after-party ♔ la lune trop pale caresse l'opale de tes yeux blases

[wynn]

♬ Complainte du la Butte - Rufus Wainwright

WHO || Wynn, any and all Knights
WHAT || Squiring Ceremony Afterparty
WHERE || Knights Headquarters, the Ballroom
WHEN || February 1st, 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

[everyredcent]

Less usual, as of late. [... Not that he's admitting to paying attention to your womanly moods. QUICK, SAY SOMETHING DICKISH.]

I thought perhaps you were afraid you were losing your touch after the way things went in Slovechnia. [Wait, that was overcompensatingly dickish :( wat are happy mediums]

[socialgraces]

Lovely Head - Goldfrapp

[Her face falls instantly and when she finally responds she just sounds tired.] Thanks for that. [She clasps her hands together and looks down at them intently.] I hadn't really thought of it that way, but perhaps you're right. [Her voice is even and calm as she tries to hold back the sudden rush of feeling beating against her insides.]

But, since you asked, my moods really have little to do with Slovechnia in particular. It just happened to illuminate a lot of realities about myself, and my life, that are particularly dissatisfying to me. It amplified them, I guess.

[And with a humorless smile, she adds:] My professional skills were not among those realities, however, but I suppose I might as well add that to the pile now.

[She waits a few moments after she's done talking before she finally looks back up at him.]

[everyredcent]

That wasn't what I meant. [It was just, you know. What he said. 8| He can't really look at her, preferring to feign an interest in a particular patch of snow on the lawn]

You do exemplary work.

[socialgraces]

[She just softly murmurs:] Thank you. [And leans her arms on the railing right next to him to look out over the lawn as well, trying to remain as close to him as she can without it becoming weird.

And she definitely doesn't want her night to end on this. She wishes she could just be in that fantastic mood she was in, what, thirty seconds ago?

She turns her head just a fraction in his direction to talk to him.] Look, Christos, I didn't mean... [And she sighs, her shoulders slumping] I'm sorry to be so... sensitive. I'm fine. I'm over it. [She gives a tiny smile as she turns her head more to actually look at him, knowing they're probably a little to close and liking it that way.]

[everyredcent]

[Apologies make him uncomfortable, so he just straightens up, saying in that loud voice he uses when he wants to talk over subtext and feelings:] I think I should probably go back inside and see what that Spike fellow is doing with himself.

[socialgraces]

[And she can't help but look a little hurt and more than a little embarrassed.] