#also I fucking hope they are not going to all the same venues dan went to for wad if they are touring bc I was looking at the system for

[dnpbeats]

im actually SO confident that whatever the secret project is being announced on the 28th.. going off their track history they’re gonna announce it on a friday and the 21st (this fri) is too soon bcs they haven’t teased ENOUGH and the 5th isn’t a good date to release stuff on in general bcs it’s the day when the uk general election results r coming out and obviously the day after Independence Day so most Independence Day activities r gonna happen on that friday night. I think that after that week it’s almost TOO far away, like if they’re teasing it now then I don’t think they’ll reveal it in a months time, especially bcs of the rsvp thing I think it has to be relatively SOON. so i think that announcement on the 28th and then tickets r released on the Tuesday the 2nd so that there’s a 4 day gap inbetween the two which is what they did with ii

anon I’m gonna be so real everything you just said sounds so stressful to me 💀😭 a week and a half more of waiting, only 4 days warning for tickets… I’d be a mess lol. But I think you’re right that anything past the 28th is too late

if they’re going off the laylo “blueprint” they recommend to their users for teasing/dropping stuff we’re gonna get the announcement any day now, but that’s not to say d&p are following that so who knows 😭😭😭

[feverinfeveroutfic]

chapter fourteen: dead witches and apocalyptic cities

"young and free, something you'll never be. a childhood's end it's lunacy. pure dictation, they don't listen: and you're just waiting for what you're missing!" -"a.i.r.", anthrax

The next date following was up in Hartford, followed by the home crowd in New York City. While it had been mostly sunny and with a marine layer on top of that as well, the bunch of them were met with a bit of clouds: Sam thought back to all the times the monsoon flow rolled into the Southwest and into Nevada during the summer. A few small gray clouds against a blue sky and within time, they would be met with a full on roll of thunderstorms, even as she looked up to the sky and the golden sun as it hung over the outskirts of New York. She turned her head and looked on at the low running skyline upon Long Island; in the van ahead of Dan's car was Scott, Frank, and Charlie and the rest of Anthrax's gear. Up ahead of them stood the massive Twin Towers, strong and high against the soft blue sky.

Sam peered into the rear view mirror at Testament's van. The night before in Hartford, they had had a better show but she knew that Alex still had trouble with his amp. He sounded better and he was able to perform a solo on “Burnt Offerings” especially, and yet there was something unique about that feedback solo in Boston. Something unique and powerful even if the crowd hated it. Chuck sounded extra excellent as well: his voice was big and clear, and he even let out the loudest shriek during “Over the Wall.”

“Let me see the horns on you all,” he had hollered out into the audience as Alex bowed his head and let his fingers do the talking. “Let me see you! Let me hear you!”

Louie had tied his hair back behind his head so he could focus more on the drums; Sam thought about what he had said to her the night before in the hotel bed. He had gotten into an affair with Zelda, and yet he broke up with her and yet they still seemed to have feelings for each other. None of it made any sense whatsoever.

Sam nudged her sunglasses up the bridge of her nose and then she looked over at Dan in the driver's seat.

“I still have yet to listen to music on your record player,” she confessed to him.

“Oh, yeah! That's right.” He snapped his fingers upon saying that.

“Well,” Joey started from the back seat right behind her, “we've got a day off in between dates so we all can chill out together here in the City.”

“Have a big ol' party with Overkill, too,” Dan added, “the bunch of us with Testament and with Overkill and Danny Lilker, too.”

“The return of the Dans!” Sam laughed, and the two of them laughed with her.

The road merged with the main artery of freeway into the northeastern side of town. The van in front of them took to the lane to the right and they rolled up closer to them, but they never passed them.

“Don't like lingering back in the blind spot like that,” Dan confessed as he backed off a little bit to let the van get ahead. He drummed his fingers on the rim of the steering wheel and he peered over shoulder out Joey's window. “Alright, so—no one behind us—okay—”

He backed off a bit more and then he merged to behind the van.

“D'you see where Testament went?” he asked Sam.

“I bought them coffee and then I boogied back to your car—but Eric didn't tell me when they were leaving, though. Hope they'll show up soon enough.”

“Same here—I haven't seen them behind us yet.”

“Maybe they're in front of us?” she suggested.

“Nah, we would've seen them at some point.”

“We did get gas, though,” Joey pointed out.

“That's true,” Dan agreed with him, “but then again—we would've seen them at some point even there.”

The van ahead of them took to the left lane and then Dan followed suit.

“What're they doing?” Sam wondered aloud.

“This is a quicker way to the hotel and the venue,” he explained, “at least that's my memory of it. We've been out this way a few times before.”

Indeed, that lane of the freeway merged away into the eastern side of the City, a part that she wasn't too familiar with. It was just like the first few days she was there in New York, in which every street felt like a new adventure, even with the way in which everyone on the West Coast seemed to look at that city. New to her and yet some parts of it seemed so familiar at the same time.

“Wait a minute, is this the Bronx?” she asked him at one point.

“Yeah. The Bronx from a different angle, mind you. And we're gonna go right into Manhattan here—the other side of Central Park—I think that's according to Charlie.”

Indeed, they kept on into the heart of Manhattan and all the way around the southern end of Central Park. Their hotel sat near the edge of the park there, down the block from the Museum of Natural History; and Dan said they were within walking distance of the theater.

“This theater rules,” he explained to her as they gathered around the elevator doors up to their rooms. Joey lingered next to her with his sunglasses still rested upon his face. “It's big and yet it's also cozy at the same time. It's like perfect for three bands like us—everything in there sounds good.”

Charlie sauntered up next to them with his overnight bag slung over his shoulder.

“Marla's here,” he said in a low voice.

“Marla's here!” Sam echoed. “Where?”

“Right outside—”

The elevator doors slid open and they were face to face with Chuck and Louie. Joey looked over his sunglasses and raised a single eyebrow at them; Louie leaned his back to the wall.

“Hey, you two,” Scott greeted them with a grin on his face, but Sam backed away from there so she could meet up with Marla on the sidewalk outside. She pushed open the door and the Cherry Suicides had pulled up to the curb behind Dan's car in a dark red sedan. Marla strolled up to her with those mirrored sunglasses on: she had recolored her hair into a straight rich apple red with a slight pink highlight all about the crown of her head.

“Miss Taylor!” Zelda called out from the back seat of the car.

“Marla!” Sam declared, and she embraced her right there on the sidewalk.

“I found a place, by the way,” Marla told her, to which Sam gasped, and she threw her arms around her again. “It's in Hell's Kitchen, too. It's a cute little apartment right near the harbor's edge—like it's about a block from the harbor—they allow pets so Genie will be nice and comfy there. The rent is a little high, though, about six hundred a month, but our grants'll cover it, though. There is just one teeny little drawback.”

“What's that?”

“There's only one bedroom.”

“We can have bunk beds maybe?” Sam suggested.

“Bunk beds like at the villa for Kirk and Rebecca's wedding?” Marla chuckled. “But if and when you get a chance, we should check it out together and then we can start the move in there. Bel offered to help us out, too.”

“Did you see Testament's van?” Sam asked her. “'Cause we didn't the whole entire drive over here from Hartford.”

“Yeah, they parked around the corner here,” Marla gestured up the street right behind her. Rosita climbed out with the top hat upon her head and a red velvet corset wrapped about her body. Two women walked past them with glares on their faces, glares pointed right at the Cherry Suicides bass player. Another woman walked by with the sign of the cross pointed at them; she kept on walking towards the corner behind them, right up towards Testament's van.

“Yeah, that's right—a band called Testament is the devil's music,” Minerva laughed at that, and then she rolled her eyes.

“You guys need any help?” Sam offered.

“Nah—but we are gonna have to boogie on down the block here in about an hour, though,” Zelda explained as she hoisted her overnight bag over her shoulder. “Let's get on up—second floor, fourth door on the... right, I think?”

Sam and Marla led the way inside towards the elevator, and Zelda kept on walking towards the front desk for the room key. They stood there together with their arms tucked behind their backs as if they awaited for their dates.

“So who you bunking with tonight?” Marla asked her in a low voice.

“Maybe with the four of them,” Sam replied, “Zelda'll tell me. I'm just hanging with the bands because I'm still technically with the label.”

“The label's being bought out, isn't it?”

“Yeah. So I'm being shuffled around like this. I kinda want my own room, though.”

“You know, I was thinking about that when I was coming home from Boston the other day. Like, 'why can't Sam get her own room?' You know a part of the label, unless it really is that fucked up and broke now that they had to get bought out.”

Sam felt a tap on her shoulder, and there was Zelda right next to her with a white hotel key right in between her fingers as if it was her business card.

“Bunkin' with us,” she declared.

“Oh, boy!” Sam said as she took the key. The six of them huddled together inside of the elevator and they made their way upstairs to the room in question.

There were two beds, which meant one of them had to bunk on the floor on the blow up mattress. Sam took her seat on the edge of the bed and looked out the window on the other side of the room. She was so close to her home and yet she still stayed there in a strange hotel room. Rosita adjusted the top hat upon her head: Sam thought back to that evening in the restaurant when Cliff was alive, where she and Lars danced together.

Her acrylic nails shone under the soft morning light.

There was a thump in the room next door and Sam turned her to the wall there. Marla, who stood right behind her, raised an eyebrow at it.

“The boys are already getting riled up for the night,” Rosita remarked. “It's not even eight o'clock, either.”

“I know, right?” Sam had a sinking feeling inside of her chest. She hoped it was nothing more than something that moved in the room next over, but then again, she hoped that Anthrax and Testament had taken to the rooms down the hall rather than next door. Zelda stepped back into the room and peeled off her top, and revealed her little scarlet bra.

“So quick, Zelda,” Marla stated with a straight face.

“Wouldn't it just be something if this was all I wore for tonight?” she asked them.

“Oh, yeah, for real,” Sam remarked with a nod.

“I could put a little bandana around my head, too,” Zelda added, “I'd be like Rosie the Riveter.” She stopped in her tracks, and she turned to Rosita. “You should be Rosie the Riveter.”

“Ha! I ain't givin' up this hat, though.” She lifted the brim of the hat and raised her eyebrows a bit.

“By the way, Anthrax and Testament are across the hall from each other—about three doors down from us.”

Sam and Rosita then looked at one another, and they sighed one of relief.

“There is a bar downstairs by the way,” Zelda told her, to which Sam shook her head.

“Son of a bitch,” she muttered to herself, and then she lifted her gaze back up to her. “Want me to go see how they're all doing?”

“Might as well. Like I said, we've gotta be down there soon.”

Zelda tugged down on her shorts and Sam spotted a mark right on her hip bone.

“What's that?”

“What, this?” Zelda pointed to the mark. “It's a primitive makeshift tattoo. I'm thinking I'll get myself a real one some day.” Sam then stood to her feet and then she scurried down the hall towards Anthrax's room, where they kept the door wide open for the whole world to see inside there. She peeked in through the doorway for a look at the back of Charlie's head: he stood before the closet door with his hand rested upon the wall opposite. Scott's big Queens accent caught her ear, followed by Frank's soft voice. She had no idea if Joey or Dan was in there with them.

Their absence made the sinking feeling in her chest even worse.

She then turned her head to the room across the hall: their door hung wide open as well, and Alex sat there right within the line of her sight, right there in his underwear. She peered around to make sure no one else was around her. But he sat there with his back to the wall and he crossed his legs so as to cradle his guitar. He paid more attention to his picking than he did Sam: she noticed he sat there in his little shorts and his tall white socks, even though the window stood wide open to let in the cool air from the impending thunderstorm. He had brushed his black hair back a bit so it spread over the top of his head: the black curls looked a bit more frizzy from the morning light.

But she thought about Joey and Dan, and if they had gone downstairs at all. And yet they had to leave soon.

The Cherry Suicides made their way down the block first with their instruments on their backs, towards the Beacon Theater, and they took the back door in first.

They were met with another series of dressing rooms, but Sam and Marla had to help set up Zelda's drum kit first.

“Three years as a band and we still don't have a proper crew,” she said as she erected her high hat cymbal.

“Three years as a band and you still don't have a record deal yet,” Sam added as she put up her tom tom drums.

“Fingers and toes are crossed, though,” Zelda assured her; Marla set the stool down right in the middle of the kit, and then they doubled back to the dressing room. Joey and Dan still hadn't showed up to the theater yet.

And they still hadn't showed up even after lunch and during the course of the afternoon when the doors opened. Sam figured that Joey was alright and he and Dan had just done something together with each other in the bar in the hotel. But it was easy to worry. She need not worry about him, especially since he was with Dan and not someone else, but it was easy to fall into that trap, especially after the fact they were right across the hall from Testament. She wished for Joey to use his head and not drink too much that he could hardly sing that evening.

She peered out to the audience as some people gathered near the edge of the pit, even though there was no way he would be out there. She needed to let him go, to let him live his own life, but it was hard to not worry about him, especially since she vowed to be a better friend to him.

“Bel!” Marla called out from the side of the stage. Sam turned her attention to the other side of the floor, where Marla had ducked away into the other corridor over there. Sam doubled back and she made her way all the around to meet up with Marla and Belinda.

And then she tripped, and just like at the Stormtroopers of Death show, it was upon a series of cables. But that time she caught herself and kicked them off in one fell swoop. She kept on going towards Marla and Belinda, the latter of whom wore all black for the show that night: her blouse was cropped a little bit to reveal a silver and topaz belly button piercing.

“Ooh, hot,” Sam proclaimed.

“Just got it,” Belinda said with a lift of her blouse to better show it off. “Still a little sore, but not too much, though.”

“Sam needs a little something to make her stand out a bit more,” Marla pointed out with a nod of her head. “'Cause I got the dyed hair and Bel's got a thing in her belly—we gotta be true vixens.”

Sam hesitated for a second, and then she lifted the hem of her blouse and showed off nothing more than her bra.

“Does lingerie count?” she asked them.

“Hell yeah,” Belinda said with a toss of her blonde hair.

“Appropriate for the Cherry Suicides, especially.” Sam slung her blouse over her shoulder.

Joey and Dan still hadn't showed up by the time more and more people congregated out in the audience. Soon, Zelda and Rosita filed out of their dressing room first, followed by Minerva and Morgan. Sam, Marla, and Belinda huddled on the side of the stage, out of the audience's line of sight. The lights turned low and the four girls were surrounded by gold and red lights to bring a little more of that gory mood that they had been trying to hone in as of late.

It was a small audience but they made a lot more noise in comparison to Hartford and even Boston. Zelda held onto her bra straps as if they were suspenders for a second, and then she took her seat on the stool.

“Well, three years as a band and we're finally making some serious headway on it all,” Morgan bellowed into the microphone head over the noise of the crowd. “This is a brand new song to commemorate that serious sense of headway. Headway for a new found romance—a bit of love. Yeah, baby, this is a love song. It's called 'Dead Witch'!”

Rosita led the way in with a distorted bass. Morgan then yelped out and they launched forth like a gunshot. Her powerful voice soared strong and high into the theater: she was taking lessons from Chuck and Joey. Zelda stayed upright in a steady rhythm, but then they reached a bridge, and she picked it up to double time to keep up with Rosita's wandering bass, a line that sounded like that of an actual guitar.

Minerva then joined in with the first notes of a guitar solo.

“This is my sister Minerva!” Morgan yelled out, and people cheered. She launched into a guitar solo, something that they had never done before. Zelda started moving faster and faster on the drums. Rosita did, too.

“Get on it, girls!” Sam shouted as Zelda picked up the pace on her drums. She appeared to be doing a drum solo and yet she was also leading the way in the song. The beat with this song was constant and fast and even simple without a single drum roll, but every time she came to the end of a bar, she made a tight drum roll. Minerva kept going with the guitar solo, and Zelda picked it up with a splash cymbal after the drum roll.

Loud and hard, and powerful, just like the boys.

“This is like going into thrash territory,” Greg remarked right into Sam's ear; Minerva put her leg up onto her amp and perched her guitar atop her thigh. Rosita strode over to her and set the black top hat upon her head, complete with one hand on the bass neck.

“They are!” she exclaimed as Zelda picked up even more splashes on the cymbals. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. Sam looked over her shoulder at Louie and Charlie right behind her with their mouths agape.

“Holy shit,” Charlie said. “Girls just went thrash!” Minerva ran her hand up the neck of the guitar for a witchy shrieking sound.

“Minerva's been taking notes from Alex, I see,” Greg leaned in closer to Sam, and she nodded at him in excitement. But as far as she knew, she hadn't seen Minerva with Alex. As far as she knew anyway.

That song lasted seven minutes, and Zelda never even broke out a sweat. “Day of the Dead” was another jam session, which the crowd went insane over into the form of a full mosh pit. Sam thought about what Zelda said about Guns N' Roses, and their blowing the Rolling Stones off of the stage. She wondered if Anthrax and Testament could follow up after such a monolith of a short set. She was about to catch up with Zelda and Minerva, but she recognized those black curls right behind him. He had put on nothing more than a pair of baggy black shorts and some Chuck Taylors.

“Hey!” she greeted him, and he raised his eyebrows at her.

“Hey!” Joey echoed her. His eyes were clear. He hadn't been drinking. She almost threw her arms around him, but then Scott called his name.

“I'll see you in a little bit,” he whispered to her, and he disappeared into their dressing room.

Testament then took to the stage, as the audience was still loud with the cheers for the girls. Sam returned to Marla and Belinda on the side there.

“Man alive, those girls gave us a kick in the ass,” Chuck declared into the microphone. “Anthrax and the five of us are gonna have some pretty big shoes to fill right here.”

Alex crouched down to his pedal board and he adjusted a couple of dials. He then leaned back and tapped on his guitar strings for a bit of distortion and some feedback. Sam looked over at Louie and his tossing his hair back from his head so it sprawled over his shoulders. And yet, despite everything that happened to the right of her, the audience before her had been riled up by those four girls there. She could feel their movement in her chest, in her bones, and right underneath her feet.

“This first song is so appropriate,” Chuck declared into his microphone, “for our time here in New York City. Written by—our little man over here—” He gestured over to Alex, who gave his hair a slight toss back: the black hair dye had faded a bit more so his gray streak shone under the flood lights on the far side of the room. Even when he turned the other way, Sam made out the sight of that little pearl of a stripe. “—the amazing Alex Skolnick. Only eighteen years old, fresh out of high school. This song is called 'Apocalyptic City'! Get on up!” he said that last part with a low guttural growl.

Eric took a step forward and he bowed his head. He led the way in there, and then Greg and Louie followed. Alex sounded much louder, and quite the comeback in comparison to that malfunction in Boston.

Chuck's voice sounded much more clear and much stronger than before. What an appropriate name of a song for playing in the big city!

The lights caressed over the crowns of their heads: Sam wished for a few red ones to add to the mood.

Alex reached the solo and, much like Minerva, he went off in a five minute tangent, complete with Louie thrashing forth on the drums. It was as if they were all bouncing off of each other. Through the back door on the other side of the curtain, Sam spotted a bright white flash outside.

The thunderstorm! Alex made it rain and thunder!

Five songs later, and Anthrax took to the stage. Even over the roar of the crowd, Sam heard the rain on the roof overhead.

“That was nuts,” Joey declared into his microphone head; he adjusted the brim of a black ball cap upon his head. “Really, those ladies are nuts. Nuts in a damn good way!” He turned his head and Sam saw the word “INJUN” inscribed on the inside of the bill.

“Nuts are tasty,” Scott added into his microphone.

“Nuts are tasty as all of us here in the City'll say,” Joey continued, and a few people in the audience laughed at that. “Nuts in a bit of red. Red on the adolescents. Adolescents in red! A.I.R.!”

They launched forth with the grinding guitar sound and the thundering drums, thundering alongside the feeling of the thunderstorm outside. Joey's voice filled out the room in its high operatic manner, and Sam's heart soared at the sound.

At one point, Dan stood there by the edge of the stage with his foot hovered right over what appeared to be an iron right upon the floor. It was like Minerva and Alex's solos combined, and the white, gold, and red lights all around him only accentuated the grinding sound that resembled to a saw blade. The thunder outside behaved as the centerpiece.

Like hell on earth.

And yet Sam was glad to be a part of it.

Anthrax played a full set, one of ten songs, and complete with Joey running about the stage with that crown of feathers upon his head during that song “Indians”. But it almost felt as though they played long into the night by the time they closed out with that closer from Spreading the Disease, “Gung Ho!”

Before midnight, they retreated back to their dressing rooms, and Sam spotted Alex down on the floor outside of their door.

“Hey, are you alright?” Marla spotted him as well, and he shook his head.

“I don't get it,” he confessed once they came within earshot. He knitted his eyebrows together and he bowed his head as if he had been shamed.

“Don't get what?” Marla asked him.

