Glada Vappen!

[suomi_thunder]

Aarne hadn't celebrated holidays properly in over a year which left him feeling disconnected. Giant bonfires in the streets and rampant reindeer were frowned upon in most civilized cities, unless of course the punks were involved, then that was arson not celebrations.. ok, well for the punks it was a celebration but not for a Saami.

In the Nexus though, oh here he could do whatever he wanted, or that was what he had learned in his few visits. He had been planning and cooking and collecting. The gods probably don't even know where he stirred up reindeer from in the Nexus but he has and Mouka was happy to have a job keeping them corralled. His usual rock gear is augmented with his family necklace and oddly doesn't look too out of place with rest of his wildness.

He didn't have a lot but parties always started this way. The host had some things and then people came and brought more booze and food, ordering all kinds of things. Aarne did bring Mead, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and a a bunch of lemon tippaleipä batter. He had cooked some but this was something he could show visitors how to make on their own. The honey mead based sugar in a large bowl. Strips of dried reindeer meat and juustoleipä, a Finnish reindeer milk cheese, are out on the table too. There are fruits; strawberries, apples, and nuts which were common as well as a cream from reindeer milk traditional to the culture and nearly like unfermented yogurt.

That all done he looked to the huge pile of logs that he had gotten from various people around the Nexus. The Sami added leaves to it to create smoke at first to attract others. Before lighting it he put up a banner of hide dedicated to the Akka, the female fertility spirits, decorated with the same imagery as his traditional drum. It was sentimental, the first drum he ever learned to play.

Drum in hand he poured kerosene on the log pile and lit it. The reindeer spooked at the sudden fire but soon calmed, especially when the tall Fin went among them.

Comments

[suomi_thunder]

"It's my party. Today's a holiday for me." He tells the very confused Brit. They hadn't talked much about his culture yet so today might be a crash course.

"We're already drinking." Though he welcomes a drink of Jack from Joe. At the same time he's drinking from the bottle he is trying to maneuver his Akvavit bottle over to give Joe a drink. This may not go well and he is trying so hard not to giggle while drinking.

[helland_damnation]

"Your party? What's the holiday about? Lighting fires and getting smashed? Sounds a good enough excuse to me."

Joe giggled as he tried to drink some Akvavit from Aarne's bottle as well as tip his own into the Fin's open mouth. It wasn't exactly synchronised as it should be and some was being tipped down each other's mouths. What everyone else thought of it was anyone's guess because Joe didn't care.

"What do you Fins love drinking then? Aside from the usual vodka and Akvavit?"

The bassist might be a trashfire but he wanted to get to know the drummer and his Finnish heritage a little better. Being on tour was one big rollercoaster and trashfire which left little time for talking and being normal.

[suomi_thunder]

He knows the Brit is clueless and it is enough to have the Fin giggling. "It's to welcome Summer." Then he leans in to whisper beneath Joe's crazy hair. "Some cultures celebrate love and sex tonight."

Then they were drinking in what had to be the most awkward way anyone could possibly attempt to drink. Aarne has to pull away before he laughs and drowns himself in Jack. He does laugh once the bottle is away from his mouth, turning to bury his face against Joe and try to stifle some of the laughing or stop it. Once he's collected himself, Aarne straightens up with cheeks flushed from laughter.

"Mead? Do they have that in Britain?" He doesn't know. They've been to Britain before but rarely saw more than their hotel rooms and the venues.

[helland_damnation]

"Welcome Summer? Do you have a welcome Winter and other seasons ones too?"

He really didn't know much about Finnish cultures or many other cultures since he was mostly caught up in his music and photography when he wasn't on stage. Did he have his camera here? It was back at the hotel room and now he wished he had brought it along. Fuck. Being trashed did have it's downsides when you had memory loss due to the booze killing too many brain cells. Ah well.

"Yeah, we have mead. It's made with honey I know that much. Sort of like a posh wine. I can drink that like lemonade. Is your Finnish variety stronger than what we get in the UK? I wish I brought my camera along because I could get some good snaps of this cultural booze up."

Joe just wanted to get trashed with his Fin and this mead sounded nice and tasty.

[suomi_thunder]

"We do. I haven't because of touring and recording." Sometimes constantly moving and being busy sucked. This was one thing that suffered.

