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[viktorymaker]

Note: Viktor has been dropped from Recollé.
Thank you for playing with me! ❤

Viktor Nikiforov

hi~! you've reached me ♡. if you have something to say, just leave a message. i'll call you back!

VOICE | TEXT | VIDEO | ACTION

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[catsudon]

( To be fair, his deepest thoughts about what Viktor does behind closed doors have usually been, "I don't want to know." It's... unlikely to change anytime soon, unless it's Yuri's career on Viktor's desk, and Yuri himself on the far side of that formidable door.

Yuri frowns, squinting at Viktor, then as abruptly jerking his head back as he sees the plush. He reacts like Viktor expects when he tosses the cat his way; there's a sense of possessive rightness Yuri feels bloom under his breastbone as he catches the cat.

As abruptly, he throws it away, pulling his hands back and...

... backing out the door. )

Why the hell do you have one of those too?!

( He doesn't like the fact the cat feels right in his hands, like it should be his. He hasn't liked it in any instance. That he himself looks a bit like a scalded cat as he hovers out in the hall escapes his notice: he's staring down at the plush before determinedly looking away, focusing on Viktor to exclude the adorable stuffed creature from his immediate line of sight. )

[viktorymaker]

[ Yuri's reaction to the plush isn't even THAT surprising, considering his complicated relationship with his fangirls... Maybe a little extreme, but that's about it. Viktor recovers from his initial surprise easily, looking up from the cute cat plush and back at Yuri. ]

Your fan club sent it. Maybe they're recruiting?

[ The first part was said in the most matter-of-fact tone of you can imagine, because it is a fact and there is no room for doubt. ]

I don't know what they have to do with Retrospec, though. Can you ask them next time you meet up with them? If they have any connections with people who work in Retrospec, it would be useful to know.

[catsudon]

( Viktor keeps talking. It keeps making no sense, especially when he's not even talking like... Yuri frowns. )

Vitya, what the hell are you talking about? Dave and Nastenka didn't start any stupid fan club until today, and that was because of things like that!

( Now he's angrily pointing right at the plush where it lies on the floor. )

There's no one to ask! For all I know, Retrospec decided they're fans and started sending these out to whoever they wanted!

[viktorymaker]

[ Yuri's reacting very strongly to this, which is a little amusing. Is he trying to deny the existence of his fanclub? Sure, his fans may not be the most sensible in the world, but this is a little too rude to let it pass. ]

What are you talking about, Yura? Not that your friends and the Retrospec staff can't be your fans too, but I'm talking about Yuri's Angels, your die-hard fan club. The ones who...

[ Follow you everywhere? Post pictures of you on their Instagram? Wear cat ears in your honor?

Does anyone really do that?

This is where Viktor frowns as well. And then he turns around sharply to take his phone and quickly tries to load the Yuri's Angels Instagram account. Which, of course, doesn't exist. ]

. . .

[ The precise moment when things click in his head is almost audible. ]





Ah. Maybe I'm mistaken.

[ That's all you're getting spontanously out of him, Yura. ]

[catsudon]

( He listens, incredulous, but paying close attention, because Viktor doesn't screw with him like this. Yuri's of the opinion the older man screws with him in other ways, but how much of that is reality versus teenage perception is a matter of debate.

But he's a keen kid, either way; he hears Vitya trail off, watches him turn around and check his phone. Sees the silence as much as he hears it, and then there it is: Viktor's answer. )

You're so full of shit, Viktor! Fine, what-fucking-ever. You knew what Yuri's Angels were. But don't tell me. I'm sure it's worth keeping that to yourself. I'm so sure it's worth it.

( Yuri hasn't liked this, hasn't liked the implication, doesn't know about this die-hard fan club that Viktor Nikiforov is talking about without blinking: until, just as suddenly, he's not. Yuri's tired of this already, tired of what he perceives as being needless bullshit from someone he really, really wishes he could trust.

But he doesn't. That's just as evident when he shoves his hands into his jacket pockets and executes a flawless, still... too dramatic spin turn and stalks off. Not stomping, though there's something tempting there. He's unsettled enough that he wants to go think about this and the implications, even as he's definitely leaving Viktor with his new fuzzy friend and his helpful lack of transparency. He has enough to deal with in his life. He doesn't need to deal with more shitty adults being exactly that: shitty.

(Way too jaded, way too young. YURI.) )

[viktorymaker]

[ Viktor? Whoa there. He's honestly confused by Yuri's reaction for a moment, but he follows him out anyway, figuring out a possible reason for his tantrum as he does.

Well. Since Yura is that clever and wants to be taken seriously, it's time to see if he can poke some holes in his logic. Viktor didn't mean to test Yuri, not outside of dance anyway, but as far as he's concerned, he brought this on himself. So he's going to ask this while leaning casually ("casually") on the door frame, loudly enough to be sure that even if Yuri chooses to ignore his words, there's no way he won't have heard him. ]

Oh? Are you saying you'll believe any and all Retrospec memories, Yura?

[ There's the admission that Viktor was keeping something from him, what it is, the reason for his reticence to talk about it, the hint of bite that Yuri earned from him with his attitude. And underneath all of that, an implication of respect in that he's addressing this at all. How much of this Yuri will actually catch is a mystery to Viktor, but he's curious about it.

