#phil saying he was surprised none of them had given up BEFORE they were double attacked bc of the sheer amount of deaths

[whitmore]

rewatching the bolas day one purgatory vod this morning and it’s soul-crushing bc it really didn’t go downhill immediately. genuinely they had some weird kind of hope even after being killed repeatedly until both green and blue decimated half the team at the same time. the entire team made jokes and comments about how the other teams should remember day one, that they set bolas on whatever path they followed from this point forward. charlie messaging bbh “you changed my life”, foolish saying the other teams will never forget what happened today— there’s a bit of general fandom commentary about how bolas supporters (or bolas themselves) can’t let go of what happened on the first day of purgatory and it’s because day one is so narratively intertwined with what bolas becomes and how their team moved forward from that point, the base foundation of their synergy is the events of that first day. it’s an all roads lead to rome thing where it’s difficult to analyze bolas’ motives and actions without mentioning the very thing that they’re founded on, which happens to be the events of day one

[kyber-crystal]

Set Up

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader

Words: ~3.3k

Summary: In which the Avengers are relentless in their attempts to get you and Steve together. If this means going great lengths such as sending you off on a mission-disguised romantic getaway to make you realize your feelings for one another, they’ll seize the chance at the very moment it’s presented to them.

Warnings: None. Just tooth-rotting fluff bc I’ve really been needing it ahaha

A/N: Set in an AU 2017 timeline in which they reunite a year after the whole Accords situation so that everyone’s happy :)

"Rogers. Parasite. Stop watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine and get up, you need to get to the meeting room ASAP," Tony stated.

"Says the one who leeches off my granola bar supply," you grumbled as you shot him a death glare. "You've been doing this to me since I was a toddler. A helpless, two-year old against a 16 year-old demon always hungry for everyone's food but his own."

"Still holding the Full House cereal incident against me? Geez, woman, do you ever release your grudges against anyone," he sighed, rolling his eyes. "Now come on, let's go."

Exchanging a confused look with Steve, you stood up and followed Tony down the hallway to the meeting room, where Fury was with the rest of the team, waiting.

"Captain Rogers, Agent Y/N," Fury nodded curtly. "I presume you know what's going on?"

"No, sir."

"I need you two to track down a group of mercenaries in downtown Tokyo. You'll be flown out commercially so you can maintain a low profile. The whole process should take no longer than ten days," he explained as Natasha handed him the printed out flight details. "Further information will be given to you upon arrival."

"If it's just the two of us, then why is everyone here?" you pointed out.

"Barton and Maximoff will be checking in with you regularly; and if backup is necessary, I will fly one of them out to meet you. If you don't have any more questions, this meeting is now dismissed. You'll be departing late tonight so if I were you, I'd get to packing right about now."

...

Soon enough you were all packed and ready to go. Because you were too lazy to reach back into your suitcase and grab a sweatshirt, you took Steve's Dodgers hoodie and slipped it on, along with a pair of your favorite sweatpants.

"See you in ten days, okay?" Natasha pulled you in for a tight hug. "Make sure to keep Rogers company, it's a long flight. This is also the perfect opportunity to grow closer...literally."

"Oh shut up, Nat," you scoffed. "We're not...you know."

"Sure you aren't."

"Tony, why don't you get some good rest for once," you turned to your brother, "alright?"

"As long as you admit you're in love with Capsicle," he whispered into your ear.

"I can't admit what's not true."

"Yeah yeah, I can't understand bullshit."

"Tony."

"Y/N," he mocked. "Anyway. Have a safe trip, don't die, yada yada yada."

"Yeah yeah, got it."

A few more rounds of goodbyes later, you and Steve were in the elevator with your luggage, heading down to where Phil was waiting to drive you to the airport.

Your flight was scheduled to take off at 1:45 in the morning, and it was close to 11 p.m when you arrived.

"Your tickets, please," the lady asked as you were about to board the plane. You took them out from your purse and handed them over to her. "Thank you."

"How long's the flight again?"

"Uh...about 14 hours. Pretty long," you replied, as you walked down the aisles, looking at the overhead letters for your seat. "24A, 24B...there we go. Wait, have you been to Japan before?"

"No, I haven't."

"You're gonna love it. They have the best, I tell you, best ramen, and curry, hands down. When Nat, Wanda, and I went on our girls' vacation last spring we wouldn't stop eating for two days straight. I know we're tracking down cold-blooded killers and all, but, it won't hurt to let loose a little, you know?"

"Yeah, definitely," Steve couldn't help but smile at how happy you looked while speaking. "You gotta be our tour guide. I'm trusting you'll lead us to the best ramen hotspots?"

"Oh yeah, I will."

After putting your things into the overhead bins, you settled into your seats. The armrest between you could be lifted convert the seats into a double bed, you quickly found out.

Shortly after taking off you felt yourself grow rather tired. Noticing your sleepiness, Steve raised the armrest and pressed the button to make the seats recline backwards, your head immediately falling against his broad chest. He smiled again, brushing stray hairs away from your forehead before pulling the blanket over your bodies and falling asleep as well.

Little did either one of you know, you were being sent off to Japan for a completely different reason that had absolutely nothing to deal with tracking down mercenaries.

...

The smell of food wakes you up several hours later. You stretched your arms up and ran a hand through your hair as you sat up, adjusting your neck pillow.

"Hey uh, how long were we out for?" you asked, voice still thick with sleep. Steve was already awake, in the middle of watching a movie on his TV.

"4 hours. You knocked out for 5. It's time for lunch...or dinner?"

You tapped your screen a few times to pull up the map of your flight's route. "Right now it's 7:30 p.m. in Tokyo. We're arriving at 4:45 in the morning, so I'd say dinner."

"You sleep okay?"

"Hm? Yeah," you yawned, rubbing your eyes and adjusting the sleeves of Steve's hoodie. "You make a good pillow."

"No problem," he chuckled. You then turned to the flight attendant, who handed you your meals.

"Fancy," you nodded in approval as you passed Steve's tray over to him. "First class sure has its perks...oh yes, miso soup."

You binged your way through several episodes of Pretty Little Liars, I Love Lucy, and Star Wars: A New Hope together. Afterwards, you purchased Wi-Fi so you could update the team on your status.

CHATROOM - AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

Natasha: Morning, lovebirds. You guys in the air already?

You: Yeah, we're eating dinner right now. What time is it back home?

Tony: 6:45 a.m. Pulled an all-nighter binge-watching The Office.

Bucky: Totally worth losing an entire night's worth of good sleep.

Y/N: But I still don't get why we couldn't take the Quinjet?

Steve: ^

Rhodey: Do we tell them now, or wait until they land in Haneda?

Wanda: I'd say now.

Pietro: NO NO NO MAKE IT A SURPRISE

Steve: ...What's going on?

Tony: There's no mission.

Y/N: Wait, what? Then what are we going to Tokyo for?

Tony: I purchased a romantic ten-day vacation package so that you two will hopefully realize your feelings for each other along the way. Thank me later.

Y/N: SCREW YOU

Tony: Enjoy eating all the ramen you want!

Natasha: We're so good at matchmaking.

Thor: May I suggest a virtual high-five?

Peter: VIRTUAL HIGH-FIVE :))

Thor: :))

Y/N has left the chat.

Steve has left the chat.

Tony: They're gonna thank me when they see the penthouse I bought.

Tony has left the chat.

"Well, guess we're going on vacation. At least there's more opportunities to eating good food," Steve shrugged.

"Yup." You felt your heartbeat pick up speed at the thought of being alone with him, for ten days, in a country that was considered both futuristic and romantic at the same time. "Plenty of time to eat ramen and sushi."

Deep down, he was glad that there wasn't any mission. And so were you.

You took an hour-long catnap before waking up again and playing a few rounds of Uno with him, then stayed up for the rest of the flight. You both knew you'd regret doing so because of the 13-hour time difference between NYC and Tokyo, but you were too excited to care at that moment.

You were dazed and still slightly tired when you disembarked the aircraft, so you didn't have any energy to question how you and Steve ended up with your fingers intertwined. Besides, you liked the way it felt.

At close to 5 in the morning, Haneda International was relatively quiet and not too busy, so immigration didn't take long. You didn't have to worry about being bombarded by fans, aside from the occasional foreign fan recognizing you two and asking for a quick autograph or picture.

Since you wanted to explore the airport a bit before taking the train downtown, you looked around at the various shops.

Being a former spy alongside Natasha before joining the Avengers, you were fluent in multiple languages, including Japanese, Russian, French, Spanish, and German. And despite having developed the habit of always preparing for what was to come, you were completely shocked hearing a perfect Japanese sentence roll out of Steve's mouth as he spoke to the cashier.

You practically swooned at how smooth his voice sounded.

"Kore wa ikuradesu ka?" He gestured to one of the kokeshi dolls on display dressed in a sapphire colored kimono with cherry blossom embroidery. (How much is this?)

"3500 yen," the lady replied, "Hatsubai-chū, 3000. Kōnyū shimasu ka?" (On sale, 3000. Would you like to buy it?)

"Hai, kōnyū shimasu." (Yes, I'd like to buy it.)

"Kanojo no tame ni?" (For her?)

"Hai." (Yes.)

She nodded, and Steve handed over several folded bills from his wallet after she finished bagging the item.

"Arigato, gokigen'yō," he thanked her. (Thank you, have a nice day)

"Anata modesu," she smiled warmly. (You too)

"Holy crap, you didn't tell me you were fluent in Japanese, Rogers," you gaped as you walked out of the store together. "When did you have the time to learn it?"

"Back during the Pearl Harbor bombing, Buck and I were sent off with the 107th to Hawaii. Figured it'd be useful if we learned a few phrases."

"Few?" you raised an eyebrow at him. "What you just did back there, that was not just a few phrases! That was fluency!"

"What can I say, I pick up on language quickly," he grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. He then handed you the bag with the doll inside. "Here, for you."

"You didn't have to—"

"Consider it my thank-you in advance for taking me to a good eatery," Steve explained.

After grabbing a quick breakfast of coffee and pastries, you took the elevator down to the train station.

You let out a sigh as you sat down, the cool air inside the train loosening the tension in your shoulders a bit. A short fifteen minutes later and you were back in one of your favorite cities in the world.

Steve took a picture of you as you were distracted from looking all around at the skyscrapers and people milling around, face lit up by all the bright and colorful signs, sending it to the chat.

Steve: Just arrived downtown. Got out of the airport half an hour ago.

Tony: Honeymooning Avengers, how cute

Sam: That's hot.

Steve: What time is it over there?

Wanda: We just finished eating lunch. You?

Steve: 7. Going to check into the penthouse. Talk to you guys later.

Wanda: Alright.

Sam: Have fun, lovebirdssssss

Steve has left the chat.

"So," he breathed out as he slipped his hand back into yours and you exited the station, "you ready to go check out where we're staying?"

"Yeah, definitely. You wanna take the subway again, or a taxi?"

"Subway. Actually..taxi. You sound nice when you speak in a foreign language."

"That's the only reason why you want to take a taxi?"

"Yeah, obviously," you scoffed. "I mean, why else?"

"Alright, if you insist," the super-soldier laughed.

A few minutes later, you'd called a taxi over and climbed into the backseat, strapping your seatbelts on.

"Ohayögozaimasu," (Good morning) the man greeted. "Ogenkidesuka?" (How are you) "Īdesu, anata wa?" Steve replied. (Good, and you?)

"Watashi mo jōzudesu. Doko ni ikitai?" (I am good, too. Where would you like to go?)