"My family made this mead." He set his akvavit aside for a moment and grabbed a bottle of mead to open. "It's almost as strong as whiskey."

Aarne feels a pout forming since it would be nice to have some pictures of him and Joe together but then he gets wildly hopeful. The Fin all but crying out with excitement. "There are stores here. We could go buy one."

Why not. The party would be fine for the few minutes it would take them to find a place to buy a camera.

[helland_damnation]

"Yeah, it can get pretty fucking crazy with all the touring and recording. So far I've loved travelling around with you and the Hammers. It's been a blast, mate. Ziggy and his Spiders rock too. Their guitarist showing his ass everywhere and that tarty drummer fucking your singer with that loud mouth of his. The side-burn dude is a pretty good bass player too."

Joe had loved touring with the other bands so far and loved that he met Aarne. His crazy Fin. It wouldn't be the same without him when they had to go back home. But he wasn't thinking about that. Not now. It was time to party!

"Your family? Nice. That's more like it! The stronger the better, baby."

He laughed and pressed a kiss to the Fin's lips cheekily, as he awaited to try this special family mead. It was nice trying new things and this was special to Aarne in a traditional way. Would it get everyone smashed? Fuck yeah.

"Buy a camera? Sure. I mean----my best one is back at the hotel room but if I can find a good one here I'll be a happy bastard too."

Shopping with Aarne? Hell yeah!

[suomi_thunder]

"It's amazing having all of us together." Aarne adored people. The more people around him the better but his eyes did drift slowly over the Brit while he worked on opening the mead bottle.

"After our tour is done, I'm going back home for a month. You should come." Aarne was trying. He'd never had a relationship more than a couple nights, most were one night stands. No experience doesn't mean he's not interested and in his own way he's trying to tell Joe he wants more than what he's had.

He poured the mead into a wooden kuksa then hands it to Joe. This was the traditional way to drink it and even Aarne is using a cup this time. "Let's finish this bottle, then go?"

[helland_damnation]

"Yeah, it is."

Joe liked the variety and the Scandis were so fucking crazy he loved it. Even Viktor seemed to be falling for the punk, Vars. Zack? He was the shy one who seemed to be talking to some guy who knew Ziggy's brother. It was all good. Billy, well, he was stuck on his Dane. Everyone could see that.

"You're going back home for a month? Back to Finland? I'd love to come. I've never been to Finland before. Sounds fucking awesome, babe."

He smiled happily and wanted to spend as much time as possible with the Fin because being apart wasn't something Joe was looking forward to at all. He knew it would happen though. Did this mean Aarne liked him? As in really liked him? More than a slap and tickle? This pleased the Brit a lot.

"Sounds good to me. This wooden cup is cute. A lot like you."

Taking the kuksa, Joe offered the drummer a wink then waited for the bottle to be opened. The shopping trip would likely be a boozed-fuelled trashfire. But then when was it not?

[suomi_thunder]

"Lapland." Aarne corrects. "I moved to Finland when I was eleven but most of my family is still in Lapland."

Aarne definitely liked the Brit who never asked him to slow down or tone down or stop. In fact he encouraged him to be even louder. "You can't bring ten suitcases of clothes and hairdryers."

Now he was teasing as he poured their drinks. However, it was honest since his family was nomadic and could move while they were with them. That compliment did something that would have floored the drummer's bandmates, he blushed hot on his cheeks.

[helland_damnation]

"Lapland? Does this mean I get to sit on your lap once we get there?"

Joe couldn't resist the rather crass remark but he was so happy to be invited to Aarne's homeland. He laughed at the comment about bringing too many clothes and hairdryers with him. It was a valid point though since he'd be flying and the weight limit on the plane. He would just have to get more clothes there which meant---more shopping!

"We can go shopping together in Lapland once we get there. I'd love to visit a bar with and get smashed on native booze with you."

[suomi_thunder]

"Can I sit in yours?"

Aarne grins at the crass comment. Joe's humor always made him laugh, sometimes to the point he couldn't breathe.

What he was saying got a laugh for another reason as Aarne tried to drink his cup of mead. "My family doesn't live in a city. We're nomads in a wilderness preserve. Last time I was home they still didn't use cars because gasoline was too far away."

[helland_damnation]

"Of course you can sit in mine. You're the girl and I'm the bloke."

