[Fanfic] Local Joke
Title: Local Joke
Author/Artist: tinediserp
Prompt: Norway, Iceland - Learning
Other characters: Denmark pops up once or twice
Rating: PG I guess, pretty tame
Content notes: So goofy how did this become a romcom exposition instead of something decent
Summary: Norwegian isn’t just a spoken language.
It was Iceland’s first time attending anything important.
Wait, no, that was wrong. He’d been involved in a lot of important things, after all, just not this kind of thing! Very important things. Even if all the details weren’t scribbled down in history books or anything. So, it was the first time he had to know how to dance.
Wait, that made it sound childish, and he was younger then but it’s not like he was a kid. So - it was the first time he had to go to some lame fancy palace where he had to wear frilly things and dance for frilly people. It wasn’t like it was very exciting, but he still asked his brothers about it beforehand because he’d never hear the end of it if he screwed something up. You know, just covering his tracks.
Denmark said it was okay to step on a few toes, and Norway didn’t say much of anything. Norway hardly ever said much of anything, and Denmark usually said too much of everything... so between the two, Iceland figured that taking half the advice from each would work. It totally made sense. If Dan said too much, and Nor said too little, and they were so different anyway, he should be the sane one in the middle.
He found out that evening, through gossip, dancing, drunken gossip, and drunken dancing, that:
1) His idea was a stupid idea. Not that anyone said that! He’s smart enough to figure these kinds of things out on his own though.
2) Denmark always stepped on every kind of toe, intentional or not.
3) Norway supposedly said things when he didn’t really say things, which could only mean:
3a) Norwegian was more confusing than it seemed, and involved sounds beneath the human register.
3b) Norwegian was actually sign language.
3c) Norwegian involved telepathy.
Over the years, 3c had stood up the best to the test of time. And 3c is what Iceland is going with, right at this very moment.
---
“She’s lookin’ at ya,” Norway says, and Iceland can’t tell if he is joking or not. Even after all this time, he can’t tell what that weird guy is thinking. Norway just did that - said odd things and thought it was funny, or something. Maybe thought that Iceland knew what he meant, but he probably thought it was funny. Some weird Norwegian joke.
Iceland decides he’s going to play it cool. Norway can’t get him with that, and he tells him so.
“You’re not going to get me with that, Nor.”
He takes another drink, just to prove it. See, Nor, he can drink and carry on conversation like an adult, not splutter into it, and not turn around to check. He isn’t going to check. Because this is one of those things Norway does.
“Weren’t jokin’,” Norway answers. And sips at his drink, as calmly as can be.
“You’re drinkin’ it wrong - “
Iceland sees the corner of Norway’s lip twitch, and his inner Nor-translator thinks it is probably about the slip, but maybe not because who knew with that guy.
---
He was standing near the edge of the ballroom, ego bruised, not ready to venture out again, when Nor found him. Apparently one drink to “loosen up th’ poor kid!” did not help his dance skills as much as Denmark thought it would.
Norway didn’t say anything (that he could tell), only nodded out to the latest dance partner to abandon him and offered a new drink.
“That’s water, Nor.”
“Ain’t gonna do ya any worse’n what the Dane already done.”
---
His Nor-translator is in overdrive, and his Nor-translator says that whatever it is his brother is grinning-but-not-grinning about, it’s pretty funny. Or cute. Or something. Norway kind of sounds drunk and slurry even when he’s sober, so when he’s drinking it’s not like his accent changes much - but the Norwegian changes, Iceland swears it. It’s not his fault Norway is harder to read after a beer or two. He’d have this non-conversation down if it wasn’t for that.
And hey -
If Norway thinks laughing at him will change his mind, he’s still not going to fall for that.
He can meet girls just fine on his own! And he definitely doesn’t want Norway to try to help.
---
“Dan’s an idiot,” Iceland muttered.
“Says th’ one who took an idiot’s advice.”
Low blow! And of course Norway was having too much fun (really, what kind of hobbies did this guy have) to stop there. Jerk. Oh, no, he didn’t say words or anything, but Iceland could tell he was still being taunted. Somehow. Maybe mind powers or something.
“He’s the only guy who bothered t’help me!”
Whoops. He didn’t mean for it to be that loud, and - what - Norway was still doing that annoying make-fun-of-Iceland-without-words thing! Well, he didn’t need this, and he’d turned to go and everything before Norway decided to be a decent guy again.
“Iceland. Look ‘round the room.”
Iceland cast his gaze about the room, then back to Norway. Attempted to speak in Nor-speak - raised a brow as best he could.
Norway nodded back out, like what he was trying to say should’ve been glaringly obvious . Well, it wasn’t.
A short stare-off occurred before Norway stopped being so freaking uptight and mysterious and finally told him something useful. It wasn’t his fault he’d never been allowed to go to a real ball before, gosh.
“Ain’t everyone here who wants t’dance,” Norway murmured, before continuing. “Make nice with them. That lady’s lookin’ at ya,” he nodded.
---
Turned out, that lady wanted him to meet another lady, who wanted him to meet and probably marry a Princess So-and-So, and who knew what her highness wanted because he somehow scrambled away before it got that far.
By the time he made it through and had stalked back to an amused (even by normal person standards) Norway, Denmark had joined and was almost doubled over with laughter.
He’d never fall for that again.
---
Instead of turning around to look, like Norway wants him to, Iceland gets up and goes to the bar for another beer. Because he’s way older now and definitely isn’t going to fall for that. So he goes to the bar, and orders two beers.