“They all loved Danny,” he said, “and they all thought I sucked. I suck at this.”

“Hey, now, you rocked!” Belinda proclaimed.

“They loved Danny and they loved Minerva—didn't bat a lash for me.” Marla then stooped down closer to his face.

“He'll never be you,” she whispered to him; Alex stared on at her, still with that wounded look on his face. “Listen to me, Alex—he will never—ever—be you.”

Sam and Zelda crouched down next to her so as to join in.

“He'll never have your sense of the guitar,” Belinda continued, even though Sam knew she was grasping at straws.

“He'll never have that sexy little plume of gray atop your head,” Zelda pointed out from behind them, and Alex frowned and hunched his shoulders at that. She sighed through her nose when she realized that she had hit a nerve there with that.

“But he'll never be you, though,” Sam assured him. “Never! He could never be Alex—” She stopped, and he lowered his gaze to the floor underneath him. “—Alexander—Alexander Skolnick.”

“Well, we have a day off between dates, though,” Zelda added, still from behind them. “Time to relax and regather your bearings for a day, Alex.”

“Yeah, and a full day before I join the boys on another tour stop,” Sam pointed out as they gathered together.

“We are right down the street from the museum, too,” Marla pointed out.

“Never been there,” Sam added.

“It's Saturday, though,” Belinda then said.

“Damn it.”

“Some ice cream and a snack then?”

“For tonight or tomorrow?” Marla asked Belinda.

“Tomorrow. We can bring the little man here with us to kinda lift his spirits, too.”

“Not us, though,” Eric said from behind them, and the three of them turned towards him and the guitar case over his shoulder, already packed to go.

“Where you guys going?” Sam asked him.

“We're going to a place called Eindhoven,” Eric replied, “a festival over in the Netherlands. But we're gonna be recording it for a live album, and then we're gonna come back here for the southern part of the States with our pals Overkill. Then we're gonna be in Nor-Cal with Megadeth, and then we go home.”

“Well—damn.” Sam thought about leaving the camp behind Anthrax to join Testament with their dates, and yet she couldn't. She couldn't leave Joey behind like that. “So we're not gonna see you guys for the rest of this tour with Anthrax?”

“We might come back for the Midwest dates,” he continued, “I'll have to ask Aurora about it because she's got all the info on that. But, until then—” He opened his arms for her and she moved in close to him. It would be the last time she would see them for a while and thus her embrace with him didn't feel so long.

“We've got a flight to catch,” he explained as he embraced Marla and Belinda as well. “C'mon, Alex.”

Alex stood up and then he leaned over closer to Sam, with his expression still serious.

“Middle name's Nathan,” he quipped in a low voice, “just—throwing that out there by the way.”

She nodded at him.

“Okay. I'll remember that.”

His face never changed expression as he followed after Eric. There was so much to him that she still didn't understand, and it would have to take something so intense for a better insight into him. Something far more intense than the music itself.

[drethanramslay]

Hand that you hold

Pairing: Kamilah x MC (Dakota Rivers)

Summary: Marriage is a beautiful union of two souls. When two people whose soul's sing for each other, it's then you know that that person is worth keeping around.

Word count: 3.4 K words

Warning: NONE. Its pretty much fluff and a bit of swearing

Masterlist

Taglist: @miyakokurono @trappedinfandoms @vampiregirlsblog (lemme know if you want to be tagged)

Song: Hand that you hold by Dan Owen

Forgive me for any mistakes 🥺

"I swear on my fangs Justin, if there is even a decoration out of place, it's your ass on the line." Dakota spoke into the phone with a cool voice. Lindsay was going around her like a mother hen, making the final alterations to her wedding dress.

Today was the day and things were already going berserk.

"Ummm I don't know what are you talking about...?" Justin Mercado spoke, with a tremble in his voice.

"Oh really? So whose employee was the one who flipped a fucking table in her blind rage, hmm? And I had asked you to leave the cobblestone path alone, but some dumbass on your team went ahead and put roses. ROSES?! That's so damn cliche and I specifically asked for non cliche and unique things. What had I asked for?"

"Non cliche and unique. We are already cleaning that up." Justin audibly gulped.

"When I had last come down, the fairy lights were not up and the podium where I am supposed to get married, does not have the flower arch up yet?! It's six in the fucking evening, the moment the sun sets people are going to start coming. The greenhouse doesn't have the floating lights yet. Just because we are supernaturals and have heightened senses doesn't mean we to drink and socialize in the dark!!"

"Yes ma'am we are almo-" Justin began but Dakota cut her off.

"When I asked for your services, I was promised the best. The only thing I am getting best is problems.... and an amazing wedding dress."

Lindsay blushed as she looked down at her feet. Dakota gave her a small encouraging smile.

"Ma'am that was a...a honest mistake. The decorations are all set, the tables have the pastel flower basket centre pieces. The food caterer reached and have started plating the appetizers. The bar is open and well stocked with blood and alcohol. We are good to go for your first guest."

"Good. I want this day to be perfect for my wife. For the love of the moon, if anything else goes wrong, I will skin your hide and make a carpet out if it. Got it?" Dakota threatened him. She hung up the phone and Lily snickered in the background.

"God Dakota you are such a bridezilla." Dakota just sighed, "I just...want it to be perfect. Agreed it's a small and intimate ceremony but still."

"It's gonna be lit af. The talk of the century. So don't worry. You just worry on sitting still and looking pretty." Lily said as she went into the adjacent bathroom to change.

Dakota sighed, for what seemed as the millionth time, as she turned towards the mirror to see herself. The person in the reflection had the same grey eyes and pale skin. But, she looked gorgeous. Almost like a different person.

She had decided to throw the traditional white wedding dress out of the window and went for something more unique, just like their love. She had opted for a baby blue wedding dress with layers of chiffon, making it look like ballroom gown. It was sleeveless but the neck of the gown extended till her midriff.

God Kami is going to lose her mind... Dakota thought, smiling slyly.

There were pastel colour flowers embroidered into the net like material which made her look like a blossoming flower. Just like after a long harsh winter, spring comes, causing the flowers to bloom, similarly, after three grueling years of fighting off the bad guys and loosing so many people, they finally have happiness and peace.

And there is no other way she would like to commemorate this happy occasion.

Her blonde hair had been tied into a low bun, stubborn strands of hair escaping it. Lindsay helped her put on the blue stone 'ridiculous' tiara, which Kamilah had bought her after the harrowing fiasco.

Dakota smiled to herself as she wore it, reminiscing the day in the empty jewelry store. "I'm such a pretty, pretty princess, dammit." Dakota spoke, from her memory.

"Yes that you are, Ms. Rivers. I must say that you are one of the most prettiest brides I have ever seen. The henna tattoos on your hands are just making you look so unique...IN A GOOD WAY." Lindsay spoke, as she flushed.

Dakota looked down at the henna designs on her hand. She wanted to respect Kamilah's Egyptian heritage so they both got henna tattoos on their hands just two days before the marriage. As they got them done, they laughed and swapped stories.

It was such a pleasant experience.

"Thank you so much Lindsay, this wedding dress is just perfect. Wouldn't have been possible without your hard work." Dakota said earnestly as she squeezed her hands, as a sign of gratitude.

Lindsay flushed and dipped her head and walked out of the dressing room. Dakota sat down near the large mirror and checked her make up. She was just finishing up her touch ups when Lily stepped out of the bathroom in a black suit. She was wearing formal trousers and a blazer, which showed the valley of her breasts. She had paired this with a golden pendant, which went till her midriff. She finished of her look with a pair of black stilettos.

"Damn Lily, you looking hot." Dakota told her.

Lily smiled and she walked to the mirror and placed her hands on Dakota's shoulder. "You are looking so gorgeous.... I am so, so happy for you. You deserve all the happiness in the world."

Dakota reached and held her best friends hand, unable to say anything because of the intense emotions she was feeling.

"I just wish Jax was here..." Dakota said as tears pooled on the corner of her eyes.

Lily sighed. "I bet he has got first row seats to this function. Being the boomer he is, he would end up coming an hour earlier than the starting time!!"

Both of them laughed out loud, making the sad atmosphere, a little lighter.

"C'mon girl. Let's gets you on the podium so that you can watch your sexy wife walk down the aisle."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Justin had not screwed up.

Which was a huge relief.

Kamilah and Dakota had decided that they would have the ceremony in a private garden. Nothing to big. Dakota had made several mood boards about the way she wanted to decorate the garden and the adjacent greenhouse.

The greenhouse would be the place where food, drinks and the reception would be held.

The greenhouse was like a magical place of its own. It was a mix of glass and wood which complemented each other perfectly. Green vines hung from the roof, over the tables. The hanging lights amidst them made it look enchanted. The tables were covered with simple white tablecloths but the center pieces along with the tealight candles, really made the entire venue colorful.

The party favours had been placed on each chair. Kamilah decided to order baklava and give it out as party favours. Dakota hundred percent agreed because she may or may not have had a box or two of those sweet, sinful delights.

Everything looked perfect.

The guests were already present when she came down to the greenhouse. They were laughing, drinking and mingling. When she entered the place everyone stopped their conversation and turned to look at her. Even though she was one of the most powerful vampires of their time, the person who slayed Rheya, the goddess, she still felt so awkward when everyone's eyes were on her.

Dakota shyly waved before speaking, "Hey guys! Thank you so much for coming. The appetizers are being distributed and the bar is open. We will be starting the ceremony in half an hour."

Nikhil was the first one to come up to her. "Ah Miss Dakota! You look as ethereal as a fairy. I'm in awe."

"Thank you so much for your kind words Nikhil. I must thank you for helping in finding the venue."

"It was my utmost pleasure Miss. Go on, greet your other guests. If you need any help, I am at your beck and call."

Smiling Dakota headed to meet the other vamps. Serafine had donned a beautiful evening gown. Adrian was standing there with a drink in his hand, wearing a black tux. When she reached them, they stopped their conversation and turned to greet her.

"Hey Sera! Hey Senator Adrian." Dakota said with a teasing smile. Adrian groaned while Serafine let out an elegant laugh. "Oh my love, you look so gorgeous. Kamilah is indeed a lucky woman to have met you." Serafine said as she hugged Dakota, and kissed her cheeks.

"Thank you for coming. I know you were busy with the opening of your nightclub." Serafine just waved her hand. "Ah those things come and go. But seeing Kamilah settle down, never. Couldn't miss it for the life of it."

"Kamilah was saying that you managed most of the decorations. Must say that they look beautiful." Adrian complemented her. "Thank you Adrian. Can't say it was easy. I may or may not have threatened four people today." They laughed and Adrian checked the time in his watch.

"Gotta go and check on Kamilah. I hope she doesn't have a breakdown. It wasn't fun the last time." Adrian grumbled as he gave Dakota a side hug.

Dakota then headed to the New Orleans gang who were laughing loudly. "Hey Cal, Krom, Ivy."

"EEEEE!! Thank you for inviting me. I may be dead but all these cute ceremonies almost make me feel alive." Ivy said as she hugged Dakota.

Krom groaned. "Can you go one day without the death jokes?"

"Over my dead body." Ivy shot back.

Krom just threw his huge hands up with defeat. "I can't win. I give up."

"Congrats Dakota! Still can't thank you enough for helping me escape from the weirdo's place." Cal said as he shook her hands.

"Cal... We sang karaoke together. I think we are past the 'thank you stage'."

"Oh. My. God. Cal you did karaoke?!" The petite girl with ombre hair beside him squealed. Cal started cursing under his breath. "Yeah babe. It was before we met."

"Can you please send the video to me? Also how rude of me. I am Alex Reyez-Elrich." She extended her hand and Dakota shook it.

"Wait, are you the heir of lord Elrich? I have heard so much about you!! Shit, should I call you 'lady' or 'duchess'?"

Alex let out a laugh. "Don't worry Dakota. Lady is the title they use for my step mom. And, I could say the same about you!! I can feel the power in your veins. And I have read about how you revolutionized the entire vampire- human coexistence. I'm impressed."

"Thank you for coming. By the way, where is Garrus?"

"Behind the bar obvio. You can talk to him later. It's time." Ivy said as she took a sip of her whiskey on rocks.

It's time for my wedding. Dakota smiled at that thought.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Kamilah if you continue pacing around the room I swear I will put your ass on the ground." Adrian groaned.

"You wouldn't stand a chance against me." Kamilah shot back.

Kamilah sighed as she sat down near the dressing table, staring at her reflection. She had decided to wear a suit instead of the usual gown. It was porcelain white, and it fit her perfectly. There were occasional patches of embroidery on the blazer which made it look so elegant. Her hair had been left open, looking glossy underneath the yellow tinted lights. Her lips were painted red and she had put minimal make up. She was wearing her brother's pendant. She reached to touch it, wishing that he was watching over her from heaven.

Henna tattoos designed her hands and she smiled looking down at them. She would have been happy even if they got married in a courthouse, but she appreciated the gesture. Dakota was so incessant to follow the ritual and she just couldn't say no to that beautiful face.

Letting out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, she wore the white stilettos and stood up.

"Last chance to escape. Tell me and I will be your getaway driver." Adrian teased.

"Shut up Raines. It's not helping."

Adrian laughed before he clasped her shoulder. "Kamilah you deserve a happy ending. Dakota is perfect for you and I can see how much she loves you. You don't have to doubt her or her love for you."

"I'm just so nervous.." Kamilah wiped her palms on her trouser pants.

"And that's totally normal. I remember when I married my wife, I was so scared that I jumbled up the vows!!" Adrian laughed.

"If this is your way of comforting me, please shut up at this instant." Kamilah said as she picked up her bouquet of wild flowers, tied with a blue ribbon.

He offered his arm to her and Kamilah grabbed it and walked out.

"Thank you brother...for everything."

Adrian smiled and squeezed her arm. "Let's go and get you a wife."

I'm getting married to the love of my life, my habibti. Kamilah thought as a beautiful smile stretched on her face.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Fuck." Dakota breathed out as she saw the fairy lights darken again. "Goddammit! Justin get your ass right her-"

Dakota was cut off as Alex tapped her shoulder, in the dark.

"Dakota, if you don't mind... I can help with your light setting. I don't see it getting better anytime soon."

"Thank you so much Alex. I owe you a bottle of wine after this."

"Mention not." Alex whispered under her breath and rubbed her fingers together and snapped. A ball of yellow light started growing on her palm. It kept on growing until it was the size of a basket ball. Dakota was in awe.

Alex threw her hands up into the air and clapped, resulting in the giant glowing ball to rise in the air and split into its smaller counterparts. Alex waved her hands and the the small light balls spread all over the garden and gazebo, illuminating it in a soft yellow light.

"Yeah that should do it." Alex said as she winked at Dakota.

"Damn girl..." Lily breathed out before regaining her composure and clapping to get the attention of the guests.

"Hey people! Please sit your asses down, we have to get my girl married on time." People took their places and Dakota climbed up the steps of the gazebo.

The cobblestone path led to the gazebo. There were white chairs on either side of it which were slowly being filled by the guests. The gazebo had a teal blue roof which was supported by the white wooden pillars. There were intricate designs on the railing. The entrance of the gazebo had a beautiful flower arch, decorated with pink and white wildflowers.

Everything finally came together.

The Wedding March played and Dakota stood straighter, clutching her bouquet of flowers, to hide how her hands were trembling. She was so nervous. Her heart was racing and she could feel sweat on the back of her neck. She let out a breath, to dissipate her nervousness.

Her eyes landed on the aisle and when she saw Kamilah, all the breath in her body vanished.

Kamilah was walking with her head held high. She was clutching the bouquet and held Adrian's arm. She looked at the gazebo and she was in a trans.

It wasn't Adrian who was holding her, but the grey eyes that tethered her to this world. Reminding her that this was real. She felt like she was floating in a sea of euphoria, but the woman in front of her anchored her. Even if a nuclear missile were to fall out if the sky, or a unicorn was to show up here, she still wouldn't be able to take her eyes off Dakota.

Her love. Her baby. Her habibti.

It was the same thing for Dakota. Time seemed to slow down, people began to vanish until it was just Kamilah and her. Tears welled up in her eyes, by the sheer beauty of this moment. She knew, that this would be the one moment she would never ever forget till the end of time. How her Kami walked down the aisle to her.

Her soulmate. Her rock. Her Queen.

Adrian handed Kamilah to Dakota and patted her shoulder. "Take care of my sister Dakota. Congratulations." Dakota dipped her head. Kamilah reached the podium, and Dakota could see tears pooling in Kamilah's eyes. "Why are you crying?" Dakota joked through her tears.

"The same reason you are habibti." Kamilah answered, with a bright smile that illuminated the entire room. Dakota giggled and reached for Kamilah's hand. They held hands and turned towards the priest.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here this evening to witness the beautiful union of these women in holy matrimony. Please sit down." The priest said and the guests sat down.

"If you have your vows written, please tell them."

Dakota turned towards Kamilah and started saying her vows. "Kamilah, before you my life was empty. I never really cared about love, but now, here I am, with you. I see these vows not as promises but as privileges: I get to laugh with you and cry with you, care for you and share with you. I get to run with you and walk with you, build with you, and live with you.

"I’ve seen your kindness and your strength. I’ve seen you patient and frayed. We have been through everything. Through thick and thin. And I know, what a great team we make. Together we are so strong and exquisite."

"You are my favorite person, and I choose you to be my partner in all of eternity. I vow to take you as my wife. Let's be awesome together, even when the world isn't so awesome at times. My heart is yours. Forevermore."

Kamilah took a deep breath, as tears of joy rolled down her face. Smiling, she began her vows. "Love...was something that I never understood. It was a question unanswered. Though I have been with different men and women, deep down I knew, that it was not love. I didn't fall in love with you. I walked into love with you, with my eyes wide open, choosing to take every step along the way."

"I want nothing more than to share my future with you—my triumphs and my challenges, my joys and my sorrows. Together, I know we can accomplish the life we both dream of living. You are beautiful inside and out. You warm my heart and make me soar. You are my queen, and now my forever best friend."

"You are my first, my last, my everything. You are mine until the end of time, and I am yours for as long as you'll have me."

Dakota was crying. Her heart was bursting with overwhelming love for the Egyptian grace in front of her.

Lula, the ring bearer got the rings. Kamilah slipped the elegant diamond ring on to Dakota's ring finger. Dakota slipped a dainty platinum ring with diamonds on it into Kamilah's ring finger.

The priest continued. " If anyone objects this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Dakota gave a hard glare to the guests, daring someone to say something. The power emanating from her veins was so strong, that Kamilah's eyes widened and the priest shivered. The guests looked as if they were going to suffocate.

Silence.

Dakota rolled in the power, reducing the intensity so that the priest could speak without wetting his pants.

"Do you, Kamilah Sayeed take Dakota Rivers as your wife?"

"I do."

"Do you, Dakota Rivers take Kamilah Sayeed to be your wife?"

"I super do."

"With the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may seal this union with a kiss."

Kamilah bent down and kissed Dakota chastely. Dakota wrapped her hands around Kamilah's waist and hugged her. It felt as if fireworks were going off in her heart and the feeling of her wife, in her arms was such an amazing feeling.

My wife...never going to get old of that. Kamilah though as she kissed Dakota under the starry night, a promise that she was going to stand by her wife’s side forever and always.

I think my heart melted. UWU

lowkey sad that bloodbound ended but hey! we got to marry her :))

like, reblog and let me know how you liked the one shot :))

[nekojitachan]

How to Steal a Million pt2

So, here’s another part of this story, no clue how many more (at least a few?). More Foxes appear! Yay!

Uhm, lots of bantering, very mild violence, some swearing, think that’s about it? Oh, and obvious some dubious life choices/actions here.

*******

*******          

“I mean, can you believe it?” Neil asked as he tugged on his bangs while seated on a stack of new tires in the middle of Matt’s garage while his friend worked on the Ferrari. “He keeps cackling about the damn postcards and ticket revenue and… and he’s insane!”

“Uhm, you know that those are your genes, right?” Matt’s deep voice drifted out from underneath the sports car, followed by a yelp when Neil gave his right calf a kick. “Hey! Not funny,” he complained as he scooted out from beneath the car, frowning face smeared with grease in a couple of spots and ridiculous hair covered by a bright orange bandana (also smeared with grease).

“Huh, I was thinking much the same thing,” Neil muttered as he glared at his friend. “You’re supposed to be commiserating with me, not insulting me!”

“Okay.” Matt took a deep breath as he sat up on the floor dolly thing and dabbed at the mess on his left cheek. “You’re upset that Stuart isn’t selling one of his fakes for once? I don’t get it.”

“He’s basically parading around a fake in front of thousands of people!” Neil hissed as he waved his arms about, upset that Matt wasn’t following. “What if they realize it’s not the real thing?”