At least that's how Joe saw it since Aarne was girlier than him and he loved it that way. The man was adorable and trashy which pleased the bassist since he found someone just as trashy and crazy as himself. Most wouldn't even go near him because of his personality but now that all changed.

"Are you telling me you live in huts and don't have electricity?"

This was a mild shock but Joe just shrugged and smiled anyway since he didn't care if Aarne lived in a cave. He loved him. If the Fin lived in a remote village then it would be an adventure. Just not much chance of wild bars and salons to do your hair. Not that it bothered the Brit much.

"I'll have to bring you back to my home one day too. We've got clubs, bars and modern stuff."

[suomi_thunder]

"You should find a chair to sit while we drink." Aarne would always sit in the Brit's lap. Though he wasn't sure he was a girl, he definitely accepted the term from Joe. Others might get hell for it.

"Lavvo, it's a tent and we don't have electricity." Aarne giggled and patted Joe's backside as he headed for one of the bigger chairs in the area that could hold both of them. "If it's winter when I go you'll have to sleep close to me under a bunch of furs."

The dogs would pile in with them too. It wouldn't be a bad thing to spend his nights that close to Joe but he did think he was going to have to get their own sled and lavvo. He couldn't see subjecting any of his family to them for weeks on end.

"I've been to Britain but I bet you know better places than I saw." He's happy to spend some time traveling around with the Brit. Maybe they would have time to do both before recording or more touring started.

[helland_damnation]

"Lavvo? You guys are tough bastards if you live in the fucking cold and have no electricity. I love you even more."

Joe sat down in a chair and made sure there was space enough for Aarne to sit in the bassist's lap if he so wished. To be sharing a lavvo with the Fin in the cold of winter sounded like an awesome experience, albeit a cold one. Who cared? He would gladly cuddle up with Aarne in his tent under furs buried along with fluffy herding dogs or sled dogs. Either way, he wanted it all.

"There's a lot you haven't seen, honey. We could get wild back home."

This was the plan if he dragged Aarne on a plane back to the UK. He would take the Fin to all the clubs he knew and get trashed every night. It sounded like the perfect time.

"I'd love to cuddle with you under the furs."

[suomi_thunder]

"Lavvo. It is a tent for traveling. Not all Saami use them, only the ones that are still herders." Aarne's extended family wasting those that were still very traditional. They even shunned the influx of modern fabrics, like canvas that some of the herders used for the Lavvo.

The Fin sat sideways in Joe's lap so he could put an arm around his neck. "Do you want to learn Skolt-Saami? Only my mother speaks English."

It might be easier on everyone if Joe had the basics before the trip. The idea that he could spend cold nights in the Lap country side among his people with Joe made his heart pound to the point it felt like nausea, but good nausea.

"I'll ask Hunter about our plans after the tour and we can make plans."

[helland_damnation]

"Skolt-Saami? Your language? Fuck yeah do I! Then I can call you hot, sexy names in your own language."

Joe's mind just went this way because the Fin is all he can think about these days. To be able to share in Aarne's heritage and become even more a part of his life felt good. The bassist wanted this more than anything. Surely, Hunter would agree to let the Brit visit if there were no plans for The Hammers. Kissing Aarne's cheek, Joe giggled.

"What's sexy beast in Saami? Because that's what you are."

His hand coming up to cup Aarne's cheek, gently nibbling on the man's lips before sipping some more of his booze.

[suomi_thunder]

"It's the Saami dialect my family speaks." Aarne clarifies because if they come across others they might speak a different version of the language.

Aarne giggles against Joe's neck, of course that was what he wanted to do, and that was part of why he was falling in love with the wild Brit.

"mōǯes’ žɨva." Aarne says it a couple of times. "It doesn't mean sexy beast but beautiful animal. It's the closest in the language I think."

Some words became borrowed from Russian or Finnish when they didn't exist but the Fin thought that was close enough.

[helland_damnation]

"Right, so the different tribes have different variants on the language? That's epic, mate. Really. Mozes---Ziva? I probably said that all wrong but I still love you. Beautiful animal---yeah, you are that."

Joe just wanted to try and memorise what Aarne was telling him without being disrespectful because this was his family's language and part of who he was. Most of which would probably sail over the Brit's head but he was willing to try. If this was Viktor trying he would probably just shrug and give up but Joe had perseverance and a cooler head on him than their singer.