You looked at your phone, reading out the address of Tony's penthouse to the driver.

A few minutes passed in silence before he spoke up again. "Watashia wa anata-tachi o shitte imasu. Anata wa abenjãzudesu," the driver smiled, glancing at you two from the rearview mirror. (I know you two. You're the Avengers)

"Watashitachidesu," he returned his friendly grin. (We are!)

"Tōkyō ni kuru kikkake wa nanidesu ka?" (What made you come to Tokyo?)

"Chōdo kyūka no tame." (Just for vacation.)

"Nokori no taizai o o tanoshimi kudasai," he said as you were getting out of the car after paying. "Sayonara."

"Sayonara," you and Steve responded before closing the car door behind you.

"Wow," your jaw dropped as you took the elevator up, arriving at the top floor. "Tony actually bought...this...place?"

"Apparently," Steve shrugged, "we could come back and forth between here and the compound as often as we wanted."

The penthouse had a nice, dark aesthetic feel to it, with giant panoramic views of the entirety of Tokyo and modern furniture and spots of dimmed white lights in the ceiling to give off a relaxed vibe.

After unloading your things, you sat down at the giant couch together and decided to plan out the rest of your day.

"When CoCo Curry opens at 11, we can go eat there," you explained as you typed up the plan in a new note. "Tony also snagged us tickets to Tokyo Tower at 3 p.m, so we have a few hours to spare after lunch."

"We can explore the gardens,"  he suggested. "I know you love doing that. There's a botanical garden in Shinjuku we can go to."

"Oh, that one! I didn't have the chance to go last time, so that's perfect," you added 'Shinjuku Gardens' to your list.

Soon enough you had your entire day planned out, and were ready to head out once again.

CoCo Curry was a quaint, little restaurant that hit you with a wave of tantalizing scents as soon as you walked through the doors and sat down at the bar-style seating area where you could watch the chefs cook your food.

"Gonichiwa," you greeted the chef standing behind the counter.

"Gonichiwa," he smiled back. He asked for your orders, and since Steve wasn't sure what to get you had two orders of your favorite dish.

Besides another couple sitting a few seats away, the restaurant was empty so you got your food in under ten minutes. The steaming hot plates of curry rice were set in front of you, and you felt your mouth water as you inhaled the rich aroma.

"This is so good," Steve spoke in between bites. "I'm literally in love."

"Told you I knew my stuff."

You eventually finished eating, and after getting into a small argument with Steve over who would pay (He ended up winning). "It's payback for ordering me good eats," he explained.

"You said that when you bought me the kokeshi doll," you pointed out.

"Still."

This time you decided to go by foot instead of taking the taxi, as the gardens were only a half-hour or so walk from where you were.

"Right in the middle of cherry blossom season," you sighed as the sweet smell of cherries drifted through the air. "Perfect timing."

You walked around the entire place, stopping every so often to admire the various colorful plants or look up at the pastel pink cherry blossom trees, gravel crunching underfoot with each step you took.

The mid-April breeze lightly fanned your hair around your shoulders. Birds chirped out a delightful melody, flying around the cornflower-blue sky. It wasn't too hot or too cold, and that was one of the many things you loved about visiting Asia during the springtime; the weather was bearable, compared to New York City's below-freezing temperatures in winter. You vividly remembered visiting the botanical gardens in upstate New York on a school trip once, and from then on you'd grown attached.

In the centre of the garden was a large lake with flowering lily pads and on the other side of the bank stood a quaint little temple, with a wooden bridge across the middle so visitors could cross over and look at the koi below.

"It's beautiful here," Steve commented as you made your way down the sidewalk, "I wish they had places like this back home."

"Yeah it is, isn't it," you breathed out, unable to tear your eyes away from the lovely sights. "I could do this all day."

"Hey, that's my line," he joked. You chuckled quietly, slipping your hand into his. He laced your fingers together in response, and you felt the butterflies flutter around in your stomach again the longer he held on, and those butterflies turned into hummingbirds as you looked up to meet his piercing gaze.

You're not sure how long you stay like that, gazing into each others' eyes, but it's only when a little girl stops and asks to take a picture that you pull away.

"Captain America and Agent Y/N!" Judging by her looks, she seemed like she came from the US as well. "Can I get a picture with you guys?"

"Of course, sweetie," you smiled. You brushed off the weird feeling you got when your skin made contact with Steve's, and gestured for her to come closer.

Steve scooped the girl up into his arms as she held your hand, and the mother snapped a few quick pictures before he let her back down.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed before skipping away.

At 2:20 you decided to leave and head out to the Tokyo Tower early so you would be avoiding any possible long lines. You were up at the observation deck within twenty minutes.

"This is just....wow," you breathed out, in awe of the breathtaking view you got as you stared out the panoramic windows, the reflective walls casting thin rays of light onto your faces.

If you thought the view from your penthouse was nice, this was a hundred times better. You had almost nothing preventing you from being able to see the entire city in all directions. The sun was hanging high in the sky, the skyscrapers piercing the horizon like pins and needles.

Steve couldn't help but let his gaze linger on you, the way your face brightened up at the sight of Tokyo's stunning view, the way you laughed and smiled more than you ever did back home. It was a rare sight, and he wished he could see you in this state more often. Oh, the things he'd do to keep hearing your musical laugh and million-dollar smile.

...

The next day was jam-packed with activities. You took a two hour train ride down south to Osaka, exploring the cup noodles museum, shopping downtown in Dotonbori, and stuffing yourself with delicious pastries along the way. Before you headed back, you decided to stock up on groceries at the local market. 

You fell asleep almost as soon as your head hit the pillow that night, waking up to somehow finding yourself in Steve’s arms. You both woke up at the same time, confused as to how you had gotten yourselves into this position, but were too embarrassed and tired to ask. 

This time, you decided to stay within Tokyo, immersing yourselves in going to as many districts as you could and doing as much as possible. 

After a long day exploring the city, you were rather exhausted. With a cup of freshly brewed matcha in hand, you stayed quiet for a while as you soaked in the scenery, watching the city come alive late at night.

When Steve woke up from his nap a few hours later, he found you standing by the window. Smiling to himself, he got up, approaching you and wrapping his arms around your waist from behind, resting his chin atop your head.

"Hi," you greeted, setting your mug down on the coffee table besides you.

"Hey," he murmured into your ear. You closed your eyes and hummed quietly in response, letting your bodies rock back and forth to the rhythm of your steady heartbeats together.

"Watashi wa, anata o aishiteimasu," (I love you.)

A small smile tugged at the corners of your lips. "Watashi mo anata o aishitemasu, Cap." (I love you too, Cap.)

You stepped away so you could turn around to face him, and he pulled you back towards him and pressed his lips to yours.

He couldn't help but smile into the kiss, pulling you closer against him.

[jack-enbyfold]

I’m not writing a fic but I’ve got dialogue damn it.

After the final Trial. Ranboo played a rigged game for Wilbur’s death but his execution.

[He was thrown in a very deep pit themed like an old time print shop. He was forced to write down everything he remembered about the killing game in front of a timer labeled “deadline”. Every word he typed was 1 link added on to a giant chain out of his hole, attached to a journal-shaped weight at the top. He actually finishing and was climbing out when it hit 0. However, the timer changed to say “FIRED” and everything began burning. The chain he was climbing wrapped around him, pulling/tying him up as the ditch was flooded to “put out the fire.”]

What was SUPPOSED to happen was that all the top chain would shatter, implying his writing/memory was too weak, and he would be sent down to drown. (It’s called Weak-Link btw)

What happened instead was the players remaining, with information/tools Wilbur had given them before he forced Phil to kill him, had managed to stop it. Fundy gets a cool moment where they’re looking at the machine and everyone’s like “alright ultimate coder, can you stop this?” And Fundy goes “yeah” and starts smashing.

Ranboo ends up tossed to the ground next to the pit of water. Tubbo runs in to try and save him but is met by Technoblade and oops I wrote stuff.

——

“I thought you wanted despair!”

“I do- I- I did…”

“LAIR!” Technoblade lunged at Tubbo but stopped, letting him fall back as he tried to jerk away. He fell on his back with a pathetic thud.

“I’m NOT! I loved despair, I lived through it… but now I’ve tried something different.” Tubbo drew a shaky breath, forcing himself to meet the pig-masked gaze. “Something I’ve always had. I’ve always wanted! With Tommy I almost had it… I could have had it… but you took that. I hate you for it. Technoblade, Philza, even Wilbur. I hate you.”

Ranboo winced at Tubbo’s growing dark tone. He didn’t like it, he didn’t want whatever was going to happen to Tubbo for it to happen. He expected a laugh or a scoff, or worse, a slice or thunk or scream, but none of those came. Something sparked inside him. Something familiar, something good. The slightest sliver of hope dug it’s way into his chest, shot by the blessed silence. He  craned his neck, twisting in the heavy chains so he could look up at the masked man. There he was surprised yet again. There was no gnarled smile or vicious glare on Technoblade’s face, there was not cold empty apathy either, just a small humble frown. Ranboo squinted. Was the pressure of the weights getting to his head or was Technoblade… shaking?

“You…” he raped, not even flinching as both sets of eyes locked into him. “You… reg… regret it…” he gasped again, “d… don’t… you?”

A quizzical, piercing, glare was his only answer. It served more as a warning than a question but Ranboo answered anyway, even as just breathing was beginning to cause him pain.

“T… Tommy… you… regret… k…killing… hi-“

“SHUT UP!” The shaking in his hands became clear even to Ranboo at this point. The trident he was holding seemed to bend under how tight he gripped it, his eyes grew the wildest Ranboo had ever seen them even with all the bloodlust of this cursed game. He raised it up high and Ranboo wondered if it was more cowardly to squeeze his eyes shut or let them widen— And then Technoblade relaxed. His shoulders fell and the trident slipped from his fingers. It hit the ground with a boisterous clang, as if it too were confused by the shift in energy.

Techno stood there for a moment, looking down at the thing. His hands trembled furiously, he lifted them up to look at them, then he brought them over his face. “He… hehe…” he laughed. It wasn’t evil or wild or sarcastic- but it wasn’t humorous at all either. “Heheheh… hahaha… ahahahah… AHAHAHAHAH!”

Technoblades hands flew down; Ranboo could hear Tubbo’s gasp alongside his own as the hog mask came off with them. It was dropped to the ground with an unceremonious clatter mostly drowned out the the deranged laughter. It was off. Ranboo couldn’t breathe. That might be attributed to the weights and chains pinning him to the floor but he couldn’t help but attach it to the fact he could see Technoblade’s face. The mask that had haunted and tourmented them laid discarded a few feet away. Ranboo, almost wistfully, recalled a time they thought seeing behind the mask would solve their problems. What a stupid goal that had been. Technoblade’s skin was absolutely soaked with tears that still streamed down like lakes of acid, his eyes were bloodshot with pain and misery but his smile stretched ecstatic from ear to ear.

“Why are you smiling?” Tubbo demanded, audibly distressed by this turn of events. “Why do you try to hard to be miserable? You aren’t happy! I know you’re not!”

“Because,” Technoblade laughed. “You’re hurting me! I’m- it’s- DESPAIR!” Some awful mix of cackling and sobbing escaping his throat as he doubled over, holding his sides.

“You’re not happy.”

“Oh, Tubbo, I am! How can I not be? I’m miserable! I’ve never been so-“

“There’s another way, Technoblade.” Tubbo walked into Ranboo’s field of vision, leaning down next to the monster and placing his hand on his shoulder.

