[Closed]

[yokunaru]

who: Yuuri, Yuri P., Viktor, and Otabek
what: A very belated birthday party
when: 4/11
where: Communal housing
warnings: Excessive amounts of animal print, maybe. Other than that, none!


[A lot of effort goes into the prep for the surprise party, with some time spent searching for the right presents, and even more time spent getting the ingredients for lunch. Even though both Yurio and Otabek don't remember anything from the Eluvio, Yuuri's just relieved that the four of them are still here together to celebrate like this.

There's a knock on the door, and Yuuri looks up from the pork cutlets he's arranging over the four bowls of rice and egg. Internally, he goes down the list--katsudon, check. Cake in the fridge, check. Present wrapped and hidden away in the room? Also check.]

Um, Viktor. [He pauses. Old habits are still hard to break, apparently.] I mean, Vitya. That's probably them. Can you let them in while I finish these up?

Comments

[yokunaru]

[Yuuri takes the offered seat, smile widening with amusement when he catches Yurio's reaction to the PDA. It's exactly what he'd expected to see, honestly.

His cheerful expression freezes at the mention of alcohol.]

Ah, just water for me.

[He's indulged a little too often in the past few weeks, and Yuuri would rather avoid bringing his wilder drunk side out for a long time if he can help it.]

[genice]

( Vitya simply observes everyone with a ready, resting smile; he's in a pleasant mood, overall, and they're here for a reason that matters to him regardless of what the past might seem to indicate. Yuri's sixteen, even if that math doesn't add up right; Viktor doesn't want to say how the math lines up almost too perfectly for him and Yuuri.

It's an unfair burden. He'll hold that off for another night. Not this one.

So instead he laughs, short and happy, taking his own seat at last and passing the alcohol (more a mead than a wine, really) toward Otabek, nodding his head to Yuri. Pass it along? His own fiance gets his empty glass filled by Viktor, a process he repeats for Otabek, himself... and then reaching across the table, for Yuri.

Drink as you like, young man, but have a chaser on hand. The groundless grumblings don't earn more than a twitch of Viktor's lips. )

Unless someone has a particular driving need to say grace, shall we?

( He pauses to wait for the members of the table; but he holds up his hands, clasped together in front of him, for a quick: )

Itadakimasu!

( Either way. He can't remember if they got Yurio a fork. Should they fish out part of his gift already? He's not all that adept at using chopsticks... )

[bringbackgold]

[ Otabek is quiet. He opts against drinking alcohol, mostly because of how his first few days there had gone. The club and the experience of not feeling himself once was more than enough for his first couple of weeks here. He quietly passed the drink to Yuri. He gets comfortable sitting in the chair, eyeing around the table. He's not much of a talker - sorry, everyone. But he does like to listen and observe.

Also, he doesn't know Viktor or Yuuri well, so it leaves him a little unsure. He was here for his friend more than anything. He blinks when Viktor speaks, but takes that as a prompt to start eating.

He picks up the chopsticks and uses them easily. He had never had Katsudon before, but he knew how much the others liked it. He eats slowly, tilting his head to look at Yuri as he does. He was looking forward to giving Yuri the gifts he had brought for him. They didn't really celebrate birthdays at home...so this was new. ]

[bespredel]

[ Yuri eyed his chopsticks as though they had personally offended him. And really, they sort of had. Viktor and Yuuri knew better, didn't they? He always asked for a fork. It wasn't like these kitchens didn't come with them to begin with, so Yuri knew they had them around!

Grumbling, Yuri fisted his chopsticks awkwardly- and stabbed violently into a piece of pork, trying to use the pork like a scoop to capture some of the rice and egg, and shovel it into his mouth. After his first bite though, he paused to glance at Otabek, before flashing the other his teeth, and nudging Otabek with his elbow. ]

It's good, right? [ He had almost forgotten that this was Otabek's first time trying the dish, and Yuri hoped that Otabek would like it- even just half as much as Yuri did. ]

[yokunaru]

[Favorite dish or not, Yuuri waits before digging in himself--now that he's the one cooking, seeing the birthday boy and his friend's reactions actually outweighs the food in importance. For a hot second, at least.

