Merry Rockin' Christmas!

[guitar_voodoo]

Mick and the Spiders, Billy, Joe, Erik and some of the other tour members had been busy decorating out the communal area in the apartments transforming it into a festive space. A Christmas Party! There were decorations, baubles hanging from a make-shift tree that Erik had bought from a local garden centre. It looked really Christmassy and fun. Weird and Gilly had been putting up more decorations, including hand-drawn snowmen and other Christmas characters drawn by none other than Erik himself.

"Fuck yeah! It looks great! Wait until everyone else sees what we've done."

Joe jumping around the tree and swigging his bottle of Jack Daniels, happy to show Aarne once he sees him. Billy was just pinning up pieces of mistletoe around every high place so he could get a kiss on Rik once he saw him. No doubt everyone would be using the mistletoe as an excuse just to kiss their partners. Why not? It was fun.

"Ok, lads. We've got the food and drink table set up with loads of stuff on it."

Mick now adding a load of glasses, mugs, tankards to the table so people had enough to take. The food had been bought and some made by Elsie, Mick's mother, which included some nice little Christmas-themed cup cakes. Those looked so good! The Danes would surely devour them first.

"How about some streamers above the door?"

Erik now touting some streamers around the doorways when people walked in. Joe laughed and put some onto the Swede's head, which caused the guitarist to shove Joe away playfully. Mick nodded in agreement and wanted this to be a special time for everyone to let their hair down. It was for new tour members and those who had been travelling since the start, family members invited along with friends too. There was also a free table with some presents already wrapped for certain band members. Of course those would be given by their respective partners.

"Looks good, mate. Ok, lets message everyone to come in and have some fun."

Mick pulled his phone out and sent a tour-wide group message to everyone to get their asses into the communal area and have a party. Joe screamed and began filling up glasses full of booze already to get the evening started.

Comments

[rebellisk_tarta]

Fredrik shook his head.

"It shouldn't be about the money. We're all becoming rich rock stars, some more than others, but we don't go around being grouches wondering who's got more than us. Hexed are easily the richest band here on the tour but we're not jealous of them. I don't think Isamu would be like that. There has to be another reason."

The blond just didn't want Minoru worrying about his brother and if it was a jealousy issue because that didn't sound like Isamu.

[itmeanstruth]

Minoru nodded. Because, no, that didn't sound like something Isamu would be jealous over.

"You're right, you're right. But what could it be, then?" He racked his brain, trying to piece everything together. "I think the first fight we had - well, not really a fight. But what's happening now - I asked him to look at some brochures I picked up about houses for sale. He said he wasn't interested in helping me look at houses."

Minoru had tried several more times, but had gotten nowhere.

"I don't know why he'd be upset about looking at houses, though."

[rebellisk_tarta]

"You're moving house back in the Nexus?"

Fredrik was curious because he didn't know about the twins' housing arrangements or what was going on with that. None of this made any sense about why Isamu would be acting all off.

"I've never thought about actually buying a house because I've never had enough money but once my band gets famous enough I might. Right now, the apartments here do their job enough."

The LA apartment complex Tom got for the tour was a fantastic idea.

[itmeanstruth]

“Yeah, a house in the Nexus.” Minoru confirmed. “We both still work there. Him at IRIS, me at the hospital. I like my job. I like the people I work with. I don’t plan on leaving.”

Their current housing situation was sharing a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment a few blocks off the plaza. It worked well enough, and had Minoru not won a million dollars, neither of them would be thinking of moving. But Minoru wanted to at least entertain the idea of a bigger space. Maybe even dedicate part of the house to being an indoor gym.

“I wanted to find something that both of us would like. But I can’t do that if he won’t even talk about it.”

[rebellisk_tarta]

Fredrik didn't understand why Isamu was acting like this, almost like having a tantrum of sorts. Buying a house though---that was cool!

"It's nice you're thinking of getting something bigger now that you have the money to spend."

The Swede nodded, happy for Minoru but unsure of what Isamu's motives were for being a grouch. If it benefitted them both then why was the other twin down in the dumps? None of it made much sense.

"Isamu should be happy you're buying a house for you and him."

[itmeanstruth]

"Yeah..." Minoru shrugged. He sighed. He honestly thought Isamu would be.

It made perfect sense. More space, a nicer house, still close and convenient to where both of them worked... Unless...

"...Maybe he's thinking of leaving IRIS or something. Like, when his grant runs out." Minoru scratched his head. "Not sure why he would. He's always talking about how it's light years beyond any place in our world."

Or rather, he was, when he was talking to Minoru. But that hadn't been going so well lately.

"Aarne said he was gonna go talk to him. Maybe he can figure something out."

[rebellisk_tarta]

"Why would he want to leave his job? Isn't he a really good scientist there?"

Fredrik just shook his head, unsure about Isamu and his choices. Why leave IRIS? If he was needed and a valued member of the science team then surely he'd not leave. But, if he wanted to change jobs or something--

"Do you think he wants to change jobs?"

Perhaps work somewhere else. Aarne speaking to him might be the best because that Finn could talk to anyone and offer his optimism.

"Aarne is a really good person to talk to."

[itmeanstruth]

"Oh, you bet he is!" Minoru thought very highly of Isamu's abilities. "But I think the grants only last for ,like, a certain amount of time. And then he has to renew it or something."

At least, that's what he thought he remembered when they moved in.

"Aarne IS really good to talk to." Minoru agreed.

[rebellisk_tarta]

"Is that why everyone I know calls him Brainy? Ivar and Bjorn do I know that."

Fredrik knew Isamu was a very clever man and often spoke in a language Fredrik didn't understand because it was too technical. Was there anyone who did understand it aside from Isamu? Maybe Minoru did.

"Yeah, he is. I really want to test these new parkour shoes out soon! How about we pick somewhere to parkour off?"