“But Stuart’s really good at what he does,” Matt argued as he looked about for something.

“He’s a forger and a thief.”

“Says the guy who showed up earlier with a stolen Ferrari – I don’t think you have the strongest argument here, Red.” When Neil’s glare went up a notch, Matt held up his hands in a placating manner. “Hey, not throwing any stones, but you can toss me the rachet wrench near your left foot – you know, the thing that makes the ‘rrrrch, rrrch’ sound when you turn it?”

“I know what a rachet wrench is by now,” Neil mumbled as he picked up the thing and tossed it (lightly) at his friend. “And I stole the damn car because I’ll most likely need the money for when Stuart and I flee the country in a rush sometime within the next week – which I shouldn’t have to explain myself to the person who’s currently modifying it so it can be sold to some crime lord with an ego problem.”

“Victor’s a decent guy for a crime lord, and I don’t want to hear any bitching from a Hatford,” Matt threw back at him. “’Oooh, look who’s slumming right now’,” he called out in a high-pitched voice as his head waggled from side to side. “’Let me break out the tea and crumpets and lots of sharp knives’.”

“You’re an ass,” Neil laughed as he got up to tug the bandanna down his friend’s face, as well as to muss up his gravity-defying hair; it was then that Dan, Matt’s girlfriend, walked in on them.

“What did I tell you?” she called out as Matt wrapped his damn gorilla arms around Neil’s hips. “If you’re finally going to make a move on the boy, wait until I’m here to join in.”

“Eh?” Neil blinked at that odd statement while Matt laughed and, after giving him a smack on the ass, pushed him away so he could stand up and go give Dan a kiss – carefully, since she was dressed for a ‘day’ of work, in a fitted pant suit that hid the holstered gun and various knives on her person, as befitted her job as a well-regarded bodyguard. “How was work?”

“Horrible. I was half-tempted to shoot the whiny bastard myself, no wonder his company’s paying people to keep him alive.” Dan rolled her eyes as she unbuttoned her jacket to reveal the white shirt beneath it (and the leather straps of her holster). “Just had to keep focusing on the paycheck.”

“That’s what I love about you, always thinking ahead,” Matt said as he placed a kiss on her forehead. “Should get a nice cut from this latest job, too. Then you can take a break from assholes for a while and work on your charity cases.”

“Yeah, Renee’s already got a couple names lined up for me.” A pleased smile lit up Dan’s face, wiping away the exhaustion and bitterness from before and highlighting a beauty she rarely enhanced with makeup. “Can’t wait for a nice vacation from the bastards.”

“Well, you do live with Matt,” Neil teased, and laughed when the tall freak attempted to kick back at him.

“Such a troublemaker,” Dan remarked as she came over to tousle his hair. “And did you bring this in? I thought you were more into cons with Allison and some B&E these days, not back to stealing cars.”

“He’s convinced that Stuart’s finally done something stupid enough to bring the police down on them,” Matt explained as he sat down on the dolly. “I’m not gonna complain since I get to work on this beauty, earn some money and get in Victor’s good books.”

At Dan’s curious look, Neil sighed. “He got it in his head to allow our copy, the fake copy, of the Cellini Venus to go on display at the Kleber-Lafayette Museum.”

“What?” Dan’s dark eyes went wide and she ran her hands over her dark brown, short curls in a sign of frustration. “There was a lot of activity around the museum today, them preparing for a big event that the asshole complained about having to miss because of some other commitment.”

“Yeah, they’re having a party tonight to kick off the collection, something like that.” Neil returned to the stack of tires and pulled his right knee to his chest as he thought about the whole mess. “Usually Stuart’s sensible about things,” he thought about that statement and sighed, “somewhat sensible, but all he’s babbling about now is postcards and cuts and other nonsense. I’m ready to throttle him.”

“Sorry, sweetie.” Dan gave a gentle stroke to his hair. “If you need to crash anywhere, you know you can stay with us.”

“Thanks.” He grimaced a little as he thought about the whole mess. “I hope he gets whatever this is out of his system without us getting into too much trouble. It’s gonna suck if we have to avoid Paris from now on.”

“I’m sure it won’t be that bad,” Dan assured him. “You always tend to think the worst, too.”

Maybe because he was used to things going pear-shaped on him? Though to be honest, usually his family or his friends came through for him in the end. “Yeah, well, I remember a few close calls like the Saini con-“

“Aw, but some people would give almost anything to spend half a night trapped beneath a desk with Allison!” Matt declared from beneath the Ferrari.

“-or the Friedrich incident,” Neil finished with a scowl.

“I still don’t know how you and Renee managed to hide all those knives on your bodies and not rattle when you walked,” Dan confessed with a wince.

“We were just grateful that you did,” Matt called out.

“Well, is it too much to hope that this exhibition will end without me being stuck in a small space or knives being involved?” Neil asked as he stared at Dan with a hopeful look, only to feel the emotion die when she gazed back with pity. “Fuck.”

“Sorry, sweetie, but knowing your uncle and your luck? Get out the whetstone and be thankful you’re not claustrophobic.”

“Fuck,” Neil repeated as he reconsidered his stance on not drinking.

*******

Andrew fought the urge to tug at his bowtie for the eighth time that night and reminded himself that in another twenty-three minutes he could leave the boring as hell party; at that point, he’d already gathered enough information on how the place’s security worked, especially around a crowd.

He wasn’t that impressed with the Kleber-Lafayette Museum. Then again, he wasn’t impressed with much in life.

He ignored the interested look some woman dressed in a sparkling gold cocktail dress gave him as he snatched a glass of passible champagne from a tray full of them, and noted the unimpressed one he received from another young woman wearing an expensive as fuck Dior gown which had just been on the runway a week ago. It took his brain a moment to supply a name – Allison Reynolds, disowned heiress but still rich bitch extraordinaire, determined to live by her own rules and somehow able to get by in society despite that fact. Andrew raised his glass to her and was surprised when she arched an elegant eyebrow and raised her own in return.

After another lap of the main room (and another careful survey of the party’s attendees), Andrew stopped at his partner’s side; Kevin had undone his tie, but it had been a bit of a rough night once his old ‘friend’ had shown up. Andrew noted that there was a glass of water in Kevin’s scarred left hand and not alcohol, which meant that his friend had recovered from the shock. “Five more minutes.”

Kevin’s handsome face twisted with annoyance. “Some people enjoy being surrounded by works of art,” he said, voice rich with reproach. “The Kleber-Lafayette has quite the collection of-“

“Don’t care,” Andrew sang out as he rocked back and forth on his toes. “Seen one splattering of pastels, seen ‘em all.”

As he’d counted on, Kevin’s face grew flushed with anger. “You’re a disgrace to the profession,” he gritted out as he pinched the bridge of his nose with the fingers of his right hand.

“No I’m not, I’m the best at what I do,” Andrew reminded his partner. “And three minutes, now.”

Instead of arguing, Kevin merely shook his head and finished his water, then set the empty glass aside on the nearby small table before motioning for them to leave (one minute early, such a reprieve). They were quiet as they escaped from the boring party, at least until they reached the Jaguar F-type Andrew was renting during their stay in Paris.

He removed the jacket to his tux and the damn tie before he slid behind wheel, relieved to be done acting ‘proper’ for the night. “It’s not the worse job we’ve had, but it’s not the best, either. They seem to have somewhat paid attention to us when we gave them the security review.”

“Somewhat,” Kevin muttered as he jerked his left hand through his hair. “When are they going to learn that it’s better to spend the money on everything we recommend? Whining about extra lasers doesn’t matter if someone walks off with a Monet and their insurance fees skyrocket as a result.”

“Not our fault if they don’t listen to us,” Andrew reminded him. “Speaking about artwork, I’m going to be busy tonight.” When Kevin glanced at him, he gave a shrug as he fished out his pack of cigarettes from the center console. “Something’s bothering me about that Venus statue.”

“The Cellini one?”

“Yeah.” Andrew frowned as he lit the cigarette. “I don’t like how Josten just so happens to find all these amazing pieces of artwork, which end up in private collections and so avoid any real tests.”

“But he signed the papers which allow the statue to be tested for insurance purposes,” Kevin reminded him.

“Hmm.” It would be a big scandal if the statue was found out to be fake, though, so Andrew would rather know sooner rather than later and warn the museum if there was going to be a scandal (and earn a bonus as a result). “I wonder if he knows that, considering all the documents he signed. Anyway, we’re here, he’s here, I want to take a look at his house since I’ve always been suspicious about his collection.”

“You’re suspicious about everyone,” Kevin muttered as he slumped down in the passenger seat. “I still remember what you did to the poor woman whose job it was to clean your hotel room in Barcelona.”

“Because she didn’t obey the ‘do not disturb’ sign, and don’t change the subject,” Andrew argued. “Was I right about Zhang?” He waited for his partner to nod. “What about Bambey? Riopert? Zimmerman? Abe? I can go on all night.”

“Whatever, just don’t get caught, the French police aren’t happy with you after the whole Devine case,” Kevin just had to remind him.

“Yes, but I was right about that one, too,” Andrew said as he flicked ash out the window. It was quiet in the car as he drove them back to the hotel for a couple of minutes. “So what did the bastard say to you, hmm?” He’d seen Moriyama talk to Kevin from across the room, but the bastard had moved on before he could reach his friend’s side.

“Just… a snide comment or two about me ‘slumming’, that of course I was only there for work and about me tending to a mess someone made as if I was the cleaning staff,” Kevin admitted as his jaw tightened in anger. “Enough to remind me of how much I hate him.”

Nothing new, in other words; Riko Moriyama was still the spoiled, sociopathic bastard he’d always been, but Kevin had moved on enough to no longer let him tear him down. “He’s nothing without his uncle’s name and money. Not even his own brother wants anything to do with him.”

“Yeah.” Being reminded of Riko’s many issues always made Kevin happy. “Oh, he seemed obsessed with the Cellini, now that I remember. Kept staring at it and asking the museum staff about it.”

Something to keep in mind in case Riko proved to be trouble, which usually was the case. “Probably saw a new shiny he wants.”

“Yeah.” As if not wanting to talk about the bastard any longer (understandable), Kevin changed the subject to a couple of potential clients he’d met during the evening, whom he planned to follow up with during the next several days. Andrew grunted in agreement since it would keep the man busy – that and Kevin always did better at that sort of thing than him.

Once back at the hotel, they went their separate ways; Andrew imagined that Kevin would call it a night since he’d be up early in the morning to hit the workout room, while he changed into a more suitable outfit for sneaking about and double-checked the address he had for one Stuart Josten. Then it was back out for some ‘fun’.

*******

Neil was in bed attempting to read a book which Renee had lent him on ‘living kindly’ (she tried, she really did, but somehow he doubted that he’d manage a similar conversion like hers) when an alert on his phone went off to inform him that someone had tripped a silent alarm he’d installed near one of the house’s windows. For a moment he debated calling Davis, who was out with Stuart at that awful party, to come back and take care of the problem, but it had been very frustrating couple of days so he figured why not deal with things himself and then call the man to clean up the mess? Plan (more or less) in mind, he reached for the gun in the nightstand before he decided on the knife beneath his pillow instead (less noise) then slipped out of bed dressed in a dark grey t-shirt and boxer-briefs. His phone showed that the opened window had been downstairs, so he snuck down the staircase, where there were faint sounds in the main sitting room.

It was dark, but Neil’s night vision was good and enough ambient light came through the windows for him to make out a short shape dressed in dark clothes doing something to the new Van Gogh forgery hanging on the one wall. As quietly as he could manage, Neil snuck up behind the thief, and almost was within reach when the man (?) took the painting down and turned around.

Neil had the impression of pale skin and hazel eyes gone wide in surprise before the artwork was dropped and the man (definitely a man) launched himself forward; Neil raised his arms to block and got the knife up as he was knocked onto the floor.

“Mr. Josten, I presume,” the asshole said as Neil struggled to regain his breath from the impact and a heavy asshole laid out on top of him, the knife held back a hair’s breadth from said asshole’s neck.

“Yes, nice to meet you, larcenous asshole,” Neil replied as he tried to close that tiny gap, but said asshole was strong.

“Such harsh words.” Larcenous Asshole’s voice was deep and, judging from his accent, he was an American.

“Well, you did break into my house and try to steal a painting. I’m merely calling a spade a spade.”

Larcenous Asshole clicked his tongue as if annoyed, his gaze never once roaming from Neil’s face despite the knife. “I was only taking one painting. You have so many, chances were good you wouldn’t even have missed it.”

“Right, a priceless piece of art like that, we’d never have noticed.” Neil swore that those almost golden eyes narrowed the slightest bit at his comment. “What was I thinking?”

“Like I said, you have so many,” Larcenous Asshole drawled. “And it’s not as if you’re really going to do anything about it, a rich fop of a boy like you.”

“Well, by that reckoning, I’m sure there’s so many other larcenous assholes out there, who’ll notice if I rid the world of one, hmm?” Neil gave the man his father’s grin as he put a bit more effort into moving his right hand, and was rewarded when the knife touched bare skin.

He was also rewarded by seeing another flash of surprise on the otherwise impassive face above him as Larcenous Asshole jerked back away from the knife; Neil used the distraction to bring up his right knee to land a blow which at least hit the man in the very upper thigh if not in the intended target and so gave him enough room to wiggle free.

Both of them scrambled onto their feet, Larcenous Asshole with a bit less grace and a lot of wincing, and somehow Neil wasn’t surprised when his ‘guest’ pulled a knife of his own. “Aw, is playtime over?”

Larcenous Asshole scowled at him, the look slight but definitely there (Neil was used to people giving him dirty looks). “You cut me and tried to knee me in the balls. What type of society fop are you?” he demanded to know as he fingered where the knife had (barely) cut into his neck.

“A society fop who knows how to defend himself and his home. What type of Larcenous Asshole are you if you can’t take a little abuse, hmm?” Neil asked as he fought the urge to flip the knife (well, flip or throw, one of the two – wait, L.A. was standing on the 16th century Persian, so go with ‘flip’ until the bastard moved somewhere better for bloodstains).

“I break into spoiled rich people’s homes, I don’t expect much of a struggle. Also, bleeding,” L.A hissed through clenched teeth.

“You say that as if it’s my problem. Well, actually, take a few steps to the right just in case I cut a little deeper than I thought, won’t you? That rug is priceless.” Neil made a shooing motion with his left hand.

“You are fucked up, which is saying something coming from me,” L.A. declared as he risked a glance at the blood on his fingertips. “Also, I’m thinking that you’re not going to call the cops or else you’d be on the phone already, and I’m not sure you want me dead despite the lovely threats otherwise. So are we going to flirt all night or is there a point to this?”

Dammit… he may be an asshole, but the guy wasn’t stupid; Neil couldn’t call the cops, not when the house was filled with forgeries, and he was hesitant to kill him outright when he wasn’t sure if the man belonged to a syndicate which might cause the Hatfords trouble in the future – there was something about L.A which made Neil think he wasn’t an amateur off the streets. Torn over what to do, Neil eyed him up and down a couple of times before he sighed.

“I’m not flirting,” he insisted, and when L.A. opened his mouth, flipped the knife into a throwing position. “Now, this can either end up in your eye or I can put it away, which do you prefer?”

L.A. gave him a narrow look for a couple of seconds before he huffed. “Away,” he said, deep voice tinged with something that might be respect as he waited for Neil to lower his weapon before he did the same. “Spare a band-aid before I leave?”

Neil considered the question for a moment before he motioned the thief to follow him to the kitchen. “Come on, can’t have you walking around all bloody and raise suspicion.” He wouldn’t risk the police noticing the man and then have them knocking on his door once the story about their little ‘adventure’ got out.

L.A. walked beside him (over an arm’s length away), careful attention paid to his surroundings on the way to the kitchen; he kept glancing at the various artworks on the wall as if making note of them, and then at the various items in the kitchen. Neil remained focused on the thief in return as he went to the one cupboard which stored the smaller medical kit, which he placed on the table (still out of arm’s reach). “There. I imagine an asshole like you is used to patching himself up after people try to kill him.”

The man’s eyes narrowed again, the only sign that the jab might have struck home. “Can we keep personalities out of this conversation? I think maybe you wouldn’t care to have yours brought up.”

“What? I’m an angel, ask my friends,” Neil announced as he tapped his knife on top of the table.

“Are you friends homicidal, too?” L.A. scoffed.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about, no dead bodies around here. At least, not yet. Let me know if you’re willing to change that before I waste any bandages on you, hmm.” Neil motioned to the kit.

Now the look turned contemplative before L.A. pulled the kit toward him. “Sorry, don’t plan on dying tonight. Bad enough I won’t have a nice painting to fence as it is.”

“You can always try the Dhedins’ down the street, I hear they’ve an amazing collection of Degas.” Neil offered a version of his Uncle Will’s smile as he propped up his chin on his left hand.

“How thoughtful of you,” L.A. replied in a rather dry manner which belied his words while he opened the kit and took to poking around in it. “I think I’ll call it a night after nearly having my throat slit.”

“Quitter.”

The thief grunted as he tore open a disinfectant wipe then dabbed at the cut on his throat, which barely bled anymore. “I can honestly say that this night didn’t go as I thought it would.”

“I guess that tends to happen when you’re a Larcenous Asshole.”

“Andrew.”

“Hmm? No, I’m Neil.” Had the man hit his head at some point during their struggle? Was he on drugs? Usually Neil was good at spotting those things.

L.A. sighed as he used another wipe to clean up the blood. “My name is ‘Andrew’. I’m tired of you calling me that.”

“Why, it’s what you are. You steal things and you’re an asshole, hence Larcenous Asshole. If you want, I can call you ‘Kleptomaniacal Bastard’ instead.” Neil put up with being called a ‘smart-ass’ and ‘British demon’ and ‘spawn of hell’ all the time – it was ‘sweetie’ and ‘cutie-pie’ that got on his nerves, but he liked Dan and Allison and the others so he didn’t say anything.

That and knowing his friends, they’d come up with something worse.

For some reason, L.A. looked to be in pain even though he’d already put a bandage on his neck. “I’m beginning to wish I’d let you stab me.”

“Not here in the kitchen, these tiles are from the 18th century.” Neil shrugged when L.A. took to gazing at him as if he was insane. “What, I’m not going to sit through yet another lecture from my uncle about respecting antiques.” Not after he’d used the one Damascus blade to help Davis deal with an intruder who thought to make a name for himself taking out a Hatford.

L.A. muttered something about lunatics while he ran his gloved hands over the black cap covering his head, which dislodged it enough to reveal short blond hair. “All right, I’ve reached my limit of insanity for the night. Consider me suitably punished and that I’m now reconsidering my wicked ways.”

“Somehow I doubt it.”

Neil was given a flat look as L.A. rose to his feet (he was pleased to note that the thief was shorter than him, a rare thing to discover, though he possessed a much stockier build). “Isn’t it past your bedtime, kid?”

That comment earned the bastard a rude gesture.

Neil followed L.A. back to the main room, where the man picked up a small leather bag filled with the tools he’d used to circumvent the alarm on the window (but not the one he’d missed on the lower wall) and whatever else he needed on the job. “Any problem with me going out the front door?”

“No, I’m sure it’ll be a novel experience for you,” Neil said as he pulled the door open. “Be sure to savor it.”

That time he was the one given a rude gesture.

“The Dhedins’ house is the white one with the black columns and the black and gold fence,” he called out as L.A. stomped through the door. “Be sure to pet the mastiffs for me, they love getting their ears rubbed.”

He was given the finger again. Huh, after he was nice enough to warn about the puppies, too.

Some people, you just couldn’t please them.

*******

Andrew groaned when he heard the barrage of knocking on his hotel door; at first he attempted to ignore it, except it refused to stop. Throwing the sheets aside, he stomped to the door and, after undoing the various locks, yanked it open to glare at his partner. “I have no qualms about killing you, Day,” he growled.

“Not enough sharp objects here to do it justice,” Kevin said without fear as he stepped inside; only the fact that he shoved a waxed paper bag bearing the name of the nearby bakery saved him, lack of enough sharp objects or not. “After all these years, you want to savor my death.”

There was some truth to that statement; Andrew had known Kevin for several years, ever since his first year in university, which he and his brother had only gotten into thanks to a ‘charity’ scholarship program run by Kevin’s father. It had been at the end of the first semester when Kevin had shown up on the man’s doorstep, broken and bloody due to what Riko Moriyama had done to him.

Andrew hadn’t been able to get rid of the pest since then.

“So, did you find out anything about Josten’s… what the hell?” Now that Kevin had opened the drapes and turned to face Andrew, he caught sight of the bandage on his throat. “What happened?”