It was so easy to forget but Tubbo— him and Tommy— they’d been family to Wilbur and Techno. An awful, distorted, mockery of a family but a family done the less. Wilbur had certainly cared about Tommy and Tommy seemed to really love Tubbo. Ranboo wished he’d gotten to know him better.

“I will never, ever, forgive you.” Another round of hysterics spilled out of Technoblade. “But this isn’t right for anyone. There’s more, better, ways to find joy. Real joy. Honestly, despair is fucking overrated.” Despite the pain Ranboo found it in himself to laugh. He was too caught up in Tubbo’s speech to notice the figure looming behind him. “Please, Teachnoblade, have hope. Believe that there’s something better because there is. I’ve been in despair all my life, it’s all I’ve known, but—“

“Oh, Tubbo…” a pitying tone interrupted the moment.

Ice shot through Ranboo’s skeleton as the voice sliced from behind him. He tried to squirm himself around to face it but only hurt himself, he tried not to whimper as his shoulder and spine began to throb. He knew who the voice belonged to. He’d barely seen him but there was no way he could ever forget… Philza. “PLE-“ he gasped and sputtered. He didn’t have it in him to scream.

“If despair is all you know…” a cold hand gripped the chains around Ranboo’s back and yanked him sharply to his knees.

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no. What was that? No. Was that his heartbeat or his thoughts? No please no. So fast. He couldn’t breathe. So heavy… he ached. The tank was still next to them. He’d lost the trial.

“Then you’ve never really known despair!” The delight in the voice was sickening. Ranboo hated it would be the last thing he ever heard.

He hit the water to quick and sunk even quicker. It froze and burned and stung, he barely had time to register the pain of being thrown before he was falling. He was falling right? There’s no way he was sinking he was moving much too fast. And he was cold. He was so cold. If he was drowning wouldn’t he need to breathe? He didn’t feel like he was suffocating… he didn’t feel…

He hoped Tubbo would keep his promise.

Yooooo, holy shit. That execution was a great concept honestly. And I forgot how fucking weird Despair folks could be honestly. Your writing is so good! Poor Tubbo!

[punchmedanny]

Chicago II July 25, 2018

Alright strap yourselves in cuz this is gonna be a long ass post WITH SPOILERS for Interactive Introverts. I will mark where spoilers begin if you want to read about pre show stuff. If you don't want any spoilers whatsoever, don't feel obligated to read this even if we're buddies! Feel free to send me an ask/dm instead 😅

Alright folks, let's go!

Playing the Waiting Game

I was supposed to get to the venue at 4 for m&g, but I got there before 3 because a) i'm terrified of being late and b) my uber driver made excellent time.

The venue was not open yet, so my bf and I walked to a nearby mall. We passed by the tour buses (presumably dnp's plus other performers'). There was a group of people hanging around them looking v stalkerish (please don't hang around the buses before the show)

We got back to venue around 3:50 and waited in line outside till 4 when the venue let us in. We were near the middle of the line, so if you want to be closer to the front, get there sooner lol

Turns out I was behind the lovely @noodlephil in line (although I didn’t know till after!)

Two internet friends were meeting for the first time and crying (it was adorable)

Inside, there was a table with staff that checked and marked our tickets then gave us silver paper wristbands

We got in a second line where we had a bag check (our venue allowed sealed water bottles, but that might vary) and were scanned by a wand metal detector. After that, staff scanned our tickets 

We went to a third line which was the actual line for m&g and were told the m&g itself would start around 4:30

Marianne came by and said we would be waiting a bit longer for "latecomers" (im p sure dnp were the latecomers because most people were there at that point haha)

Marianne walked like a frickin goddess and her voice was beautiful

She made a speech giving us a rundown of how m&g would work, which I recorded

The m&g area was set up in the lobby to the side of the theatre doors

Dan and Phil entered from our left (towards the back of the theate)

They jogged across the m&g backdrop where we could see them better and waved. Dan did the cutest bouncy jump ever while waving. He stayed out longer than Phil

There was a table to set your bag on as you approached the backdrop

The music was loud af and there was NO WAY to see or hear other people's m&g - it was v private even though there were tons of people

Marianne was at the very front of the line and asked what she could do to help. I was like uhhh (because I'm eloquent like that) and she asked if we had anything for them to sign. My bf had golf balls lmao and gave them to her. I said I wanted to take a Polaroid for them to sign. She had me turn the camera on because apparently they’d had issues with Polaroid cameras in the past

I thanked her for the way everything was being run and joked a bit while we waited

When it was our turn, the people in front of us were completely gone (I repeat: v private). Marianne gestured and verbally told us to go on in

Meeting Dan and Phil

Phil was wearing his red jacket and good vibes t-shirt just like the beginning of "week in the life" He welcomed us with open arms and I went in for the Phil Hug. Wow. Phil is an excellent hugger and his arms felt a lot stronger than I imagined. And, yes, he waited for me to let go first

As soon as I let go of Phil, I stepped to the side and and looked at Dan. He was wearing his II denim jacket over a white t-shirt. He also had his arms wide for a hug. And lemme tell you, that boi has a fuckin wingspan. Dan gave a more gentle hug than Phil and we let go at like the same time

I am not a hugger and wasnt even 100% sure before I went in that I would hug them tbh

After the hugs, I stepped back and took them both in that's what she said. My initial impression was confidence and class. Literally, the most confident people I've ever encountered irl

Everyone says they're tall, but they are, as my bf said, taller than advertised. He's 6'2 and still looked up to both of them. I feel like they're both close to the next inch up honestly

They are wide. Like we've all noticed the Phil is wide, but Dan is too! They are literal giants

The cameras do NOT do them justice. Phil looks his age irl and I mean that in the sexiest way possible. He does actually have pores and tiny wrinkles (gasp), but I think they only make him more attractive. He oozes understated masculinity. But he also has serious nerd energy and idgaf attitude. Basically, he seems kind of badass

Dan looked flawless. Like I know every so often people wonder about if he wears makeup and all imma say is either he does OR he has the best damn skin care routine and/or genetics ever. He looks like someone after they use a filter

I'd say dan is suave and phil has swagger

(I'm about to sound real fucking weird) They both had such strong auras or energy or whatever you want to call it. It was palpable and BIG - like it extended off of them a couple feet. Dan's felt more static-y, while phil's felt more like balloon about to burst. It merged together between them to where I couldn't tell where one stopped and the other started

Marianne handed Phil the golf balls and he and Dan just stared at them in his hand in confusion for a second then Phil said "golf balls?" before my bf explained it was because they were the caddy lads. They chuckled and Dan said it was "the only series that has any value"

I am now the proud (?) owner of photos and video of phil holding two balls in his hand and I feel really weird about it

Dan asked if I had anything for them to sign, so I told him I wanted to take a Polaroid to which Dan replied, "D'ya want me to attempt the rare Polaroid selfie?"

Then I actually gently teased Dan (!?!?) because I'm a little shit lol I said, "I successfully did one this morning, so I hope you can"

They both seemed mildly amused and he did the thing where he touched his chest lightly in mock offense and said, "Well, let's see"

Tbh I think this was why I got genuine smiles in my pic

Dan said, "Beautiful" and Phil said "Amazing" lol (it really was tho)

Dan described the signature he'd be doing as "the tiniest little dan" and he used the highest voice ever

Phil's signature was so bad im pretty sure dan laughed at it lmao

Dan offered another selfie with my phone (i love him)

I shook their hands before I left and they seemed surprised, but appreciative. They both had excellent handshakes: firm, but not too hard. They both had soft, warm hands with Phil's being about average and Dan's being warmer than average

Overall, they were incredibly kind and professional. The vibe to be was sort of like talking to a boss who isn't your direct boss at a work party: fun, but still guarded

The saying goes "Never meet your heroes," but whoever said that obviously never met dan and phil. This was one of my happiest memories of all time

1500+ word description of the meeting including a sommelier worthy account of how the boys smell

And here’s the (real shit) video of my m&g

The Pre-Show

After meeting the bois, we were immediately given our goodie bags (one of them was double stuffed, lucky me)

Staff asked if we’d be staying in the theatre or not. Upon telling them we’d be leaving, they let us know we’d need to scan out so we could re-enter later

We bought merch (tie-dye/marbled look tee, long sleeved tee, and denim jacket). The line was basically non-existant, so if you have VIP 100% get your merch at this time

We scanned out and were told we could re-enter at 6 along with general admittance ticket holders

We had dinner then got back around 6:10. There was no line this time and we went through security and ticket scanning again

There were so many people everywhere and everyone was so cute! Why are we such a good looking fandom??? The line for merch was EXTREMELY long. RIP those folks

So was the line for the restrooms (and multiple men’s rooms were turned into ladydoors women’s restrooms)

We got 2 drinks (both for me) then went to our seats. We were front and center - I could literally touch the stage with my shoe from my seat. At this time I met @phandommom and @crunchytoasted1

The pre-show music was loud af where I was seated (I actually put in ear plugs lol). Lots of people were dancing and I got to witness crunchytoast dance to “Ladydoor” live which was a treat. At one point various people were running across the theatre with various LGBT+ flags to plenty of cheers. ‘Twas glorious. People did the whole waving the phone flashlights thing and sang along during “Welcome to the Black Parade”

My bf got me 2 more drinks

Showtime! 

THIS IS WHERE THE SPOILERS START!!!

It was so, so weird to see them onstage after having the m&g. I legit wanted to climb onstage and like be close again, but, ya know, I didn’t cuz I know what’s socially acceptable

We were called Susan. Classic

Phil was wearing waffle socks. As in socks with tiny waffles all over them

We sacrificed Phil to Satan and Dan died in a furry nightclub

None of mine or my bf’s answers got chosen and I’m a bit salty lol

We sacrificed Dan (the only correct choice fite me)

At intermission the line for the bathrooms was sooooo long omg. I got myself 2 more drinks at this point and called @h-owllslide to gush about the show. I spilled one of my drinks on my bf a little when I sat back down.

Danny was 3 centimeters away from loosing his dick and he got paint on his shoe. He seemed legit irked lol

Nick Jonas was in Dan’s box, but I don’t recall the other two cuz that was the only one that mattered imo

I got a piece of the sign and when they threw it into the audience it was a bit disturbing how everyone tore into it like a swarm of pirahnas

They wore Cubs baseball shirts over their usual shirts during the rap/song finale which was absolutely precious. I LOVED the finale so fucking much - it was magnificent

END SPOILERS!!!

Closing Thoughts

I wish I hadn’t drank so much (6 wines for those of you keeping track at home). I was getting real embarrassing by the end (as in screaming excitedly too much/ too often) and I don’t remember it as clearly as I wish I did. I was just freaking tf out and my anti-anxiety meds weren’t cutting it

I was struggling incredibly hard not to disassociate the entire time

I wish I could go to another show. It was so fun!

The following day, I had a major mood drop. If you’re prone to this, maybe have a plan to hang with someone and do something nice, but lowkey the next day

This was literally the most fun thing I’ve done in at least two years and was one of my happiest memories ever. We’re talking patronus conjuring levels of happy

If you can go, go. If you can’t, don’t feel too bad. It was EXTREMELY intense and not for everyone (especially m&g). Plus they are putting it up later, which I’m looking forward to because I think I’ll be able to better absorb it

Please feel free to ask me anything about the show! I’d love to go on about it lol

[fandomwriter39-blog]

College part 2 - Dan Howell

As suggested by @kadavihowell I did a second part for my Dan Howell imagine. If you haven’t read it already, you can go here and check it out. Well, hope you like it!

