Fantasy Faire

 

"Boys, do we need to have that talk again about how soon things should happen?" Daia asked as she stepped up the few stairs to wake us for the day.

"Not necessary, Mom, see?" Robin told her as he got off the bed taking his covers with him and showing her that I had been a little cocoon of sheets all night.  "We did that over and under thing like Amish couples do."

"Oh, that's not such a bad idea," she mused.  "Oh, Frodo, sweetie, I hope you don't mind that I brought some of your clothes to have here for after the faire closes at night or if you go off the grounds for anything.  I hadn't even thought to tell you to get some of those undies so they wouldn't show under your tights.  That was great thinking, Robin."

"That's me, Mom, always thinking of the faire," Robin grinned. 

"Yeah, and it doesn't hurt that you get to see your boyfriend wearing those butt-less string undies, right?" she teased him.

"I swear, Mom, my thoughts were pure," he defended dramatically.

"Yeah, pure horny," I whispered as I stood up beside him, keeping the sheet wrapped around me until his mom left the room.

"I heard that," she laughed.  "I knew it, too.  Get into costume, boys.  We open in forty-five minutes.  I'm not sure what time our special guests will be here, but I really don't expect them until after noon as they have to go the airport and pick up Benji's parents and brother."

"I hope Pis… err Zondal and Tania get along," I said, correcting my words as I spoke.

"Ok, what is that poor child's nickname?  It must be something horribly foul and mean for all of you boys to avoid saying it in front of me," Daia demanded. 

"Davey and Benji call him Little Pisser, but it's not just his nickname, he really is named that, sort of," Robin informed her.    

"What do you mean that's his name?" 

I told her the story they had related to us about the poor boy's birth.  She laughed until she cried.  "OH… I have to tell that one to Marshall.  You did the same thing, Robin."  She was still holding her sides and laughing as she finally left the room. 

"Speaking of pissing," I mumbled.  "Umm, Robin, does this trailer have a…?" 

"Oh yeah; right outside Mom and Dad's room at the back.  You won't get in there this time of the morning, though.  Mom and Tania are doing their makeup in there.  Dad and I have to use the porta-potties for the faire guests first thing in the morning."  He tossed the top to my gypsy costume and said, "That's long enough to cover you for now.  We can do the tights after we get back." 

I was fastening the front of the tunic on my way instead of watching where I was going and I tripped over a tree root and landed face first on the ground.  "My alarm clock must be set wrong, a man behind me called out.  "I thought it was morning, but apparently the moon is still out."  A few others laughed as I jumped up and tried to pull the short tunic lower.  "Not to worry, lad.  I was just teasing you a bit.  I didn't mean any harm.  I really am sorry if I upset you." 

"I guess I'll live," I admitted shyly.  When I looked up, I blushed even more.  The man who had spoken to me was wearing skin tight black leather pants and a matching chest harness.  He was also enormous.  He wasn't fat, though.  It was all muscles.  He looked like a darker haired, handsome version of Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

"I don't recognize you, kiddo," he said warmly.  "You visiting someone?" 

"Oh, no sir," I told him.  "I'm new to the faire, but I'm going to be staying." 

"Wait, you must be Frodo," he bellowed with a big smile.  "It's a pleasure to meet you, lad.  I've heard a lot about you.  I must say Todd's description hardly does you justice, though.  You look as though you were born for that costume.  Looks a sight better on you than it ever did on Robin, poor boy." 

"I love the costume, but I do wish it were a bit longer sometimes," I admitted with another blush.  "I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to meet you my first day at the faire.  What do you do?" 

"I have a blacksmith shop at the end of the midway, down at the stables for the jousting," he told me.  "Of course I do more than just shoe the horses.  Since you've been at the boss' house, you've seen some of my work.  That pot rack in Marsh and Ellie's kitchen was made by me." 

"Oh, wow, that thing is awesome," I gushed.  

"I make candelabras and wall sconces, too," he told me.  "Oh, it looks like it's your turn," he added as he pointed at the portable toilet as another man came out.  "Morning, John," he called out. 

"Ugh, no talking before coffee, you know that, Hank," the guy leaving the little blue plastic building groaned.  I quickly slipped inside and tuned anything else out as I finally got relief for the morning. 

When I came out, Hank was nowhere to be seen, but Robin was waiting for me.  "Sorry, I ran off on you, but I had to go," he told me sheepishly.  "Oh, Hank the blacksmith said to tell you to stop by if you get a chance.  Maybe the four of us can go there on one of our breaks?" 

"That sounds great," I smiled.  Just then a whiff of something caught my nose and made my stomach growl.  "MMMMM that smells good," I hummed. 

"That would be Hank's wife cooking breakfast," Robin told me.  "Let's go get some before the tourists get there." 

"Robin, I'm not…." 

"You're a lot more covered than I usually am," he told me as he grabbed my hand and pulled me to the food court of the faire. 

For the record, smoked sausage, eggs, and hash browns cooked the authentic medieval way, on a grill over real wood and charcoal is AWESOME!  While we sat there eating, a few other people from the faire came over to say hi to me and wish me luck my first full day working the faire with Baka.  Baka sat down beside us after a couple of minutes and handed me my tights and my costume shoes.  There was another old lady with her. 