“One Neil Josten,” Andrew explained as he fetched a caffeine drink out of the room’s fridge to go along with his chocolate croissant. “Let me tell you, those tabloid stories about Stuart’s nephew being some shy, meek kid who doesn’t like public outings? I wanna know just how stupid those morons are who wrote them, because there was nothing shy or awkward about that ‘kid’ last night.” Or much of a ‘kid’ at all, either.

“Wait, his nephew was home? I thought the house was supposed to be empty.” Kevin sank down on the bed when Andrew shook his head before having about half of the can of sugary coffee. “Shit, how did you get out of there? Are you in trouble?”

“Funny story, that.” Andrew’s flat tone made it obvious that it wasn’t funny at all. “Josten surprised me before I could do more than a preliminary check on one of the paintings, him and a nice, shiny knife.” Kevin’s eyes widened at that, probably as much about the weapon as for the fact that someone had snuck up on Andrew. “We had a bit of a pissing contest, but it became clear that he wasn’t going to call the cops so we backed off before it went too far. He thinks I’m a thief, but he let me go.” Andrew gave Kevin an intent look after that statement. “I might not have gotten any hard proof last night, but tell me, why would he have done that unless he didn’t want the cops to check out his place, hmm?”

“That… is rather suspicious. But I’m more concerned over the fact that he tried to cut your throat.”

Andrew waved that aside then tossed a piece of croissant into his mouth. “Tried, but didn’t.” A lot of people had tried to take Andrew down, but very few interested him as much as Josten did. No, there was something about the nonchalant way the young man had handled an intruder, had coped with the violence and been able to throw about quips at the same time, the mix of violence and intelligence and ‘go ahead, just try to fuck with me’ attitude that Josten radiated….

“While you’re out doing some work, find out about Josten for me,” he told Kevin.

“And what are you going to be doing?” Kevin asked as he stood up, already dressed for a day of impressing (bs’ing) people despite it not even being noon.

“Looking into his uncle and some other things.”

For a moment, it appeared as if Kevin wanted to ask if Riko was one of those ‘other things’ before he seemed to think better of it; he knew that Andrew wouldn’t let the prick fuck with him anymore. While Andrew doubted that Riko was in Paris because of them, he still would make sure that the man stayed as far away from Kevin as possible.

“Just make sure your work involves more than checking out new bakeries,” Kevin chided as he headed for the door. “Oh, and try to get some exercise for once. I’m going to tell Betsy and Aaron if I find out you spent the day holed up in some café with your laptop.”

Andrew gave him the finger before he shoved the rest of the croissant into his mouth.

*******

First part can be found here

Also, I think I’ll be posting one of the owed ‘you guessed right’ fics later tonight, too....

[doomedhowell]

Lucky Birthday

Summary: Phil is one of Daniel Howell’s biggest fans. He’s been listening to his music for years, so he couldn’t say no when PJ gives him tickets to his concert. The only problem is that Phil’s blind, and he’s never been to a concert before for obvious reasons. What could possibly go wrong? Or, right?

Genre: AU, Fluff

Word Count: 3,055

Trigger Warnings: swearing

“Peej, I’m not sure about this anymore. You’re sure I look okay? Maybe we shouldn’t go to the concert?” Phil asks nervously as he sits on the edge of his bed, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

Tonight’s the night. Tonight’s finally night where Phil is going to his first ever concert to see Daniel Howell, someone that he’s been listening to for the past three years religiously. PJ, being a wonderful best friend to Phil, had surprised him with concert tickets a few weeks ago for his twentieth birthday.

It’s Phil’s first ever concert, and he’s extremely nervous. Not for reasons you’d think, though.

You see, Phil is blind. He was born without sight. So, he has some pretty good reasons to be nervous when it comes to doing things like going to concerts. He trusts PJ with his life. PJ has been his best friend since they were tiny babies. But still, anything could happen to him. It’s all Phil can think about.

But, Phil also really wants to hear Daniel’s voice in real life. Daniel has the voice of an angel.

“Come on,” PJ turns around and looks at Phil with raised eyebrows. “You’ve been excited to go for weeks, and now you suddenly want to back out? What’s up? Come on, talk to me, Philip”

Phil cringes at the use of his full name. “I’m worried is all. Don’t you think I have a right to be?” He asks.

“You know I would never let anything bad happen to you. I mean, your mother even trusts me with you, and there’s not many people that woman trust when it comes to her youngest son,” PJ says.

“You do have a point,” Phil mumbles, slowly nodding in agreement.

“We have some pretty great seats. You don’t even have to stand if you don’t want to. I hear his concerts are pretty chill anyways, and I’m sure nobody would care if you sat down,” PJ tells him.

“Okay! Okay. I get it,” Phil sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “I’ll go to the concert, but that doesn’t stop me from being nervous. Just promise that you won’t leave my side no matter what?”

“Of course not. I promise I won’t leave your side, Phil,” PJ says, gently placing a hand on Phil’s shoulder.

“I can’t wait to hear Dan’s voice in real life. I bet he sounds like an angel,” Phil says with a smile.

“Nah, mate. You wanna know who sounds like an angel? Ariana Grande. That was a great concert! Man, you should have gone with us. It was hilarious seeing Chris freak the fuck out over her.”

“Language!” Phil warns, mocking his mom, before laughing. “I’m sorry about that. I just wasn’t confident enough to go to that concert. Besides, I don’t really know her music that well anyways to go. Although, we’ll have to take Chris to see someone he likes again soon so I can witness that.”

“Absolutely,” PJ grins. “Now, come on. We have to finish getting ready, and yes… you look lovely, Phil.”

Finally, the two boys finish getting ready and are now downstairs saying goodbye to Phil’s mother.

“I’m trusting you with my son’s life, PJ,” Kathryn begins. “Normally I would send Martyn with you. Unfortunately, he decided to go out of town this weekend. You have to promise me that you’ll keep an eye on Phil the entire time, alright? You can’t let him out of your sight.”

“Poor choice of words, mum,” Phil says, making PJ giggle.

“Oh, I’m so sorry sweetheart. You know I never mean to offend you,” Kathryn quickly apologizes.

“I’m just joking, mum,” Phil laughs, earning an eye roll from Kathryn. “PJ won’t let anything happen, okay? We’ve gone away together before, and he brought me back in one piece.”

“Need I remind you that on that trip, you nearly killed my son with that reckless driving of yours?”

“Okay, then!” PJ exclaims. “We really must get going now. We don’t want to be late for Phil’s first concert. I want to get there early so we can find good parking spots too. The closer we get, the better. Don’t worry, Kath. I’ll text you updates throughout the night. Phil will be just fine.”

“Phil will be just fine!” Phil repeats as PJ quickly leads him out of the house.

“I swear, it takes us twenty minutes to leave the bloody house when we go anywhere,” PJ grumbles as he helps Phil walk to his car. PJ opens the door for Phil and helps him inside, making sure he’s buckled in.

“You are taking her blind son to a concert filled with thousands of people, where anything could happen, and she won’t be there to do anything about it...” Phil says. “She has a pretty good reason to worry, Peej.”

“I know. I just wish she had a little more faith in me, especially since we’ve been friends for…?”

“Many, many years. I know,” Phil says. “Come on! Can we get going? I want to get there.”

PJ grins. “See? Now you’re getting excited,” he says, before shutting the door. He walks around the car and gets into the driver's seat. “Do we have everything? I’ve got the tickets and money.”

“Then that’s all we need, isn’t it?” Phil asks, looking over in PJ’s direction.

“I suppose so,” PJ chuckles. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Phil lets out a sudden squeal of excitement. “I can’t believe we’re actually going to see Daniel in person! After all these years. Do you think we’ll get to meet him?”

“Don’t get your hopes up, Phil. I told you that I couldn’t afford VIP at the time I got the tickets,” PJ says.

“I know, but… what if we happen to bump into him when we’re at the concert?” Phil asks.

“Unlikely. There will be thousands of people at this concert, and it’s not like Daniel can just walk out and enjoy himself. His fans will literally attack him the second they see him,” PJ tells him.

Phil lets out a huff of annoyance. “Thanks for crushing my dreams, Peej,” he mumbles.

Luckily, the two boys get to the concert nearly two hours before the concert tickets, and PJ is able to find a parking lot quite close to the building, because he knows that it’s easier on Phil if they don’t have to walk a long distance from the car. PJ totally understands Phil’s reasonings though.

“We’re here,” PJ grins as he looks over at Phil. “We have two hours to kill before the concert. Ready?”

“Kind of. I’m still nervous. I feel like I’m the odd man out, being blind and all,” Phil frowns.

“You can’t think about it like that, Phil. I mean, people with disabilities go to concerts all the time and have the same amount of fun as “normal” people do. You’re not going to have fun if that’s all you think about,” PJ tries to assure him. “We’re going to go in there, buy some food and merch, and head into the building, where we’re going to have the time of our lives. Well, kind of. Daniel’s music isn’t very rock and roll.”

“Daniel’s music is soothing. I told you this when we listened to his music on the way here,” Phil defends.

PJ laughs. “I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. I just prefer being able to rock out at concerts,” he says.

“Fair enough,” Phil says, nodding. “Are we going to go inside now?” He bites his lip nervously.

“Yes, we’re going to go inside now. If you get too panicky while we’re in there, just grab onto my arm, okay? I know you hate doing that because it makes you feel like a child, but I know it helps,” PJ tells him.

Phil slowly nods. “I know. I’ve got my cane, but is it okay if I hold onto you most of the time?”

“Of course,” PJ frowns slightly. “You’re worried about people making fun of you walking with a cane?”

“Well, it happened when I went to school,” Phil mumbles. “I’m sure it’ll happen anywhere else. Besides, having my cane out will just get in the way, and I don’t want that. But, if you get too annoyed…”

“No, no. You know I don’t care if you hold my arm,” PJ says, quickly holding his arm out. “It’s all yours.”

Phil giggles lightly at that, and quickly grabs a hold of PJ’s arm. “Is it always this loud at concerts?”

“Always,” PJ replies as they start walking. “It’ll be even louder once the concert starts. People will be screaming and singing. But, it’ll be a good thing. Quiet concerts are just boring.”

“You’re the concert expert, so I’ll hold you to that,” Phil says.

“Do you wanna get something to eat or drink before we get into the show?” PJ asks.

“Um, yeah… maybe some water would be good,” Phil answers, nodding. He holds onto PJ’s arm as they start walking again. He knows there must be thousands of people at this venue, but he tries not to think about how many people are around him, because otherwise, he’ll get anxious and will want to leave.

PJ leads the way to the food and drink area, where he orders some water for Phil.

“You didn’t have to pay. I have my own money, you know?” Phil complains when PJ hands him his water.

“Yeah, I know I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. Plus, that water was like eight pounds! Fucking expensive. You should be saving your money to buy merch and stuff,” PJ tells him. “It’s no biggie.”

Phil sighs and shakes his head. “Whatever you say Peej,”

PJ grins at Phil, and then he looks over when he hears someone shouting his name. “Dude!” PJ shouts when he sees a couple of his friends running over towards him and Phil. He slips out of Phil’s grip, and embraces his friends in a hug. “Dude, I had no idea you were going to be at this concert?”

“Last minute thing. Dylan over here loves Dan Howell. Had to get him tickets,” one of the boys laugh.

Phil freezes as soon as he realizes that he no longer has a hold of PJ. “Peej?” He asks nervously, and he instantly starts to panic when PJ doesn’t respond to him. This is not good. Not good at all.

Phil doesn’t want to leave, because he has no idea where he is. There could be stairs near him, and there’s hundreds of people surrounding him. But, PJ isn’t there anymore, and he’s scared now.

“Excuse me, are you okay?”

Phil stops as soon as he hears that familiar voice, that voice that he knows so well from listening to interviews and YouTube videos. But, it couldn’t be…? People are screaming louder now. So, maybe?

“Sir?” The voice asks again. “I’m sorry. I was just passing by, and I couldn’t help but notice…”

“D- Dan Howell?” Phil asks with a shaky breath, unable to calm himself. “I…”

Dan chuckles. “Yeah, it’s me. Sorry for sneaking up on you like that. You must be in shock. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I was just passing by, and saw you. You look panicked,”

Phil wants to kick himself. Dan Howell is right in front of him, and he’s already embarrassed himself. “Well, I- I…” Phil hesitates. Dan must not be able to tell that he’s blind. “My friend disappeared from me, a- and I can’t see. I’m blind. I don’t know where he went.”

“Shit,” Dan whispers, frowning. “You have every reason to be panicking then, huh? Hey, why don’t you come with me? I was just heading to my dressing room before VIP. You can stay there, where it’s safe, and I’ll have my bodyguards help find your friend. Do you trust me?”

“Your Dan Howell,” Phil breathes, still in shock that Dan Howell is speaking to him. Phil knew it would be amazing to see him in concert. But, never in a million years did he think that he of all people would have the opportunity to speak to Dan in person. Dan’s willing to take time out of his busy day to help him. Phil doesn’t know of many celebrities that would do that. “Of course I trust you.”

Dan chuckles. “Here. Take my arm, and I’ll guide you,” he says.

Phil feels around until he finally grabs a hold of Dan’s arm. “A- Are you sure about this? You must be…”

“Making sure my fans are safe is my number one priority,” Dan assures him. “Don’t worry about a thing. Boys, let’s go. We’ve got to get this young lad here to safety.”

Phil follows Dan, making sure to keep a hold of his arm. He has no idea where he’s going, but he hopes that Dan will keep his word, and help him find PJ. Even though he’d love absolutely nothing more than to spend quality time with the one and only Daniel Howell, and hopefully get to converse with him a little bit, he also knows that PJ will eventually notice him missing.

“Here we are. Have a seat on the couch, love,” Dan says as he leads Phil over to the couch and helps him sit down. “You said you were with a friend? Do you know what he looks like? We can help find him.”

Phil nods, and pulls out his phone. “I’ve never seen what he looks like, but I should have photos-”

“Brilliant. What’s your name, by the way? I should have asked that before,” Dan chuckles.

“My name is Phil. I can’t believe I’m meeting you right now. I love your music,” Phil says, before handing his phone to Dan once he has a photo of him and PJ. “His name is PJ. I know he has curly brown hair.”

“Yes, this will help a lot. Jonathon, I need you to find his friend, and bring him back here,” Dan says as he shows the photo to the security guard. “His name is PJ.”

“Yes, sir,” the security guard says before heading out of the dressing room.

“Here you go,” Dan says as he hands Phil back his phone. “How exactly did you lose your friend?”

“I- I don’t know. One second we were buying some water, and then I heard someone PJ’s name, and… so I guess he got distracted. I don’t think he meant to lose me,” Phil explains.

“Ah, I see,” Dan nods, and sits next to him. “Well, it’s lovely to meet you. I hope you enjoy the concert, after we find your friend. Is this your first time seeing me live?”

“This is my first time seeing anyone live,” Phil admits shyly.

“Oh, wow. So I’m your first concert? That’s so cool! I’ll have to make it extra special,” Dan grins.

Dan and Phil spend the next fifteen minutes chatting with each other. Phil is so surprised with how calm Dan Howell is in person. He always thought that he would be. But, he’s so nice and easy to talk to. Phil really enjoys talking to him, and he hates that he’ll probably never talk to him again after this.

Suddenly the door opens again, interrupting Dan and Phil’s conversation.

“Phil!”

Phil jumps when he hears someone shout his name, but he instantly knows that it’s PJ.

“Holy shit,” PJ runs over to Phil and hugs him tightly. “I’m so fucking sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“I know,” Phil laughs as he hugs PJ back. “I know you didn’t mean to, and it’s okay. I’m not mad. Really.”

“Thank God. I was so worried. Let’s not mention to your mother that I lost you at a Dan Howell concert. She’ll never trust me to take you anywhere alone again,” PJ says, shaking his head. He looks over and his eyes widen when he sees that Dan Howell is sitting right beside Phil.

“Hey, mate,” Dan greets, a grin forming on his face. “You should really keep track of your friends.”

“Your-” PJ lets out a squeak. “Your Dan Howell. Wh- What the fuck?”

“Nice to meet you too,” Dan laughs. “I was just making sure Phil was safe while my bodyguards went looking for you. Phil’s quite a lovely person, you know? You’re lucky to have him as a friend.

“Yeah,” PJ breathes. “Yeah, he’s awesome. Thank you. I mean, f- for looking out for him.”

“Not a problem, dude. Here-” Dan stands up and hands PJ some tickets. “Better seats for you and Phil, and I’d like to give Phil some merch, if you don’t mind.” 

Dan gives PJ a free t-shirt, while he gives Phil a hoodie and a poster.

“Lovely meeting you!” Dan shouts as PJ and Phil are led out of the dressing room. “Enjoy the show!”

“Thank you!” Phil shouts, looking back even though he can’t see Dan. “PJ, we just meet Dan Howell!”

“I know,” PJ laughs. “So, maybe losing you wasn’t such a bad thing after all?”

“I guess not, but please never lose me again. That was the most terrifying thing ever,” Phil complains.

“Really sorry. I honestly didn’t mean to. I got distracted when I saw some of my friends from art school. Here, let me see what he wrote on your poster-” PJ says as he carefully grabs the poster from Phil. “Thanks for being such a wonderful fan. You’re awesome.  Blah blah blah,” he looks down a bit and then his eyes widen the second he sees that Dan has left his number on the poster for Phil. “Holy shit, dude.”

“What?” Phil asks, stopping dead in his tracks. “What is it, Peej?”

“Dan fucking Howell gave you his number!” PJ exclaims, letting out a laugh. “Dude, you got so lucky tonight! Talk about a lucky birthday, mate.”

“What?” Phil squeaks with shock. “Th- There’s no way…”

“No, I’m not lying! He left his number,” PJ tells him, shaking Phil excitedly.

Phil can’t help but smile. Dan Howell gave him his number. So today won’t be the last time that he’ll get to talk to him. Phil knows exactly what he’s doing the second he gets home from the concert tonight.

[selfcallednowhere]

February 2, 2018 Houston, TX

When they came out, Flans said that this was "TMBG Country." Then he said that the venue was "surprisingly nice" (it actually was really nice--in spite of the show taking place in my hometown, this was my first time being here--not sure if it opened after I moved away or what). Then he said that they were going to be their own opening act but they were actually well-rehearsed, and that they were "the only They Might Be Giants tribute band that matters," and I was thinking "No, that's Sapphire Bullets!" cos that's what he would always say when they were doing that.

The first two songs were the same as the previous night, "Dinner Bell" and then "Damn Good Times," and I had a momentary flash of being worried that they were going to play a very similar set to the night before. They played some great stuff the night before, don't get me wrong, but one of the things I love about seeing them do multiple shows in a row is seeing them play a lot of different stuff. My fears turned out to be unfounded though--they did play some of the same stuff but also mixed it up enough to make it interesting.

The next song was "Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had a Deal," which is is really really fun live. Curt still wasn't with them for this early part of the tour, and I had to admit the performance was lacking without him after seeing how much he'd added to it at the shows I went to in Brooklyn about a month before this, but it was still fantastic.

After that John said, "This place is so nice that it feels inappropriate to do a high-energy show. We should be doing a TED Talk. We're being too rambunctious."

Then Flans said that they have a new album, and I didn't hear him but apparently some guy in the crowd yelled that it's great, because then Flans said, "Area man says 'great work.'"

Then Flans said that he had his "favorite cheat sheet" and was hoping it wasn't going to get blown away. John said it isn't really cheating if there are no losers. Then he went back to the TED Talk thing and said we'd be able to see it all explained in his Powerpoint presentation. Flans said that the Venn diagram shows that the crowd's acceptance of new material is directly related to the enthusiasm the band brings to their performance of it. Then John said, "I'm gonna flip some paradigms and blow your mind." Then Flans said that on this song he was going to take his mic off its stand "like a Little Lord Fauntleroy."

The song was "This Microphone." This was the live debut of it, so that was two new song debuts in a row after "Mrs. Bluebeard" the night before. Also like "Mrs. Bluebeard," I wouldn't have expected it to work live as well as it did (this has nothing to do with song quality, I just find some types of songs more suited to live performance than others), and it was cool to see the debut of it.

Afterwards, Flans said that it was the first time they'd played it, which he didn't want to say beforehand cos then he would have felt even more self-conscious. Then he thanked Dan for doing such a good job with the solo. Also Marty was using some kind of percussion that I'm not sure what it was exactly--some stick thing he was shaking. Flans said it's banned, and John said it's endangered. Flans said it's considered cruelty, and John said that's because it's still alive.

Then John said something like "How about John Flansburgh getting all the lyrics to that song?" and we all cheered, and I was thinking that the reason he managed to do that was because of the aforementioned cheat sheet, and that if he'd just done the same thing with "Mrs. Bluebeard" the night before he wouldn't have fucked it up so badly, but of course being able to read a cheat sheet would require the assistance of his glasses, and my motives for him wearing them were of course entirely pure and related solely to his ability to correctly sing his new songs and not at all to do with the fact that I think him wearing them is the sexiest thing in the history of time.

