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Welcome to KingdomKarasu!
Congratulations! For the next eight weeks you and your fellow craftsmen and performers will be taking part in the nation's top Western medieval culture and performance festival. The very best have been selected from thousands of applicants and we congratulate you on your acceptance. Following is a full list of staff and performers.
KingdomKarasu Board Head
Nekomata Yasufumi
On-Site Management
KingdomKarasu Director: Takeda Ittetsu
Fight Director: Ukai Keishin
Costume/Prop Head: Tanaka Saeko
Hospitality: Yaku Morisuke
Character Staff
Character staff are expected to be costumed and in character as well as maintain the craft they were cast for. Character staff do not have performance/demonstration obligations.
Equestrian Care: Ennoshita Chikara
Herd Care: Hanamaki Takehiro
Maintenance: Narita Kazuhito, Kinoshita Hisashi
Security: Aone Takanobu
EMT/First Aid “Healer”: Semi Eita
Bar Manager “Innkeeper”: Nishinoya Yuu
Bar Staff: Habia Lev
Armorer: Iwaizumi Hajime
Ferrier: Kozume Kenma
Falconer: Akaashi Keiji
Specialty Performers
King’s Fool: Bokuto Koutarou
Bard: Yahaba Shigeru
Knight Valiant: Ushijima Wakatoshi
Squire Valiant: Hinata Shouyou
Knight Gallant: Oikawa Tooru
Squire Gallant: Kageyama Tobio
Wrestlers: Tanaka Ryunosuke, Yamamoto Taketora
Magician: Tendou Satori
Archery Team:
Long bow: Azumane Asahi
Recurve (sharpshooter): Tsukishima Kei
Crossbow: Yamaguchi Tadashi
Main Performers
King: Sawamura Daichi
Queen: Shimizu Kiyoko
Crown Prince: Sugawara Koushi
Princess: Yachi Hitoka
Dark Count: Matsukawa Issei
Dark Henchman: Kyiotani Kentarou
Pickpocket: Kuroo Tetsurou
We look forward to your arrival and a dynamic summer!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“IWAAAAAA-CHAAAAANNNNNN”
“Coffee?” Kenma asked quickly shoving his (prohibited) DS in his pocket. “I’m going to get us coffee. Watch the forge Iwaizumi.” And he was gone in a flash leaving a desperate Iwaizumi to deal with the disheveled knight who came barging into the forge.
“Jesus Christ, Oikawa how many women fainted on your way over here?” Iwaizumi asked glancing up, not pausing, from the shield he was polishing. Oikawa had clearly just come from a demo, which was odd because after he and Ushijima had finished he always dragged Kageyama back to their dress tent as fast as possible so he could go back to stunning.
But right now Oikawa had nothing short of helmet hair, he was still in the loose cotton tunic that he wore under his armor which was short, unlike his surcoat for non-combat wear which was long so as to keep the silhouette of the tight breeches of his costume family friendly. Oikawa was, at the very least, rated R at this moment in time.
As much as Iwaizumi appreciated the view of his "best friend/fuck buddy but most definitely not boyfriend", he was more interested in the tightly wrapped sword-shaped package that Oikawa was attempting to hide behind his back.
“Iwa-chan I will have you know that this is far more important than how many people I seduced on the way here,” Oikawa said trying to make light with his usual humor but Iwaizumi saw right through it.
“Let me see it.” he huffed. Iwaizumi had been in front of a forge all his life. His dad was a custom metalsmith so Hajime had learned very early on to respect the power of fire. He had followed Oikawa through all his theatrical endeavors, he tended to stick to combat and stunt workshops while Oikawa conquered everything in his path. Though he had a certain degree of mastery over his favorite stunt styles he had always preferred forging. He had made his first sword at 10 and become a Master Smith at 18. Oikawa had gone down the route of professional reenactment since he excelled in the use of the weapons Iwaizumi made and had the acting chops to go with it.