"So this is who's been eating all the baklava you promised to make me," the woman griped and then she grinned at me.  "Don't you worry about it, cutie, you need it far more than I do," she said as patted my cheeks.  She looked over at Baka, and said, "Ljerka, you couldn't ask for better help with your booth.  With that face, this boy could sell ice cubes to Eskimos.  You'll be rich, and you'll maybe have some time to come over and play canasta with your best friend.  I've got to get going so I can start all the incense burners the tourists expect to see in my shop.  You boys stop in later today.  I want to do a palm reading for you." 

"Elijah, you desperately need me in the shop all day because you're nervous," Baka said as soon as the other old woman left. 

"But, Baka, I'm not that nervous, really," I corrected. 

"Hush, you're nervous," she shushed me.  "Best friend she may be, but Sybil is also a cheat at canasta.  Come, we open soon and you've still got to put your tights on."  

I shoveled the last bite of my breakfast into my mouth and followed her to the booth.  She opened the sides of the tent while I ducked into the changing space at the back and finished getting dressed.  The morning was actually lots of fun helping tourists of all ages pick out whole costumes or pieces of costumes that some of them wore on the spot and some took home to remember their day.  I had just finished outfitting my third fairy princess of the day when I was tackled at the knees from both sides. 

"Lijah, this is Zondy and he wants to be a deer like me," Tania called up to me as she hugged me from one side.  I looked down to my other leg and saw a miniature Benji attached to me.  He was so adorable. 

"Hi, I'm Zondy," he grinned up at me.  "My big brother says you're the second most cutest guy in the whole world." 

"Zondal!" Benji yelped as he walked into the tent.  "You're not supposed to tell him that." 

"Why not?" the little boy asked earnestly.  "You said it on your way here.  You and Davey both said it." 

"Oi vey, tell me he didn't," Davey whined. 

"You guys think I'm cute?" I blushed. 

"Well, since the cat's out of the bag, have you looked in a mirror?" Davey asked me with a bit of a blush.  "Especially wearing that outfit.  Oh my god, I so need a picture of you in that.  I am so glad Zeyde and Bubbe let me buy the bigger memory card for my phone on the way here." 

"You guys haven't seen Robin in his costume yet, have you?" I asked trying to defer some of the attention from me. 

"Benny, Davey, leave him 'lone," little Zondal interrupted.  "He's gotta make me a deer like Tania." 

"Yes, and I know just what to do," I grinned down at him.  I grabbed a pair of peasant pants in the smallest size we had and they were perfect for him.  After that I snatched some fake fur scraps that Baka laying around in the work area in the back.  A few quick trims and Zondal had a cute little furry vest.  I then got some of the tiny antlers that Baka had in stock for those little girls that saw Tania and wanted the same outfit.  A couple of leather scraps made the perfect wrist bracers for him and he was ready for makeup.  Daia had joined us by then and she took over painting his cherubic face up so that a few minutes later, we had human versions of Bambi and Feline running around the fair with their parents. 

"What about you guys?" I asked Benji and Davey.  "Did you look around and get any ideas while I was working with Zondal?" 

"Actually, I forgot to look for me because I was watching how happy you made him," Benji admitted.  "Thanks for that.  He was really upset that I had gotten hurt and then left to come here.  It was worse because he saw Feter Shimon hitting me.  Thanks for taking his mind off that." 

"Aww, poor little guy," I mused as I looked out of the tent and watched him playing with Tania.  My face then lit up.  "Oh, I think I have a great idea for you, Benji," I told him.  I led him to the costumes for guys our age and sizes.  "Yeah here it is," I grinned.  "This will play into you looking younger than you really are.  You can be an elven archer." 

"WICKED!" he squealed.  He grabbed it from and darted for the changing area. 

I turned around to check on Davey, but Baka was sending him off to the changing area, too.  They came out looking fantastic, although they were both blushing.  Benji looked awesome as a young elf, but Davey was killer in his costume that looked like the sexy blonde pirate guy from that old movie 'The Princess Bride.'  I had seen parts of it in school in a literature class. 

"Hi guys," Robin called out as he stepped into the tent.  "Sorry, I couldn't meet you at the entrance, but I had to run some errands for Uncle Ray." 

"OH MY GOD!" Davey gasped.  "Is that even legal to wear in public at our age?" 

"EEEP!"  I turned to see Benji trying to hide the bulge in his pants behind a rack of costumes.  "How do you…?  Don't you get…?  I could NEVER…." 

"Now you see why I thought he was an angel when I saw him in the woods," I told them both. 

"You boys take off and have some fun," Baka told us as she shooed us out of the tent.  "Make sure that Sybil sees you out and about so she doesn't think I didn't want to come play cards." 

"But you don't," Robin pointed out. 

"Yes, but she shouldn't know that," Baka said as she kissed each of the four of us on our cheek before we left.  "Now go.  Bye bye, boys.  Have fun storming the castle."