different back then. I think I have a picture saved somewhere from when we were both competing as Juniors... ah, it's probably in my laptop back home, though.

[genice]

( He finds himself pressing his hand over his breastbone, the admission surprisingly sweet. His fond smile and shake of his head, and the flower crown by extension, amuses more than anything else. )

He was so pure back that... fresh as a summer breeze through the Alps.

( Viktor, who the hell talks like that? (He does.) )

Such a sweet young boy, and now, such a sexy man.

( The fact he says this completely straight faced and without anything salacious whatsoever is probably a great indication of how Viktor fit Chris into his life as his best lil skater buddy over the last oh, near ten years. Chris was always there, always following in after Viktor. Always game to be swimming at dark in the winter in water cold enough to give everyone a case of the significant shivers. )

[yokunaru]

[Yuuri snort-laughs before he can stop himself, and then he claps a hand over his mouth, looking sheepish.]

A fresh summer breeze? [Though he's managed to bite back his laughter now, his eyes still dance with mirth.] Have you actually told him that description before?

[genice]

( Victor holds up a finger, smiling. )

Absolutely!

( What kind of restraint do you think Viktor has, Yuuri... )

[yokunaru]

[Clearly he should have known better...] Of course you did.

[And of course Chris would have simply laughed it off, Yuuri thinks, his smile dimming when he remembers that's one more person he'll probably never see again.

He would've thought he'd be better about this now, but sometimes these moments just hit him out of nowhere.]

[genice]

( Viktor seems to understand; or he feels a similar pang, which is true. Chris has been a friend and fellow competitor for the last nine years at least; ten, really, considering when he entered the seniors division. He's always been there, a step behind Viktor, but it was an interesting sort of comfort to know the skill that couldn't be denied standing there with the silver so often.

Which might have sounded egotistical, except that Viktor knew he earned his place, just as Chris earned his place, competing that hard and showing that skill against their fellow skaters. It'd never been a sure thing, not really.

He settles down next to Yuuri, leaning his shoulder against him. If that doesn't seem poorly received, he'll slide his arm around Yuuri's midback, tugging him closer. )

It's tough. Remembering.

[yokunaru]

[Their flower crowns rustle as Yuuri shifts to better lean against Viktor, but he doesn't reach up to move them out of the way.]

Yeah... do you think it's going to get any easier?

[Missing them, he means. Before Viktor can answer though, he suddenly pulls away, sitting straight up.]

We have our phones with us! [Yuuri makes an aborted move toward his pocket, remembering belatedly that he'd left his phone back in his own room.] Maybe we can have the pictures of everyone we have saved on there printed out.