Post by Angela on May 10, 2008 13:35:31 GMT -5
It was a mild, cool day in West Mifflin, and one more car than usual was parked outside the home of Danil Andropov and Peter Zemeckis. The two had lived together for a year, and while they shared many experiences together, Danil still had never met Peter's teammates from Penn State's football team. He had been to several games, knew the players only by what Peter told him, and Peter decided that, since the Steelers were celebrating their opening season, it was time for his fiance to start mingling with his friends.
Danil had been making snacks for the game all morning, and even made some things the previous night. Peter's friends would be staying for at least eight hours, and he wanted to be prepared for it. He made special appetizers and salads, and during half-time Peter was going to grill some marinated steaks outside. Zoloto was out in the backyard on her leash, Vaska was lounging on one of the sofa cushions. The teammates, about five of them, were just finished parking, and were heading up to the door of the beautiful pale blue Colonial-style home. Zoloto barked in alert, and tried to get to them, but was unable to because of her strong leash. One of them, a tall, muscular, African-American young man in his early 20s, knocked at the door first. Peter went to the door and grinned.
"Hey, guys! Glad you could make it! Come on in! Danil's in the kitchen, he'll be out with food in a sec."
"Awesome. So where's the game?" asked another young man in his twenties, shorter than the man who knocked, but only by an inch. He was white, with brown eyes and dark hair. Everyone was wearing Steelers' merchandise. Everyone made their way into the living room and started sitting down on the sofas and chairs, and one who couldn't fit nonchalantly made himself at home on the floor by one of the coffee tables in front of the 55" plasma screen television that sat against the wall across from everyone. Peter tossed pillows to him.
"How cute," the man who knocked said, looking at Vaska as he lounged, curled up in a ball. "Sorry, boob, gotta move!"
"MEEEEEYAARRRRRRROWWWWRRRRRRRRR!" Vaska exclaimed as he was picked up. He stretched his claws out and swiped his paws toward the man, striking his left cheek and biting one of his hands. He let out a long, loud, indignant hiss.
"Hey, hey, Andy, careful, man. Vaska's pretty sensitive," Peter said, taking the angry cat away from him. Vaska growled, looking at Andy with wide eyes. Peter set him down on the floor. Vaska stood still for a moment, shook his head a few times, sat for a moment, scratched his ear, and pranced along, rubbing against Peter's legs before heading into the kitchen.
"Sorry, man," Andy said, sitting down where Vaska had been laying, after brushing off the hair.
"Thanks a lot," another African-American man mused, sitting nearby on the floor. He brushed off his shoulder.
"Sorry, Russ," Andy said, chuckling.
Danil came into the room, carrying a large platter in each hand. He smiled at everyone.
"Guys, the one and only, Danil Andreievich Andropov," Peter said proudly, stepping over to him. He took one of the platters and let out a heavenly sigh. "Oh, God, those breadsticks smell delicious."
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Danil said, smiling at everyone. "Peter speaks very highly of all of you. I have also seen you play, both on television as well as in person at games. You are excellent athletes, all of you. My deepest admiration for all of you. Welcome to our home. I want you all to make yourselves comfortable.." Of course, they already had, he thought, amused. "Garlic breadsticks, made from scratch, fresh from the oven, and marinara dipping sauce, also made from scratch," Danil proclaimed, and set the platter he now held down on the coffee table, and Peter set his down too.
"All right! Sounds awesome," Russ said, reaching for one immediately, along with two of the other guests.
"Okay, let me introduce you personally. Left to right, we got Markus Black, Tim Steiner and his brother Alex, Andy King, and Russ Perry."
Danil smiled at the group of men, hoping that he would be accepted by them.
"Danil," Andy said, holding out his hand as he stood up. Danil shook it with a smile. "Pete talks about nothing else, and very highly as well. It's great to finally meet you in person."
"Thank you," Danil said.
