after-party ♔

[wynn]

♬ Jeux d'eau - Ravel

WHO || Wynn, any and all Knights not currently on missions
WHAT || Squiring Ceremony Afterparty
WHERE || Knights Headquarters, the Ballroom
WHEN || March 2nd, 2012, 9:00PM
HOW || Prose OR Actionspam

The "afterparty" is rumored to be the real main event of the night. A black-tie affair in the lavish, opulent ballroom, it is every new Knight's chance to mingle and meet some of their new brothers in arms. Of course, a couple hours are provided following the ceremony for everyone to change, do hair and makeup, and choose from the vast array of formal attire in the closets of the balcony "dressing rooms" located at the top of spiraled staircases on either side of the ballroom. A separate dressing room exists for men and women, and they include full bathrooms (with, thankfully, very modern plumbing).

The squires are usually among the last to arrive, and the ballroom is full to the brim with a fancy array of people, of all shapes, sizes and species.

Hope none of you are shy. They're all here to meet you.

Feel free to make your own open threads for people to come congratulate your newly pledged knight.

Comments

[65]

[He raises his eyebrows slightly because was a much more ornery response than the one he was expecting.]

Calm down, it was just small talk.

[killarevolution]

And I'm sure it would be more effective on someone who actually knows you. [Because right now, you reek of some douchebag playing Confuse the Drunk.]

[65]

But you do know me.

[IS HE SERIOUSLY THIS DRUNK?????]

[killarevolution]

[Uhhhh. Well, now that you mention it....

..Nope.]

Five minutes on a stage together doesn't count. [ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE HIPPIES WHO BELIEVE IN LOVE FOR EVERYONE???]

[65]

Not like that. I'm Finnick, remember? Fellow Hunger Games victor. We -- you know?

[killarevolution]

[OH SNAP. Hello, Finnick. Have you met that wall behind you. Haymitch barely has time to stick his flask back in his pocket before he's whirling on this stupid kid and shoving him against said wall. Somewhere in this, the wine glass he had broke and now he's using it like a shiv.]

Turns out I don't know. Real question is what do you know? [Sob. Out of context horrors suck, okay? He is a traumatized old man with no idea what his life is BUT YOU SEEM TO KNOW FINNICK AND CLEARLY ASKING NICELY IS TOO MUCH.

On the plus side, he is not actually trying to kill Finnick. And he's an old drunk. So really all he's done is make the biggest scene ever. No amount of Whiskey In a Jar can fix this.]

[65]

[HOLY SHIT. He doesn't want to make a scene, nor does he want to suffer the wrath of he-who-may-or-may-not-be-Haymitch, he tries to formulate a plan in the next .5 seconds.]

Put the glass down, [he hisses at Haymitch so only he can hear,] and we'll talk about it. Quietly. I'll tell you everything I know.

[layonhands]

[Did you guys really think a ballroom full of Knights were going to be like totally chill about this...?

... Well, ok, this is actually far from unprecedented, but some of them like to pretend they don't live in psychoville. A young blonde woman nearby gasps and cries out:]

What are you doing?

[killarevolution]

[NOT SLITTING FINNICK'S PRETTY BOY THROAT. GOD. Everyone chill out. At least he's not... Throwing up everywhere and rolling around in it. This is a Good Haymitch Day.

He pulls back and lays the broken wine glass on a passing waiter's tray- see? He's unarmed now. Everyone be cool.]

Old joke. [Yes, because slitting someone's throat is the BEST JOKE EVER. Also, he rolled a four for charisma, so no one is going to fucking believe that.] Don't worry about it. [He clears his throat and starts towards the door to the ballroom.] Need some air. [He shoots Finnick a "FOLLOW ME NOW" look. It's okay, Finnick. You're probably not going to be murdered behind the castle.]

[65]

[It's okay, Finnick's to the rescue because he got a fucking nat 20 in charisma. He breaks into laughter and gives Haymitch a jovial pat on the back.] You have to forgive my friend and his odd sense of humor. It's one of our home customs. [Hell, maybe it is a custom in District 12; that place is white trash city. He follows after Haymitch towards the door, letting his stepford knight mask drop as soon as the attention is off the two of them.]

