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There’s a Difference Between Freestyle and Technical Footwork
Emil crosses his arms across his chest while Phichit offers a half-hearted peace sign from the Kiss and Cry. Celestino just sits and shakes his head.
“I think the judges are upset that Phichit actually skated this time,” Yuuri notes from beside Emil.
“It’s not fair.”
Emil crosses his arms across his chest while Phichit offers a half-hearted peace sign from the Kiss and Cry. Celestino just sits and shakes his head.
“I think the judges are upset that Phichit actually skated this time,” Yuuri notes from beside Emil.
“But his program was even better than his double dutch!” Emil says in shock.
Phichi trails over to the pair, offers a shrug, and then slings both arms around them. “We need to go out for drinks. Lots and lots of drinks.”
“More drinks than yesterday,” Viktor agrees.
Phichit knew that since he had forfeited actually taking to the ice the day before there was no chance of him medaling, but he had skated his heart out today and was hoping for a few personal best. He didn’t even come close.
“Pity clap,” Phichit says with a sigh as the arena offers one final bout of applause. He raises his arm from Yuuri’s shoulders to wave. “At least everyone else still likes me.”
“Anyone who matters likes you,” Emil says firmly as he ducks under Phichit’s arm and heads for a bench to remove his skates.
“What are you doing?” Phichit demands.
“The tech people were so nice to change your music yesterday,” Emil begins. “I asked them if they could do something for me today.”
Phichit frowns and then gasps. “You were going to throw the competition since yesterday?”
“Since you jumped rope,” Emil admits as he sets his skates aside but doesn’t make a move to grab his shoes. “I thought the judges might be unfair if you actually skated today. And, well…”
Viktor, lover of surprises, is basically vibrating in excitement. “What are you going to do?” he asks. “Skateboarding? Skydiving? Jet skis?”
Emil shakes his head with a laugh. “Nothing that extreme. Just a little dancing.”
“Dancing?” Yuuri asks: he can already picture Emil busting out a perfect robot.
“Well, sort of dancing,” Emil continues.
He heads for a wide hallway and television screen just outside the rink when his name is called. Yuuri, Viktor, Phichit, follow. Yuuri and Phichit burst into laughter when Emil waves at an official who is just finishing up connecting cords and adjusting a mat on the floor.
“I don’t get it,” Viktor deadpans. “Interpretive dance? Is he going to roll around on that?”
Phichit and Yuuri have to hang onto one another to remain upright as the double over with snorts and chuckles.
“DDR,” Emil replies. “Er, Dance Dance Revolution?”
Viktor just holds his hands up. Emil waits for other screens and televisions to switch to a feed of himself before tugging on his socks and stepping onto the mat. The television on the wall shows what looks to be some type of game screen. Emil shifts his feet and taps once. Then starts to scroll. He glances over his shoulder.
“This is going to play a song,” he explains as he stops on “Cartoon Heroes (Speedy Remix) Barbie Young” and then taps his foot. “And arrows are going to show up, and I have hit them in time to the music. You’ll see.”
“You don’t play with a back bar?” Phichit asks.
Emil shakes his head. “I’m a middle player: I don’t try to tech or freestyle everything.” He waves at the nearest camera: all the screens in the stadium are currently broadcasting him and his DDR run. “This is for Phichit and his bogus score!”
The music starts. And a few arrows move from the bottom of the screen up to a list of arrows with white outlines. Emil taps each arrow on the mat with his feet when the moving arrows come together at the top of the screen. And then the number of arrows and speed picks up.
“Wow!”
Viktor’s reaction sums everything up. Phichit claps when the game begins chirping out “perfect!” and “excellent!”
“You’re amazing, Emil!”
The footwork alone is astounding, and Emil shifts from keeping himself mostly still to freestyling. He shifts to the second pad and seamlessly continues hitting arrows. Phichit continues to clap when Emil turns around, back to the screen, and continues dancing. He hits the last few arrows and then drops down, brings both hands to his heart, and then holds them out in Phichit’s direction in perfect copy of how Phichit sometimes ends his skates. Emil is breathing hard but smiling.
The applause is slightly muted away from the rink, but it’s overwhelming when Phichit drags Emil, still in just socks, back to the ice for a proper bow. Emil does show, waves, and winks when he hears cheers of, “teach me!”