"Mmm," Russ said, swallowing a bite of breadstick. He set the rest of the breadstick on a napkin and held out his hand to Danil, who shook it firmly. "It's great to meet you as well, Danil. These breadsticks, and the sauce, are amazing. Your house is really great too. It's a pleasure to be here."
"I'm very happy you enjoy them. Please help yourselves, there is plenty of food," Danil replied with pride.
Next to shake his hand was Tim. "Great to meet you. Peter speaks of hardly anything else when we're off the field." He chuckled.
"I'm flattered. Thank you for coming."
"Nice to meet you," Markus said, smiling as he shook his hand.
"Markus, excellent field goal in your last game," Danil said with a nod as he shook his hand. "You're truly talented."
"Thanks, man!"
"Alex," Danil said with a smile, shaking his hand, "that tackle you made against Pitt was incredible! I didn't think it could be done! But that practically won the game for you. Congratulations."
"Thank you very much, Danil. It's nice tat you come to our games."
"Well, I want to share in everything Peter does," Danil explained bashfully. "American football is certainly interesting, more challenging and dangerous than European football," he observed, "or, as you call it-"
"Soccer," the guests said, some nodding.
"We were told," said Andy, "that it is tradition in Russia to bring a gift when you visit someone else's home. It's also good manners, so we brought you something. It's not much in terms of money, but-" He went over to a chair under which he had placed a box, and gave he box to Danil. It had Steeler wrapping paper on it.
"Thank you very much," Danil said with a smile. He read the tag. "To Danil, from Alex, Andy, Russ, Tim, and Markus." He sat down and tore the paper off. "Very nice of you all," he said, before he even opened the box. When he did, he peeled back he tissue paper and grinned. It was a Steelers home jersey, folded up, with the number 87 on it. He picked it out of the box, and saw a Steelers road jersey underneath it with the same number. "Thank you very much!" Danil said once again. He turned the jersey in his hand over, to reveal the name Andropov. He laughed. "You actually had this made for me?"
"Both of them, yeah," Andy replied.
"Oh, it's wonderful, they both are. Thank you all so very much for this." He looked at everyone, noticed they had home jerseys on, so he put the home jersey on as well, right over the shirt he was already wearing. He grinned.
"Now you're truly one of the boys!" Peter exclaimed.
Danil went to put the box and the other Steelers jersey in his room, and went back to the kitchen to bring in some more snacks. Peter smiled and turned on the TV. "Pre-game show! Wooo, black and gold, baby!"
"Yeah, man!" Andy agreed, high-fiving his friend from the couch. Danil sat on the floor beside Peter. Vaska crept back into the living room and cuddled next to him, then crawled onto his lap and started kneading his paws into Danil's pants.
Everyone seemed comfortable. Everyone quickly helped themselves to the appetizers that Danil provided. In a few minutes, the oven timer went off and Danil rose to get some chicken wings out. He checked with Peter, to see what kind everyone liked, and the decision was unanimous: spicy buffalo. Everyone quickly dug into the wings, and commented like critics on political news about the pre-game show, sounding serious and posing different scenarios about teams, players, the outcomes of plays, and the various games going on at the same time. Danil didn't really join into the conversation, but listened intently to what everyone was saying.
Right before the actual game started, Peter made an announcement during a commercial break.
"Okay, guys, before we get all riled up about the game, I just want to say something. Your support for me is amazing, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Likewise, I appreciate your support for Danil, and the two of us as a couple."
"Oh, no," Russ groaned, sitting beside Peter on the floor next to Andy on one of the couches. "We didn't ask for a speech, man."
"I know, I know, just hear me out, bear with me here. Now, Danilka is being very gracious letting us all have our party here. So in return, I wanted to show you guys something after the game. I would love it if you would see the 2006 World Championships, where Danil won his first big gold medal. When the game is over, I'd be honored if you all stay and watch Danil skate."