If Yuri turns around and looks at him, he'll find a playful smile on his face, for the sake of form, but very little of that in his eyes. Yuri has earned himself Viktor's full attention for the moment. ]

[catsudon]

( It's a visibly near thing, Yuri warring with the part of himself that wants to be taken seriously and the part of himself that says just get out of there and away from all this. He comes to a stop, shoulders hunched. Just as abruptly, he pivots and slams his foot against the wall. Enough to make a decent smacking sound, but not so hard to dent the drywall. He can't afford the property damage costs.

He doesn't look back to Viktor. Doesn't want to, because there are too many times he can remember just how Viktor looks around here drives him up a wall. He's already way too riled up. Even he knows that much.

It's still bitten off, but he does answer, pulling a hand out of his pocket and making a cutting motion across his chest, toward Viktor. )

Don't put words in my mouth! I don't just believe in anyone's mind games, memories or otherwise.

( This time his eyes cut back to Viktor, chin tipping up; tell him that manipulation isn't a game, that anyone in this arena isn't as much a part of the possibility. That Viktor himself isn't a cagey asshole who plays whatever and whomever he wants. )

Proving or disproving means gathering information. Compare and contrast, or whatever you want to call it. What's the thing they say in primary school? "Sharing is caring."

( he spits that out, eyes cutting away from Viktor again. part of him believes in things like that. most of him doesn't. sharing is as much a matter of use and being useful to others or to himself. caring has jack all to do with it, except with a limited, limited pool of people. )

A load of bull. But sharing is one way to see if things line up in similar ways. Or if there're differences, what's different. Most people aren't sharing the same "memories." I've had people contacting me about those freaking cats all day. No one else thinks Yuri's Angels really existed. Just you.

( which is why he flashes him ... nothing, actually. he kicks off the wall, turning away to resume walking. he's done. he didn't ask for Viktor of all people to have anything shared about the hallucinomemories; worse that it's not even sharing so much as hallucinoremembering something Yuri didn't, and so strongly he hadn't even questioned it in the first place. it leaves him more tense, shoulders making that too obvious. he tugs on his hood and pulls that over his head as he keeps walking, making his pulling into himself all the more blatantly obvious and simply not caring. Yuri shuts out the world. it's his coping mechanism to keep his focus. if he has to do it for this, too...

... whatever. he'll manage it, as one of the only things his grandpa just doesn't understand. why couldn't he have shared hallucinomemories with Dave? Anya? even Sorey? people who for reasons he doesn't get he still knows give a shit about him?

(because life is never fair, and life is cruel, he figures, so it doesn't hurt, because it's exactly like he's always suspected. you can't be disappointed in being proven right about things when you're pessimistic.) )

[viktorymaker]

[ Sharing is caring...? Not a thing in his life, sorry. But he supposes it makes sense...?

Completely missing, or ignoring, the fact that Yuri feels so strongly about so many things that are self-evident to Viktor (so what if he's the only one who remembers Yuri's Angels? Asumming that they're real) (Yura is his relative, it's not like they're complete strangers) (these "memories" don't necessarily mean anything) (giving them too much importance would be counterproductive and play into Retrospec's agenda), he focuses on what Yuri asked and replies, since Yuri is still there. ]

All I have is a sense of what Yuri's Angels are supposed to be. But I don't mind telling you, if you want to hear more about it.

[ Now, let's be honest-- not realizing that the whole Yuri's Angels thing was a potentially fake, implanted memory is embarrassing, and a first for him! But Yuri doesn't seem to realize that, and Viktor is certainly not going to inform him. So, there you go.

Viktor steps away from the door frame and goes back into his office, leaving his door open in an implied invitation. Yuri can decide on his own whether he wants to hear more about this or not. In the meantime, he's going to pour himself another coffee. ]

[catsudon]

( there is a long moment where yuri almost goes back. But there's more that viktor knows that yuri doesn't; being family, for one. Thinking that yuri hasn't suspected these are implanted. How hard he's tried to ignore them, and how it's getting harder.

He doesn't figure viktor cares. It's not his responsibility to listen. And in the end, yuri feels that discord in his heart.

He doesn't trust viktor. Viktor owes him nothing. This exchange isn't equal. Yuri won't let himself get trapped. They can keep it all professional. He can swallow it down and deal. He's done it before.

(He knows this isn't the wisest response. Knows it even as he turns his back on Viktor's door. Even as he wants those answers to see what it'd meant to Viktor.)

But he doesn't trust him outside the professional sphere.

And so, quietly, he leaves. Minus the moment where he kicks the doors open, but that is... sadly normal. )

[viktorymaker]

[ Once Viktor is done pouring his coffee and hears the doors being kicked open, far away, he can tell what's going on.

Well, that's Yura for you... And it's fair, too, he supposes. He could have made this easier on him (but he didn't want to) (and he doesn't really regret it, either) (he doesn't even think that regretting it is an option, tbh). So he goes to close the door instead, and picks up the cute cat plush from the floor. Said cat plush will now have earned a semi-permanent spot on his stereo, to Yuri's chagrin next time he visits.

But that's then. He'll give some more thought to Yuri's Angels later, maybe even ask Yuuri about it... But for now, there's other things to do. No use dwelling on this. Now, it's time to focus on the tasks at hand. Life waits for no one. ]