Something in him does relax when it looks like they're enjoying it, and Yuuri finally picks up his chopsticks and begins to eat.]

Ah, Yurio... [He can't watch Yurio struggle with the chopsticks for too long. All of a sudden, he remembers something else he and Viktor had picked up at the market before this.] Hold on, we have something that will make the chopsticks easier to use.

[genice]

( Meanwhile here is Victor, remembering Otabek being fairly friendly (well, sociable, he'd been curious enough in what'd been discussed and polite in applauding the relationship status change that hadn't actually been happening) that he finds the not so subtle shift of focus to Yuri alone interesting. his eyes narrow a sliver in thought; not his business, he decides, but he wonders if Otabek has only had friendship in mind, or something more. if Otabek knows more about what's eating at Yurio. if this relates to that; but ah, Vitya, Vitya. he knows he doesn't know, can only make educated guesses.

he can only hope that either way that his young rinkmate finds bonds and happinesses to hold on to. this place is going to be difficult enough long term. it's already trying to shape Yurio into someone Victor doesn't think Yurio really needs to be.

but that, too, is his business. isn't it? so he smiles, and he says nothing, not in remonstration, not to call out Otabek on his focus, not to alert his own fiance to any of the thoughts in his head.

he smiles, tips his glass toward Yurio, and says: )

We still haven't picked up any traditional cutlery, sorry, Yurio, but this will help.

( the anger is at least centering and focused, as is the lilt heading toward laughter on Victor's behest. after all, this is a special night! probably? birthdays were important to some degree or another, and Yurio certainly hadn't been arranging his own. still, he deserved the acknowledgment and reminder that even in a place like this with a bigger chip on his shoulder than ever, people still cared about him. Victor's fairly certain that's important: not only important, but true.

and then there is Yuuri, presenting part of their gift to Yurio for being sixteen (sweet? sixteen? no, too American): white tiger themed learners chopsticks. they're so good. )

[bringbackgold]

[ Otabek nods at Yuri when the question is asked, food in his mouth. It's impolite to talk with food in his mouth, after all. They never really had things like this at home, or did things like this. He's pretty pleased, and he's having a hard time hiding his enjoyment on his face. His eyes light up a little, but otherwise his expression seems pretty even. His attention diverts back to the food until Yuuri says something. His eyes shift, and he notices that they're getting out a gift for Yuri. He swallows his mouthful of the katsudon. ]

It's very good.

[ He stops eating so that he can focus more on what's going on versus what he's eating. He watches as Yuuri and Viktor present the gift to Yuri. It's why they're here after all. It makes him excited to give his friend the gifts he picked out. A small, half-smile is present on his features.

It's a thoughtful gift, he realizes. Viktor and Yuuri know Yuri well.
They're friends, despite how Yuri seems to act around them. ]

[bespredel]

I thought I told you idiots not to call me that. [ Yuri pouted a little, cheeks tinging pink with embarrassment. He wanted to be cool in front of his best friend, and 'Yurio' was not a cool name! Not in his mind, anyway.

Helpfully, he was able to project himself at Viktor next, scowling as his grip tightened on the chopsticks he gripped, albeit incorrectly. ] That is such bullshit! These stupid apartments come furnished, asshole. Just give me a damn fork!

[ But then Yuuri was pulling out the training chopsticks, and Yurio couldn't decide whether or not to be insulted, or to exclaim that they were the best things ever. ]

Where the hell did you get those? [ He demanded, reaching for them with his free hand, while the other set down the chopsticks he had been using. It wasn't outright rejection, at least. ] Shit... so cool... [ He muttered, running his fingers over the small tiger's ears, and honestly struggling not to look pleased. ]