Danil grinned, surprised at the offer. The general consensus was, unfortunately, that this wasn't a very nice option, as most of the men groaned as if a they were at the dentist's about to have a root canal. Danil lowered his eyes, glancing to Peter. The only one who did not groan was Markus, who seemed more open to the idea.
"Now, come on, guys," Peter said.
"You don't have to, it's all right," Danil said. "I don't want you to feel forced into it."
"Well..." Andy pondered thoughtfully, "will we get to see the chicks?" he asked, eyes twinkling hopefully.
"The ladies," Peter corrected. "Yes, we'll see the ladies, the pairs, the ice dancers, and the guys. If you guys want to, that is."
The response was more undecided than negative this time, and finally three of them nodded, and those that didn't shrugged.
"Well, why not. Might as well, right, guys?" Andy asked. "Got any beer?" he asked.
"You bet," Peter replied. "As long as you got a designated driver," he added, at the look on Danil's face. "We insist on that, or no beer."
Russ and Tim volunteered to be designated drivers, and eventually decided on Tim. Peter went to the kitchen. He had been 21 for a few months, but of course he had been drinking illegally for a few years before, socially. He went to a nearby cooler which was filled with beer and other beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. He handed Andy, Markus, Russ, and Alex a bottle. Danil waved his hand at the offer.
"I'm not 21 yet," he said quietly. Most of the room echoed with laughter.
"You're kidding, right? I mean, aren't you Russian? Don't all Russians drink alcohol, regardless of age?" asked Alex.
"Danilka will have wine with dinner sometimes, but nothing major, and never a lot," Peter replied, chuckling. "He doesn't like alcohol. His dad drank a lot. He quit though, but still, brings back bad memories for him." Peter explained, sitting beside Danil once again, handing him a cream soda. Danil smiled a little and took it.
"Man, that sucks," Andy replied with a nod. "Well, let's just enjoy the game."
Danil watched the game with everyone, amused at how engaged they were, screaming, whooping and hollering at various calls, loudly disputing some of the refs' calls, and high-fiving each other at the slightest success or blunder by the teams. It was rather interesting.
Throughout the game, everyone enjoyed good appetizers provided by Danil, and all except Tim enjoyed a good deal of beer. But even though they drank a few bottles each, their behavior never got out of hand, for which Danil was very thankful.
Halftime came, and Peter went to grill the steaks. Danil served a tortelini salad and twice-beaked loaded potatoes to go with them. The dinner was a complete success, everyone shelling out compliments to both chefs. Danil for one loved to see the group content. He loosened up himself and started to comment on the game too, and surprisingly, the teammates mostly agreed with his points.
The game was a resounding victory for the Steelers, defeating their heated rivals the Cincinnati Bangles, or "Bungles" as Peter and his guests called them, 47 to 6. They stayed tuned for a post-game show, and then Peter stood up once more and addressed his friends.
"Okay, guys, so now, if you guys are still up for it, we'll watch the World Figure Skating Championships from this March."
"You're gonna make us watch this shit, you better give us some more beer," Russ piped up.
"I'm not making you, but if you want beer, I'll get it for you," Peter replied nonchalantly, chuckling at the humor.
"All right, guys," Andy added. "As captain of this team, I just gotta say let's have a good attitude, be respectful here. Danil joined us for our favorite sport, the least we can do is indulge him in his. Right? We are in his house after all," he pointed out, "and winning the World Championships is a huge deal. Remember, the Steelers are World Champions too."
This received a more positive reaction from the others, and Peter went to get the DVDs he burned of the various broadcasts of the competition. After putting in one of the disks, he went and got more beer for everyone.
"Okay, guys, this is what's called the 'Qualifying Round.' You can't continue unless you place in the top 25 here," Peter explained.
"Okay, so is this the 'ladies' we're watching now?" Andy asked with a wink.
Peter chuckled. "Yes, it's the ladies. Now, this DVD has commentary from Japan, because some skaters weren't shown in the US or Europe, but there's also American, Canadian, and British commentary. So, without further ado, here we go!"
