[video]

[goldkiss]

Who: Victor Nikiforov and OPEN
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva's Hospitality Deck (common area)
When: Shortly after he wakes up and has had time to explore a bit, so sometime in the middle of the "day"

[The video shows a man wearing a black T-shirt and coat. He is smiling and seems to be happy and cheerful. He has the strap of a sports bag over his shoulder. One hand is to his face, a finger touching his lips.

Despite having just woken up in the middle of space with no idea how he got here, he seems completely at ease.]

I wish someone had told me I was going to be on television today. Honestly, I'm grateful that you took me on my way home from practice because it means I have my skates, but I would have dressed up for the occasion had I known. A nice suit perhaps? At least a decent sweater. [He hand moves down to grip the sports bag's strap.]

I could look so much better given a little bit of notice. [Then he winks, and it's not clear if that's meant for anyone who is receiving this message, the much bigger audience they're told exists, or just because he likes winking.

Then, after a moment, he gets to the true purpose of this message.]

Oh, and if anyone has seen Yuuri Katsuki please let me know. He's Japanese, about 173 centimeters in height, has black hair and brown eyes, and wears glasses. Let him know that Victor is looking for him if you see him, hm?

Comments

[ahappylie]

[Well, he'll hear it now at least.]

Victor-san then. Thank you. I'm still not used to Western names at all.

[goldkiss]

I understand, but my name is a Russian name. Not exactly Western. Still, Victor is one that is used all across Europe and North America too, or at least some version of it.

[ahappylie]

Russian?

[The word doesn't seem to ring a bell with him at first and there's a long pause as he tries to parse it.]

Oh! The country above China, yes? The one across the sea from Ezo?

[goldkiss]

Yes, we are above China. Part of Russia is also above Japan. It's... rather large.

Hm, let's see... In the same time period that you're from, we still had tsars, I think. We were an empire.

[ahappylie]

[He laughs lightly.]

It's that obvious is it? [That he's not from a modern time, that is.] I'm afraid I didn't learn much of the world overseas.

[goldkiss]

Oh that's right, during your time Japan is probably still very isolated, isn't it?

[ahappylie]

Mmhm, we only just opened our country less than a decade ago, I think. It's been...tumultuous since.

[goldkiss]

I'm sorry you have to go through that. Some change is good though.

Imagine if Japan was still closed? I would never have been able to meet and stay with Yuuri. I don't know who I would be now without him.

[ahappylie]

[Hahahaa...yeah, he can imagine if Japan was still closed. His group is supposedly in support of the opening to the West, but like most people of his era, he personally is a little ambiguous on the idea. Still, he smiles and nods.]

How did you meet him? Is he an... ice skater? Like you?

[goldkiss]

That's right. We compete internationally. We first met during a Grand Prix - a, uh, rather important competition. He was skating for Japan.

[ahappylie]

...? He was representing the entire country?

[Wow. That's? Impressive? Right? That sounds really impressive.]

Were you skating for your country then?

[goldkiss]

I was his coach, but when I skated I they would play the Russian anthem and drape me in the Russian flag when I won.

[ahappylie]

What is the purpose of these competitions? It seems like it must be a very important contest if countries are investing so much into only one competitor.

[Is this how wars are fought in the future???]

[goldkiss]

Oh! Well, that's more the Olympics I would think...

And the competitions are for fun. You show off your skill and take pride in where you are from.

[ahappylie]

Olympics...?

[Something else Japan of his period has never heard of.]

But that sounds nice. The future must be so peaceful.

[goldkiss]

No... Not completely. But... It does have its good days.

[ahappylie]

Ah. I guess it's too much to ask that peace comes eventually.

[People are, after all, forever fighting for one thing or another.]

[goldkiss]

Maybe it does! Maybe in the future people are so enthralled with this program that they stop fighting. You never know!

[ahappylie]

[....WELP sorry to burst your bubble, Victor]

Ah I think perhaps not yet. We were attacked just a few months ago by raiders. And before that apparently by another group.

[goldkiss]

Oh... Was anyone hurt?

[ahappylie]

[Uh...Okita killed a bunch of raiders but...they don't count right????]

The Fleet escaped with mostly structural damage.

[goldkiss]

I wonder... I wonder if it was a ratings ploy then? [He says this with a sort of dark edge to his voice, hinting that if that's the truth he doesn't like the idea of people being put in harms way just for a show.]

[ahappylie]

If it were, then the universe is a far more bloodthirsty place than I previously thought.

[And it's entirely possible. Okita did get a minor bump to his pay after he went postal on the raiders after all.]

[goldkiss]

You would have to think... They must have a way to drive away the raiders without fighting?

[ahappylie]

I suppose if it became so dire that it looked like we would all die, they might intervene, but they didn't seem to do much last time.

And with so many on the Fleet having "super powers" or other skills, it's unlikely we'll be able to find ourselves in such a situation.