~ ~ ~

Aubrey knocked on the door, nervously tapping her foot as she waited for Dan to open. Ever since last month, when they reunited after so long, they had been texting each other nonstop. They had decided on Aubrey coming over, both to meet Phil and stay till late playing videogames and watching movies. And that was why Aubrey was waiting outside their door. There was a click and the door swung open, revealing a smiling Dan.

"Aubs! Come in!"

      *time skip*

Three months later and Aubrey had been spending most of her time at Dan and Phil's place. And that day was no different. She had just finished her shift at work, and headed right away to her friends' house.

This time it was Phil the one who opened.

"Hey Philly!" She said, giving him a quick hug and stepping inside. "Isn't Dan home?"

"He is. The mole hasn't left his cave yet."

"For a second I thought he had changed and gone outside. Thank god he's still the same." She chuckled.

They went to the lounge, where Phil had left an open bag of chips, and Aubrey lounged towards it to get some.

"He's in his room doing a liveshow." Said Phil.

"A liveshow?"

"Yeah, we do one every week for an hour or so, to talk with our viewers and such."

"That sounds really cool!" She remained quiet for a moment before suggesting. "You think he'll mind if we join him?"

"Nah, I don't think he'll mind. Fans will for sure love it."

Aubrey nodded excited, she was now quite curious to see how these liveshows they did worked.

"Dan!" Phil shouted across the house.

"I'm in the middle of a liveshow jeez. What do you even want?" They heard him shouting back from his room.

"Aubrey's here and she was wondering if we could join."

Dan took his time to answer, asking his audience. "Fine, come. They say they wanna meet you Aubs!"

The girl grew a bit nervous upon hearing this. She knew she would just be talking to a camera, but the thought of thousands of fans hearing and reacting to everything she did and said didn't help.

Phil walked in first. "Hey guys!" He said, grabbing a chair and sitting beside Dan, who pretended to sigh in annoyance.

"This guy... Always breaking in my liveshows to be in the spotlight."

"I'm just making it better with my presence, you know that."

"Whatever." Dan turned to look at the door, where Aubrey was standing. "Don't just stay there, come in! They probably won't hurt you."

She chuckled and approached them hesitatingly, and Dan pulled another chair for her.

"Guys, this is Aubrey. Aubrey, this are... The crazy crowd that is the YouNow chat."

She waved at the camera, as her eyes tried to read the floods of messages. "How do you guys manage to read this without ending up all dizzy?"

"Years of practice, I guess."

She slowly got used to it, managing to see messages here and there asking who she was. Thankfully for her, Dan began talking about her before she needed to say anything.

"...and we met at university. On quite strange circumstances, I must say." That caught his audience's attention, who began to ask what was that had happened. Aubrey was so glad to see how interested everyone was that she completely got over her first moments of shyness.

"Let's just say it was both of our roommates fault."

"Fault?" Dan questioned her words of choice  with a confused smiled.

"Well yeah, after all it was because they were in my room-"

"Whoa slow down!" Dan cut her as he pretended being serious. "This is family friendly, can't say that stuff!"

"Yep. A woman could have just given birth and her baby is watching." Phil added.

"How could that even be possible?" She looked at him reluctantly, trying her hardest not to burst out in laughter. "Fine. Forget all I said, rewind: shit happened. That's all you get to know, the rest for your imagination to figure out."

"A dangerous thing, Aubs. These guys have quite the imagination."

"Moving on!" Phil interrupted as he scanned through the chat. "Many are wondering how you met again after Dan left university."

"It was actually a coincidence." Started Dan "A couple of months ago I went to a café and there she was."

"Not as interesting as the first time." She giggled.

"Things like those only happen at college."

           *time skip*

A few more jokes and funny stories later Phil read out a certain comment.

"Philsglabella says: play truth or dare! Sounds like a good idea."

Dan instantly facepalmed. "Phil... Why did you read that?"

"Oh c'mon, it'll be fun!"

"Sure, let's do it." Aubrey agreed, not understanding the slight look of concern of Dan.

"Okay, we'll take turns. We will close our eyes and let the chat write either truths or dares. When we open them back, first comment we read will be the one we have to do."

Aubrey nodded. "Who'll go first?"

"Since it was your idea, you go Phil." Dan suggested quickly.

"Fiine. Uh, I'll do a truth." He then closed his eyes and proceeded to say. "Time starts now!" He waited around 20 seconds, then shouted stop and looked back at the chat for a while until his eyesight got used to its fast pace, fixing his attention in one comment.

"Phan203 asks: are you releasing new merch soon? Who knows..." Phil answered sheepishly.

"No no Philly, you gotta answer." Insisted Aubrey.

Phil sighed. "Most likely, then. Aubrey, your turn!"

"Dare!" They followed the same procedure as before.

"Literallynoone dares me to guess an object with my eyes closed. Oh God, I fear what you'll choose."

"Don't worry! It won't be something bad, I promise. Now, close your eyes." Phil rushed to the crate beside his bed and rummaged through the objects until he found the weird yellowish chicken that made a sound when squeezed.

"Okay, it's this. Careful." He said once he came back, placing it in Aubrey's hands. She frowned as she held the toy, clueless as to what it was. Right when she pressed it a bit too hard it cried out its screeching noise, making Aubrey yelp and jump in her seat.

"Jesus christ, what the heck?!" She looked even more confused when she opened her eyes. "What even is this? Bloody hell, you scared me to death."

The boys couldn't stop laughing, even after Aubrey threw the chicken at them, making its whaling sound again.

"Your turn, Dan." She said, wanting avoid further laughter from them.

"Ok, ok. I'll go with truth."

           ~ ~ ~

A round followed another one. They were all having so much fun the liveshow was now more than an hour long. Not that any of the fans would mind. Dan had completely forgotten his first worries, and was fully invested in the game. It was his turn now, and he chose to do a dare. Totally confident, and not paying too much attention, he wasn't as careful as in the first rounds and didn't double-check the comment before reading it outloud.

"Phanwithdogs says: kiss Aubrey." Right as those words left his lips he froze. He read it again and again, until there was no way that he could have said it wrong. He reluctantly looked at Aubrey, who was just as surprised. They staying like that, without pronouncing a word for what seemed like an eternity, until Dan got the courage to speak again.

"You know we don't need to do this. It's a game."

"No..." Aubrey carefully planned what she was going to say. "No, it's okay. I mean, I'm okay with it, it's no big deal."

"Of course." Obviously it wasn't going to be a big deal for her. How stupid of him to had gotten his hopes up. He decided to act fast, not wanting to make things anymore awkward, and leaned in. For the few seconds that the kiss lasted, Dan completely forgot about his worries, the dare, everything. Her lips felt so good against his. The next moment he realised they were gone, leaving in him some kind of void, like there was something missing.

The rest of the liveshow went by in a blink. Dan talked and laughed as if everything was normal, but his mind was elsewhere. It had just been a silly little kiss in a silly little game, so why did he care so much? Over his time in university he had developed a crush on her, but after so long he was sure to have gotten over it. Right?

He wasn't sure how but unconsciously he had turned off both the liveshow and his computer, and was now staring mindlessly at the black screen. Aubrey was nervously waiting for Phil to leave, or either of them to move, so she could talk with Dan. Somehow Phil managed to sense that and excused himself to his room.

"Dan." She began, unsure of what she would say next. He hummed in response, turning his chair to face her. "About the kiss-"

"Oh I know, it was just for the dare. Didn't mean anything, don't worry." He said before she could finished. Last thing he needed was for Aubrey to know he still had feelings for her. His words took her back a bit. She was once again at the start point, with absolutely no idea of what to do. Was it any worth trying now to tell him what it had meant to her? She decided to play it safe, slightly hinting it before he could find out.

"Yeah, about that... Well I just wanted to say it uh, it felt pretty good." All she wanted to do in that exact moment was punch herself. 'It felt pretty good', what did she even mean by that?

"Yeah, it... It did."

"What I mean is I uh, I wouldn't mind if it happened again. I liked it, well I already said it felt good but because, you know, it was with you. I could've liked it had it been with someone else, but I liked it more with you cause, you know..." In her mind, the words she had to pronounce and the feelings she wanted to explain were as clear as water, but when it got to saying them outloud they tangled together, frustrating her with every word that left her lips because none said quite what she wanted to say. In reality, it was so much more simple. Exactly three words, that were so little but meant so much. And they were so hard to say out loud. "What I meant to say is-" She stopped mid sentence, as she realised there was no use in continuing talking. There was only a single way by with which she could truly express herself, and that was repeating the previous actions. So without leaving herself a moment of hesitation, she leaned in, pressing her lips against Dan’s. He was stiff at first, taken back by the sudden action, but soon he was kissing her back with full passion. After a full minute that had definitely felt shorter to them, they pulled apart breathless, their hands intertwined and a smile plastered on their rosy-cheeked faces. They would’ve stayed like that forever, together, enjoying each other’s silence, but not long after Phil was already by their door clapping in excitement.

Dan sprung up “Phil!!” He obviously wasn’t mad, but he began chasing Phil around the house nonetheless, while Aubrey followed behind laughing.

[theseaeaglelives]

Round 3

THE SEA EAGLE

MAKING RUGBY LEAGUE GREAT AGAIN!!!

Round 3

Manly Sea Eagles            32      

Defeated 

Canterbury Bulldogs   6

Playing at an empty stadium at the Central Coast is nothing new for Manly with this phenomena dating back to the ill-feted Northern Eagles debacle in the late 1990’s. Having said that, Manly do have an imposing record at this ground having won 13 of the past 16 outings.

Showing that he was feeling no ill-effect of the COVID-19 inspired lockdown Tommy Turbo opened Manly’s account after 5 minutes following a strong break from Moses Suli. Tommy then doubled up shortly thereafter when set up by brother Jake and Manly were well and truly on their way. Only some poor goal kicking from the usually reliable Ruben Garrick prevented Manly from fully extending their early dominance.

The remainder of the first half was a fairly dour offering with both sides appearing somewhat rusty and sloppy with ball control. Manly however were less rusty and less sloppy than their opponents.

Shortly before half-time Tommy Turbo turned provider putting Brad Parker over. The Sea Eagle has been singing the praises of young Parker for some time now and he looks a likely prospect. Halftime Manly 14-0.

Manly started the second half in much the same fashion as the first and when Horhay Torfua crossed only minutes in they were well and truly running roughshod over the hapless Dogs outfit.

Further tries to Curtis Sironen, Brad Parker and Rueben Garrick (and a late consolation to the Dogs) and Manly ended up running out 32-6 winners, strangely though a score line which did not fully reflect their dominance and to some extent flattered the Dogs.

Next week, it’s the despised Eels so bring it on!!

President Trump Named China Virus Lockdown NRL Wrap

A lot has taken place since the Sea Eagle’s last report, and none of it good. You know the world has gone to sh$t when the leading news story (and on more than one occasion) in all mainstream media in Australia is “90-YEAR-OLD DIES IN NURSING HOME”.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/fay-rendoth-92-latest-newmarch-house-resident-to-die-with-covid-19-20200509-p54rd8.html

 With the game in lock down due to a President Trump described “China Virus”, the NRL faced the nightmare scenario. That is having got through the usual off season atrocities, they found themselves after two rounds of the competition, in lockdown, and the players left to their own devices. Thankfully, the pubs and clubs were closed.

As Phil Gould succinctly put it for a small portion of players, the best thing that they can do is get back into the usual routines of training and playing and not being distracted by external influences (eg the real world).