Then John said that they'd been playing long enough that they could remember when Youtube wasn't around to document the bad early performances of their songs, and improvised a song on his keyboard, the lyrics of which consisted of just "Makin' shit up/Cos I can't remember the words." Flans said that later they'd get to the stage where the people in the front row know all the words and they don't, and John said "Fucking you do it."

Then they played "Mrs. Bluebeard." John did much better with it than he did the night before, so he must have rehearsed it quite a bit--he still slipped up a couple of times, but he really mangled it the night before, so I was proud of him for doing so much better this time.

After "New York City," Flans said that it was time for an "on-stage Vibe Report." He started talking about how there's a place that he first described as a spa, and then described as an exercise place, and then described as a cult, and said that if you go enough times they give you some bag and Marty really wants the bag. He asked Marty if he's been enough times to get the bag yet, and Marty said you have to refer other people, and Flans said "Cult!"

Then John said that they actually got to sleep in a hotel room the night before. "There's a water spraying thing on the wall and a thing you dry yourself with. We don't know what to do with that." Then he said he'd done his laundry, and I was like "You mean the like three stripey shirts that you're gonna wear over and over for the whole tour?" Flans said that all he'd done all day was get a burrito (which granted does not sound like much, but I can assure you as a native Texan that when I get the chance to return home getting some quality Tex-Mex is always a high-priority activity for me as well).

Next they played "Letterbox," YES YES YES. I love that song SO MUCH and have only seen it a few times since way back in the day.

After that song, John picked up the contra-alto clarinet. Flans said that there's an entire chapter about this instrument in their autobiography, which is entitled In Praise of Inanimate Objects (I would totally read this, for the record). Then he said that it's "not made for drywall."

They played "All Time What." Afterwards, Flans said that we should "enjoy the restraint of the keyboard on the next song," and that Dan was going to be in his own "musical prison cell."

The next song was "Cloisonne." I liked this song with bass clarinet too, but I like it better with the contra-alto just cos I think it's a cooler-looking instrument so I like seeing John play it more.

Next, they played "Particle Man," which featured some quality JL spazziness. The song he inserted in the bridge this time was "Elusive Butterfly," which I haven't seen him do much at the shows I've been to lately--it's such a dumb song, so it amuses me to see him do it.

Afterwards, John said that the key of C is so conventional and he's sick of it, and Flans said he needs more black keys. Then John said that the next song was in the key of F#, if we were playing along.

The next song was "Doctor Worm," which is always so fun live, definitely one of my favorite accordion songs that they actually play on a regular basis to see. This was followed up by "The Famous Polka," which I feel the same way about.

People were yelling something or other after that, and Flans said that they have a computerized light show so it's confusing when people talk to them.

Flans introduced "Trouble Awful Devil Evil" by saying it's the best song on Phone Power. I've also seen him say that "Answer" is the best song on Glean. I don't agree with him in either case, but I do think it's sweet for him to say that the best songs on both albums are John's.

Afterwards, Flans said that they were happy to see that "the dudes in the back didn't bolt" like they normally do during slow songs. He said he wondered what they always do outside, and John said they were "bear-hug dancing." Flans said he has a feeling it involves menthol cigarettes. John: "We don't judge. Yes we do."

Then there was something really funny. John said that there were initials on the setlist and he had no idea what they meant, and Flans said "It's 'as fuck, John." I happened to be in front of a girl who got the setlist at the t-shirt stand after the show, so I can confirm that it did indeed say "AF" after the previous song. It just really amused me that a) Flans would write that on the setlist and b) he'd think John would be hip enough to know that that was what it meant.

Next they played "Bangs," which isn't one of my absolute favorite Mink Car songs, but it is pretty good and pretty fun live.

Next there was "Your Racist Friend," and then something I was really excited to see: "Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes." FUCK I love that song, and I've only seen it a few times, so yeh it was a big deal for me. It's superfun live too, so happy and bouncy.

Next was "Cyclops Rock," which is one of my absolute favorite Mink Car songs, and also one of those "Flans rocking your face off" songs that I love seeing live so dearly.

Flans said that they were going to take a 15-minute break. John said, "We'll be back in an hour." Then Flans said that the break was going to be "a strong New York 15," whatever that means.

Then they had the house lights turned up so they could count the beards in the crowd. John said that some people were "wearing their beards on the inside." Then they went off on this funny thing with Flans saying that in Austin the beard-to-person ratio was 2-to-1, and John saying that its nickname was "The Double-Beard City." Flans: "There was an ad campaign, 'Keep Austin Double-Bearded,' but it wasn't as successful as the 'Keep Austin Weird' campaign. I think people just hate sequels."

The last song of the first set was "The Mesopotamians." This song is fun live and all, but god, I've only seen three songs from The Else live and it's one of my favorite albums. I just wish they would mix it up a bit instead of always playing this one.

After the break and the "Last Wave" video projected onto the back wall, it was time for the Quiet Storm portion of things. I was really looking forward to it, more than any other part of the show in fact, cos I was counting on them to not let me down by skipping "A Self Called Nowhere" like they did the previous night.

The first few songs were the same as the night before--"Older" and "I Like Fun," both with John on the contra-alto clarinet. During the parkour part of the latter Flans was holding one arm up and out and everyone was cheering a lot, particularly after the "at the age of 58" part--presumably they thought it's his actual age, but I of course know that it's really John's age, not his.

After that Flans said that Marty was playing electronic drums and it was a "once-in-a-lifetime experience." Then he said that this is the Quiet Storm part of the show, partially because they're "playing storm sound effects, quietly" and partially because it was "stormy emotionally" because they were "testing the outer limits" of what Febreeze can do.

John said that the next song was from 1840.

JL: When we played this song in Pensacola, when we said "1840," people went absolutely ape-shit. And we still don't know why. JF: It's "ape-shit bananas." That's the show-biz term.

So then they played "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too," and I was kicking myself for not listening to it a lot on the bus to memorize the lyrics so I could sing along, and resolved to make sure to get them down by the show the next day.

Then John said that 1840 is the old-timey time, but the next song is from the future--1844. One of them said that in the future there are flying beards, and John said, "Flying beards leaving beardtrails. You know what that means." Then he said "Heavens to Betsy!"--I thought it was very cute for him to be using such an old-fashioned expression that no one uses anymore, but I always think it's cute when he does this. (Well, I always think it's cute when he does literally anything pretty much, I guess.)

So then they of course did "James K. Polk." I really do like this song on accordion--I may be really upset by him playing accordion songs on keyboard, but when he does the reverse I definitely am not gonna complain. I mean, if it were up to me he'd play accordion for the entire show like he did in the duo days. Just before the bridge he told Flans "Let your beard fly," which was silly.

And then, at long last, was the moment I've been waiting for for sixteen and a half years, the moment I thought would never come before this tour started: they played "A Self Called Nowhere." I cannot even put into words how special it was for me to see my favorite song for the first time, the song I've been wanting to see more than any other song for as long as TMBG has been my favorite band. I literally got goosebumps. It was unlike anything I've ever experienced at a show. It was everything I hoped it would be and more, and I don't see how any future concert-going experience could ever top it.

After that, Flans was walking over near Marty's drums, and John said, "Don't get those drums angry."

Then Marty walked off stage and it was just The Johns. They did "Istanbul" that way, the version where they're both being really silly with the long drawn-out part with them doing silly things with their voices and stuff, and I think that version is very amusing, but apparently not everyone thinks so, because some woman by me was yelling insulting remarks at them ("I paid $50 for what?" and worse, including swearing I won't repeat). It really pissed me off, and if she'd been closer to me I would've gotten into it with her.

The rest of the band came back for the end of the song for a crazy jam session. Flans introduced them all afterwards and said that they were "re-introducing long-term hearing loss. Save your complaints for the band tomorrow night, because we'll be gone."

Next they played "We Live in a Dump"--Flans gave it its standard intro, which is that it's "about apartment living." I was thinking about how great John's backing vox are on the "then"s, which I'd never fully appreciated before.

Next came a major show highlight--"Don't Let's Start"!!! I was FLIPPING OUT the moment I heard that classic opening riff. I've seen this song shockingly few times considering how popular it is, probably fewer than five times, and it's very close to the top on my list of favorite songs, so yeh it was a really big deal for me. And godDAMN what a good live song! And there was just so much energy in the room, because of course everyone loves that song.

After that Flans said, "We have a new album out. It's a complicated album. It's strictly for adults." I'm not sure what he meant about it being complicated, but I'm pretty sure an album that's jam-packed with death and despair at a level that's high even by their standards is "strictly for adults," yeh.

Then they played "I Left My Body." I do really love this song, and it's also a great live song.

After that Flans said that during the next song Marty's hands never leave his arms. Then he asked how everyone was doing, and, after everyone cheered, said that he could see that there had been some beards grown during the intermission.

John introduced the next song with, "This song is in the key of F, for those of you who give a shit." The song was "Number Three," which is a really fun live song. I still don't understand why they'd put it anywhere in a setlist besides being the third song, but I'm pretty sure that's how it's been every time I've seen it.

After that John said that they've been playing with Marty for a long time, "but we still don't know what the drums ever did to him. It's his dark secret." Then, Flans said that there's a profile of Marty in the new issue of Modern Drummer, and that Marty told him when he was being interviewed he said, "Kids, school is for fools" but they didn't print that part (a minute later he said he didn't really say that).

Next they played "The End of the Tour," which is another amaaaaaazing song that I've only seen a few times, so that was exciting.

Next they played "Spy." That song is so much better live than it is on the album just cos the improv conducting part is so fun. Afterwards, Flans said that that song was "a musical question with no right answer" and thanked us for joining them in their "musical aquarium," whatever that means. Then he said he thought he heard someone on a walkie-talkie, and that sometimes in New York you'll be at a diner or something and there will be construction workers talking on their walkie-talkies and it's weird.

Then they played "When the Lights Come On." I'm so glad they're doing this one live--in addition to being my second-favorite song on the album, it just KICKS SO MUCH ASS live cos it's so rockin'. It really is unusual for John to write a song that's this rockin', that's much more Flans's territory than his, so I was glad for him to have a chance to play a song like that, plus it's just generally a fucking fantastic song.

After that they collaborated on a silly improv song:

JL: We've got a brand-new album. It's the reason we're here. JF: Don't forget about the other songs, John. JL: We also have other songs.

It doesn't really sound funny when I just write it out, but having them actually make it into a song was, trust me.

After that Flans introduced the band again, and then introduced the crew too--he mentioned two people named John, and then asked, "Do we only hire people named John?" But then he said that they also have Fresh, who's on two teams: Team Beautiful and Team Drums.

Next they played "Answer," and after it was over I was randomly thinking that I'd love to see them play "When Will You Die," and they actually did play it next! It was so strange. I don't even know why I was thinking of it right then since the two songs have no connection. Anyway, I love that song live--so much fun, and easily one of the most fun songs to sing along with ever. John apparently thinks it's really fun to sing too--he's always smiling a ton when he does, which always amuses me.

That was the end of the main set. The first encore started with "Why Does the Sun Shine?" That's another really fun live song. They're currently doing it with Flans singing and John doing the spoken parts. Things that were a gas on the sun included "magnets--how do they work?", and the heat and light of the sun were caused by "the nuclear reaction between magnets, hydrogen, how do they work, and magnets." So yes folks, John Linnell has discovered ICP, heaven help us.

After that they played "Wicked Little Critta." I can't believe how fun that song is live when I'm not really into it on the album.

They closed the first encore with that song they always have to play--"Birdhouse in Your Soul," of course. I will never ever ever get sick of that song live, no matter how many times I see it. It still manages to be one of the highlights of the show for me, even though I've seen it at every single show I've ever been to.

They opened the second encore with "Spider." Silly and fun, as always.

They closed with something I've seen a lot but don't think I've ever seen them close with: "Twisting." I think it's a great closing song--it really ends the show on a high note. John was hopping some and it was adorable. Also Flans somehow managed to knock his mic onto the stage (I didn't see exactly what happened cos I was staring at John as per usual) and then had to spend a minute down on the stage, trying to pick it up. Poor Flans--I'm sure he was really embarrassed. But the rest of the band just gamely continued playing.

So that was the end of the show. The Apollo 18 stuff the night before was amazing of course, but if I take out that stuff and just think about the rest of the set, I thought the setlist at this show was actually better. They played some of my absolute favorite songs, many of which I either have only seen a few times or saw a bunch when I was first going to shows years and years ago but haven't much since then. Finally seeing my theme song was most definitely the highlight for me!!!

Other notes: John seemed particularly energetic and happy. I don't know if it was being well-rested from sleeping in a real bed at the hotel or what, but he seemed to be smiling and boppin' around more than usual, and it was adorable. Also he continued his "wearing pretty much nothing but stripey shirts" streak he's been on this year, with this red-and-blue stripey one he loves.

[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

[justasmallbloginabigklainefandom]

Rec This Thing: Panic! At The Disco Pray For The Wicked Europe Tour at AFAS LIVE

Panic! At The Disco Pray For The Wicked Europe Tour at AFAS Live 

My story: Look, in the span of less than a year I became a huge fan, so when they announced their show at AFAS Live, I was in.

Story: It’s a concert.

Rating (1 to 10): 10

Why?: After Hayley, and Troye, it was time for Panic! and lemme tell you something.

This was my favourite.

Once again, I was on my way to Amsterdam with Sammy in tow. We originally planned on going with Maikel, but tickets were sold out in seconds and he didn’t manage to grab them.

The road towards Amsterdam was wonky due to a possible terrorist attack in my country and due to faulty trains. On our way, we met up with two strangers who were also on their way to the concert. We talked about fake vegan burgers and airport security fails and of course Panic! At The Disco.

We parted ways at the entrance. It was packed. We were lucky we got there after the doors opened, because the line was so damn long that they added a second line. That line also happened to be shorter. That was our line. We still queued for a small half hour (and the police kept driving by because... y’know... possible terrorism) (it really was a terrible day for my country).

We bought merch and I got the long sleeved white shirt with High Hopes lyrics and then it was time to find a spot in the venue. Eventually, we got great balcony seats. Third row, close to the middle aisle. We had an amazing view.

*record scratch*

Wait. Hold on? You’re telling me that you could’ve found a standing place almost up front, like you did with Troye Sivan’s concert, and you didn’t?

Nope. I didn’t. For a few reasons actually:

We didn’t have to use the wardrobe.

The show was a very visual show and you could see it best from the balcony, since you could see the entire stage.

After all, Sammy and I are relatively small, so we wouldn’t be able to see shit unless we were completely front row.

I don’t like being stuck in crowds.

And the crowd was massive. It’s really confusing, cause both Troye and Panic! played sold out shows at AFAS Live but Panic!’s crowd was double the size. Ever since it got announced that Panic! got AFAS, I was very confused, because if you look at other venues of the PftW tour, they have massive venues sold out. Panic! easily could’ve played Ziggo Dome or whatever, but nope, they got AFAS. Hmmmm.

Anyway, I did consider going all the way up front so that I could hopefully give Brendon an ace flag to wear during Girls/Girls/Boys, cause that would mean the world to me, but the cons outweighed the pros and besides, I have nothing to complain about my seats. 

Especially now that I’ve seen YouTube videos from the people down at the standing room. It got hectic and loud and woah, at least I could still hear Brendon Urie himself.

The opening band was A R I Z O N A. The band, not the state. They’re from New Jersey. I wasn’t familiar with them, but by now I’ve listened to their entire discography and they’re good.

Then, it was time for an half hour long break and it was time for people to get annoying. Yup, as I mentioned, I had a great seat on the third row on the balcony. I was the first seat of that row, so no one blocked my view. It was wonderful.

But during A R I Z O N A’s set, people started leaning against the banister (is it called a banister?) of the balcony and people were crowding the steps in the aisle, aka people were blocking our views.

Sammy and I got so pissed.

Luckily, we weren’t the only ones cause the man in front of me actually told some people to leave, because they were blocking our view, but the moment those people left, new ones arrived.

So yeah, Sammy and I were pretty annoyed and then the countdown started, so we had a “well, shit, if we have to” moment, but three minutes before Panic! came on stage, security wiped the entire aisle. Everyone had to go all the way to the back to stand there behind the rows of seats.

A part of me felt a bit bad that all those people got pushed to probably the worst places in the entire venue, but man, on the other hand, Sammy and I were so damn glad.

And so, the countdown counted down (wow) to zero, while Toto’s Africa was playing, and the show started. I actually took a small video of all numbers and I put them together in a complication, excluding Girls/Girls/Boys and Bohemian Rhapsody. Those were long enough to have videos of their own.

Now, if someone’s reading this (hi), get something to drink cause this is gonna get long. When I talk about concerts, I write down the entire setlist and my thoughts on the performances, and wow, Panic!’s show was almost two hours long. 

How long? Well, someone put the full show online and it’s 1:48:20 long.

So yeah, the gorgeous purple lights turned on and Nicole (I’m gay), Mike, Dan, the horny boys and the wicked strings (I’M GAY) started playing and then Brendon arrived to start off with...

F**k A Silver Lining: We had one of those smaller stages (cause again, Ziggo Dome who??? I don’t know her!) so all those extras like Brendon jumping out of the stage didn’t happen. Luckily, the wonderfully beautiful visuals and lights were there. Silver linings came out of cannons and the show started. It was a beautiful sight, although it took me a while to realise that the images on the projections were supposed to be “motherfucking” cherries, not dicks.

Don’t Threaten Me With A Good Time: Ah yes, Brendon Urie showing off his vocal range by singing random parts in falsetto. I love it and I sang along.

Ready To Go (Get Me Out Of My Mind): So delighted to hear this one, since it’s my favourite V&V song and once again, Brendon killed everyone with those high notes. They also put Mike in the spotlight, and it wasn’t the last time they did that during the show.

Hey Look Ma, I Made It!: Ah yes, Beebo. He actually showed up before the countdown. He was just chilling on stage. Anyway, I fucking loved the song.

LA Devotee: Nicole and Mike got front stage and bam LA Devotee, my favourite song from Bachelor, started playing. It was awesome.

Hallelujah: The girls in front of us lost it when the first note started playing. Brendon did his classy falsetto again and it was great.

Crazy = Genius: Hey look, fire. Anyway, this song is amazing and is it underrated? Idk? I love it so much.

The Ballad of Mona Lisa: People went apeshit when the first notes started playing. I really liked it.

Nine In The Afternoon: Where did Brendon go? Oh, he’s at the piano, aka it’s time for Nine In The Afternoon. I loved that you could hear the strings at the end so clearly.

One Of The Drunks: Ah yes, they added this song for the second leg and boy am I glad they did, since I absolutely love this song.

Casual Affair: Wow, okay. The visuals and the lights were amazing in every damn song, but Casual Affair had by far one of the best. AFAS Live became a big laser show. And nearing the end, a laser circle appeared on stage and Nicole and Mike joined Brendon in the circle. And then Brendon started singing very, very high. Probably the highest notes he’s had all evening. I was in absolute awe.

Vegas Lights: I am also so happy they did this song. I’ve loved it ever since I first listened to it and the energy in the room was so high.

Dancing’s Not A Crime: Annika from Plurk said that this song was so much fun live, and I am inclined to agree with her. This was so much fun! They did change the lyrics from “MJ up in the clouds” to someone else and the ending was also done in falsetto, which was great. Yup, yup, yup, Annika was right.

This Is Gospel: Brendon got a guitar and it was time for This Is Gospel. Now of course, this song is great and the added high notes were wonderful, but the very end was the best. After the song ended, Brendon, Nicole, Mike and Dan just jammed for one whole minute. Just music. I knew it was coming, so I filmed it.

Death Of A Bachelor: No surprise here, but Brendon told everyone he wrote it because he wanted to be Frank Sinatra. Since this is a smaller venue (... still... why...), he didn’t have to do the Death Walk, which is a good thing. It was just him and the horny boys on stage and the funk part was so much fun. Heh, horny boys. What a great pun.

It was time for a silent moment. The horny boys left the stage and Brendon started talking about he tried to learn Dutch at 3AM but he couldn’t get very far. Well, he got “Hartelijk bedankt” and “Ik hou van jullie allemaal”, and he thanked Google Translate. Anyway, he moved to the piano and he talked about how he hated it that his mum tried to teach him piano, but that he learned this song. The wicked strings returned and he started playing.

I Can’t Make You Love Me/Dying In LA: In the middle of the song, it transitioned into Dying In LA. Again, smaller stage (wtf), so the whole floating piano thing wasn’t there, but the music was obviously the same.

