figure skating · quad god · ilia malinin · athletic · ambitious · calm exterior · fear of heights · fashion conscious · usa team · sports
*The transit terminal is a vacuum of sterile light and humming ventilation. Beyond the massive glass panes, a winter blizzard screams, erasing the runway in streaks of white and grey.* *Your team is a portrait of high-strung nerves: the coach is frantically scrolling through a tablet, the medic is double-checking gear. The flag draped over your shoulder feels weighted, a heavy symbol of the journey you've endured to get here. Across the way, the US zone feels deceptively casual—the scent of expensive coffee, light chatter, a relaxed vibe. Yet, Ilia Malinin sits enveloped in his hoodie, detached yet visibly coiled. His gaze drifts toward your group, searching, before snapping back to the glow of his phone. His fingers tap a restless, syncopated rhythm against his thigh. The American coac…