During this COVID-19 inspired debacle the world as we know it has changed and the NRL has not been immune to the perils inflicted by this debacle. Back in March when the NRL went into hiatus the Sea Eagle will admit he had grave fears for the safety of society. Not because of the health impact of the virus, but more due to the potential for greater harm when 500 or so NRL players transition to, for want of a better term “an off-season”. It has been well documented that a dormant NRL player is a dangerous commodity and without the structure of a regular playing and training schedule there was potential for all hell to break loose.

Surprising though, in the main NRL players towed the line during this period of lockdown, however there can be no doubt that Rugby League is the gift that continually keeps giving and not surprisingly there were a few notable exceptions. So here goes with the tale of the tape for the 8 or so weeks of the lockdown for what President Trump describes as the “China Virus”.

  Latrell Mitchell & Josh Addo Carr (and some Newcastle Knights reserve grader) shooting and camping during lock down Apr 20

Latrell Mitchell will no longer be the NRL’s poster boy as it emerged that he and Addo “the Fox” Carr and a few of the bros, went a huntin, a shootin and a fishin way up near Taree, despite strict regulations not to leave home unless exercising etc.

This certainly raises questions about his professionalism and approach to the game of young Lattrell and vindicates the Roosters decision to let him leave.

Regrettably, these imbeciles felt it necessary to have videos sprayed over social media over this incident. Naturally breaching social distance and health regulation rules saw them issued with fines, and the NRL Integrity Unit had to look into yet again, more stupidity .

The NRL also had to scrap its Simply The Best advertising campaign that featured the controversial image of Latrell Mitchell draped in the Aboriginal flag. Yet again this is yet another shining example of what happens when the NRL put a player up as the face of the game . History is littered with players given this most deadly of honours.

Once a player is the face of the game, inevitably some sort of atrocity arises involving said player, soon after the opening advertisement occurs arises , causing  a very expensive ad campaign to be pulled from the screens.

Let’s look at this way. At the height of the COVID debacle and at a time when NRL Chairman Peter V’landys was doing his utmost to restart the competition these clowns broke the two cardinal rules of lockdown. Firstly, by trotting off to Mitchell’s property in northern NSW for a weekend with their mates consisting of dirt-bike riding, discharging shot-guns at glass bottles, camping and boozing. Secondly and even more stupidly, particularly if you have already broken rule one, by filming and posting said exploits on a social media.

And it gets worse, when it came to light that RLPA boss Clint Newton, who was deeply involved with Vlandys at the time, in restart negotiations and player payments, clicked “LIKE” on some of the social media posts – it beggars’ belief.

Unable to refute their actions (due to the fact that thousands of people had viewed the snapchat posts), Messrs Mitchell and Addo-Carr issued the obligatory apologies citing that the weekend away was a “cultural gathering” where they were “learning about our land”. Yes, a cultural gathering indeed, in fact the only thing missing from this cultural extravaganza was some boomerangs, a didgeridoo and a stirring rendition of an indigenous war-dance.

Despite calls for these clowns to be stood down for the season, sanity prevailed and the NRL imposed $20K fines and suspended sentences. They were also fined $1,000 from the police for flaunting lock-down rules and the Fox faces further charges relating to the use of firearms, without a permit and riding a motorcycle without a helmet (this last one being the most heinous of all alleged offences).

Panthers star Nathan Cleary caught flouting social distancing protocol Easter 20

We all remember this screamer. Nathan Cleary had five or six chicky babes (in the Sea Eagle’s view some quite spunky young lasses) come over for a few drinks, a bit of dancing and who knows what else. His flatmate Tyrone May was involved as well, it is suggested.

  Tyrone May (we all remember him; he is the one who was three-year community corrections order over a sex tape scandal in recent times ) will also miss two matches on top of the four-match suspension he already had to start the 2020 competition. May has been fined $15,000.  Apparently for misleading the Integrity Unit.

This whole incident immediately conjured up images of some sort of reverse gangbang scenario wherein young Nate was servicing an assortment of Panther groupies with Tyrone adopting his rightful position directing proceedings, Iphone in hand.

Unfortunately, the reality was a lot less salacious and the video in question was some sort of (fully clothed) TikTok (WTF??) dance routine. Again, the two cardinal rules of lockdown were broken. Firstly, by inviting a bevvy of young girls around and breaking social distancing restrictions during these crazy times and then secondly and even more stupidly, particularly if you have already broken rule one, by filming and posting these exploits on a social media platform for all to see.

Cleary copped a fine for his efforts, a bit of a suspension and some rather unfortunate embarrassment because he misled the integrity unit with his answers to some of the relevant questions. The only relevant question the NRL Integrity unit needed to ask was how he handled that many girls on his own in one night? The answer is anyone’s guess. But he is rugby league, so anything is possible. But regrettably, the girls thought it was a good idea to spray it all on social media, and the rest, as they say, is history.

As for the NRL Integrity Unit it needs to be renamed to simply the NRL Crime Commission.

  Cody Walker Police investigate after footage emerges of fight linked to alleged blackmail of Cody Walker

In a belated off-season related incident Rabbitoh 5/8, Cody Walker, has been suspended for two matches and fined $15K, following the release of a video which shows him inflicting what appears to be a kung-fu style kick on a man during a fight in December 2019.

  It is understood that the video, only came to light after Walker approached the police after reportedly being blackmailed. Apparently, the alleged blackmailer contacted Walker’s manager, seeking money to stop the video from being leaked to the media.

The situation then took a bizarre twist when it was discovered the blackmailer’s phone number had been traced back to another player manager, who is now reportedly also being investigated.

The Rabbitohs have also been fined $20,000 for not informing the NRL Integrity Unit of the incident.

This is pure rugby league and has all the elements of a good NRL scandal (i.e. violence, blackmail and cover-ups) and whilst Walker was not charged by police, it’s a bad look for the game and again highlights the perils of a dormant NRL player in the off-season.

The footage of the shirtless Souths star showed him kicking a man in the chest in a street fight in northern New South Wales (Casino) late in 2019 , however is disturbing.

Not strictly a breach of Covid 19/President Trump China Virus health protocols but still worthy of mention because as usual, it happened when the players were not playing .

Super coach Wayne Bennett had to deal with some uncomfortable questioning as well from the Integrity Unit about failure to notify.

And finally, it is worth noting the common thread that young Cody has with the other two delinquent clowns above

  Anti Vaxxing. Flu shots,

As we know , one of the requirements for the game to recommence playing was that all players had to have a flu jab . The fact that the flu is not COVID-19 , and has never been required of players in the past , would seemingly make this health requirement from the State Health mandarins something of a nonsense.

But given these public servant imbeciles are the same type of people that let the Ruby Princess Petri Dish of Coronavirus arrive in Sydney and then release infected passengers into the general community, one shouldn't expect anything else but this type of stupidity.

In any event, Bryce Cartwright of the Gold Coast Titans and a few other players are quite affronted by these requirements and have relied on their basic human rights not to be given a filthy big needle against their will.

  What a debacle. In the Sea Eagle’s opinion this is very simple. The NRL has no bargaining power with government, so it has to behave as the bosses say, or no NRL fixtures. In that light, it is necessary to get the players in and tell them in simple terms, as this is usually the maximum capacity of their understanding: Mate, No shot no play. No play no pay. Don’t slam the door when you leave.

Strike action will turn fans against NRL referees, warns Harrigan

One of the changes during the President Trump China Virus lockdown was the reduction from 2 fwits on the field to a single one, ie 1 referee. Naturally, the Referees union was up in arms and threatened strike action . Former top referee Bill Harrigan weighed into the action and warned the NRL's whistle-blowers against taking strike action. Basically warning that fans will likely turn against them (ie the Refs) if they threaten the May 28 restart date.

Anyone who buys into this bovine excrement (ie BS) has never been to an NRL fixture. News flash . The fans hate the ref!!!  And Harrigan certainly understands this. we all remember Manly coach Bob Fulton recommend a cement truck be driven over him in 87 after an absolutely appalling refereeing performance (personal opinion) directed against the mighty Sea Eagles .

Naturally, the Refs having to face the wrath of new NRL supremo Peter V’landys, capitulated on their threat of industrial action, and the game rolls on.

  Bronson Xerri- Sharks positive performance enhancing substance test

Two days out from the first game back with the NRL looking forward to a clean sheet and a new start, this one arrives.

The list of what Mr Xerri allegedly took is incomprehensible . Apparently had returned a positive A-sample for "exogenous Testosterone, Androsterone, Etiocholanolone and 5b-androstane-3a,17b-diol" and is facing a four-year ban from the sport. This does not look like a list of stuff used to treat a headache. Whilst the B-sample is yet to come back it is understood that young Xerri had more juice in him than a Nutribullet canister of an ex 90’s East-German female weightlifter.

  This has been referred to in the same light as the 1988 Ben Johnson 100 metres Olympic Sprint debacle against Carl Lewis .

Many have said that young Xerri is like grease lightning on the field and the next great thing . Well he would be wouldn't he if the tests turn out to be positive ?

Who does he play for ? None other than the Sharks , who else .

At this stage, the Sea Eagle is not prepared to comment on the guilt or otherwise of young Xerri and will leave this up to the experts at ASADA, but suffice it to say this incident is pure Shark. The team from the Shire is well known for pushing the boundaries and who could forget the peptide scandal that engulfed the Sharks in 2013 which resulted in multiple player suspensions and the suspension/sacking of then coach Shane Flanagan.

Rumours the Sharks are starting their own reality TV show, My Peptide Rules (MPR) are well wide of the mark. The Sea Eagle rejects any such suggestions.

The Sharks are a disgrace, and the fact that they then went on to win a premiership in 2016 is an indictment on the integrity of the NRL. Surely in light of this current scandal the NRL has no option but to revisit the legitimacy of their (only) premiership and strip them of it as they did with those other filthy cheaters, the Storm.

  Project Apollo

When the NRL announced the project to restart the season was to be named Project Apollo , the Sea Eagle was more than apprehensive . Sure Apollo 11 was a rip roaring success . But many a Saturn Rocket had imploded prior to that successful mission . And let's not forget Apollo 13 which never made it to the moon. In that light, the choice of the name Project Apollo was a very brave decision indeed .

Well done to the NRL in getting the game back on against all odds, and a special congratulation to Peter V’Landys the NRL Chairman who drove from the front, steamrolling anyone who dared to oppose.

  Sports Administrator Casualties Of The President Trump China Virus

Two stand outs here. NRL CEO Todd Greenberg and Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle.

NRL CEO Todd Greenberg was forced to fall on his sword . Again the precise details are not clear but it would seem that the NRL head office had multi layers of management personnel not doing very much other than getting in the way . When the pandemic hit, the coffers were bare and the game found it had nothing in reserve with which to us so as to fight on.

He had to go. The fact he and the Chairman Peter V’Landys did not see eye to eye did not help either.

Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle had a slightly different problem. She found herself running a game in Australia (ie rugby union ) that nobody watches and fewer and fewer are playing. Not only were the financial cupboards bare , she had in the Sea Eagle’s opinion , completely mishandled the Israel Folau debacle, and simply ended up paying millions of dollars to their best player who did not get on the field, largely because of ideological differences.

That was a problem of judgment and most likely a failure to confront Qantas. Everyone knows where the flight stewards sit on gay rights, so when Izzy went feral, she needed a better strategy than backing an airline that is pro-gay, against a player with a strong legal position, and particularly when the core Rugby fan base couldn’t care less what Izzy said or did off the field.

But the real problem, again in the Sea Eagles opinion, was that she was a Kiwi who's original background was running netball NZ. How she somehow found herself running Rugby Australia is anyone’s guess. It looks like some pony tailed HR person thought a me-too ! experimental appointment would be a good politically correct look. She did her best, but it was always going to end in tears.

