![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icarusTitle: Out Of Bounds: Here Is The Sky
Rating: PG, this section. NC-17, the rest of the piece. Radek is 18 in this piece.
Pairing: John/Rodney, Radek
Summary: In high school, Radek Zelenka never imagined going outside the Soviet Union.
Author Notes: An earlier section I've added to Out Of Bounds, the skating AU. I recommend downloading the Czech Rock before reading this piece. By the way, I've deliberately used a non-Olympic year (1986) throughout Out Of Bounds for Rodney's Olympic past. I don't want to have to deal with the actual events and athletes of the 1988 Olympics, not to mention I'm not comfortable displacing Polish figure skater Grzegorz Filipowski for fifth at his Olympics. It's a matter of respect for these athletes.
The sky was bright blue, a cold wind breaking over the bluff.
Radek Zelenka squinted at the sun reflecting off the snow as he adjusted his skis, digging edges deeper into the side of slope. He stuck his ski poles through the sharp icy surface and adjusted the cold wire frames of his glasses on his face. He couldn't regret missing an afternoon of high school for this. He looked around and breathed, waiting. He lifted the cheap plastic Instamatic camera to his cheek. The wind lifted a dusting of snow in a vortex before it settled.
Conditions were perfect.
Up at the top of the track a voice shouted. The skier launched down the ramp, tucked tight, his poles tucked buried under his arms. There was a shudder and thump as he hit the top curve of the ramp, and then silence as he flew, arched forward over skis angled like the vee of geese flying north. A new technique but it worked.
Mouth open in awe, Radek snapped photos in a series dull clicks, turning to follow his arc.
"Oh...." he said, not aware that he'd made a sound.
He held his breath until his brother landed, skis sliding, splayed wide to snowplow to a stop. His brother spun a ski pole in the air with a whoop, pulling the World War I goggles to the top of his head.
Radek measured the distance with his eyes. He knew this course better than his own bedroom, and ski jumping better than most subjects at school -- and he was a top student, engineering ski designs for his brother in his mind. Radek was small enough to be a ski jumper himself but he'd always been the fragile scholar among the Zelenka boys.
It was easily 173 meters, landed clean. Only eighteen meters short of the current 1985 Finnish record. The skis the government had provided them had made a tremendous difference. He put his camera away in his pocket, zipping it inside his coat. One day he'd see his brother break that record.
Shushing down the slope expertly on skis that were older than both of them, Radek's father stopped just up-slope from Radek.
"Good," he shook his head, his breathing harsh. "Very good."
"He will make the Olympic team for sure." Radek grinned. They both knew the politics involved, that talent wasn't the only consideration.
Face red and wind-chapped, his father smiled, his voice a purr of pride. "I have a job for you. If your brother goes—"
"Oh, he will—" Radek gushed.
His father held up a finger for silence. "If he goes, I have a family friend who knows someone who can get you a job on the Olympic team. I want you to keep an eye on him." He nodded very seriously towards Radek's little brother. He took a deep breath, and then said, "If there's a chance...."
Radek's eyes widened in fear. His father didn't mean for them to defect? No one said it aloud, but travel to such events presented unprecedented opportunities.
"...Don't let him go," his father finished. "His mother needs him at home. It would kill her to lose him."
Relieved and frightened, Radek nodded. He waved to his brother who was shouting for their attention, annoyed at being ignored after a great jump.
His father patted his shoulder with a heavy gloved hand. "And keep him away from those crazy western women, eh?" he added with laugh, making a cupping gesture like holding two breasts as he turned to ski to his youngest son.
"Now you ask the impossible," Radek called after him, snickering.
Outside the "iron curtain." Staying on the empty ski slope, looking up at the sky, Radek let it sink in that he was going to the 1986 Olympics. The possibility had never entered his mind.
Czech Rock. And it's actually good! Mala Dama by Kabatae
Rating: PG, this section. NC-17, the rest of the piece. Radek is 18 in this piece.
Pairing: John/Rodney, Radek
Summary: In high school, Radek Zelenka never imagined going outside the Soviet Union.
Author Notes: An earlier section I've added to Out Of Bounds, the skating AU. I recommend downloading the Czech Rock before reading this piece. By the way, I've deliberately used a non-Olympic year (1986) throughout Out Of Bounds for Rodney's Olympic past. I don't want to have to deal with the actual events and athletes of the 1988 Olympics, not to mention I'm not comfortable displacing Polish figure skater Grzegorz Filipowski for fifth at his Olympics. It's a matter of respect for these athletes.
The sky was bright blue, a cold wind breaking over the bluff.
Radek Zelenka squinted at the sun reflecting off the snow as he adjusted his skis, digging edges deeper into the side of slope. He stuck his ski poles through the sharp icy surface and adjusted the cold wire frames of his glasses on his face. He couldn't regret missing an afternoon of high school for this. He looked around and breathed, waiting. He lifted the cheap plastic Instamatic camera to his cheek. The wind lifted a dusting of snow in a vortex before it settled.
Conditions were perfect.
Up at the top of the track a voice shouted. The skier launched down the ramp, tucked tight, his poles tucked buried under his arms. There was a shudder and thump as he hit the top curve of the ramp, and then silence as he flew, arched forward over skis angled like the vee of geese flying north. A new technique but it worked.