Peter pressed Play and the competition began. As it progressed, the boys made comments about whether the girl was "hot" or "datable" and how crazy her outfit was. Anastasia Yurchikova was the clear favorite for her flexibility.
"Oh, man, can you imagine what she'd be like in bed?" Andy asked, taking a drink as Anastasia did her famous spiral sequence in which she put her leg in front, rather than behind.
"Yeah, I'd like to show her a good time," Markus agreed.
"She's the hottest, definitely," Russ commented, nodding as he took a swig of his beer.
Anastasia was the final skater in her group. The second qualifying group was up next. Peter explained the purpose of the two groups as they continued watching the competition.
"So how did they come up with these names for these moves?" Alex asked. "Toe loop, spiral, Lutz, Biellmann, camel, sow cow, Axel, loop, flip? I gotta tell ya, that doesn't look like a flip to me," he said as the British commentator just spoke about the skater performing a triple flip.
"Well, you see," Danil began, "some of those are last names of the people who first did them. Like Axel Paulsson, Alois Lutz, Ulrich Salchow, Denise Biellmann. The rest get their name from the pattern and execution they involve on the ice. A spiral, for example, is usually done so that there is a curved pattern on the ice. So that's how it got its name. A flip is when a skater skates on the outside edge, and just before takeoff, switches to the inside edge. That's how a flip is supposed to be done, anyway."
"Tell them how the camel got its name," Peter said with a wink.
Danil cleared his throat. "Well... the spin was first done by American Dick Button... and beginning skaters usually can't keep their legs level, so it looks like a camel's... hump..." He knew the reaction that explanation would get. Sure enough, the group burst into laughter.
"You've gotta be shitting me!" Russ exclaimed, howling with laughter. "Hey, Anastasia, wanna see my camel hump?" He gestured to a part of his body best left to the imagination. Danil blushed hotly and averted his eyes.
"You had to ask," Danil muttered to Peter as the others egged him on.
"Sorry, I just thought they'd get a laugh out of it!" Peter said, laughing as well.
"Well, they did," he whispered, "and now I feel like a fool."
"All right, guys," Andy said, his laughter dying to a snicker now, "come on, let's enjoy this next skater."
Andy was Danil's hero. It took a few more seconds, but they settled down. Finally, Hae Young Choi took the ice.
"Now, if you'll look at her coach there," Danil gestured to Parker as he gave some last-minute comments to Hae Young, "that is my coach too. Parker Jansen."
"Wow, a brother's a skating coach?" Russ asked. "What, he couldn't get a real job?"
"Parker is a fine coach, one of the best in the world!" Danil exclaimed, offended. "And coaching is a 'real job.' How do you expect to know what you're doing in your football games without yours?"
"Lay off, Russ. So Danil, correct me if I'm wrong. He's her coach, and yours, right?"
"Yes," Danil replied, grateful for the distraction.
"So, did he coach you both at this event?"
"Yes," Danil replied with a nod.
"So then, a coach can have more than one skater at an event? Or is it one skater each kind? Is there a limit?" Tim asked, completely ignoring Russ's attitude. It was his way of drawing attention away from a possible fight.
"A coach can have as many students as he or she can handle, there's no limit," Danil explained, sipping his drink.
"She's taking forever to get started," Alex observed. "I thought you had to get out there when they announced your name."
"You have two minutes to take your starting position after they announce your name," Danil explained. "No one pressures you to rush; you're already thinking of that yourself if you're not experienced. Hae Ye has been competing for many years. She knows how to handle the pressure."
"Hang on, what did you call her?" Andy asked, raising his eyebrows. "I thought it was Hae Young."
"It is. Hae Ye is her nickname," Danil replied. "She likes to milk every moment after her name is called. She goes out after the skater before her is finished, and waits to take her pose almost at the last moment every time. It shows control, and mental confidence. Parker suggested I do that when I need to work off some nerves."