If Rugby Australia learn anything from this, it is that key appointments need to be based on merit and suitability. The other lesson is that Kiwis in head management or coaching positions in Australian sport usually do not work very well. How will Dave Rennie go as the Wallabies coach? He better not start off by making the players repeat him saying “sixty six fishes”.

But what do former NRL CEO Todd Greenberg and Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle have in common ? Well it's the fact that they both ran the Canterbury Bulldogs and had Manly legend Des Hasler as the Club coach. In a classic example of good decision making, Des left the Dogs, got a payout and is now back at his spiritual home at Manly,  while these two (Todd Greenberg and Raelene Castle) are joining the ques at Centerlink. If recent form is any guide, they may well now be considered unemployable in any area of sports administration.

The best that can be said about these two leaving their respective roles, is that in some small way, to use the words of John Cadogen of Auto Expert.com, they respectively made the NRL and Rugby Australia slightly “less shi&t”.

Cardboard Cut-Out Crowds

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/the-22-cardboard-cut-out-that-will-buy-fans-a-seat-at-nrl-games-20200527-p54x0g.html

It has come to the Sea Eagles attention that in this era of no crowds at NRL games some genius has come up the idea of fans purchasing Cardboard Cut-Outs, presumably of themselves, which will then be displayed in the grandstand during games.

  Refer to the link below, the Sea Eagle now implores all recipients of the report to take up the challenge to  download your favourite shot and for the small price of $22 have photographic representation at the NRL game of your choice. For what its worth the Sea Eagle is looking forward to seeing Ron “the Hedgehog” Jeremy at the next Manly game.

https://www.thefaninthestand.com.au/how-it-works

Let’s face it the possibilities are endless and who wouldn’t want to see Adolf Hitler, Stalin, Izzy Falou or even the great man Pres. Trump at an upcoming game!!

Or, we could have the bad boys hill, with cut outs of Todd Carney, Julian O’Neill John Hoppa etc. strategically placed.

 THE SEA EAGLE

[badlypackedtraveller]

Nobody supports the home side.

Crossing the border into ROMANIA the vibe changes again. We are immediately in a country still trying to shake off its past. Big industrial plants belch thick, acrid black smoke onto the atmosphere. There are few eco credentials to boast of and the people look beaten and depressed. Compared to where we have just been it’s all just a bit shit.

However the industrial wastelands soon give way to beautiful scenery and great, empty motorways. We end the day at the Hotel Palace[1] in Turda, which despite the unfortunate name is actually rather lovely.

As we are parking up the bikes on the pavement outside the hotel a couple of local cops wander over giving both us and the bikes a disapproving once over. “Here we go”, thinks I, expecting to be immediately moved on. Instead they mumble something to each other, give us a nod and wander off to resume their boredom elsewhere.

On a Saturday night waitress Anna can’t think of anywhere exciting to send us. A couple of street cafes boast chain smokers, grumpy staff and local football on the TV, but not much else. Turda’s highlight is the theatre, started in the 1980s and never completed.

We leave Turda as soon as breakfast is over and Anna waves us goodbye.

A target of this trip has been to ride the Transfargarasan Pass, that’s what we’ve come all this way to do. Somewhere south of Turda at a petrol stop we meet up with another UK couple of GSs who have sold up everything at home in Halifax to follow their dream of life on the road. Good for them. “You’re too late”, they advise, “You need to be at the bottom of the pass by 0600 at the latest”.

It was all a bit of an anticlimax. A magnificent road to be sure – Top Gear describe it as the best road to drive in Europe – but we end up nose to tail in a traffic jam all the way to the top. Even allowing for racing past on the wrong side of the white lines when gaps in the traffic allow it takes us at least an hour to get up to the top. Cars take three hours easily. At the top the majority of the Sunday drivers fight for a parking space, buy some tat from the numerous stalls lining the road, likewise bad food before joining the jam on the same road back down.

Clarkson and his chums had the road closed, methinks.

However, if you keep on the road south you are rewarded with long sweeping curves that are a joy to ride and coffee at Conacul Ursului.[2] All the way to Pitesti.

Pitesti is a much more interesting bet, although with an unfortunate legacy. Pitesti’s history includes brainwashing experiments carried out at the prison here. The idea was to force convicts to brutalise and torture each other in order to make them have no sense of loyalty to anyone other than the regime that provided for them. Of course, it never worked and eventually the experiment was curtailed in 1952, the prisoners executed and the prison staff and scientists given light sentences, promoted or shuffled off somewhere else. Securitate officials who had overseen the experiment, were tried the following year; all were given light sentences, and were freed soon after.

At the four star La Strada Boutique Hotel’s[3] restaurant the waitress looks terrified when we say hello to her and scurries off to find a colleague who speaks some English. She then spends the next 24 hours hurrying out of any room we walk into.

Double bed again and so Phil makes his usual drama out of informing whoever is on reception that we are not gay, not a couple and we definitely booked a twin room. “Look, it says so on my phone”. Somebody is duly summoned to move the beds a foot apart. Who knows what horrors are averted and Phil sleeps soundly and safely.

On an amble through the town later in the evening I find plenty of busy cafes and a large public screen showing a Romanian Premiership football game. Pretty uninspiring stuff. Nobody I speak to admits to supporting the home side.

On the road between Pitiesti and Brazov we happen upon the Mateias Mausoleum;[4] a tribute to the glorious Moldovan dead knocking lumps out of the Russians. Same sad story everywhere. The Mausoleum is dedicated to the heroes of the National Union War (1916-1918). The Central Powers advancement towards the Romanian Plain was arrested by the battles fought here by the Namaiesti Group, led by the General Traian Gaiseanu. The Mausoleum was built between 1928 and 1935 by the contractor de Nicolo, after the blueprints of architect Dumitru Ionescu-Berechet, the impressive mausoleum, made ​​mainly of Albeşti limestone comprises two bodies: the first, horizontal, houses ossuaries, with marble plates bearing the carved names of fallen soldiers placed on the walls. A spiral staircase leads to the second body, a vertical tower containing, in 31 crypts, the remains of over 2,300 Romanian soldiers.

Memorials I get but why historians feel a need to accessorise them with instruments of death is beyond me. At Mateias we are treated to a diorama of the sound effects of battle and killing.

Romania doesn’t want us to leave. Biking requires discipline and a couple of near misses today are testament to that:

1.    A drunk walks out of a hedge and ambles unaware across the road in the path of the oncoming traffic. One, two, three cars ahead of me hit the brakes hard. The drunk pauses to gaze bemusedly at the cars oblivious to how close he has been to not being.

2.    I check my rear-view and pull out to overtake. The powerful Mercedes behind me does exactly the same thing at exactly the same time but accelerates quicker. He gets very close to my back wheel. Too close for comfort.

You have to challenge the voice in your head that says “another ten miles” or “nearly there, I’ll stop soon” and just stop, slow down, pull over, enjoy the ride.

Arriving in Bacau I pull up outside the decrepit Hotel Moldova waiting for Phil to catch up with me. There is a well reported con that goes like this – Hi, I’m an English student. Let’s go somewhere and I’ll buy you a drink so that I can practice my English. So you adjourn to a bar and two beers appear. The student soon makes his excuses and disappears off to the loo and is never seen again. The barman then requests payment for two beers at £100.00+ The doors are locked and heavies appear. The bill must be settled in cash.

No sooner have I got of the bike than I get the “Hi, I’m a student approach”. It turns out that this guy has noticed the UK plates on my bike and genuinely wants to offer help if needed. Sometimes cynicism catches you unawares.

The Bohemia Hotel[5] is in a dodgy part of town bordered by scruffy industrial units on one side and railway tracks on the other. We are on the wrong side of the tracks, literally. When I go out to find a cigar shop (none, what is about Eastern Europe’s aversion to cigars?) fat rats scurry amongst the roadside bins. Strangely, a very nice hotel in an ugly part of town. Twin beds and tonight Phil’s snoring is augmented by the sounds of passing rolling stock. I zone them both out.

Leaving Romania is great, not because we are leaving Romania, although that has taken some stamina, but because eastern Romania is beautiful. Leaving Bacau less so when we get caught in a downpour and thunderstorm. As we take shelter passing cars send tidal waves over our bikes. Of course, we do all the things you are advised not to do in such a situation i.e. take shelter under some trees, next to an electrified railway line, next to a makeshift iron cross to a dead railway worker. The clues are all there to be ignored.

Romania has proved to be a strange country and full of surprises and contradictions. Heavy industry, cruel to the environment, peasant living, prematurely aged people the product of a life of drudgery, brand new Dacia Dusters everywhere, cheek by jowl with horse and carts, pockets of ostentatious new wealth, ugly fashions. It is a country wanting to change but still too firmly rooted in its past. It’s all just a bit shit.

[1] Str Piata Republicii 31, Turda, jud Cluj. T: +40 264 317230 E: hotelpalaceturda@yahoo.ro www.hotelpalaceturda.ro

[2] Cazare Restaurant, Transfargarasan DN7C, Km 107, jud Arges. T:0752 877877 E: cabana@conacul-ursului.ro www.conacul-ursului.ro

[3] Boutique Villa, Bulevardul Republicii 63, Pitesti. T: 0770 225078 www.lastradapitesti.ro

[4] E574, Valea Mare-Pravat

[5] Str. Ghe. Donici 2bis, Bacau. T: 0040 234 516008 E: rezervari@hotelbohemia.ro www.hotelbohemia.ro

[phan-of-the-pen]

I Dare You To Stay: Chapter 18

back at it again bois

Tags for chapter: FLUFF, super minor angst

Words for chapter: ~3.5 k

Fic Summary: Dan Howell is a barista working a shitty job, frequenting his shitty apartment, and living a shitty existence, hiding his asexuality and going for a PHD in self-depreciation and depression. Phil Lester is a part-time intern, part-time employee at a local weather station, trying to get experience in his field and make a name for himself, while juggling a second job at the nearby Tesco’s to give him some financial breathing room. Their paths were never supposed to meet, but what happens when they do anyways, one rainy day in Manchester?

(ao3!)