The Greatest Show: From a slow piano ballad to BAM this. I was not as disappointed by Panic!’s version of The Greatest Show as others, but I definitely agree that the song is much better live. Brendon sounded a bit raspy, which was great. He’d been raspy the entire show and it was great, but here it was amazing.

Girls/Girls/Boys: YES. IT’S TIME TO GET GAY. THE ONE I’VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO. Sure, I didn’t get to show off my ace flag, but Brendon still got flooded by flags, including 2 pan flags, 1 bi flag, and 1 trans flag. He commented on how it was the most flags he’s ever gotten. I saw even more flags in the audience, so he didn’t even get all of them. The Panic! Hearts were lovely, even though there was no rainbow. There was no assigned seating, so colours were everywhere. I had an orange heart and Sammy had a blue one. It still rained glitter and I almost cried when the rainbow love banner appeared. After the song, the rainbow laser lights appeared and Brendon gave a small speech. I want to relive this moment again.

King Of The Clouds: Smoak clouded (pun intended) the stage and it was time for King Of The Clouds. Not much to say, apart from the usual: it was great and the visuals were beautiful. The purple/green/blue colour scheme at the end was mesmerising.

High Hopes: CAN I JUST SAY THAT THAT MOMENT WHERE THE WICKED STRINGS BEND BACKWARDS IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS EVER? And also, oh boy, there were some high notes at High Hopes.

Miss Jackson: Brendon lost his golden jacket and Miss Jackson started playing. He did a backflip as well.

Roaring 20s: Another song that got added for leg two and just like One Of The Drunks, I welcome this change. Yup, I was one of those “*shoves 20$ to Brendon* Add Roaring 20s to the setlist!” people. NOW ONLY THE OVERPASS AND OLD FASHIONED LEFT.

Bohemian Rhapsody: How can you not sing along with this song? It’s iconic. I love the “ending”, so I filmed that (see link above). It’s 3 minutes long.

Emperor’s New Clothes: This is the one song in all of Panic!’s discography that I have mixed feeling about. Like, there are some songs I just dislike, and some I like, and some I love. But this song? Bruh idk. I sing along from the top of my lungs, because I like the energy, but do I like the song? Well, this time I fucking did cause it was a blast to hear it live and the lights were beautiful.

Then it was time for the encore. Some poor unfortunate souls behind us left. I heard another woman saying: “Don’t ever do that. Oh, this is so stupid.” The band slowly came back to the stage and Brendon lost his shirt.

Say Amen (Saturday Night): HE HIT THE HIGH NOTE HECK YEAH. I LOVE THIS SONG.

I Write Sins Not Tragedies: Ah yes, Sammy’s favourite song, since it’s a banger according to her. Well, she’s right. I am kinda glad that Brendon didn’t ask an audience member to sing with him.

It was time for the last song. Brendon said that he’s not the smartest guy (”I didn’t even go to college”), but that he knows that everyone is important due to, well, biology. He gave one of those inspirational celeb speeches about how everyone is important to him, but also to themselves. We were all born as winners, and that stuff.

Victorious: I knew they were going to end with Victorious and it’s the perfect song to end the show. It rained confetti and it was time for them to go. I didn’t want it to end.

They all waved goodbye and Mike and Dan threw stuff to the audience (probably guitar picks and those things). The girl in the seat behind me dropped her heart before Girls/Girls/Boys and she couldn’t find it. I found it after the show. I wanted to return it, but she was already gone, so I now also have a yellow heart.

And yeah, that was it.

Overall thoughts? Well...

I can’t go into detail about the visuals, but they really added something to the overall experience, so I actually recommend getting a seat that allows you to see the full stage in its glory.

Also, Sammy said: “I can no longer listen to the recorded versions now that he’s added all those amazing high notes” and that’s a big ass mood.

To quote Sammy some more, she said something about the beautiful intermission instrumentals between songs and how she’d even buy an album filled with those. That is also a big ass mood.

To continue this trend of quoting Sammy, I agree with her that watching Brendon dance was so much fun. I like that he’s having fun.

Anyway, it was time to go. Some girls complimented me on my ace flag, which was so fucking cool. Just like with Troye, the train station was flooded and there were still many flags.

Sammy and I got the train back home and we briefly saw the girls from before, so I said hi.

And that was it. What a day.

Recommend?: Please.... I want to do this again... oh god....

[glitterrhowell]

I’m Not a baby

Pairing: Daniel Howell & AmazingPhil (Phan)

Genre: Phan, Fluff,Crying,dd/lb, Little!Dan, Daddy!Phil, Caregiver Phil, Interactive introverts, sweet, no smut

Word Count: 1826

Summary:  What happened when Dan slips into little space during a meet and greet will it mess everything up Or will Phil be able to save him before anything happens. Little!Dan and Daddy!Phil

 So far the tour had been amazing Dan and Phil were having the time of their lives, meet all the different fans and getting to interact with them on stage, life couldn't be better. But with tour life you also get plenty of nights you don't get enough sleep, the stress of making sure you make it to the next venue on time and just the general stress of being an introvert that has left the house. They weren't complaining by any means they loved it but that meant that they didn't get a lot of downtime to themselves either. This was something both of them had thought long and hard about before they decided to go on tour, Phil remembered during TATINOF Dan had been beyond stressed and there had been some very difficult days. But after talking it over they decided that this time Dan was in a better place than before and they made sure to work more free days into their schedule.

Dan was usually pretty good at being able to tell when he was slipping into little space and after ten years Phil was almost better at noticing the signs then Dan was. That is why when Phil woke up to Dan's big doe eyes staring at him and Dan cuddling him extremely hard Phil could tell Dan was teetering on the edge of little space. Dan always got extra clingy when little and he had a certain innocence to his eyes. So when Phil had suggested that they cancel today's meet and greet and let the fan's know Dan wasn't feeling good Dan had gotten angry.

"Phil we can't do that our fans paid a lot of money to see us I don't want to disappoint them." He said Stubbornly.

Phil knew this would be his answer but he had hoped Dan would see it his way anyway, "Bear are you sure? You know they would understand. Plus you haven't slipped in awhile so you might not be able to push it away."

When Dan was younger he used to push his littleness down so far that he would wail and sob into Phil's shoulder when he finally slipped. It had taken years and lots of reassurances from Phil that he loved taking care of Dan in Little space before he had finally started to let himself slip when he needed to. As Dan had matured and gotten more confident he didn't slip as much as he used to but when he did he didn't fight it and gladly let Phil take care of him.

"I'm an adult Phil I don't need to be treated like a child." Dan snapped at him

Phil sighed he know this was a battle he wasn't going to win he would just have to keep an eye on Dan and hope he didn't slip in front of the fans.

There was still some tension between them as they made their way to the venue, they went in through the back door of the theater saying Hi to varies crew members they passed. The tension stayed as Phil mindlessly scrolled through Tumblr on his Phone paying more attention to Dan who was passing their dressing room back and forth. Phil didn't say anything knowing it would just cause Dan to become more stressed and nervous than he already was.

There was a knock on their door and their manager stuck her head in letting them know the fans had arrived at it was time for the meet and greet to start. They Quickly made their way out Phil wanting to get this down with as soon as possible so he could get back to the hotel room and cuddle Dan.

The meet and Greet started well they met a handful of fans and everything seemed to be going just fine Dan was smiling and seemed like he was enjoying himself. Phil let is guard down just a little, maybe just maybe today would go on without any mishaps.

It was about halfway through the meet and greet and they were listening to a fan whose name was Amanda tell them about her story, she had found Dan and Phil when she was 13 and they saved her from Suicide. Phil loved hearing fan stories they made him Sad but happy at the same time, knowing him and Dan had made such a difference in someone life. He happens to glance over at Dan who had been progressively getting quieter the last 20 minutes or so when he saw it. Dan had a look of confusion on his face and tears springing to his eyes, he started walking towards Phil and latched on to his arm, "Daddy I want to go." He whined.

Fuck! He thought so As subtly as he could He whispered in Dan's ear Hoping the fan didn't hear, "It's Ok baby just give Daddy a minute."

Phil quickly took a picture of them all and handed Amanda her phone back. Before the next fan could come up to them Phil quickly pulled their manager aside trying to explain to her as quickly as he could that Dan wasn't feeling well and they needed to go back to the hotel. She wasn't very pleased but Phil didn't care all he cared about was his baby and making sure he was safe and happy.

He took Dan by the elbow and steered him away from the crowd and back to the dressing room, letting the manager take care of telling the fans that the meet and greet was going to have to be canceled. As soon as walked into the dressing room Dan started full on sobbing into Phil's shoulder. Phil rubbed circles into his back comforting him, "Shh it's ok baby." He said as he hugged Dan tighter.

"Dad-ddy do yo-u haate me?" Dan sobbed into Phil's shoulder.

Confused Phil pulled away looking at Dan, "Why would Daddy be mad at you sweetheart?"

"Because I saaaid I co-could be big, wheen I coullld'nt." He said hiccuping and sobbing at the same time.

"Love of course daddy isn't mad at you, it isn't your fault. Comere." Phil said has he pulled Dan into another embrace kissing the top of his head. Phil let Dan cry into his shoulder until he finally stopped and was just whimpering a little.

"How about we go back to the hotel and we can cuddle love." Phil asked.

Dan shook his head and took a hold of Phil's hand, chuckling Phil took his hand and gave it a quick kiss.

The Car ride back to the hotel was quite with Dan glued to Phil's side and Phil Whispering Sweet nothings into his ear. The arrived at the hotel and went in through the back door and made their way up to their room. Phil was glad they hadn't held the meet and greet in the hotel as the chances of them being spotted by a fan where slim.

Phil slid the keycard into the door and ushered Dan inside, once they were inside Phil let his shoulders drop. What he had feared had happened but he wasn't mad at Dan he was upset with himself for letting Dan go along and do the meet and greet anyway.

"You wanna take a bath little one?" Phil said looking softy at Dan.

Dan's eyes got big and he nodded his head, "Can I use the bath bomb I got the other day?" He asked excitedly.

"Of course love." Phil said smiling at him. "Go to the bathroom and wait for Daddy I will be there in a minute OK."

"Yay!" Dan squealed as he ran to the bathroom.

Phil chuckled as he pulled his phone out of his pocket he quickly composed a tweet from both him and Dan apologizing for leaving the meet and great early and simply telling them that Dan wasn't feeling well. The response was almost instant wishing Dan a speedy recovery and the hashtag #GetwellDan was soon trending. Throwing his phone on the bed he went to join Dan in the bathroom.

He walked into the adjoining bathroom and saw Dan sitting on the floor by the tub, his eyes lighting up as soon as he saw Phil. Phil started the bath and helped Dan out of his clothes.

"Daddy, Can I put the bath bomb in?" Dan asked excitedly

"Of course love, here you go." Phil handed the boy a rainbow sparkly glitter bath bomb.

Dan squealed as he dropped it into the water watching as all the colors started expanding and go off in the tub.

"Daddy look!" He exclaimed as he pointed to the bath.

Phil smiled and gave Dan a quick kiss on the top of his head before he helped him into the bath.

"Daddy I want my toys!" Dan exclaimed.

"Sorry love remember we had to leave them at home."

Dan started to tear up again when Phil quickly sprang up remembering when they were out yesterday he had picked up a rubber duck to play with just in case they needed it. Smiling he handed it to Dan, "Here baby Daddy picked this up for you."

"Thnk you, daddy." He exclaimed as he started splashing and playing in the water.

Soon enough Phil washed Dan up and he was helping him out of the bath wrapping him in a big fluffy hotel towel.

"Wait here, baby." Phil opened his suitcase and dug to the bottom as he pulled out one of Dan's onesies he had brought with him. He rushed back to the bathroom dried Dan off, pulled on a pair of Dan's boxers and pulled the onesie on over it.

Dan Yawned and Phil could tell he was exhausted, it had been a long and tough day.

"How about we take a nap love?" Phil asked as he led Dan over to the bed.

"Ok, daddy." Dan whispered as he crawled into the bed.

Phil know when Dan didn't argue that today must have taken a mental toll on him. Phil Figured Dan must have been pushing his little space off for awhile now with the way he was acting.

"Daddy will be right back sweetheart." Phil ran back to the bathroom pulled his contact lenses out and put his glasses on. He walked back over to the bed pulled the blankets back and got in snuggling close to Dan. Dan must have been tired because he was already asleep when Phil pulled him against his chest. Sighing Phil gave Dan a kiss on the head and he settled in. Today Hadn't gone to plan and they would have to figure out what they were going to do about the people who paid for the meet and greet and didn't get to see them. But that was something they would worry about later because all Phil wanted to do was cuddle is baby and take a nice nap.

[calvin-af-crone]

The Fuckmokers are Fakes

It’s so gawd-damned aggravating when puerile poseurs beat out talented artists on so-called award shows that give them bragging rights to claim to be the “Best”. I dislike their music so much I think their fans have killed their brain cells by drinking too many aspartame-poisoned diet sodas, illegally obtained beer, tripping on molly, or whatever other ways our nation’s youth currently abuse themselves for the sake of having a good time. I even suspect the gross twosome of being frauds like they’ve got bots inflating their streams to claim top spots on the charts. I look at the one w/ the surly ugly face & actually have fleeting nano-seconds when I purely hate him! 

Then I calm myself down. These bogus award shows are nothing but Twitter Popularity Contests that have absolutely nothing to do w/ the quality of their winner’s music or performances. The shows have some truly great performances but the reason for the show is utterly meaningless. Also, the same bots that have fake accounts on Spotify could also have Twitter accounts.

OR those guys are working their asses off...

I went to their website this morning & guess what? In addition to doing Vegas once a week, these dudes are playing the full Jingle Bell Ball circuit at the lesser cities AND hitting low-end venues w/ reasonable ticket prices all across the country AND the UK, too. Three times a week they’re living The High Life in hotel rooms w/ babes, booze & buds that frat boys can envy & virtually enjoy AND their girlfriends can dream about scoring a one-night stand w/ one of these lizards. If you’ve recently attended their show & had drunken fun then hell yeah, you’re going to vote for them via Twitter. It’s too easy & why not?  

 Calvin hasn’t given a fuck about fans...

...since last year. Not being popular is his own damned fault. Hell, he hasn’t done shit to promote the best album he’s ever made! Now for us true music lovers, our next hope for seeing Calvin rewarded for his actual talent comes on 28 November when we find out if the Grammy’s are as bogus as the rest of the award shows. I don’t expect him to win anything because the Grammy’s are often another popularity contest won by going to parties w/ the voters. But he damned well ought to be recognized in the nominations, hopefully in multiple categories. 

So this is where my mind is: the Fuckmokers are gawd-awful but maybe they are legitimately earning the popularity contests. And if Calvin gets Grammy nominations, he should try to win by playing the Fame Game & give a fucking interview to get his hairy face on the cover of Rolling Stone.

Oh AND...

Have you seen Dan Wootten’s latest broadside? Someone is losing her popularity & has angered the Grammy jury. I don’t actually believe what he’s saying but the story is already being repeated on other sites. It’s another episode of “Gossip becomes Fact” to watch for its amusement value.

[runagainstawallwithsarah]

I've only got shit pictures from Philly but I'll share one anyway so I can add a bit to it ! So Julia and I went to philadelphia to see this stupid Triangle Band again on the 14th Sept in The Fillmore and it was so fun! We got there a day early bc we also went to the Mondo Cozmo show in Philly and right after that we headed to our Motel (this time thankfully a lot nice than the Murder Motel in Norfolk) showered and then went straight to the Fillmore to Camp out. And honestly this was the best nights sleep thay I've gotten that week 😂 After having lunchables for the first time I pretty much fell asleep right away, sure that Julia and the others already there (we were 6 and 7) would wake me up if anything happened. So yeah I don't want to make this too log so I'm gonna skip the waiting part. But when it was time to get our stuff to our car and set up the queue The Fillmore and it's staff fucked up real bad. There suddenly was a second line for VIP access or sth like this and we all got worried but okay we asked the guy they said they were only allowed on the balcony not the floor nothing to worry about. But then we eavesdropped and turned out they were allowed on the floor and the line got longer and longer filling up with people that arrived 5 minutes ago and we were standing there waiting since 2 am ... They said they announced that option earlier but they only did to the back of the line, those that waited the whole day and night were just kinda ignored. So some of us ended up buying that early entrance for 40$ and promised they'd safe us a spot at barricade and yeah. THANKS A LOT FOR THAT FILLMORE. Luckily they opened our entrance before they were done with VIP so we still got into the front but seriously.. why do venues keep doing this ? First Norfolk then Philly.. But anyways Frenship opened and they were just as amazing as the first time in Norfolk and I really hope they'll make it to Germany eventually bc I need more. And then Dan, kyle and Woody joined them on stage during 1000 Nights and everyone lost it. I posted a video of that earlier of Kyle just sitting on Woody's shoulders coming in and Dan laughing in the back! Then it was Bastille's turn and ugh, they were all drunk, especially Will and it was the best. After the second song, Kyle saw Julias poster and his eyes just widened like are you fucking serious and he got Dan's attention for us and we were all pointing at Julia and Dan too read the sign and his eyes widened and he crouched down in front of us and made Julia explain what happened. What happened was that on our way to Philly we got into a car accident and while everyone involved was okay no Physical injuries her car was totaled. So she made a sign that said I totaled my car driving up from dc to be here. Dan kinda stopped the show for 2 minutes when he saw the sign and made Julia explain and I posted a video of that too and ugh he was so dumb! Just going "so you bumped into their car" and trying to be sassy when she said it was dc rush hour "but we're in philly" well yeah dan we drove up from dc !! He eventually got that and laughed and "okay sorry that took me a while I'm stupid" and it was the cutest ???? Because? Wow just wow I have no words. I was just standing there filming and grinning at both Julia and Dan bc after this week she really deserved a good laugh with Dan 😂 So he got a couple more signs up after that and was just so happy and Woody eventually told him to shut up and start the next song bc they were behind on their time and yeah. They really were all so happy and Kyle was adorable too people complimented him on his nail Polish and he was smiley and Will made fun if Charlie and his dancing, just going into a split in front of him, Woody made fun of Dan when he said they'd have new music soon bc okay so Julia and Susanne and Melanie I think they made fun of Dan then like Yeah right "soon"! And Woody saw it and laughed and agreed and apparently mouthed December Christmas to them ?? I didn't see that. But later on I got a tiny moment with Will again I think he actually recognised us from Norfolk bc we were wearing our ugly Hawaii Shirts again and I ended up waving at him from across where I was stood in front of Kyle and and I waved at him and smiled and he smiled back and made a little gesture holding out his bass like "I'm a little busy atm but gimme a second" and as soon as he had a little break in the song he grinned at me and waved back like ??Full on wave not the tiny ones he does but arm above his head wave and :D face and then he laughed at me bc I kind of lost it. So yeah... there was more stuff I'm 100% sure but those were the things I really can't stop thinking about and made me just so happy. Im really so lucky that I got to see them two times while I'm here in the US and I'm so thankful for having met Julia 3 years ago and that she got us the tickets and still drove us out to Philly with her mums car the same day we had the accident (we did have to take a break bc we were both sobbing again but we made it and it was okay). And yeah I just really am so happy that I got to experience these Concerts with you (also the two Mondo Cozmo shows) and I really hope we can do it again eventually !

[safe-skeletons]

Drabble : Home

Sooooooo... Hi !

I was on train, going to work, when... @cathedralmidnight​ post this. And I just... Write this drabble in like 15 minutes because HOLY FUCK I'VE GOT AN IDEA WITH THIS !

So there you go. Enjoy ?

Saluuuuuut~!

Pour faire simple, j'étais dans le train sur le chemin du boulot quand j'ai vu ce truc popper dans mon fil d'actu. J'en ai marre d'avoir des idées qui me tombent dessus comme ça alors que j'arrive pas à terminer les requêtes TT

J'espère que ça vous plaira !

When Sans had first met one of his counterpart, he immediately fell in love. After so many resets, having seen all the possible scenarios and all the faces of hundreds of times, this novelty had brought him hope.

Of course, Red, as he called him, hadn't easily allowed himself to be tamed. He came from a world so violent that even his Papyrus had abandoned his naive dreams and didn't hesitate to obtain what he wanted by force. The small skeleton, with his many scars, his collar around his neck and his way of calling his brother Boss were just a few examples among many others.

But it had also been a relief to Red. Finally, something new. Something else beyond killing. He could finally be himself.

Although Sans had been surprised by his dark humour and his habit of drinking mustard, they had become close friends.

By joining the Surface, they had brought the newly named Fell - since he had fallen heavily out of the machine, unused to 'shortcut' - then they had met Stretch and Blue. But nothing had ever changed: even when their band had grown bigger and bigger with Slim and Razz, Sans (called Classic since he was the original in this universe) had eyes only for Red.