"Cool, so like, if you're not ready to skate after they call your name, you have time to get your head together? What happens if you go over that time limit, by like, one second or something?" Andy asked.
"You're disqualified," Danil said simply with a shrug.
Danil had been making snacks for the game all morning, and even made some things the previous night. Peter's friends would be staying for at least eight hours, and he wanted to be prepared for it. He made special appetizers and salads, and during half-time Peter was going to grill some marinated steaks outside. Zoloto was out in the backyard on her leash, Vaska was lounging on one of the sofa cushions. The teammates, about five of them, were just finished parking, and were heading up to the door of the beautiful pale blue Colonial-style home. Zoloto barked in alert, and tried to get to them, but was unable to because of her strong leash. One of them, a tall, muscular, African-American young man in his early 20s, knocked at the door first. Peter went to the door and grinned.
"Hey, guys! Glad you could make it! Come on in! Danil's in the kitchen, he'll be out with food in a sec."
"Awesome. So where's the game?" asked another young man in his twenties, shorter than the man who knocked, but only by an inch. He was white, with brown eyes and dark hair. Everyone was wearing Steelers' merchandise. Everyone made their way into the living room and started sitting down on the sofas and chairs, and one who couldn't fit nonchalantly made himself at home on the floor by one of the coffee tables in front of the 55" plasma screen television that sat against the wall across from everyone. Peter tossed pillows to him.
"How cute," the man who knocked said, looking at Vaska as he lounged, curled up in a ball. "Sorry, boob, gotta move!"
"MEEEEEYAARRRRRRROWWWWRRRRRRRRR!" Vaska exclaimed as he was picked up. He stretched his claws out and swiped his paws toward the man, striking his left cheek and biting one of his hands. He let out a long, loud, indignant hiss.
"Hey, hey, Andy, careful, man. Vaska's pretty sensitive," Peter said, taking the angry cat away from him. Vaska growled, looking at Andy with wide eyes. Peter set him down on the floor. Vaska stood still for a moment, shook his head a few times, sat for a moment, scratched his ear, and pranced along, rubbing against Peter's legs before heading into the kitchen.
"Sorry, man," Andy said, sitting down where Vaska had been laying, after brushing off the hair.
"Thanks a lot," another African-American man mused, sitting nearby on the floor. He brushed off his shoulder.
"Sorry, Russ," Andy said, chuckling.
Danil came into the room, carrying a large platter in each hand. He smiled at everyone.
"Guys, the one and only, Danil Andreievich Andropov," Peter said proudly, stepping over to him. He took one of the platters and let out a heavenly sigh. "Oh, God, those breadsticks smell delicious."
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Danil said, smiling at everyone. "Peter speaks very highly of all of you. I have also seen you play, both on television as well as in person at games. You are excellent athletes, all of you. My deepest admiration for all of you. Welcome to our home. I want you all to make yourselves comfortable.." Of course, they already had, he thought, amused. "Garlic breadsticks, made from scratch, fresh from the oven, and marinara dipping sauce, also made from scratch," Danil proclaimed, and set the platter he now held down on the coffee table, and Peter set his down too.
"All right! Sounds awesome," Russ said, reaching for one immediately, along with two of the other guests.
"Okay, let me introduce you personally. Left to right, we got Markus Black, Tim Steiner and his brother Alex, Andy King, and Russ Perry."
Danil smiled at the group of men, hoping that he would be accepted by them.
"Danil," Andy said, holding out his hand as he stood up. Danil shook it with a smile. "Pete talks about nothing else, and very highly as well. It's great to finally meet you in person."
"Thank you," Danil said.
"Mmm," Russ said, swallowing a bite of breadstick. He set the rest of the breadstick on a napkin and held out his hand to Danil, who shook it firmly. "It's great to meet you as well, Danil. These breadsticks, and the sauce, are amazing. Your house is really great too. It's a pleasure to be here."