"Sexy-Beast. That might be your new name, babe."

[suomi_thunder]

"Yes. Some words are similar but not always." Aarne knows he is trying and stops drinking for a few minutes to help Joe get the pronunciation right. He's patient in general despite his wild need to always be going and moving. Thankfully, Joe worked the same with the dial turned all the way up and at full speed constantly.

"I like Kuuma" Which Aarne had used in the bar when they met. "or kiihottunut." The last word gets Aarne laughing because he knows it is dirty.

[helland_damnation]

Joe had a go with pronunciation, failing a few times but then easily picking it up after a few good tries. He wanted to show that he wasn't a complete piss head all the time and did possess some skill in language. As for the dial being up all the way all the time? This was how he rolled.

"Kuuma? Kii----oh fuck, how do you even say this? Kii---hottunut? Sounds kinky."

Of course the Brit would say this since how could he not? He had no idea what it meant but Aarne was laughing so it had to mean something dirty. This the bassist liked a lot. Would he ask for all the dirtiest words in Aarne's language? Possibly. Drinking some more mead, he licked his lips and then caressed his fingers through the drummer's big hair.

[suomi_thunder]

Aarne can't stop the laughing at the botched pronunciations but he also gives Joe a kiss on the cheek for trying.

"Kuuma, burning or hot." Aarne was fine with that one then he is laughing so much he can't even say his own language's words for a moment.

"kiihottunut." There's a giggle. "It means horny and sexy."

It was dirty and his own people would see it as very sordid but he didn't care. He never cared too much. Though, in the moment, right now he's the happiest he's been in years. This kind of acceptance from someone outside of his family and someone who wanted to stay, where he wasn't a novelty, it had his heart pounding when Joe started touching his hair.

[helland_damnation]

"You're horny and sexy, reindeer boy. Your hair is fluffy like reindeer fur too."

Joe was partly being playful because he knew animal fur was much more coarse than human hair. But still, it fitted. He loved Aarne and just loved to joke around and be with the Fin since it felt natural almost. Someone on his bandwidth. Was he in love? The whole whirlwind romance had started back at that bar when they fucked then it had gotten deeper after that.

"How about I call you sexy hair? Does that work too?"

He was drunk but in a good way, just now kissing Aarne's ear, and feeling that big hair tickle his nose.

[suomi_thunder]

"Horny and sexy with beautiful hair?" Aarne laughed as he leaned against Joe, running his fingers through the bassist's hair. "It's a good description of you."

Whirlwind barely touched the surface of how Aarne felt given the speed at which they were both falling. He felt dizzy, and more often than not sad and fearful that Joe was going to walk away. The Fin found it hard to believe in anything permanent but he wanted this to be permanent, prayed and worried over this. The ear kiss getting a laugh and a little squirm out of him due to the tickling of Joe's hair. It had a different texture, straighter and smoother, which was enough of a difference to tickle.

"The rest of you is sexy too." Aarne tells him before taking a drink. Being held for something other than sex caused his heart to pound up into his throat. Aarne nuzzled in and smiled. "We could go pet the reindeer."

[helland_damnation]

"Yeah, you are."

Joe just laughed and loved how Aarne squirmed at the ear kiss. He just wanted to spend quality time with the bloke and get to know him and his traditions since there was so much he didn't know about the Fin. They'd only known each other a short time since the tour and the three bands coming together--it felt like a rollercoaster ride.

"Thanks because you only get to see me naked. No one else."

That was the truth because right now there was no one else Joe wanted. Or, rather, no one would take such a crazy guy as the Brit anyway. Relationships weren't easy with Joe and it was Aarne who he wanted and petting reindeer? That sounded like fun.

"Let's go and pet the reindeer, sweetie."

[suomi_thunder]

Aarne stroked Joe's cheek, careful of his make up, then placed a kiss on his lips, playfully with a bit of nip.

"I hope I'm making all those other bitches jealous over what I see every night." Aarne grinned because he loved it, loved just laying naked with Joe, and it wasn't just the sex. The sex was amazing but so was being held close by the same person every night instead of a ever changing list of people who might or might not be there in the morning.

"You need to get used to them." Aarne tells him but he hasn't moved. Sitting in the Brit's lap is too nice too leave right away. "They're ornery and stubborn like me."