So naturally, since it was mutual, they had finally united, through soul bond and human marriage.

They had lived happily this way.

And then, the world had reset.

Classic had a hard time understanding, waking up alone in his bed at Snowdin. Then, his brother had come to wake him as usual and reality had struck him painfully. He had returned to the same point as usual. He had lost Red. And this idea was so painful...

Putting on his facade of joy back, he resumed his life as if nothing had happened. But the nightmares haunted him.

Soon, Frisk returned and led them to the Surface. Sans played his part, without pleasure, until he saw the sun again. This sight struck him with a bitter blow. He would have preferred to see Red again. His soul seemed so heavy that he didn't hold the child back when they went away, after asking for forgiveness.

Classic hadn't understood why at first. But the more time went by, the more he understood: the reset was accidental. Frisk hadn't wanted to separate them. Frisk no longer wanted to play with time. Frisk was gone, definitely. Just like Red.

Sans picked up the same house he had had with his lover and cut himself off from the rest of the world, seeing only his brother and Grillby. No one understood or could understand.

Yet, one day, someone knocked at the door. Classic went to the door and opened it, out of habit rather than will. But his mask of impassivity broke down and tears rolled down his cheeks when he saw Red in front of him. The little skeleton was in poor condition and was embarrassingly smiling.

- Hey… I’m home...

Classic took him in his arms and squeezed him tightly, his soul pounding. Red had tears in his eye sockets and softly laughed as he returned his embrace back. His face buried in the fur of his lover's hood, Classic simply murmured:

- Welcome home…

Lorsque Sans avait rencontré pour la première fois un de ses alters ego, il en était tout de suite tombé amoureux. Après tant de resets, après avoir vu tous les scénarios possibles et tous les visages des centaines de fois, cette nouveauté lui avait apporté de l'espoir.

Bien sûr, Red, comme il l'appelait, ne s'était pas facilement laissé apprivoiser. Il venait d'un univers tellement violent que même son Papyrus avait abandonné ses rêves naïfs et n'hésitait pas à obtenir ce qu'il voulait par la force. Le petit squelette, avec ses nombreuses cicatrices, son collier autour du cou et sa façon d’appeler son frère Boss n'étaient que quelques exemples parmi tant d’autres.

Mais pour Red aussi, ç’avait été une délivrance. Enfin de la nouveauté. Enfin autre chose que des tueries. Il pouvait désormais être lui-même.

Bien que Sans avait été surpris par son humour noir et sa manie de boire de la moutarde, ils étaient quand même devenus de vrais amis.

En rejoignant la Surface, ils avaient amené le nouvellement dénommé Fell - puisqu'il était tombé lourdement en sortant de la machine, n'ayant pas l'habitude des 'raccourcis' - puis avaient rencontré Stretch et Blue. Mais rien n’avait jamais changé : même quand leur groupe s’était encore agrandi avec Slim et Razz, Sans (appelé Classic puisqu’il était l’original dans cet univers) n'avait d'yeux que pour Red.

Alors naturellement, puisque c'était réciproque, ils avaient fini par s'unir, via l’union de leurs âmes et par le mariage humain.

Ils avaient vécu heureux ainsi.

Puis le monde avait reset.

En se réveillant seul, dans son lit à Snowdin, Classic avait eu du mal à comprendre. Puis son frère était venu le réveiller comme à son habitude et la réalité l'avait frappé douloureusement. Il était revenu au même point que d'habitude. Il avait perdu Red. Et cette perspective était tellement douloureuse...

Remettant son masque de fausse joie, il reprit sa vie comme si de rien n'était. Mais les cauchemars le hantaient.

Bientôt, Frisk revint et les conduit à la Surface. Sans jouait son rôle, sans envie, jusqu’à revoir le soleil. Cette vision lui porta un coup amer. Il aurait largement préféré revoir Red. Son âme lui semblait si lourde de cette perte qu’il ne retient pas l’enfant lorsque celui-ci s’en alla, après lui avoir demandé pardon.

Classic n'avait d'abord pas compris pourquoi. Mais plus le temps avançait, plus il comprenait : le reset était accidentel. Frisk n’avait pas voulu les séparer. Frisk ne voulait plus jouer avec le temps. Frisk était parti, définitivement. Tout comme Red.

Sans reprit la même maison qu'il avait eu avec son amant et se coupa du reste du monde, ne voyant que son frère et Grillby. Personne ne comprenait ou ne pouvait comprendre.

Pourtant, un jour, on toqua à la porte. Classic alla ouvrir, plus par habitude que par envie. Mais son masque d'impassibilité se brisa et les larmes roulèrent à flot sur ses joues lorsqu'il vit Red devant lui. Le petit squelette était dans un sale état et souriait d'un air gêné.

“Hey… Je suis rentré...”

Classic le prit dans ses bras et le serra fort contre lui, son âme battant la chamade. Red avait des larmes contenues dans ses orbites et rit doucement en lui rendant son étreinte.  Le visage caché dans la fourrure de la capuche de son amant, Classic murmura simplement :

"Bienvenue chez toi…”

[blogobot5000]

EVE: (To girls) I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt there, since he knows I don’t really eat much meat or seafood… but the way he kept saying everything …

MAN: All the women were incredible.

EVE: Was not too charming.

MAN: There was this one woman… a flight attendant… we had a private plane for the wedding party, but we were hoping for our own separate party, if you know what I mean…

BONNIE: Wait- he did NOT say that.

EVE: Well … maybe not exactly but he was for sure laying down vibes that he wanted to get with this woman from this epic Italian wedding.

GWEN: Gross.

EVE: I do remember something word for word though…

MAN: Anyway, take a look. (Taking out his phone) I do not know if you saw all my photos, or remember from my profile -- did you see my dogs? I love dogs. Are you a dog person or a cat person?

EVE: Well, I like both.

MAN: No, no - If you had to choose. Say you could not pick both and you could only pick one.

EVE: Hm…

MAN: Everyone always has a preference.

EVE: Well, if someone held a gun to my head and told me I must choose between cats or dogs I would say cats. I used to be afraid of dogs when I was a kid.

MAN: (Almost offended or disgusted) I knew it. I knew you’d say cats. (Condescending) When I saw you in your red coat I knew immediately that you were a cat person.

EVE: (Confused) What does one say to that?

BONNIE: Was he trying to joke?

EVE: It did not seem like a joke. He legit seemed offended.

GWEN: Wow.

EVE: The dinner ended with him paying… (to him) are you sure? We can split it, if you want.

MAN: (With a condescending tone) I got it. It’s the least I can do for someone like you.

EVE: (Trying to make light) What does that mean?

MAN: I don’t imagine you have much money. (Exit)

BONNIE: Yikes.

EVE: At least he had the decency to text me after and say he didn’t feel a connection.

CLEO: What a low bar we strive for.

EVE: Honestly. And so, that is how ‘french guy’ was born. And the nickname trend. Speaking of… Wasn’t there a magician?

CLEO: Oh, there was…

BONNIE: What was his name again? Wasn’t it something like Abra Kadabra Adam?

GWEN: Presto Chango Pete?

CLEO: (Deadpans) Alakazam Andy. He was actually really nice. If he didn’t continuously refer to himself in the third person, we might have had a future. Saying things like, “Alakazam Andy would like to kiss you now” really made the mood disappear.

BONNIE: Hah! You so punny.

GWEN: And then sometimes, what they say online is just … so…

EVE: Questionable?

BONNIE: Mind-blowing?

CLEO: Revolting?

GWEN: Like this, I got this the other day. (Pulling out phone, they all do) Hey sexy. You (aside) spelled with the letter, not Y-O-U. Just the letter. Around, spelt “R-n-d” tonight- the number 2, N-I-T-E.”

EVE: Wait for it (Pulls out phone) “Let’s skip this small talk. Will you come over tonight?”

CLEO: “You want to fuck?”

BONNIE: I got something once like… “Hello beautiful, how are you? I know I might be kind of old but I just wanna let you know out of all my years you’re one of the most drop dead beautiful women I’ve ever seen since I can last remember and I thought I’d go out on a limb and let you know I’d love to take you out for a good old fashioned classy date with a classy man sometime.”

EVE: That one is actually kind of sweet-

BONNIE: He was sixty-two.

EVE: (Trying to make a positive) Well—

BONNIE: I was BARELY twenty.

EVE: Eek.

CLEO: Gross.

BONNIE: I mean, to each their own- but, yeah… that’s a bit of a gap. For me. Which I mentioned. On my profile. In which he claims he read.

CLEO: That’s not a gap. That’s a crater.

EVE: Well, if it makes you feel better one time I matched with a burrito on tinder.

CLEO: WHAT?

EVE: Yeah. I thought it was funny. But then it started to ask me what I wanted to be stuffed with.

BONNIE: Gross.

EVE: Yup. Oh and I also once matched 96% with a potato. But it never messaged me.

CLEO: Now that is a true match.

EVE: I thought so.

GWEN: (Looking at phone) Then, there are always the times when you answer back… because you have this little bit of hope of, like, “Oh! They don’t seem that bad. Maybe we can give this a shot.”

BONNIE: Which does not ever go well –

GWEN: Oh, absolutely never.

CLEO: I like this game. Examples please! (Motions to phones) And shots. We need shots.

EVE: Bartender! Four Washington Apple shots!

MAN: You got it, ladies!

GWEN: Pronto!

CLEO: (Standing up) Ladies, gentlemen, and distinguished guests of this fabulous venue. We present online dating at it’s finest. What you all have seen so far and what you are about to hear are stories that have actually happened to actual people that you may ACTUALLY know. Bear with us. As we unveil the hidden secrets and unlock the vault of conversations of ONLINE DATING

EVE: (MAN brings over shots) A FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT. (They take the shots) ANOTHER!

CLEO: AND ACTION!

GWEN: (Reading off of phone. Our characters pair off and reenact these conversations they once had with each other. They are goofy, becoming more drunk throughout, and having a good time as they go through it all, listening to each other’s stories.) Example! Part ONE from the profile of Eve!

EVE: THAT’S ME!

GWEN: IT YOU! (Clearing throat) Here we go. “Have you ever had the chance to visit the Museum of Fine Arts?”

EVE: I have – have you?

GWEN: “Damn. I was going to say I’d love to bring you. But, even if we went I wouldn’t have been able to hold your hand.”

EVE: Why’s that?

GWEN: “Well, I don’t know about the last time you were at a museum, but when I go they don’t let me touch the masterpieces.”

ALL: (Hands over mouth, loudly) OOH!!!!! (They all take shots)

GWEN: Here we got some one liners that are truly just… gems. Every single one. Gems.

CLEO: (Mimicking a man) “I’m from Israel. What’s your name?”

BONNIE: “So… looking at your profile… what are the chances you wanna add me to your list of six things you could never live without?”

CLEO: (Mimicking same man) I’m Dan.

EVE: “Would you like some company in bed tonight?”

CLEO: (Mimicking Dan) You there?

GWEN: Are you a Dementor, cause you take my breath away.

CLEO: (Mimicking Dan) Dear pretty lady, either stop being so darn beautiful or chat with me. Your choice.

BONNIE: (Breaking, laughing) What did you chose though?

CLEO: I mean option one is impossible sooooo…

GWEN: HELL YEAH IT IS!

BONNIE: So you chatted with him?

CLEO: Absolutely not.

EVE: “Anyway, I really like your smile and I find you very sexy, so I hope we can meet and have some fun.” Scroll… scroll… Eggplant emoji. Scroll… Fireworks gif.

CLEO: Christ.

GWEN: “Hey, I read your profile and you seem really cool. If I was a giraffe, I would slap my neck against 1,000 other giraffes to establish dominance over the herd and make you my giraffe queen.”

BONNIE: “How many shrimps have you ate in your life so you think? Over 500?”

CLEO: (Breaking, to audience) THESE ACTUALLY HAPPENED, PEOPLE

EVE: Yeah! We’re not that creative! (Interacting with CLEO) “Wow! It sounds like you’ve been having an amazing night”

CLEO: “Thank you! I’m two drinks in and the food is amazing!”

EVE: “wow! Gin again?”

CLEO: “Beer and gin!”

EVE: “Fancy, fancy”

CLEO: “I’m pretty sure that I’m the classiest dude ever”

EVE: (Flirty and fun) “Ya? Do you have a top hat?”

CLEO: “One for my head. One for my dick.”

BONNIE: (Laughing, disclaiming) Oh wait- this one is GOLD. (Composing self) For starters, this is from a white man:

MAN: Any luck finding black guys on here?

GWEN: Why did he ask specifically about black men?

BONNIE: That is EXACTLY what I asked. To which he said:

MAN: “I can just tell you like black guys. Haha. I also get turned on by that. I know it is weird but it is what I like. Probably due to my ex girlfriend cheating on me with black guys and me watching.

(Giant pause.)

CLEO: Wow.

BONNIE: (after a pause) There’s also that guy who wanted a lock of my hair.

EVE: Here’s a man who says he likes my profile and thinks we have a lot in common.

GWEN: Oh? What’s wrong with that?

EVE: Screename—WannaKnockYouUp4.

BONNIE: BOOM! There it is!

GWEN: And shall we never forget the time a man messaged me asking if I would dominate him in the bedroom? Which like… don’t get me wrong- I’m not vanilla BUT this man asked if I would please dominate him and making him my pet and had this fantasy of being a used pool boy. He gave me a script. A very. Lengthy. Script. Where I was lounging by the pool and he was serving me and all sorts of stuff… happened.

EVE: What sort of stuff?

GWEN: Use your imagination. Not only this… but he offered me $200 and everything I that was on my Amazon wish list if I would do this for him.

CLEO: That is quite the offer.

BONNIE: Did you take it?

GWEN: While, in a certain light it was tempting- I said no. It was a lot. This was all within the first message. There was no initial getting to know each other, no ‘hello, how are you’ just BOOM: dominatrix script!

EVE: That’s quite the first message.

CLEO: Yup. No wonder we end up trolling half the time. (All look at each other and scroll through. They pair up and act out the conversations below.)

MAN: Another round, how about some waters?

BONNIE: Yes and yes!

MAN: I’m on it- you all seem like you’re having a good time.

BONNIE: We’re just getting started. (MAN exits) And ACTION.

CLEO: (Throughout this next bit, CLEO and GWEN interact with each other as do Eve and Bonnie, acting out their online stories) How was your weekend? (Beat) How are you? (Beat) Any fun plans tonight?

GWEN: (Dryly) World domination. (Shift to BONNIE and EVE)

EVE: Hey I was wondering… did it hurt when you fell from Heaven?

BONNIE: Like a bitch. (Shift to CLEO and GWEN)

GWEN: So, this site tells me that we’re a pretty high match. We should just forgo all the dating and get married. What kind of ring do you want?

CLEO: Emerald with small pearls on the side that has the blood of my enemies infused in it.

GWEN: Damn… you sound like my kind of girl. Wanna grab dinner sometime? (Shift to BONNIE and EVE)

BONNIE: On my way to Starbucks, want me to pick you up something?

EVE: Flaxseed.

BONNIE: L-O-L ! Whole Foods isn’t that far! How’s your day going? I’ve been told groceries are very intimate.

EVE: Who told you that?

BONNIE: People. Anyway, you seem harmless we should hang. (Shift to CLEO and GWEN)

CLEO: What kind of stuff do you like to draw?

GWEN: I don’t. (Shifting to another character) Hey – sorry to be so blunt but I’m only looking to sext so if you’re up for that we could have some fun xx

CLEO: No thanks. But I will hext you. (Aside) Curse you via dark magic in the form of online chat or text message.

GWEN: Please don’t, that’s quite scary actually.

CLEO: (Dryly) Okay.

GWEN: (Freaked out) Thanks. (Shift to BONNIE and EVE)

EVE+BONNIE: “You remind me of moon. Moon will be center of attraction and beautiful among all the stars in the sky. And also I think you have a great attracting force than earth.”

CLEO: (Breaking ‘shift’ sequence) Wait – which off you got that one?

EVE+BONNIE: We both did.

GWEN: (Suddenly) Oh my god – left handed guy! I forgot about him!

EVE: Who’s left handed guy?

CLEO: (Knowingly) Oh boy…

GWEN: (With a laugh) Well, it started off pretty normally – hey, how are you, how’s your day, etcetera, etcetera. So, we talk like this for a bit, you know- pretty normal, average conversation. He was cute, his profile was pretty standard … and then he asks me if I am left handed. Which… I am. I was a little thrown off at the time because… that’s not really one of the first online dating questions you come across. So, I told him I was, and he was all like “I knew it!” I asked him how he thought he knew. He said ‘well you’re more artsy and artsy people are more likely to be left-handed’ and then he told me how great it was that I was left handed. So, I asked him if he was and he was like:

MAN: No! I wish!

GWEN: I started to be like, well, this is a little… different- maybe let’s put this conversation on the back burner for a bit. Then, the moment I go quiet:

MAN: LEFTYYYYYYYY! What ya doing tonight? Coming to the city?

GWEN: (Dryly) Sup, righty?

MAN: hahahah I’m getting ready. (Pause) I’m both. I’m a converted lefty.

GWEN: I don’t think it works that way, man.

MAN: Hahahahahaha. Sure, it does! I’ll show you a scientific study later. Stop wasting your time chatting with these boring boys on here that will never keep your creative imagination and mind fulfilled long enough. I got what you need, boo. Friend, boyfriend, acquaintance, wing man- I guarantee we would click perfect.

GWEN: Nah.

MAN: I haven’t met a lefty yet that I didn’t click with everrrrrrrr.

GWEN: There’s a first time for everything.

MAN: Come on lefty!

GWEN: (To others) I stopped replying after that –

MAN: Lefty what up?

GWEN: But he didn’t-

MAN: Lefty, save me from these boring right-handed women!

GWEN: Stop –

MAN: Here’s my Facebook and Instagram

GWEN: Messaging me!

MAN: Facebook stalk me. Click away. Hit me up!

GWEN: (With a burst of frustration. To no one in particular) NO!

MAN: Is your boyfriend left-handed? Or girlfriends? Or any ex’s?

GWEN: What the hell?

MAN: The thing about lefties is you have to stimulate their minds in a certain way to keep them engaged. They like a certain kind of personality. And if you piss a lefty off then that’s it. They are tough to get back on their good side, if ever.

GWEN: And the cherry on top of it all:

MAN: P.S. make your fouth pic your profile and delete your fifth pic for better results! And if you get real brave I recommend a full body head to toe normal pic. Or just text me one and don’t show anyone else.

EVE: Wow.

GWEN: Yup.

CLEO: (Mocking jazz hands, but only with left hand) Left-handed guy, everybody!

GWEN: Lucky, lucky me. (Beat) Yikes.

BONNIE: I need to pee.

CLEO: I need another drink.

GWEN: You need water-

CLEO: You need to shhhhuuuuuush

EVE: We all need another one!

GWEN: Of water or a drink?

EVE: Both.

BONNIE: Okay… but can I pee first?

EVE: GO! PEE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING!

CLEO: PEE LIKE THE WIND!

BONNIE: I’m going! (She exits)

CLEO: Ya know. I hope she doesn’t get hurt. I don’t! For the amount of shit I give her – she deserves someone good… we all do.

EVE: And we’ll all find someone…

CLEO: You think?

EVE: Yeah!!! I mean… Yikes. Think about it! Just think! Do you ever look back on your college years and just cringe? I’d like to think I’ve evolved. Back then, I met a man online named Mason. “Harvard Grad Student.” Ugh. It was so shallow—that’s absolutely the reason I went out with him. We met at a Panera, so a step up from a strip mall food court. He presented like a normal human. Then, we sit down. He immediately starts pressing about my family life. I share, “My mother and sister live in Western Massachusetts.” Now, most men take a hint and read between the lines that I have clearly left a father figure out of my statement. Not Mason.

MAN: “Where’s your dad?”

EVE: It’s no secret here that my childhood was not ideal. I’m not ashamed, but I’m also not yelling it from the rooftops that things weren’t pretty on a first date. So, I say, “He’s not in the picture.”

MAN: Ooooo! Daddy issues!

EVE: Thus began the string of inappropriate and unwanted line of questioning…

MAN: How much money do you make? As a live-in nanny, do they make you eat in the bathroom? What’s the most disgusting thing you’ve found in their house? Why did your dad leave you?

EVE: I told him that he crossed the line. He backed off and apologized. Then, he whips out his phone and says,

MAN: Do you want to play a game? I’ll go first.

EVE: This MAN… this DATE… this HUMAN I am supposed to be on a DATE with opened up my dating profile and began rating my photos on a 1-10 scale. Lowest was a 3 and the highest was a 6.