"I'm very happy you enjoy them. Please help yourselves, there is plenty of food," Danil replied with pride.
Next to shake his hand was Tim. "Great to meet you. Peter speaks of hardly anything else when we're off the field." He chuckled.
"I'm flattered. Thank you for coming."
"Nice to meet you," Markus said, smiling as he shook his hand.
"Markus, excellent field goal in your last game," Danil said with a nod as he shook his hand. "You're truly talented."
"Thanks, man!"
"Alex," Danil said with a smile, shaking his hand, "that tackle you made against Pitt was incredible! I didn't think it could be done! But that practically won the game for you. Congratulations."
"Thank you very much, Danil. It's nice tat you come to our games."
"Well, I want to share in everything Peter does," Danil explained bashfully. "American football is certainly interesting, more challenging and dangerous than European football," he observed, "or, as you call it-"
"Soccer," the guests said, some nodding.
"We were told," said Andy, "that it is tradition in Russia to bring a gift when you visit someone else's home. It's also good manners, so we brought you something. It's not much in terms of money, but-" He went over to a chair under which he had placed a box, and gave he box to Danil. It had Steeler wrapping paper on it.
"Thank you very much," Danil said with a smile. He read the tag. "To Danil, from Alex, Andy, Russ, Tim, and Markus." He sat down and tore the paper off. "Very nice of you all," he said, before he even opened the box. When he did, he peeled back he tissue paper and grinned. It was a Steelers home jersey, folded up, with the number 87 on it. He picked it out of the box, and saw a Steelers road jersey underneath it with the same number. "Thank you very much!" Danil said once again. He turned the jersey in his hand over, to reveal the name Andropov. He laughed. "You actually had this made for me?"
"Both of them, yeah," Andy replied.
"Oh, it's wonderful, they both are. Thank you all so very much for this." He looked at everyone, noticed they had home jerseys on, so he put the home jersey on as well, right over the shirt he was already wearing. He grinned.
"Now you're truly one of the boys!" Peter exclaimed.
Danil went to put the box and the other Steelers jersey in his room, and went back to the kitchen to bring in some more snacks. Peter smiled and turned on the TV. "Pre-game show! Wooo, black and gold, baby!"
"Yeah, man!" Andy agreed, high-fiving his friend from the couch. Danil sat on the floor beside Peter. Vaska crept back into the living room and cuddled next to him, then crawled onto his lap and started kneading his paws into Danil's pants.
Everyone seemed comfortable. Everyone quickly helped themselves to the appetizers that Danil provided. In a few minutes, the oven timer went off and Danil rose to get some chicken wings out. He checked with Peter, to see what kind everyone liked, and the decision was unanimous: spicy buffalo. Everyone quickly dug into the wings, and commented like critics on political news about the pre-game show, sounding serious and posing different scenarios about teams, players, the outcomes of plays, and the various games going on at the same time. Danil didn't really join into the conversation, but listened intently to what everyone was saying.
Right before the actual game started, Peter made an announcement during a commercial break.
"Okay, guys, before we get all riled up about the game, I just want to say something. Your support for me is amazing, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Likewise, I appreciate your support for Danil, and the two of us as a couple."
"Oh, no," Russ groaned, sitting beside Peter on the floor next to Andy on one of the couches. "We didn't ask for a speech, man."
"I know, I know, just hear me out, bear with me here. Now, Danilka is being very gracious letting us all have our party here. So in return, I wanted to show you guys something after the game. I would love it if you would see the 2006 World Championships, where Danil won his first big gold medal. When the game is over, I'd be honored if you all stay and watch Danil skate."
Danil grinned, surprised at the offer. The general consensus was, unfortunately, that this wasn't a very nice option, as most of the men groaned as if a they were at the dentist's about to have a root canal. Danil lowered his eyes, glancing to Peter. The only one who did not groan was Markus, who seemed more open to the idea.
"Now, come on, guys," Peter said.
