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[beautiful_monster]

Are these jobs the Americans give out for real? I thought after school coaches were all volunteers. Are people really going to pay for that?

Another question: what's the deal with America and Russia? Kind of doubt I'm going to get a straight answer out of these two.

[There's an image attached to the message—a candid shot of a pair of shameless lovebirds. Yurio can be seen at the very edge of the image looking decidedly unimpressed with them. Don't they know there are serious issues to discuss??]

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[beautiful_monster]

[Yuri finds himself reminded of Yuuri. ...Somehow it's cuter on someone who's not actually a grown man. He backs out of the phone app and tucks the device away in a pocket.]

Gran— The same Gran that helped out Viktor and Katsudon?

[matataku]

[If anything made his cheeks flush even more, it was that. Had Viktor and Yuuri spoken of him?

He can't help but chuckle a bit at "Katsudon" for Yuuri, though. Guess the rumors about him making a good bowl of it were true.]

Ah, yes, I've been helping them adjust to this place. They're pretty new here, too.

Did they mention me?

[beautiful_monster]

[Yuri leans back in his chair and gives Gran a curious, searching look. He doesn't look like an alien. No different from the other kids he'd competed against in the junior competitions.]

Katsudon said you stopped someone from breaking into their house.

[matataku]

[It's true. Other from extremely pale skin and striking red hair, there's nothing too out of the ordinary about this one.

His hands to up immediately.]

Oh, that. There were some looters breaking into his apartment. I just.. momentarily blinded them and helped shove them out.

[beautiful_monster]

[He straightens up, suddenly sharp and demanding in his tone.]

Don't discount that! You helped. Who knows what would've happened if you hadn't stunned them like that.

[matataku]

[And in turn, his back straightens as well, eyes widening at the sudden change in tone. There's just something about Yuri's voice that makes you pay attention, and he's all ears right now.

It's hard to really argue the opposite with a tone like that, and he can't help but give a small smile.]

The city was in complete blackout, and I happened to be in the neighborhood when the looters came. Katsuki-san and I worked together to get them out.

I'm just glad he was safe when I showed up.

[beautiful_monster]

[Yuri relaxes into his chair again, but that commanding attitude doesn't quite fade out. Maybe it was always there? In any case, it seems like he's satisfied that Gran isn't downplaying his help now. He doesn't smile, but he does incline his head in a grateful nod.]

I'm glad you showed up when you did.

[matataku]

...You must really care for Katsuki-san.

[His smile widens as he moves to sit down at one of the tables, turning his own phone to silent.]


They told me about you, actually. That you're the top figure skater in the world?

[beautiful_monster]

[Now it's Yuri's turn to blush and fluster. Admitting to liking Yuuri is not on the agenda today, but there's no time to dwell on that when he brings up the figure skating. Had they really talked about him already?]

They...did? I mean—I am, but they were talking about me?

[matataku]

[Gran doesn't draw attention to it, at least, playing with one of the disposable straws by poking it through the paper casing around it.]

Mm. Viktor-san mentioned it. He asked me how old I was and said that you were also fifteen, and that you were the world champion in the competition Katsuki-san was also in.

You both had a difference of less than a full point between each other. That's...impressive.

[beautiful_monster]

[Cool. Cool, Yuri can definitely play this off. Just ignore it and pretend his face isn't bright pink, though it is starting to fade away now.]

It's...yeah. It is. I should've beaten him by even more, but I fell on one of my jumps.

[matataku]

[They can be buddies in 'easily flustered and hope no one notices'.]

So you get scored on performance...

[He twirls that straw in his hand, more out of just something to keep his hands busy than anything.]

I'm a soccer player, so the figure skating world is very new to me.

[beautiful_monster]

Performance is only part of it. We also get scored on the level of difficulty for each jump, and there's another score for the presentation—how well judges actually like the whole performance.

[Yuri leans forward with his elbows braced on the table and gives Gran a curious look.]

What's the scoring like in soccer? I don't really know about anything but figure skating.

[matataku]

[From the way Yuri described it, it was a lot like a rhythmic gymnastics tournament he'd seen on TV. They scored by performance and overall entertainment as well, didn't they...]