And then he turns around.
-------
Author/Artist: tinediserp
Prompt: Norway, Iceland - Learning
Other characters: Denmark pops up once or twice
Rating: PG I guess, pretty tame
Content notes: So goofy how did this become a romcom exposition instead of something decent
Summary: Norwegian isn’t just a spoken language.
It was Iceland’s first time attending anything important.
Wait, no, that was wrong. He’d been involved in a lot of important things, after all, just not this kind of thing! Very important things. Even if all the details weren’t scribbled down in history books or anything. So, it was the first time he had to know how to dance.
Wait, that made it sound childish, and he was younger then but it’s not like he was a kid. So - it was the first time he had to go to some lame fancy palace where he had to wear frilly things and dance for frilly people. It wasn’t like it was very exciting, but he still asked his brothers about it beforehand because he’d never hear the end of it if he screwed something up. You know, just covering his tracks.
Denmark said it was okay to step on a few toes, and Norway didn’t say much of anything. Norway hardly ever said much of anything, and Denmark usually said too much of everything... so between the two, Iceland figured that taking half the advice from each would work. It totally made sense. If Dan said too much, and Nor said too little, and they were so different anyway, he should be the sane one in the middle.
He found out that evening, through gossip, dancing, drunken gossip, and drunken dancing, that:
1) His idea was a stupid idea. Not that anyone said that! He’s smart enough to figure these kinds of things out on his own though.
2) Denmark always stepped on every kind of toe, intentional or not.
3) Norway supposedly said things when he didn’t really say things, which could only mean:
3a) Norwegian was more confusing than it seemed, and involved sounds beneath the human register.
3b) Norwegian was actually sign language.
3c) Norwegian involved telepathy.
Over the years, 3c had stood up the best to the test of time. And 3c is what Iceland is going with, right at this very moment.
---
“She’s lookin’ at ya,” Norway says, and Iceland can’t tell if he is joking or not. Even after all this time, he can’t tell what that weird guy is thinking. Norway just did that - said odd things and thought it was funny, or something. Maybe thought that Iceland knew what he meant, but he probably thought it was funny. Some weird Norwegian joke.
Iceland decides he’s going to play it cool. Norway can’t get him with that, and he tells him so.
“You’re not going to get me with that, Nor.”
He takes another drink, just to prove it. See, Nor, he can drink and carry on conversation like an adult, not splutter into it, and not turn around to check. He isn’t going to check. Because this is one of those things Norway does.
“Weren’t jokin’,” Norway answers. And sips at his drink, as calmly as can be.
“You’re drinkin’ it wrong - “
Iceland sees the corner of Norway’s lip twitch, and his inner Nor-translator thinks it is probably about the slip, but maybe not because who knew with that guy.
---
He was standing near the edge of the ballroom, ego bruised, not ready to venture out again, when Nor found him. Apparently one drink to “loosen up th’ poor kid!” did not help his dance skills as much as Denmark thought it would.
Norway didn’t say anything (that he could tell), only nodded out to the latest dance partner to abandon him and offered a new drink.
“That’s water, Nor.”
“Ain’t gonna do ya any worse’n what the Dane already done.”
---
His Nor-translator is in overdrive, and his Nor-translator says that whatever it is his brother is grinning-but-not-grinning about, it’s pretty funny. Or cute. Or something. Norway kind of sounds drunk and slurry even when he’s sober, so when he’s drinking it’s not like his accent changes much - but the Norwegian changes, Iceland swears it. It’s not his fault Norway is harder to read after a beer or two. He’d have this non-conversation down if it wasn’t for that.
And hey -
If Norway thinks laughing at him will change his mind, he’s still not going to fall for that.
He can meet girls just fine on his own! And he definitely doesn’t want Norway to try to help.
---
“Dan’s an idiot,” Iceland muttered.
“Says th’ one who took an idiot’s advice.”
Low blow! And of course Norway was having too much fun (really, what kind of hobbies did this guy have) to stop there. Jerk. Oh, no, he didn’t say words or anything, but Iceland could tell he was still being taunted. Somehow. Maybe mind powers or something.
“He’s the only guy who bothered t’help me!”
Whoops. He didn’t mean for it to be that loud, and - what - Norway was still doing that annoying make-fun-of-Iceland-without-words thing! Well, he didn’t need this, and he’d turned to go and everything before Norway decided to be a decent guy again.
“Iceland. Look ‘round the room.”
Iceland cast his gaze about the room, then back to Norway. Attempted to speak in Nor-speak - raised a brow as best he could.
Norway nodded back out, like what he was trying to say should’ve been glaringly obvious . Well, it wasn’t.
A short stare-off occurred before Norway stopped being so freaking uptight and mysterious and finally told him something useful. It wasn’t his fault he’d never been allowed to go to a real ball before, gosh.
“Ain’t everyone here who wants t’dance,” Norway murmured, before continuing. “Make nice with them. That lady’s lookin’ at ya,” he nodded.
---
Turned out, that lady wanted him to meet another lady, who wanted him to meet and probably marry a Princess So-and-So, and who knew what her highness wanted because he somehow scrambled away before it got that far.
By the time he made it through and had stalked back to an amused (even by normal person standards) Norway, Denmark had joined and was almost doubled over with laughter.
He’d never fall for that again.
---
Instead of turning around to look, like Norway wants him to, Iceland gets up and goes to the bar for another beer. Because he’s way older now and definitely isn’t going to fall for that. So he goes to the bar, and orders two beers.
And then he turns around.
-------