"You don't have to, it's all right," Danil said. "I don't want you to feel forced into it."
"Well..." Andy pondered thoughtfully, "will we get to see the chicks?" he asked, eyes twinkling hopefully.
"The ladies," Peter corrected. "Yes, we'll see the ladies, the pairs, the ice dancers, and the guys. If you guys want to, that is."
The response was more undecided than negative this time, and finally three of them nodded, and those that didn't shrugged.
"Well, why not. Might as well, right, guys?" Andy asked. "Got any beer?" he asked.
"You bet," Peter replied. "As long as you got a designated driver," he added, at the look on Danil's face. "We insist on that, or no beer."
Russ and Tim volunteered to be designated drivers, and eventually decided on Tim. Peter went to the kitchen. He had been 21 for a few months, but of course he had been drinking illegally for a few years before, socially. He went to a nearby cooler which was filled with beer and other beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. He handed Andy, Markus, Russ, and Alex a bottle. Danil waved his hand at the offer.
"I'm not 21 yet," he said quietly. Most of the room echoed with laughter.
"You're kidding, right? I mean, aren't you Russian? Don't all Russians drink alcohol, regardless of age?" asked Alex.
"Danilka will have wine with dinner sometimes, but nothing major, and never a lot," Peter replied, chuckling. "He doesn't like alcohol. His dad drank a lot. He quit though, but still, brings back bad memories for him." Peter explained, sitting beside Danil once again, handing him a cream soda. Danil smiled a little and took it.
"Man, that sucks," Andy replied with a nod. "Well, let's just enjoy the game."
Danil watched the game with everyone, amused at how engaged they were, screaming, whooping and hollering at various calls, loudly disputing some of the refs' calls, and high-fiving each other at the slightest success or blunder by the teams. It was rather interesting.
Throughout the game, everyone enjoyed good appetizers provided by Danil, and all except Tim enjoyed a good deal of beer. But even though they drank a few bottles each, their behavior never got out of hand, for which Danil was very thankful.
Halftime came, and Peter went to grill the steaks. Danil served a tortelini salad and twice-beaked loaded potatoes to go with them. The dinner was a complete success, everyone shelling out compliments to both chefs. Danil for one loved to see the group content. He loosened up himself and started to comment on the game too, and surprisingly, the teammates mostly agreed with his points.
The game was a resounding victory for the Steelers, defeating their heated rivals the Cincinnati Bangles, or "Bungles" as Peter and his guests called them, 47 to 6. They stayed tuned for a post-game show, and then Peter stood up once more and addressed his friends.
"Okay, guys, so now, if you guys are still up for it, we'll watch the World Figure Skating Championships from this March."
"You're gonna make us watch this shit, you better give us some more beer," Russ piped up.
"I'm not making you, but if you want beer, I'll get it for you," Peter replied nonchalantly, chuckling at the humor.
"All right, guys," Andy added. "As captain of this team, I just gotta say let's have a good attitude, be respectful here. Danil joined us for our favorite sport, the least we can do is indulge him in his. Right? We are in his house after all," he pointed out, "and winning the World Championships is a huge deal. Remember, the Steelers are World Champions too."
This received a more positive reaction from the others, and Peter went to get the DVDs he burned of the various broadcasts of the competition. After putting in one of the disks, he went and got more beer for everyone.
"Okay, guys, this is what's called the 'Qualifying Round.' You can't continue unless you place in the top 25 here," Peter explained.
"Okay, so is this the 'ladies' we're watching now?" Andy asked with a wink.
Peter chuckled. "Yes, it's the ladies. Now, this DVD has commentary from Japan, because some skaters weren't shown in the US or Europe, but there's also American, Canadian, and British commentary. So, without further ado, here we go!"
Peter pressed Play and the competition began. As it progressed, the boys made comments about whether the girl was "hot" or "datable" and how crazy her outfit was. Anastasia Yurchikova was the clear favorite for her flexibility.