MAN: Don’t take it personally! It’s just a game. You’re funny. Guys would want to fuck a funny 6. Maybe if you lost some weight or straightened your teeth, you’d be more aesthetically fuckable.

GWEN: Aesthetically fuckable?

EVE: HE THEN WANTED ME TO RATE HIS PICTURES! A saintly Panera employee was cleaning around our table and I jumped on the opportunity to GTFO. Then, he invited me back to his place.

MAN: My apartment isn’t too far from here.

EVE: What? So you could take me from behind with a bag over my head? That’s not what I said. Instead, I told him that we wouldn’t be going out again. I don’t know. Looking back on who I was on that date—I cringe hard. How could I allow myself to be subjected to that? But, growth.

CLEO: Now, you pick fights with men in bars and make them cry.

EVE: He didn’t cry and I’m not sorry. First of all, no man will look at me and tell me that I’m going to make him dinner. This is not the 1950s. I am not June Clever. If I must make you dinner, it will be English muffin pizzas or fucking starve.

GWEN: Wait wait wait wait wait. Can we all agree that it was a little excessive to be fighting over English muffin pizzas?

BONNIE: Abso-fuck-ing-lutly NEVER

CLEO: (Drunk) BONNIE’S BACK!

EVE: We missed you!

BONNIE: Is this English muffin pizza man?

EVE: AKA THE WORST

BONNIE: (Consoling) I know, he makes ya mad.

EVE: I’m not sorry about it! That lawyer needed everything in his life to be perfect. Every date was lavish—each course at a different restaurant. All without prices on the menu. When his smug face looked at me and said that our next date would be at my place and that I was going to cook dinner, English muffin pizza was the only thing I was offering. I am not fancy wines or Italian menus with words I needed to secretly google translate. I am English muffin pizza. When he looked at me and said that I could “do better” and he would find me a recipe to make… I saw red. Take no shit, hold no prisioners. Best part, he still tries to match with me on dating sites!

BONNIE: (Sighing) Men…

GWEN: Aren’t much better than women!

BONNIE: Debatable.

GWEN: Want to bet?!

CLEO: Oh boy.

GWEN: So online, if I talk to women they’re all like “are you actually even queer? Have you ever even been with another women before?” and it’s like, fuck off! First of all, yes, I am. Second of all, yes I have. I thought you might be someone who wouldn’t JUDGE me based on what I look like but I guess I was wrong. It makes me sad that I thought otherwise. Then I might as well forget meeting some men because sometimes when guys see that you’re bisexual they’re all like:

MAN: So… are you into threesomes? Have you ever had one? Would you like to?

GWEN: When is that ever an appropriate way to start a conversation?!

EVE: All manners seem to go out the window when people go online.

CLEO: Ain’t that the truth.

BONNIE: (Drunk. Trying to be optimistic) Well plenty of more fish in the sea, right?

GWEN: That’s what they seem to keep saying.

BONNIE: Well I found Clyde! He can’t be the only one who’s decent that was online- there’s like a million thousand and two people in this world… they can’t all suck and be crude, right? I mean no ones perfect – I’m certainly not perfect but you just gotta find someone who meshes with you, you know? Sometimes it takes, a lot of dates- I went on a lot of dates, remember?

CLEO: We remember.

(BONNIE dramatically gasps)

EVE: WHAT?

BONNIE: LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THIS MAN I WENT OUT WITH THIS ONE TIME. OKAY? This was one of them. He was only one date but it was in the middle of a bunch of dates when I was trying to get out there and date, you remember?

CLEO: We remember!

BONNIE: Remember! A few years back-

CLEO: RIGHT-

BONNIE: Tryin’ to get out there. Okay! So, we met online. And we were chatting – and then he asked me out. And I was like FUCK IT let’s go-

GWEN: YEAH YOU DID.

BONNIE: I did! I mean I told him that I did not love meat. Like the food meat. Not meaning like dick meat but like meat meat. Like cows. But, I’m not a vegetarian.

EVE: Obviously.

BONNIE: RIGHT. So he was like “Well I know this REALLY GOOD SPOT IN LOWELL (she glares at the audience) LET ME TAKE YOU IT’S VEGERTARIAN.” And I was like. I know where we’re going.

GWEN: YOU LOVE LIFE ALIVE!

BONNIE: I DO!

CLEO: But not on a first date, dumb ass.

BONNIE: I MEAN, RIGHT. BUT IT WAS FINE. So, it was summer. It was summer camp. I was working at summer camp.

EVE: You always work at summer camp.

BONNIE: RIGHT. SO, I was all sweaty from working at summer camp. BUT I ran home I showered, I wanted to look nice and smell nice cause it was a date.

CLEO: Praised be.

BONNIE: And so I go, I shower, I looked nice!

GWEN: I bet you looked hot!

BONNIE: I sure tried. And I meet him at Life Alive. And he’s standing there. And – well you know I like beards-

[selfcallednowhere]

March 8, 2018, Portland, OR

They opened with "Ana Ng," followed by "Damn Good Times." During the intro of the latter, when the band was already playing but Flans was talking before the vocal kicked in (which he is quite fond of doing, particularly when the song is one of the first few of the night), he said Portland is "the only town that counts." (I knew he was joking but I was still mildly bothered by this as a Seattleite dealing with the Seattle vs. Portland rivalry).

Afterwards, Flans was referring to the people who were around the edge of the room, which was blocked off by a barrier--he said they were in East Berlin. John: "We hope you'll think about what you did." Then he said that Flans hadn't said the thing about this being "the only town that matters" at any of the other shows they've done on this tour, and Flans said it's because a big percentage of the population of Portland is rock critics. Then he said that thing that keeps making me so sad, about how they have a new album and when they say they're going to play a song from it we should pretend to be enthusiastic about it.

After "I Left My Body" (great as always), "Your Racist Friend" (still meh on this song but I do love the trumpet-party-break section with Curt), and "Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had a Deal" (causing me to rock way out), John got out his contra-alto clarinet. He said it's "lower than the bass clarinet and at war with the alto clarinet."

They played "All Time What," then Flans asked John what he'd done all day. He said he'd "wandered around and dodged the raindrops--apparently it rains in this town." Flans said he did not go to the record store (there's an Everyday Music very close to the venue that he's been known to frequent when they're in town), which meant he had more money than he otherwise would've.

There was some funny banter after that. Flans said they'd gotten to stay at an actual nice hotel the night before, which was unusual for them. Then John said they were wearing crooked top hats and saying "We're gonna make it some day!" Flans said the hotel looked like "a movie set from the '30s," and they took something off a tray of food that probably cost $40. John said they were going to escape on a luggage cart disguised as luggage, and Flans compared them to Harpo Marx. Then John said that next they'd be running and their feet would make bongo sounds. So silly!

They played "Turn Around," which was SO GOOD, much better than the night before when John hadn't used his accordion due to technical difficulties.

After "Spy" and "The Mesopotamians," Flans explained that they're playing two sets, and the second set was "all hits," but they were hits by other bands. John said they're not even good bands, and Flans said they're "under the thumbs of our management," who are really mean to them.

They played "This Microphone," and then Flans said it's on their new album. He said it just came out on vinyl, and that it's a gatefold sleeve, which you can "clean your Oregon pot on."

Flans introduced "Bills, Bills, Bills" by again explaining how they'd been to the AV Club to cover a song for them. He said they first did "Tubthumping," but they weren't going to be playing that tonight because "if you sing it once you'll be singing it all week." He said he was going to be Kelly, John was going to be Beyonce ("a role he originated on Broadway"), and "the members of the band not with us will be playing the part of Michelle." So then they played it, and as always I was completely enraptured by Flans's full-on diva-ness.

They closed out the first set with "Birdhouse in Your Soul," which is a perfect set closer cos there's so much energy in the room when they play it.

Second set started the usual way, with the "Last Wave" video (which I was really tired of at this point, I never really liked it much in the first place and this was like the millionth time I'd seen it) and then "Older" to kick off Quiet Storm. I've been enjoying it on the contra-alto clarinet so much that it'll be a bit sad to (presumably) go back to it on keyboard when all this is over.

Flans pointed out the balcony was really far back and said it was "a mistake." John said it was the section for nursing mothers, and Flans said they'd combined that with the section for cigar smokers.

Flans introduced "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" by saying it was "one of the first songs we wrote," and then confessed that they're actually vampires (explains a lot!). John said not to post that on social media, but then said that it actually wouldn't matter because they wouldn't show up.

After they played it, Flans said not enough people were taking pictures with their phones, and he was "distracted by not being distracted."

Next was MY THEME SONG, still intense and special and emotional and wonderful every single time. It makes me sad to realize that this tour may be the only time I'll get to see it, but I'm just grateful to have been able to as many times as I have.

Flans said that the electronic drums have "all the power of EDM and all the musicality of not-EDM." Then he said the last song was from John Henry, and why don't they play more songs from that album? "Because it's not very good." (As someone for whom John Henry holds the elevated status of not only the album containing my all-time favorite song but also is tied for my #1 album overall, you can imagine what my reaction to this comment was.)

They played "How Can I Sing Like a Girl?," and then the rest of the band came back on stage for "Istanbul," including the crazy jam session at the end. Afterwards, John said he needed to catch his breath and he wanted them to talk for a minute before they played the next song, which made him sound like such an old man. Flans asked us how we were enjoying the sprung dance floor, then said maybe they should talk about some prostitution scandal (I'm not sure what he was referring to) or the "useless" tariffs Trump is proposing. John said he's divesting his money from steel and investing it in "Waynecoin. It's a psychedelic cryptocurrency. You feel like you're tripping, and then all your money is gone."

Then they played "Mrs. Bluebeard." At this point I took it as a foregone conclusion that John would screw up the lyrics since he had every other time I'd seen it, and sure enough he did. For the second time at the shows I've been to, he actually acknowledged the fact that he did afterwards. His excuse was that he'd been distracted cos he'd been trying to move the microphone with his lips so he could reach the higher part of his keyboard, but the crew had tightened it too much and it hadn't moved. Flans said that what he likes is when the crew sets up his mic stand so it's too tall for him, cos he's flattered that they think he's "of higher stature" than he really is.

Next came "Particle Man," "Wicked Little Critta," and "New York City." Then Flans said the next song features Dan on acoustic guitar. Dan played a little something, and Flans said it was from Dan's collection of "unreleased b-sides" and was entitled "Ah Fuck It." John said something about it reminding him of the Motel 6 commercials, and Flans went off on a classic hilarious Flans thing with him pretending to be Tom Bodett and saying "we'll leave the bugs out for you." Then he said if you're a rock band who wants to be sued you should just say that Motel 6 has bugs.

They played "Number Three," and then Flans went back to riffing on the Motel 6 thing (in character). He said if you're coming there and you have a dog with bugs/mange you should bring them and let them pee all over the carpet.

They played "When the Lights Come On," Flans introduced the band, and then they closed out the main set with the reliably superfun "Doctor Worm."

The first encore was the same spectacular duo as almost all the other shows on this West Coast trip: "Dead" followed by "Don't Let's Start." The second encore was "Man, It's So Loud in Here" and then "Fingertips."

It was a great set and a great show! A teensy bit disappointing because the setlist was nearly exactly the same as the previous night in Seattle, and the only reason it wasn't exactly the same was that they'd removed a couple of the particularly great songs they'd played, but otherwise no complaints.

After the show, I was hanging around the stage trying to get a setlist. I didn't get one, but I did snag something else really cool: a signed drumhead from Marty! That was a first for me. I think he might've given it to me because I told him I recognized his shirt as being from Out of Print Clothing, one of my absolute favorite shops (the one with the cover of The Metamorphosis that he's been wearing a lot lately), and we chatted about that a bit. Between that and him giving me a setlist a couple of days before, I finally felt like I could accept him as a full real member of the band--I've still been thinking of him as "the new guy" all this time. I feel silly saying that as he's been in the band for going on a decade and a half now, and it has nothing whatsoever to do with Marty's skills as a drummer or kindness as a person, both of which are clearly quite high--I just don't deal with change particularly well.

JL wardrobe report: a black pullover jacket, not too exciting, except for when he pushed up the sleeves for the second half of the show (I always love seeing his arms that way, it's much more exciting than when he's just wearing a t-shirt for reasons I can't really articulate).

[glitterrhowell]

I’m not a baby

Pairing: Daniel Howell & AmazingPhil (Phan)

Genre: Phan, Fluff, Crying, dd/lb, Little!Dan, Daddy!Phil, Caregiver Phil, Interactive introverts, sweet, no smut

Word Count: 1826

Summary:  What happened when Dan slips into little space during a meet and greet will it mess everything up Or will Phil be able to save him before anything happens. Little!Dan and Daddy!Phil

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A huge thank you to the amazing Kaylee (Localdreamer03) who betaed this story for me!

.................

So far the tour had been amazing Dan and Phil were having the time of their lives, meeting all the different fans and getting to interact with them on stage, life couldn’t be better. But with the tour life you also get plenty of nights you don’t get enough sleep, the stress of making sure you make it to the next venue on time and just the general stress of being an introvert that has left the house. They weren’t complaining by any means they loved it but that meant that they didn’t get a lot of downtime to themselves either. This was something both of them had thought long and hard about before they decided to go on tour, Phil remembered during TATINOF Dan had been beyond stressed and there had been some very difficult days, but after talking it over they decided that this time Dan was in a better place than before and they made sure to work more free days into their schedule.

Dan was usually pretty good at being able to tell when he was slipping into little space and after ten years Phil was almost better at noticing the signs then Dan was. That is why when Phil woke up to Dan’s big doe eyes staring at him and Dan cuddling him extremely hard Phil could tell Dan was teetering on the edge of little space. Dan always got extra clingy when in little space and he had a certain innocence to his eyes. So when Phil had suggested that they cancel today’s meet and greet and let the fan’s know Dan wasn’t feeling good Dan had gotten angry.

“Phil we can’t do that our fans paid a lot of money to see us I don’t want to disappoint them.” He said stubbornly.

Phil knew this would be his answer but he had hoped Dan would see it his way anyway, “Bear are you sure? You know they would understand. Plus you haven’t slipped in awhile so you might not be able to push it away.”

When Dan was younger he used to push his littleness down so far that he would wail and sob into Phil’s shoulder when he finally slipped. It had taken years and lots of reassurances from Phil that he loved taking care of Dan in little space before he had finally started to let himself slip when he needed to. As Dan had matured and gotten more confident he didn’t slip as much as he used to but when he did he didn’t fight it and gladly let Phil take care of him.

“I’m an adult Phil I don’t need to be treated like a child.” Dan snapped at him. Phil sighed he know this was a battle he wasn’t going to win he would just have to keep an eye on Dan and hope he didn’t slip in front of the fans.

There was still some tension between them as they made their way to the venue, they went in through the back door of the theater saying hi to varies crew members they passed. The tension stayed as Phil mindlessly scrolled through tumblr on his Phone paying more attention to Dan who was passing their dressing room back and forth. Phil didn’t say anything knowing it would just cause Dan to become more stressed and nervous than he already was. There was a knock on their door and their manager stuck her head in letting them know the fans had arrived and that it was time for the meet and greet to start. They quickly made their way out Phil wanting to get this down with as soon as possible so he could get back to the hotel room and cuddle Dan.

The meet and greet started well they met a handful of fans and everything seemed to be going just fine Dan was smiling and seemed like he was enjoying himself. Phil let is guard down just a little, and maybe just maybe today would go on without any mishaps.

It was about halfway through the meet and greet and they were listening to a fan whose name was Amanda tell them about her story, she had found Dan and Phil when she was 13 and they saved her from Suicide. Phil loved hearing fan stories they made him Sad but happy at the same time, knowing him and Dan had made such a difference in someone life. He happens to glance over at Dan who had been progressively getting quieter the last 20 minutes or so when he saw it. Dan had a look of confusion on his face and tears springing to his eyes, he started walking towards Phil and latched on to his arm, “Daddy I want to go.” He whined.

Fuck! He thought so, as subtly as he could He whispered in Dan’s ear hoping the fan didn’t hear, “It’s Ok baby just give daddy a minute.”

Phil quickly took a picture of them all and handed Amanda her phone back. Before the next fan could come up to them Phil quickly pulled their manager aside trying to explain to her as quickly as he could that Dan wasn’t feeling well and they needed to go back to the hotel. She wasn’t very pleased but Phil didn’t care, all he cared about was his baby and making sure he was safe and happy. He took Dan by the elbow and steered him away from the crowd and back to the dressing room, letting the manager take care of telling the fans that the meet and greet was going to have to be canceled. As soon as walked into the dressing room Dan started full on sobbing into Phil’s shoulder. Phil rubbed circles into his back comforting him, “Shh it’s ok baby.” He said as he hugged Dan tighter.

“Dad-ddy do yo-u haate me?” Dan sobbed into Phil’s shoulder. Confused Phil pulled away looking at Dan, “Why would daddy be mad at you sweetheart?” “Because I saaaid I co-could be big, wheen I coullld'nt.” He said hiccuping and sobbing at the same time.

“Love of course daddy isn’t mad at you, it isn’t your fault. Now Comere.” Phil said has he pulled Dan into another embrace kissing the top of his head. Phil let Dan cry into his shoulder until he finally stopped and was just whimpering a little.

“How about we go back to the hotel and we can cuddle, ok love.” Phil asked. Dan shook his head and took a hold of Phil’s hand, chuckling Phil took his hand and gave it a quick kiss.

The Car ride back to the hotel was quiet with Dan glued to Phil’s side and Phil Whispering sweet nothings into his ear. They arrived at the hotel and went in through the back door and made their way up to their room. Phil was glad they hadn’t held the meet and greet in the hotel as the chances of them being spotted by a fan where slim. Phil slid the keycard into the door and ushered Dan inside, once they were inside Phil let his shoulders drop. What he had feared had happened but he wasn’t mad at Dan he was upset with himself for letting Dan go along and do the meet and greet anyway.

“You wanna take a bath little one?” Phil said looking softy at Dan. Dan’s eyes got big and he nodded his head, “Can I use the bath bomb I got the other day?” He asked excitedly.

“Of course love,” Phil said smiling at him. “Go to the bathroom and wait for Daddy I will be there in a minute OK.” “Yay!” Dan squealed as he ran to the bathroom.

Phil chuckled as he pulled his phone out of his pocket he quickly composed a tweet from both him and Dan apologizing for leaving the meet and great early and simply telling them that Dan wasn’t feeling well. The response was almost instant wishing Dan a speedy recovery and the hashtag #GetwellDan was soon trending. Throwing his phone on the bed he went to join Dan in the bathroom. He walked into the adjoining bathroom and saw Dan sitting on the floor by the tub, his eyes lighting up as soon as he saw Phil. Phil started the bath and helped Dan out of his clothes.

“Daddy, Can I put the bath bomb in?” Dan asked excitedly “Of course love, here you go.” Phil handed the boy a rainbow sparkly glitter bath bomb.

Dan squealed as he dropped it into the water watching as all the colors started expanding and go off in the tub.

“Daddy look!” He exclaimed as he pointed to the bath. Phil smiled and gave Dan a quick kiss on the top of his head before he helped him into the bath. “Daddy I want my toys!” Dan exclaimed. “Sorry love remember we had to leave them at home.” Dan started to tear up again when Phil quickly sprang up remembering when they were out yesterday he had picked up a rubber duck to play with just in case they needed it. Smiling he handed it to Dan, “Here baby daddy picked this up for you.” “Thank you, daddy.” He exclaimed as he started splashing and playing in the water.

Soon enough Phil washed Dan up and he was helping him out of the bath wrapping him in a big fluffy hotel towel. “Wait here, baby.” Phil opened his suitcase and dug to the bottom as he pulled out one of Dan’s onesies he had brought with him. He rushed back to the bathroom dried Dan off, pulled on a pair of Dan’s boxers and pulled the onesie on over it. Dan Yawned and Phil could tell he was exhausted, it had been a long and tough day. “How about we take a nap love?” Phil asked as he led Dan over to the bed. “Ok, daddy,” Dan whispered as he crawled into the bed. Phil knew when Dan didn’t argue that today must have taken a mental toll on him. Phil Figured Dan must have been pushing his little space off for awhile now with the way he was acting.

“Daddy will be right back sweetheart.” Phil ran back to the bathroom pulled his contact lenses out and put his glasses on. He walked back over to the bed pulled the blankets back and got in snuggling close to Dan. Dan must have been tired because he was already asleep when Phil pulled him against his chest. Sighing Phil gave Dan a kiss on the head and he settled in. Today hadn’t gone to plan and they would have to figure out what they were going to do about the people who paid for the meet and greet and didn’t get to see them. But that was something they would worry about later because all Phil wanted to do was cuddle is baby and take a nice nap.