Oikawa handed over the package looking sheepish. “I don’t think there's anything even you can do Iwa-chan.” Iwaizumi carefully unwrapped the package on his table and the familiar hilt of Oikawa’s demo sword came into view just before he revealed the sword in two pieces. The longsword had snapped a good twenty inches from the hilt leaving the other roughly eleven-inch piece at its side. Iwaizumi whistled.
“Yeah, I can’t fix that. I mean I could if you wanted to use it for decoration, but not to fight with, that’s way too dangerous.” Iwaizumi frowned as he picked up the tip. “This is clearly a heat treat problem. Who made this?” Oikawa had gotten the sword new for the Faire this year and Iwaizumi hadn’t bothered to ask about it, he figured Oikawa knew enough about swords at this point to pick his own. Oikawa made a noncommittal noise. That couldn’t be good. “Oikawa, who made you this blade? If a master is going around doing combat work with this kind of rookie mistake I have to tell the bureau.”
“Would it help if I said he wasn’t a master?” Oikawa mumbled. Iwaizumi took a deep breath. He had learned to control his temper in the forge, too many hot items to throw.
“Are you telling me you had an apprentice make your combat sword?” Iwaizumi asked through clenched teeth.
“It was Kindaichi!” Oikawa said like that would help. “Look, he’s very talented and honestly I didn’t have the money to hire a master and he made a very good blade! It’s gotten me this far!” Kindaichi had gone to high school with them and thought Iwaizumi was so cool with his smithing that he had actually gotten into it himself. Kindaichi was talented, he could make a pretty blade. But that didn’t mean he had the expertise to craft a long-lasting sword that would be seeing daily action. This was a serious situation and could have been very dangerous. Iwaizumi rubbed his temples.
“I’m not going to tell Kindaichi’s master but I am going to call him. But you need a new sword, I have a few good guys who work solid and fast who I might be able to call in a favor from to get you something less expensive for in a payment plan of some kind….”
“I thought you could make it,” Oikawa said with a grin. Iwaizumi stopped.
“I said no last time remember?”
“This is this time not last time,” Oikawa said brightly. “And you said no last time because you were busy...or was that a lie, Iwa-chan?” Iwaizumi flushed. It had been a lie yes, for Iwaizumi to make Oikawa something so precious to him, something that he poured his soul into his hammer to forge, it scared him, it was too intimate. He barely knew what was going on now he didn’t want more complications.
“Well, I…”
“Iwa-chan you sit in here all day and occasionally bust out a dent in a shield and then you make little sculptures of our friends from scrap metal.” Oikawa looked pointedly at the shelf that was collecting small animal statues Iwaizumi was going to give their friends at the end of the summer. Yeah, it was cheesy but Hajime wanted to work on his sculpting. But Oikawa was right he didn’t have much to do. And Kenma wasn’t much of a talker. And If he made the sword well enough maybe he could always be at Oikawa’s side even if things didn’t work out for them...
“Fine. But you’re hiring me. I’m not doing this as a favor. Get over here so I can measure you.”
~~~~
Iwaizumi decided to go slightly longer on the blade than Oikawa’s old one. Oikawa would have a better time landing his wide slash with the tiny bit of extra length and it would balance the heavy pommel Oikawa favored and balance was the absolute key with him. Hajime had worked on Ushijima’s broadsword enough to know that finesse wasn’t his style, it was force and power. This made sense because the guy was six foot two and a half inches of muscle and sinew and absolutely no people skills. Oikawa was a strategist and a dancer and he would notice the slightest mistake and take you out. Hajime went hand and a half on the hilt and decided on a fuller to alleviate some of the weight. His last decision was to do a pattern weld so that he could have precise control over the iron and a blade sturdy enough to last, not to mention the Damascus he would create would be radiant under the sun, just like Oikawa.