"Oh, man, can you imagine what she'd be like in bed?" Andy asked, taking a drink as Anastasia did her famous spiral sequence in which she put her leg in front, rather than behind.
"Yeah, I'd like to show her a good time," Markus agreed.
"She's the hottest, definitely," Russ commented, nodding as he took a swig of his beer.
Anastasia was the final skater in her group. The second qualifying group was up next. Peter explained the purpose of the two groups as they continued watching the competition.
"So how did they come up with these names for these moves?" Alex asked. "Toe loop, spiral, Lutz, Biellmann, camel, sow cow, Axel, loop, flip? I gotta tell ya, that doesn't look like a flip to me," he said as the British commentator just spoke about the skater performing a triple flip.
"Well, you see," Danil began, "some of those are last names of the people who first did them. Like Axel Paulsson, Alois Lutz, Ulrich Salchow, Denise Biellmann. The rest get their name from the pattern and execution they involve on the ice. A spiral, for example, is usually done so that there is a curved pattern on the ice. So that's how it got its name. A flip is when a skater skates on the outside edge, and just before takeoff, switches to the inside edge. That's how a flip is supposed to be done, anyway."
"Tell them how the camel got its name," Peter said with a wink.
Danil cleared his throat. "Well... the spin was first done by American Dick Button... and beginning skaters usually can't keep their legs level, so it looks like a camel's... hump..." He knew the reaction that explanation would get. Sure enough, the group burst into laughter.
"You've gotta be shitting me!" Russ exclaimed, howling with laughter. "Hey, Anastasia, wanna see my camel hump?" He gestured to a part of his body best left to the imagination. Danil blushed hotly and averted his eyes.
"You had to ask," Danil muttered to Peter as the others egged him on.
"Sorry, I just thought they'd get a laugh out of it!" Peter said, laughing as well.
"Well, they did," he whispered, "and now I feel like a fool."
"All right, guys," Andy said, his laughter dying to a snicker now, "come on, let's enjoy this next skater."
Andy was Danil's hero. It took a few more seconds, but they settled down. Finally, Hae Young Choi took the ice.
"Now, if you'll look at her coach there," Danil gestured to Parker as he gave some last-minute comments to Hae Young, "that is my coach too. Parker Jansen."
"Wow, a brother's a skating coach?" Russ asked. "What, he couldn't get a real job?"
"Parker is a fine coach, one of the best in the world!" Danil exclaimed, offended. "And coaching is a 'real job.' How do you expect to know what you're doing in your football games without yours?"
"Lay off, Russ. So Danil, correct me if I'm wrong. He's her coach, and yours, right?"
"Yes," Danil replied, grateful for the distraction.
"So, did he coach you both at this event?"
"Yes," Danil replied with a nod.
"So then, a coach can have more than one skater at an event? Or is it one skater each kind? Is there a limit?" Tim asked, completely ignoring Russ's attitude. It was his way of drawing attention away from a possible fight.
"A coach can have as many students as he or she can handle, there's no limit," Danil explained, sipping his drink.
"She's taking forever to get started," Alex observed. "I thought you had to get out there when they announced your name."
"You have two minutes to take your starting position after they announce your name," Danil explained. "No one pressures you to rush; you're already thinking of that yourself if you're not experienced. Hae Ye has been competing for many years. She knows how to handle the pressure."
"Hang on, what did you call her?" Andy asked, raising his eyebrows. "I thought it was Hae Young."
"It is. Hae Ye is her nickname," Danil replied. "She likes to milk every moment after her name is called. She goes out after the skater before her is finished, and waits to take her pose almost at the last moment every time. It shows control, and mental confidence. Parker suggested I do that when I need to work off some nerves."
"Cool, so like, if you're not ready to skate after they call your name, you have time to get your head together? What happens if you go over that time limit, by like, one second or something?" Andy asked.
"You're disqualified," Danil said simply with a shrug.