<– Previous chapter Next chapter -->

~~~~~~~~~~

"So," Jaime drawled, slathering icing onto the roof of the gingerbread house, "what's your deal with Phil?"

Dan looked up from where he was using sprinkles to carefully decorate his side of the house. He frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh Daniel," Jaime sighed melodramatically, "you do realize that I have eyes, right? There's been something off about you two ever since I got back a few days ago. At first, I was just wondering if it was like an off day or whatever, but he's stopped in the coffee shop every day and the story is still the same. And, the cherry on top is that from what I can tell, it's all you. So, spill, amore."

Dan smiled a bit at the pet name, but as he tried to grasp for the right words it melted away into a puzzled frown. He put down the tube of icing.

"I don't even really know? It's incredibly stupid, and I feel like a bloody idiot for pulling away at all."

"Oi, no more putting yourself down, remember? You can feel however you like without it being stupid."

"Are you my therapist now too?"

Jaime threw a gumdrop at Dan, and it whacked him in the nose.

"Shut up and be nice to yourself. While you're at it tell me whatever the hell is going on between you two."

Dan rolled his eyes even though the sentiment touched him.

"Yes mum." He picked the sprinkles back up, deciding that keeping his hands busy would be beneficial.

"It wasn't even that long ago, but it was that day when I texted you about how much foam Phil had in his coffee, you remember?"

"Mi Dio, how could I forget? It was the worst thing I've ever seen with my own two eyes."

"Yeah," Dan laughed, "but later after the day was over we ended up at his apartment. We watched a movie and everything was great! But I took care of the leftover snacks at the end of it, and when I came back to the lounge he was reading something on his phone. The strange part was that he looked...distressed? Kind of angry even? Like, whatever he was looking at obviously upset him. I asked him about it, and he gave me this fake smile and insisted that everything was fine."

Jaime frowned.

"Did he ever say what it was? Maybe not then, but later or something?"

"No, he said that his schedule just got changed around a little and that it conflicted with a shift at Tesco's or whatever, but he never said anything else."

"Have you talked to him about it since?"

Dan groaned and gave up on trying to pretend that he was still decorating. He flopped back in his chair.

"No. When it happened I pushed it a little because I couldn't help but think about the fact that you aren't supposed to let bad feelings fester. But I noticed how uncomfortable and anxious he looked, and I dropped it, thinking that all of my questions were getting to him. I haven't had the courage to talk to him about it since."

"Don't you think that you should? I mean if it's bothering you like this then I think it's something that you two should talk about."

"I know, but I'm scared that I'll push him away if I keep pestering him about it."

Jaime squeezed a line of icing onto her finger and ate it, frowning.

"What do you think was really on his phone then?"

Dan hesitated.

"I...don't know. We're normally so honest with each other, and something like this hasn't happened to us before. Him cheating on me because I’m ace was kind of my gut reaction when I sat and actually thought about it, but I know he'd never do that. It's just my anxieties and insecurities surfacing, you know? But, that's besides the point. I just can't think of anything that he would hide from me like that. It just worries me."

"The possibility of him cheating is what's worrying you?"

"No, no not that. I'm worried that he doesn't trust me enough with whatever is bothering him. He's my boyfriend, and I want to be there for him and support him however I can, but I can't really do that if I get shut out. And if he's not talking about this, I can't help but think about there possibly being other stuff that he deals with on his own. I just...I want to be there for him. I want him to let me help him."

Jaime nodded, popping another scoop of icing into her mouth.

"I see where you're coming from. You want to be there for him, and I'm really glad that you feel like that. I don't think that he should have lied to you like that, and I think the fact that he so obviously did it is kind of shitty. However, you can't expect him to tell you everything. I know that sometimes opening up to people is hard, and besides that we all need at least a little bit of privacy, even from our significant others."

"No, I know that, and I totally respect that."

"I know you do," Jaime said, "that's not really my point. The normal things that people in relationships keep from each other are small or whatever. What's different is that this is upsetting you both, so regardless I think you two should be talking about it. Right now, if Phil ever wanted to tell you or not doesn't matter."

"So you think I should confront him about it?" "I think you should ask him about it. Tell him that it's been on your mind, and that you know that he wasn't telling the whole truth. Don't forget to mention that you don't want to be one of those controlling partners and that you respect his space and privacy, but that this is messing you up inside. Tell him all of the stuff you told me about wanting to be there for him, and let him know the concerns that you have."

Dan nodded, knowing that his best friend was once again right.

"When do you think I should do it?"

"It's already pretty late today, and tomorrow is Christmas, so I would wait a few days if I were you."

Dan dragged his fingers through the sprinkles scattered all over the table absentmindedly as he digested all of the advice that Jaime had given him.

"Hey," Jaime said, her voice soft. Her tone made Dan look up. "I'm sure it's nothing life changing. It's the holidays and right now it's a time to be happy. I know you're worried, but if it was something completely terrible we both know that he would have come to you."

"You're right."

"I know I am," Jaime said, a smirk pulling at the corners of her lips. Dan rolled his eyes at her.

"You're also so full of yourself."

"Mhm, sure."

Dan pinched a few sprinkles in between his fingers and tossed them, hitting Jaime on the forehead. Taken by surprise, she jumped.

"Oh you're going to regret that, Howell."

"Oh yeah? Make me."

Arming herself with both icing tubes, Jaime jumped out of her seat and ran around the table to Dan's side. Dan launched himself out of his own chair and skidding around the table, Jaime following closely behind. Desperate to defend himself, Dan snatched up the packet of gumdrops from the table as he passed and threw them at Jaime.

However, Dan's aim was bad on his best days, and when trying to hit a moving target behind him while moving himself, it was abysmal.

Jaime, who was much more fit than Dan in every way, quickly caught up with him. She reached out with her hand and pulled the back of his collar with just enough force to make Dan skid to a stop to avoid being choked. Lightning quick, she put the opening of one of the icing tubes at the base of his neck and squeezed. Icing burst from the tube and went in between Dan's back and his shirt, making Dan whirl around, screeching as he felt it cover his back. He reflexively brought his hands up to the back of his neck, already starting to pull his shirt over his head. Taking advantage of Dan now facing her, Jaime smushed the contents of the spare icing tube all over Dan's face.

"You goddamn bastard!" Dan yelled, his voice high and panicked as he fought to get his shirt up and over his head. The only problem was that all of the icing on the back of Dan's shirt got smeared into his hair as Dan dragged the material over his head.

When he had finally managed to fling the soiled shirt as far away from him as he could, Dan could only gape in horror as he took in the state of himself. There was icing on his back, his face, in his hair, his hands, on his pants, god the stuff was everywhere.

He looked at Jaime helplessly.

Jaime was hysterical, nearly doubled over in laugher.

Well, there's one way to make this even.

Dan closed the distance between them in a single step and spread his arms. Jaime didn't notice until it was too late, her eyes going wide as she realized Dan's plan. Dan wrapped his arms around her in a huge bear hug, wiping all of the icing on the front of his body, arms, and hands on Jaime. She squirmed and tried to get away, but it was too late.

They were both filthy.

When Dan finally let her go, she was spouting Italian, way too fast for Dan to even try and keep up if he wanted to. None of the few unflattering words he managed to understand could deter his wide smile or snickers, however.

When Jaime finally stopped her torrent, Dan handed her a towel.

"Oh, wipe that shit-eating grin off your face, bastardo, I did worse to you."

"Let me enjoy the victories I can manage to scrounge up, Jaime."

Dan wiped his face with a towel, getting the worst of the icing off.

"Something tells me that we won't be finishing this gingerbread house." Dan muttered. He looked around at his kitchen. There was icing smeared at random points of the table and floor, sprinkles, chocolate balls, and other candies were covering the table and spilling onto the tiles. Gumdrops were tossed everywhere in the kitchen, and Dan had a very strong feeling that he would be finding them in the most unsuspecting places for weeks to come. Their gingerbread house was half-finished, sagging due to not being fully supported, and lacking in an artistic vision in general.

He really could care less, though. This had easily turned out to be his favorite Christmas Eve he had ever spent with Jaime.

"C'mon Jaime, the person who finds the most gumdrops gets the first shower."

~~~~~

Dan had been more than expecting Phil to show up Christmas morning. Hell, Dan had been the one to suggest his place as their meeting point in the first place. And yeah, he hadn't given Phil a time to show up by, and yeah, he loved the man's company, but jesus christ showing up before noon was torture. Had he really forgotten to tell Phil about Jaime and his tradition of staying up until they literally couldn't?

Horribly tired, Dan finally disentangled himself from the sheets with the help of Jaime literally pushing him out of the bed.

"Get him to stop knocking, damnit," she mumbled, already half asleep again.

It took Dan longer than he cared to admit to get up off the floor and to the front door, but when he opened it he really couldn't be annoyed. Phil was in Christmas pajamas and a santa hat. He had a large bag in his one hand and a massive grin on his face.

"Merry Christmas, Dan!" Phil shouted.

God, he's such a little kid, Dan thought, but it was adorable more than anything.

Dan let Phil in, and he plopped his bag on the floor. Phil immediately wrapped Dan in a hug and excitedly kissed him hello.

"Sorry, you look exhausted. Actually no, I'm not sorry. It's Christmas and I stayed away long enough." He said, the smile on his face never faltering. Phil pressed one more kiss to Dan's lips and pulled away, ignoring Dan's protests. Phil was warm and comfortable, and Dan was tired, sue him.

"Don't pout, you'll get plenty of me all day. Here, present number one," Phil said, bending down and opening his bag. Dan didn't see any of the contents, but he almost cried from relief at the sight of Phil pulling a large box of doughnuts out of the bag. "I brought breakfast."

"God, I knew there was a reason why I started dating you."

Dan opened the lid and easily picked out his favorite with his spare hand. He took a massive bite and moaned in appreciation at the marvels of a simple—yet delicious—glazed doughnut.

"I don't even care if you got me anything else, this is the highlight of my day," Dan mumbled through his mouthful of food. Phil laughed, his eyes doing that cute squinty thing.

"Well, hopefully your day will just keep getting better. Where's Jaime? I thought she was sleeping over."

Dan gestured in the general direction of his bedroom with the doughnut.

"She's still in bed."

"I'll drag her out of bed. What do you think my chances are for survival?"

"Slim. She's really grumpy that you woke us up and we watched the sunrise this morning."

Phil hummed in acknowledgment and pressed a kiss to Dan's forehead.

"In case I meet my untimely demise at the hands of Jaime."

Dan migrated to the kitchen and sat at his table, which still had traces of icing all over it. He managed to finish his first and second doughnuts by the time Phil surfaced once more. His glasses were askew and his fringe was sticking up in wild directions. His hat was missing and there was a distinct redness to the left side of his face, but he was grinning like a madman.

"She's coming."

Phil helped himself to the breakfast he brought, and it was another ten minutes before Jaime appeared. She was wrapped in Dan's duvet and looked extremely disgruntled, but she sat at the table regardless. She narrowed her eyes at Phil as he continued to sunnily eat.

"I should have hit you with that pillow harder." She grumbled, snatching the doughnut that Phil was eyeing and taking a large bite.