Mouth open in awe, Radek snapped photos in a series dull clicks, turning to follow his arc.
"Oh...." he said, not aware that he'd made a sound.
He held his breath until his brother landed, skis sliding, splayed wide to snowplow to a stop. His brother spun a ski pole in the air with a whoop, pulling the World War I goggles to the top of his head.
Radek measured the distance with his eyes. He knew this course better than his own bedroom, and ski jumping better than most subjects at school -- and he was a top student, engineering ski designs for his brother in his mind. Radek was small enough to be a ski jumper himself but he'd always been the fragile scholar among the Zelenka boys.
It was easily 173 meters, landed clean. Only eighteen meters short of the current 1985 Finnish record. The skis the government had provided them had made a tremendous difference. He put his camera away in his pocket, zipping it inside his coat. One day he'd see his brother break that record.
Shushing down the slope expertly on skis that were older than both of them, Radek's father stopped just up-slope from Radek.
"Good," he shook his head, his breathing harsh. "Very good."
"He will make the Olympic team for sure." Radek grinned. They both knew the politics involved, that talent wasn't the only consideration.
Face red and wind-chapped, his father smiled, his voice a purr of pride. "I have a job for you. If your brother goes—"
"Oh, he will—" Radek gushed.
His father held up a finger for silence. "If he goes, I have a family friend who knows someone who can get you a job on the Olympic team. I want you to keep an eye on him." He nodded very seriously towards Radek's little brother. He took a deep breath, and then said, "If there's a chance...."
Radek's eyes widened in fear. His father didn't mean for them to defect? No one said it aloud, but travel to such events presented unprecedented opportunities.
"...Don't let him go," his father finished. "His mother needs him at home. It would kill her to lose him."
Relieved and frightened, Radek nodded. He waved to his brother who was shouting for their attention, annoyed at being ignored after a great jump.
His father patted his shoulder with a heavy gloved hand. "And keep him away from those crazy western women, eh?" he added with laugh, making a cupping gesture like holding two breasts as he turned to ski to his youngest son.
"Now you ask the impossible," Radek called after him, snickering.
Outside the "iron curtain." Staying on the empty ski slope, looking up at the sky, Radek let it sink in that he was going to the 1986 Olympics. The possibility had never entered his mind.
Czech Rock. And it's actually good! Mala Dama by Kabatae
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 08:26 am (UTC)Just two nitpicks, the Olympics were in 1984 and 1988, not 1986 and I'm reasonably sure that Czechoslovakia got to send their own delegation and didn't have to add athletes to the soviet one. Actually, don't you have to be a citizen of a country to be part of their olympic delegation? I know this came up when Saudi arabia and other Arab countries started "buying" talented African runners.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 08:32 am (UTC)If I recall, certain eastern block countries were "considered" part of the Soviet Union, like Lithuania, while others got to send their own teams, like East Germany. I'm not sure about Czechloslovakia now, come to think of it. *goes to do research*
Icarus
no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 08:47 am (UTC)As for Lithuania and other soviet republics, it wasn't a separate country, it was considered part of the soviet union, like Oregon is part of the United States of America.
As for Czechoslovakia, I was pretty sure, seeing that I live(d) in East Germany and know that we didn't share a direct border with with our Big Soviet Brother. And thank god for small mercies! :-)
no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 09:01 am (UTC)Ah, but that's no longer true. Since the late 90s the summer and winter olympics have been held two years apart. The summer olympic games are the ones divisable by four now, not the winter.
But it did hold true for 1980/84/88. Correction on my comment below: my first olympics was 1980, not 1984.
It's confirmed. Czechoslavakia sent a team of 50 to the winter olympics, and was taking home bronze medals on a regular basis.
As for Lithuania and other soviet republics, it wasn't a separate country, it was considered part of the soviet union, like Oregon is part of the United States of America.
I know the former princess of Lithuania, and wince at that characterization, just so you know. The operative word being "was considered." Much like Tibet "is considered" part of China, but so isn't.
Icarus
no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 09:28 am (UTC)My German teacher when I was little was from East Berlin and went over the wall in the mid-70s. Apparently, I speak German with such a strong Berlin accent people have refused to believe I was American (I'm also told this accent is unfortunate).
Icarus
no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 10:49 am (UTC)Used to be, speaking a heavy Berlin accent was a sign of belonging to the working poor. Maybe because a certain disregard for some gramatical rules is part of the dialect. I'm not even sure there are still a lot of people around speaking "Berlinisch", at least I hardly ever hear it ouside of "historical" theater plays and the like.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 08:38 am (UTC)That's a minor edit, actually. The Soviets completely controlled the country.
Icarus
no subject
Date: 2007-07-08 06:06 pm (UTC)Yeah. I was going to weigh in, but yeah. So it's a really minor edit.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-11 08:03 am (UTC)Icarus
no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 09:10 am (UTC)He was.
I analyzed my motives on making Rodney's Olympic games "1986," and I realized that part of the reason is that I have to claim a place for Rodney just shy of the podium. I find I'm not comfortable with replacing the athlete who actually placed fifth at the Olympics with someone else. I wouldn't like it if I'd made it that far.
Icarus