[killarevolution]

[Haymitch gives Finnick a sour look, but it doesn't have much weight, because at least he's more convincing and... Isn't shrieking like a girl. He ducks out of the ballroom and finds some private corridor somewhere and... Waits for Finnick to catch up with him, because he kinda bolted.]

Talk.

[65]

[And there's Finnick catching up. Like Haymitch's busted alcoholic ass could evade him that long. Pfft.]

So what can't you remember? How we know each other?

[This whole situation is tying knots in his stomach, frankly. It's weird enough that no one's ever heard of him, or of the Games at all in this place. He wanted to consider it a good thing. But this ... he hadn't anticipated this. The fact that Haymitch couldn't remember him seriously freaks him out. As easy as it would be to blame his lapse in memory on long-term alcoholism, Finnick was smarter than that. His first impulse was to blame it on the Capitol. They could do damn near anything, why not this? Why not start with brainwashing? But, if that was true, it made him question why he was here at all. It was turning into some straight up Matrix shit and not good for his often precarious mental health.]

[killarevolution]

Nothing. Just the Games. That was years ago. [He cringes and rubs a hand over his face.] Was starting to think it wasn't even a memory at all. Just something I made up. [With no context, it made sense. Were the Games some fantasy he made up because he's an alcoholic or is he an alcoholic because he really did live that?]

[65]

[Consider Finnick's mind officially blown. How can he deal with that? How can he even start with that? This is a freaking nightmare.]

The Games are real. [Well, there's ... that.] You won the 50th. I won the 65th. [He saw him sometimes, didn't he? At victor event things? Maybe. He couldn't remember. But that wasn't amnesia, nope. That was ... nothing like this at all. :| /denial city.] The 75th is happe-- just happened. You were a mentor.

[killarevolution]

Figured. [Tell him something he doesn't know. :|] There anything in my life that doesn't revolve around those blasted Games?

[65]

[Ummm it's not like you're his Facebook friend or anything, Haymitch ... ]

Alcoholism?

[killarevolution]

[DEADPAN MUSTACHE.] Bet I find you ever so charming too.

[65]

More or less. You've never tried to kill me with a broken wineglass before, though.

[killarevolution]

[You're not getting an apology for that, BTW.] No bloodletting between fellow victors? Just something to remind us how we got to where we are? [He barks a laugh.] I'm waiting for you tell me they even throw the winners back into the arena after awhile just for a thrill.

[Yeah, about that, Haymitch...]

[65]

You can stop your waiting, then. [please press 1 for further information.]

[killarevolution]

[Haymitch abruptly stops laughing. He's so close to quitting this conversation. The future is so bright, he has to kill himself slowly with liquor.] I need a drink. [Yes, he's going to sidle back to the party. Finnick is welcome to follow, since clearly he... Probably also needs a drink. Because playing homeschool teacher is hard.]

[65]

[Finnick could make a gibe about Haymitch's alcoholism, but this is one of those times where drowning sorrow in alcohol is socially acceptable. He's not even going to bother telling Haymitch that he wasn't participating, because that would require restarting the conversation he's seemed to ragequit away from.

In short, yes he will be following Haymitch for that drink. 8( Life is hard.]

[killarevolution]

[Mmmm delicious booze that is not nearly as strong as that midget ale or whatever the hell Wynn was giving him. But it's enough to keep a man from ever being sober.] Have to wonder who got the better end of this deal. Forgetting or having to remember it all.

[65]

It would be better to forget. [There's practically no hesitation in his voice.] To forget everything. But not even you have that luxury. [Allow him to swallow down some wine now. Lots and lots of wine.]

[killarevolution]

I get to remember the parts I'd rather forget. [There's so much sarcasm in his voice, you can practically hear him wanting to add the Anakin Skywalker YIPEE to the end. He inhales another swig of wine, and then he adds, as if remembering a part of their conversation that didn't piss him off completely.] The drinking's related to the Games. I know that much. [So basically his entire life is related to the Games.

EXCEPT THE GEESE. But the geese are forgotten.]