Dan smiled. Looks like things were just as they normally were.

~~~~~

After their belated breakfast, they all huddled on the couch with the remainder of the doughnuts and a pile of Christmas sweets. Jaime claimed that since she was rudely torn from her bed she got to pick the movie they watched, and they all sat through The Polar Express followed by Elf. All three of them dozed a little in the beginning, but it helped to rid Dan and Jaime of their exhaustion.

After the two movies they scrolled through Netflix for a bit before they all found a show that they were all watching. After a few episodes, even Dan was admitting that it was time to actually get up. As comfortable as he was nestled in Phil's arms, he was feeling sluggish.

"Alright boys," Jaime said, stretching as she stood, "it's time for presents, and I'm going first. Dan, be a dear and get what we need, will you? And don't forget one for Phil."

Ten minutes later, Dan emerged from the kitchen with three massive mugs in his hands. Each one was filled with what he and Jaime had dubbed the Ultimate Hot Chocolate. They were made with the best German chocolate Dan could get his hands on and milk (using water to make hot chocolate was a travesty). Each had a perfect combination of large and small marshmallows, and a swirl of whipped cream covered the surface of the hot chocolate. Overtop the cream was a handful of chocolate sprinkles, and a chocolate wafer was nestled on the side. Their recipe were the best creation Dan had ever made, and ever will make.

He passed the mugs out, and smiled at Phil's wide eyes and dropped jaw.

"Just wait until you taste it," Jaime laughed. She used her wafer to scoop a large amount of whipped cream into her mouth.

"It's a tradition," Dan said, following her. Phil, looking almost out of his depth at the sight of the hot chocolate, copied Jaime and Dan's movements. Jaime cheered with a mouthful of wafer. Dan let himself bask in yet another Christmas hot chocolate masterpiece before he nudged Jaime with his foot.

"Weren't we promised presents?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Jaime snorted.

"You're lucky I love you, Howell."

She left her hot chocolate on the coffee table so she could reach under the plastic tree that she and Dan had set up a week ago. She pulled out three things, tossed one to Phil, and pushed the other two towards Dan.

"There you go mates, ho ho ho."

Dan opened the bigger present first, and gasped when he revealed a new Muse sweatshirt. It was from their tour earlier this year. He and Jaime had pooled their cash to get tickets and it had been the best damn concert he'd ever been to. Unfortunately neither of them had had the money to buy any merch after blowing it all to get tickets right in the front.

"Jaime how did you get this! These are expensive as hell!" Dan asked excitedly, already pulling the jumper over his head. She shrugged.

"Working over in London in this play has some perks. Open the other one."

Dan tore away the wrapping paper covering the smaller present. It was a candle about the size of Dan's palm, and it smelled like mangos and peaches.

"It's a subscription, so every month or so you'll get a new scent in the mail."

Dan hugged her, nearly spilling his hot chocolate.

"Thank you Jaime, you always know what to get me."

When he pulled away he looked over at Phil to see what Jaime had got him, and he smiled to see Phil flipping through the pages of a Stephen King novel.

Dan passed out his presents next, and Jaime had cheered at her set of hair dyes and bleach.

"You're dying your hair again, Howell! I have the means and the will!" She crowed. Dan laughed, but covered his curly hair with his hands. The color was still there, but it wasn't as vibrant as before. However, he didn't think that he would be coloring it anytime soon.

Phil kissed Dan sweetly after unwrapping his new set of patches for his jean jacket and a new controller for his Wii.

The present Phil had gotten for Jaime was simple yet sweet. It was a new sketchbook and a pack of high-end charcoals. On the inside cover Phil had drawn his own little cartoon, and a little note that read "At least I know you'll be better at this than me" and a little smiley face.

Phil first handed Dan what ended up being a ridiculously comfortable striped sweater. Phil then pressed an envelope into Dan's hands after Dan had thanked Phil up and down for what was probably an expensive gift if it's material felt that nice. Kind of confused, Dan opened it to reveal a key inside.

"It's your own for my apartment. You're over there a lot, and I'm often late. I think we'd both be happier if you didn't have to wait outside just because I have horrible time management. And, this is my way of saying that you can stop by whenever you want. You don't really have to keep texting me to ask anymore."

Dan tackled Phil in a hug, kissing him out of happiness.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you so much-"

Phil laughed at Dan's assault, stopping Dan's barrage of kisses by capturing Dan's lips with his own.

"You're welcome, Dan."

Growing up, Dan hadn't really enjoyed Christmas too much, or any holiday really. It always involved dressing up and going to his grandparents houses and seeing a ton of family who otherwise didn't really pay attention to him for the rest of the year. When he had been kicked out, Dan had feared that he would never get those holidays with family again.

But holidays with Jaime had been even better than his younger self could ever have imagined. And now that it was the three of them? Dan couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be.

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Dannielle Mereyse Brent was born on September 19, 1979, in Rush Green, Essex in England. She is the oldest of her parents, Mark and Valerie’s, three girls. Her sisters, Courtnie and Tiana are the two most important people in Dannielle’s life. She says that she misses them so much when she is away that she is constantly phoning them to talk. Always eager to be with her little sisters, she took her youngest sister Tiana to the premiere of, Rugrats The Movie, in early 1999.

While she was growing up in Dagenham, Essex – Dannielle wanted to pursue a career in performing. She auditioned for and was accepted into the prestigious Italia Contia Academy of Theatre Arts in the heart of London. Unfortunately for Dannielle many of the girls who lived near her thought she had become very posh by going to school out in London and jumped Dannielle as she got off the bus from her first day of school. Dannielle says it was very tough being bullied and sometimes ended up with bald spots in her hair and cuts and bruises but was always able to sort herself out and was never afraid.

Back at school Dannielle was first looking toward a career in musical perfomance. She was a backing vocarecord for Roger Wittacker for a short while, appeared in many musical plays including Whistle Down the Wind when she was 15, and even got to perform for HRH Queen Elizabeth II in The Children’s Royal Variety Show. Dannielle’s musical dreams fell spectacularly to pieces when she headed to the back of an Irish pub to sing Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn one night. You can imagine her surprise when Aqua’s Turn back time, played instead and not knowing any of the words Dannielle was trapped on stage. From that moment on Dannielle ruled out a career in music and turned toward a career in acting.

The Bill It wasnt long before Dannielle started to get some acting jobs. Her first television appearance was on The Bill in episode True to Life Player. She played Kelly Sumner an undgerage girl accusing a famous football player of having raped her. Dannielle appeared in only one episode but she says it was an wonderful expierence to be there on the set and working with people she watched on TV.

Gina Patrick – Hollyoaks In 1997, Dannielle went on an audition for a new teen soap called Hollyoaks. Having impressed the casting directors, Dannielle was temporarily offered a role. She was to play, Gina Patrick, a strompy, anti-conformital youth who first appeared as a witness testifying to a stabbing. The character was originally supposed to be on the show for a short while, but the directors liked Dannielle so much they made Gina a premanent character on the show, which Dannielle starred in from October 1997- May 2001. » More about Gina Patrick and Hollyoaks Here

Dannielle and Abs Breen During her time on Hollyoaks, Dannielle was very well known for her well documented and publisized relationship with ex-5ive heartthrob and singer, Abs Breen. The two had begun dating after being seated next to each other in some classes at the Italia Conti Academy. It was actually Dannielle who sent Abs on his fated audition for the band. She helped teach him his dance routines and they went shopping for his outfit out in Canabary Wharf. The two dated on and off for five years but eventually called it a day in October 2001. Dannielle says they care deeply for each other to this day but do not have a very close friendship any longer. Abs is very close with Dannielle’s two younger sisters and her mother Valerie, and Dannielle considers him to be part of her family. » More about Dannielle and Abs’ relationship Here

Celebrity True Life Apart from her love life, Dannielle finally started getting some recognition when she did photo spreads for mens magazines including FHM, Maxim, and SKY. She was the girl directly under the cearlier mentioned flap on both of her Maxim appearances and was the only Hollyoaks girl to have her own page in SKY. The pictorials grabbed lots of attention and gained Dannielle spots in other magazines including Bliss, Sugar, Tops of the Pops, Smash Hits, All About Soap, Looks, BIG! and many others. During this time Dannielle also did numerous appearances, tv promotions, and charity events. She was featured in the 2000 documentary Celebrity True Life, appeared at two Soccer Six Tournaments, lent her voice to the animated short film Big Feet! and appeared in Brookside – Double Take! – a spoof on Phil Redman’s soap, where she played Ted’s PA. It was just a very bit part and Dannielle is only on screen for about 10 seconds. » View a entire list of Dannielle’s appearances here

Dannielle and Gary Lucy Having split with Abs in May 2000, The Sun newspaper was quick to report that Dannielle had been dating her Hollyoaks co-star Gary Lucy since October. They reported that Dannielle and Gary had been seen smootching at a string of high profile parties and were very happy together but trying to keep their relationship a secret. The couple managed to do just that for awhile but the two later confirmered their brief romance in many interviews to follow in the coming months. After they broke up, Gary told Now magazine that the closest he was to ever being in love was with Dannielle and cared very much for her. » More about Dannielle and Gary’s relationship here

Dannielle and Kelly Brook After leaving Hollyoaks, Dannielle jet setted back and forth to Los Angeles, California with best friend Kelly Brook. She stayed for nine months total staying for three month stints. While out there she sat pool side and filmed a guest spot on the BBC show LA Pool Party. She told them all about checking out the hot American guys and what she was planning on doing in the future. After a short trip to Saint Tropaz Dannielle and Abs reunited for a brief while and celebrated Dannielle’s 21st birthday at Chinawhite’s nightclub in London.

At this point, Dannielle was sort of in a bit of a career rut and was failing many auditions that she went on, including an audition for Chardonnay Lane Pascoe on Footballer’s Wives. Dannielle said she was becoming increasingly depressed and was thrilled when she landed an American tv pilot, unfortunately her visa fell through and the part was given to someone else. Discouraged Dannielle went to see a palm reader on a whim and the woman told her that she essential to get straight back to London because her dream job was waiting for her.

Jennifer Taylor – Dream Team Returning to London Dannielle successfully audtioned for a role on the Sky football drama Dream Team. Dannielle had finally made her long awaited return to TV with her new role as Jennifer Taylor. Dannielle said she enjoyed this role because she got to dress up and be glam for once. After spending 4 years on Hollyoaks wearing combat trousers and jumpers. Jennifer Taylor was in love with her boss Alan Rothman, but his feelings were unrequited. Jennifer had a small fling with Marcel in the series and much more was to come in the Series 7 but Dannielle decided not to return to Dream Team as she had an even larger role awaiting her. » More about Jennifer Taylor and Dream Team here

During her hiatus from Dream Team, Dannielle filmed her first movie roll as Danielle in Lee Pavey’s hit film, One Man and His Dog. The movie also stars Dannielle’s very close friend ex-roommate and ex-hollyoaks star, Paul Danan. The film is a dark comedy and Dannielle plays Danielle a girl in love with Wayne, played by Paul. » More about One Man and His Dog here

Dannielle and Ben Fairman While on Dream Team, Dannielle had begun dating a friend of her named Ben Fairman who was a London club owner. The two dated for around two years but split in December of 2003. Dannielle says it was depressing to be dumped at Christmas but she used the money she was going to buy his Christmas presents with to buy herself a nice pair of designer shoes as a bit of a decide on me up. The two are still close friends to this day. » More about Dannielle and Ben’s relationship here

On September 19th, 2003 – Dannielle’s 24th birthday she got the call that she was to play the role of Natalie Buxton in ITV’s hit drama Bad Girls. Dannielle was so excited to phoned her mother up to tell her the amazing news. Her ex, Ben threw Dannielle a surprise party that night and they celebrated her birthday and new role.

Natalie Buxton – Bad GirlsDannielle started filming Bad Girls a week later and has become a fan favorite amongst Bad Girls fans. Natalie is the closest thing to pure evil on G-wing and walks around manipulating everyone she can. She has had lesbian kisses, affairs with officers, had substantial fights with most of the girls on the wing, stabbed someone in the eye with a pin, and even tried to escape after spraying a guard with mace. Dannielle says Natalie is her dream role and loves playing her because she can vent all her anger through her. Dannielle has currently starred in two series of the show and is set to start in her third in 2006. » More about Natalie Buxton and Bad Girls here

Dannielle and Eran Creevy 2004 brought many new things for Dannielle, a new permanent role on a highly rated tv show, a new boyfriend, and even an appearance in a music video! Not her own though. Dannielle has close friends in a band called, The Baytown Crew and while on vacation in Barbados, May 2004 – Dannielle made a guest appearance in their video, Homeland. While on the set, Dannielle fell in love with none other than the music videos director, Eran Creevy. The two have been dating for a little over a year and a half (November 2005) and have been photographed on numerous holidays out in the Caribbean. Dannielle says she is very in love with him and would like to get married one day in the future.

Dannielle October 2005Dannielle is currently setting up her own production company – there is no official word yet on what type of things Dannielle would like to produce but she has mentioned that she has written a few plays with her boyfriend Eran – who is also setting up a production company. I wish her all the success in the world with that.

Name Danielle Brent Height 5' 3″ Naionality British Date of Birth 19 September 1979 Place of Birth Rush Green, Essex in England Famous for

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