A week and a half of steady work later Oikawa had a new sword. Iwaizumi had plenty of time during the days but he took his time. Critiquing every strike of the hammer and constantly fussing over the heat of the forge. It brought about more guests to check out the forge too, it was much more interesting to see a smith craft a blade than tinker with scrap metal. And while he wasn’t a performer all the craftsmen were considered “character staff” which meant they were in costume and fully functioning attractions at the Faire. It was good for business Iwaizumi kept rationalizing to himself looking down at the red rays of the forge shining on his arms to the blade like a river of his soul he poured into the metal.
~~~~
Iwaizumi pulled his heavy leather apron off over his head and set the nearly complete sword in a stand to let the hilt wrap adhesive set. He wiped the sweat and dust off his sleeveless leather jerkin and his tired arms. All that was left was a polish. Iwaizumi sat down, sewing his tag into the inside of the completed scabbard making sure all the edges of the small strip of printed cotton were down tight so as not to catch the tip. He looked over at the sword in the stand and his eyes slipped over his brand on the rain guard. He was proud of the weapon. He knew it was safe. He knew it would serve his best friend well. It was handsome. The hilt was wrapped in turquoise leather, not particularly period-appropriate but Oikawa had always looked good in their high school colors and the significance wouldn’t be lost on him. Iwaizumi wasn’t the master with gold as he was with iron but he had some expertise and had treated two small accenting lines of gold into the crossbar. It looked amazing. He tried to tell himself he’d had extra in his own store so it wasn’t a big deal and not that he wanted Oikawa to have a sword as pretty as him, certainly not that he wanted to spoil him, that was ridiculous.
~~~~
Oikawa almost squealed when he saw his blade, immediately checking it and going through a few forms.
“This balance is amazing Iwa-chan! I should have had you do all my weapons!” Iwaizumi tried to shrug it off.
“I just know what you like.” Later that night Oikawa expressed his thanks in a very passionate way and as much as Iwaizumi enjoyed Oikawa’s fingers on his thighs he couldn’t help but feel guilty. He didn’t want this affection as a favor or whatever, he wanted Oikawa to do it because he loved him as much as Iwaizumi loved Oikawa.
“I’m so fucked.” he thought to himself as he flopped back on the pillows and let physical sensation distract him.
~~~~
Oikawa and Ushijima had three kinds of routines. They mostly did choreographed fights with static dialogue that went along with the Faire’s “storyline”. Once a week they also did a joust which Iwaizumi always watched close to the side of Semi Eita, the Faire’s paramedic or “healer”. Then there were free fights. Both the knights were fully versed in combat so they could do unchoreographed fights that were very exciting for the audience. They obviously didn’t aim to kill they were just looking to disarm or take down the other but they were extremely competitive about it. Usually, Oikawa lost. For all his tactics and skill Ushijima just needed to land a hard blow on him and he would be down. This pissed Oikawa off to the nth degree and he was starting to get a mad look in his eye when he talked about “Ushiwaka-chan”.
The first time there was a free fight after Oikawa got his new blade Oikawa took his opponent down in five minutes. Ushijima found himself with the tip of Oikawa’s blade in the space between his breastplate and his pauldron, a kill shot to the heart if Oikawa followed through, and had to surrender.
~~~~
Oikawa treated their big group of friends to crappy beer that evening and his smile was infectious and the drunker he got the more praise he sang of his new sword.
“It’s amazing! It’s just like more of my arm! I have, like, pinpoint control.” Oikawa was telling Kuroo, the Faire’s pickpocket with the most ridiculous hair and who also happened to be Kenma, Iwaizumi’s forge mate’s, best friend. Hajime was pretty sure this was the third time Kuroo had heard this but he was chuckling and didn’t seem to mind. “It’s like my Iwa-chan is right there with me,” Oikawa continued throwing his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck. Iwaizumi let out an unff as another hundred and fifty plus pounds hung off him. “And when Iwa-chan is with me I feel invincible,” the knight mumbled into Hajime’s ear, his hair tickling Hajime’s neck and making his heart speed up.
Crap.
This summer was going to kill him.