Dan and Phil Imagines

Act Naturally

~A/N~ Hi there, folks! So this imagine is slightly different to my more recent ones. Instead of already knowing Dan, you meet him here for the first time. Also, the character of 'you' is an actor/comedian (not a full-on celebrity though). For this imagine, please imagine that you are a regular on an improvisational comedy TV show (loosely based on 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?'). Enjoy! I would've posted yesterday but it was my annual celebration of emergence from the womb (my birthday)

Emily :P

The lights beam down on you, hard, from above. You can feel your skin heating up as you look out at the audience, who are cheering for you as the host introduces the line up. You have never been happier.

 "Hello and welcome to 'The World's a Stage', possibly the most ridiculous game show on television at the moment. The basic premise of this show is that we have three teams, each consisting of one of our regular comedic actors, and an unsuspecting celebrity victi- partner! These teams compete over the course of half an hour in rounds that should sharpen the wit, quicken the reflexes and destroy what little self respect they had to begin with. So let's meet this week's teams! In Team One, we've got, from Brighton, Sean Tomlinson, and his partner, TV chef Tony Parker, not from Brighton. In Team Two, the frighteningly talented triathlete Dominique Setton, and the frightening Lewis Underwood. And finally, in Team Three, the delectable Y/full/N, and radio presenter and YouTuber, the man, the myth, the fringe, it's Dan Howell!"

You look over at the slightly-awkward guy in the chair next to you. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out that he's not used to this, being on TV in front of a live studio audience, about to face challenges as yet unknown, but undoubtedly designed to rid him of his dignity. You take a second to give him a reassuring smile, which he returns, before the host, Jillian, carries on.

 "Our first game is called, imaginatively, 'Improvise!'. Each couple will be given a scenario that they must act out. But it isn't that simple! Oh no, whenever I press the buzzer, I will change the scene in some way. This could be through a change of plot, the introduction of a prop that must be incorporated, a line that has to be used, or a different genre of drama that they must adapt to. We're gonna start off with Team One, so Sean and Tony come on down!"

As the first team begin their improvisation, you take the opportunity to lean over to Dan and whisper to him. "Nervous?"

Unaware of you moving, he jumps when he hears your voice next to his ear. "Just a bit." he chuckles quietly. Poor guy is obviously on edge. To set him at ease, you take his hand and lightly squeeze it.

 "We're gonna be fine, believe me, I'm a pro." you joke, flipping your hair exaggeratedly. Thank goodness Dan finds the joke amusing; how unsettling would it be to know that the so-called comedian you were competing with on national television wasn't even that funny? The two of you turn your attention back to the improvisation in front of you, which is drawing to a close with Tony having pushed Sean underneath a falling piano.

 "Very well done there, maximum points to me for thinking of that scenario. Oh, and you two got a few points, too. Next we've got Dominique and Lewis, and they will be improvising a scene at the beach, where Dominique is sunbathing and Lewis is trying to sell her something. Go!"

Though Lewis is trying his utmost to make the scene funny, Dominique just isn't engaging. She's trying, kind of, poor girl, but something isn't clicking. You notice that Dan looks nervous again: evidently he's worried that he's not going to be funny. Sure, he has point. If Dominique isn't funny, who cares? She's famous for her sport, not her charisma, it doesn't really affect her much. Dan, however, relies on his personality. He's in the public eye, he's supposed to be entertaining, if he ends up as a flop, more people are gonna care. This could affect the public view of him, affect his career! Oh great, now you're panicking for him. You want to help him, he seems decent enough, not to mention handso- business brain, Y/N, you remind yourself. As Lewis desperately tries to make Dominique react to the towel he is flapping in her face, you once again lean over to Dan.

 "At least we aren't gonna come last; I mean, you've done acting before. You've got experience, more than she has, anyway."

 "How do you know I've done acting in the past?" Dan hisses back, trying to make it less obvious that you're talking during the performance.

You shrug. "I'm subscribed, of course. Your channel's great! And it gives you a definite edge over... that."

'That' is the spectacle of Dominique saying the line given to her by Jillian ('don't play with crabs or you'll catch them') in a totally monotone voice that screams 'bored'.

Clearly the audience aren't enjoying this performance, despite Lewis's best efforts. Jillian finally steps in to save the train wreck of the scene. "Wonderful! Brill! So points have been awarded, now onto our final team, then we're going to go to a break before our next challenge. So Y/N and Dan, you are on your first date."

A table and two chairs have been set up at the forefront of the studio. You clear your throat, stand up, and look at Dan. Suddenly you are in character, standing behind your chair, tapping your foot, looking at your watch.

 "Well?" you snap (in a slight cockney accent), catching Dan off-guard. He looks gormlessly at you, making the audience laugh. You hope this is acting. "Aren't you gonna pull my chair out for me?"

 "Oh, yeah, of course." he rushes to get his words out as he helps you sit down, before sitting himself opposite you. Immediately you lean back in your chair, looking around, with an exaggeratedly unimpressed face.

 "Do you often bring girls here?"

 "Uh, yeah, yeah, sometimes."

As Dan shuffles in his seat, you take the opportunity to give a gurgling sniff and clear your throat. Brilliant, you think when Dan responds exactly as you hoped he would: by pulling a face of horror that makes the audience laugh.

 "Often lead to a second date does it?"

 "...No."

 "Mm, I wonder why." you roll your eyes.

Dan sees you aren't gong to speak, so he takes the initiative. "What do you do, then? For a job?"

 "I'm a cleaner." you make a horrible noise in your throat.

 "Um, interesting. What do you clean then?"

 "Things that need cleaning. Obviously."

This is great, you think! The way you're playing this character, Dab doesn't even have to act, he's playing the normal one of the two of you, getting laughs, winning points! Then the buzzer goes off. Oh no. The scene's about to get harder to pull off...

 "Right, Y/N, Dan, you've consumed an aphrodisiac, and are now deeply in love. Go!"

This could still work, all Dan has to do is play along, it'll be fine - better than Dominique, at any rate. Thankfully, your partner seems relatively unfased by this development, though you can definitely see the cogs turning in his brain. After a millisecond of thought, you change your whole body posture, leaning towards Dan. You drape your arm over the table, lips slightly parted, gazing as if seeing him for the first time.