So it's not just getting the moves right, it's about adding something that makes you stand out. That takes talent.

[The straw twirls between his thumb and index finger idly, smiling almost apologetically.]

It's not nearly as broken down as that. [He points to the little dispenser of straws, as if to demonstrate, rolling up the straw wrapper with the other.] Each team has a goal, and you score points by -[A little flick of his finger, and the little white paper ball bounces lightly against the dispenser]--getting the soccerball in the opposite team's goal.

It's as easy as that in this world, but in my world, it's a little more...nuanced, I guess you could say. Goalkeepers have abilities that help them block the goal, and people like me--strikers, midfielders, defenders--we all have abilities as well that help us score.

They're called hissatsu.

[beautiful_monster]

Hissatsu...?

[Yuri looks...unsure about this. Katsudon had said Gran was an alien, and he'd already met someone claiming to be a god and had to face first hand how weird time could be in this place. Not to mention the super powers he'd gotten himself. This really shouldn't be surprising, and yet.]

...What kind of things do hissatsu do?

[matataku]

[Yuri's face says it all, but Gran doesn't look too worried. He'd had this explanation done multiple times to different people, and the idea that such a simple sport like soccer could be so different in his world was a lot to swallow.

He's patient, those eyes never deviating from anything but gentle, as he continues. A hand places itself over his heart, eyes closing momentarily as he recollects.]

It's a little difficult to truly explain, but hissatsu are like an extension of yourself. Your soul personified into your soccer. It can become anything you want it to--dragons, ice, fire, gods, demons, meteors...

Think of it like...magic.

[beautiful_monster]

[That's... That's so ridiculous, and it's obvious Yuri thinks so. It's so ridiculous that, after everything else he's seen, he actually has a hard time not believing it. Who would make up such a ridiculous story?]

What kind of soccer game needs demons—or any of that stuff!

[matataku]

Mm. [A thoughtful hum. He's not insulted by the comment--he's learned by now that soccer is not nearly as 'special' as it is back home. The straw taps against his cheek, before idly twirling it between both his fingers much like you would a pencil.]

I guess the best way to answer it is...it's just what makes it soccer. You don't need sparkly outfits or special turns and jumps to technically 'ice skate', right? But in the world of competitive figure skating...it's as natural as breathing.

If I asked you 'what kind of ice skating needs so many jumps, isn't skating on the ice enough', you'd give me a weird look, wouldn't you?

[beautiful_monster]

[What kind of weird bizarro world did this kid come from? Yuri alternates between suspicious disbelief and looking vaguely overwhelmed trying to sort through this.]

Costumes and jumps really don't compare to demons and meteors...

[matataku]

[His overwhelmed expression doesn't go unnoticed, giving out a little bit of a sigh, smiling nonetheless.]

It's a lot to take in when you're from a world that doesn't experience it. But it's not much different than the powers we're given here, right?

[beautiful_monster]

No, but it's still... [Overwhelming. Yuri slouches forward on the table, chin propped on his folded arms.]

It feels like my brain is going to melt out my ears. It's a lot.

[matataku]

It's a lot..[He confirms. And honestly, if his own world hadn't been so used to powers, he'd be feeling the same.]

Don't feel like you have to understand it all at once. Take it as it comes, and soon you'll find your place here. Until then, you can try figure skating--I hear Katsuki-san has found a rink to practice at.


He was going to teach me, actually.

[beautiful_monster]

I'm trying, but it's not easy to do. [He sits up anyway, suddenly curious and attentive.] But you really want to learn to skate?

[matataku]

Earth has a saying that goes like this: "Easier said than done."

[His voice changes, as if he were reciting a passage from a tome or ancient text, eyes closing as he catches every nuance of how his friend used to quote Earth proverbs. It was really more Midorikawa's style, but in a way, it kept him close to his heart to recite them just as lovingly.]

But yes, my New Year's Resolution was to learn something new, and then Katsuki-san and Viktor-san showed up...and offered to teach me.


I think it'd be fun!

[beautiful_monster]

[He smiles brightly, a stark change from the low key unease he's been carrying until skating was brought up.]

It definitely will be. Even just learning the basics is one of the best feelings in the world.