Random stuff

no one will ever know he was dragged kicking and screaming. no one will ever see the cctv footage of him running, screaming, begging for his life.

the story they will be told of ryland grace, the savior of the universe, will be a bold faced lie.

and no one will know he did willingly sacrifice himself to save rocky.

I therefore propose two possibilities:

1.) Some of the time, it is Viktor that does it. He had long hair for quite a while and knows how to take care of it. He and Yuri know each other well. Yuri, for all of his grumbling, genuinely respects Viktor and his talents, as we see through his insistence that Viktor choreograph his program and return to Russia to coach him. I feel it’s quite reasonable that Viktor would be trusted to do his hair.

2.) It’s Yakov. Yakov, the old man with no children of his own, who pours his heart and soul into the skaters in his care. Viktor’s family is (at least to me) likely not in the picture, and Viktor grew up spending incredible amounts of time with his coach. Viktor is talkative and affectionate and his relationship with Yakov reveals quite a deep bond — Yakov may have been the one to style Viktor’s hair before competitions as there was no one else to do it for him. When Vitya leaves and he has another young skater to look after, it makes sense that these skills would transfer over. He’d be the one standing at Yuri’s back, carefully parting his hair into sections and ensuring he is presented as best as he can be. Viktor ties Yuuri’s skates as if preparing his soldier for battle — what if Yakov’s version is styling their hair?

But most of the anime shows Yuri’s struggle with self belief & how he learns to be more confident through Victor. So I think it’s reflected in how Yuri always has his hair down & it’s just free, not really gelled or styled unless he’s performing ? And i would like to think Victor brushing & gelling his hair before the show is more of a way to calm him down?

Victor too is on a journey of learning how to motivate his student & teach him to believe in his own abilities. Perhaps by gently brushing his hair he’s trying to calm down Yuri by telling him to breathe slowly and focus on feeling his touch on his hair? Maybe he’s saying some positive affirmations, or trying to divert Yuri’s attention? And also it’s best that Yuri is with him the whole time before the performance & let him do it rather than do it himself or be with a random stylist when his anxiety is at its peak.

Yuri and Victor hug or hold hands a lot to convey their feelings or support, so it is also probably his way of reassuring “Yuri, relax, I’m right here by your side” we also see Victor helping Yuri with his skates a lot before the show, and it feels like a way of constantly reminding Yuri “I’m here. Right here by your side. I’ll never let you go”

It could also be trust Yuri is putting in him? Like going “I’ll trust the vision you have for my costume”

At various points in the show we see that although Victor can be quite savage about practice or winning there are many subtle hints about him being soft for Yuri. Like the time he was patient when Yuri was refusing to tear down his walls, or how he was surprised & probably a bit relieved when he learnt Yuri had forgotten what he did when drunk at the banquet (no bcs he literally took a break to come hit on this man & after so so long learns Yuri has no memory of anything😂)

Yuuri Katsuki once believed gold was a finish line...

Yuuri thought moving to Russia would feel like the next chapter. Like skating into a warm-down routine after the final spin. Instead, it felt like standing on the edge of a frozen lake and realizing...he didn’t know how thick the ice was. St. Petersburg was beautiful. Beautiful and brutal. The cold clawed through the seams of his coat. Strangers stared. He missed conbini coffee. Missed vending machines. Missed understanding signs without squinting.

Viktor said he could teach him Russian. “Start with the important words,” Yuuri said. So Viktor taught him любовь, then здесь, then остаться. Love. Here. Stay. Yuuri didn’t say them out loud. He just nodded. Mila showed him how to haggle for apples at the market. Yakov yelled at him less than expected. The rink smelled like metal and ice—different than Detroit’s sterility, different than Hasetsu’s warmth. But it was a rink. He could work with that.

Viktor’s apartment had high ceilings and cold floors. Too many mirrors. Not enough ramen bowls. Yuuri unpacked slowly, like he wasn’t sure if he was staying or just if this was real life now. He forgot how to move with Viktor. He knew how to be his student. His competitor. His fantasy. Now he was brushing his teeth beside him, buying milk, folding socks. It felt more intimate than kissing. And when Viktor returned to the ice... Yuuri didn’t know how to watch him. As a coach? Or as a lover? Or maybe as the boy who once idolized him? He just watched. And felt like he was bleeding in reverse.

They trained at different times. Yuuri liked the silence. Viktor liked the music. Yuuri didn’t say he felt small next to Viktor’s effortless charisma or how much he missed being the only one Viktor skated for. They fought. Over nothing, at first: A forgotten lunch. A bad practice. A towel left on the floor. Then over something stupid Yuuri said, “Maybe you don’t need me here.” Viktor flinched. Didn’t answer.

Phichit called. Yuuri cried into his phone and Phichit said, “This isn't a 'lovers to enemies' trope. You just moved in together, it's a big change.” Then, they talked about Detroit and that time when attempted to make a pizza, almost blasting their apartment when they forgot about the oven. Now, they laughed about it.

The next week with Yakov's blessing, Yuuri started skating before sunrise. Alone. He built a routine from scratch. Raw. Stripped of flourish. Just breath and blades and fear. He didn’t show Viktor. Not yet. This was his. They apologized. In gestures. In silence. In holding hands under the table at dinner. “I want you here,” Viktor finally said. Yuuri answered, “And I want to stay.”

Yuuri learned how to curse in Russian from Yurio. He used it once when the toaster exploded. Viktor nearly fell off the couch laughing.

They started using Japanese at home. Viktor mispronounced everything with dramatic flair. But when he said okaeri, something knotted in Yuuri’s chest came loose. Yuuri finally showed Viktor the routine. No music. Just movement. Viktor watched, silent, glassy-eyed. When Yuuri finished, Viktor whispered, “That’s the most honest thing I’ve ever seen.” It didn’t get easier overnight. Some days Yuuri still felt like a guest. Some nights Viktor curled around him like he was afraid Yuuri might disappear. But there was laughter again. And practice. And tomorrows. Hasetsu was his family. Detroit was memory. St. Petersburg was still strange. But it was where his skates lived now. And his toothbrush. And Viktor. And if Viktor was here, then it was home.

Yuuri Katsuki once believed gold was a finish line.

Do y’all realize that “SOTUS” and “Yuri on Ice” were airing at the same time in 2016? Two legendary series that had seismic impacts on the world just casually airing in their respective countries simultaneously.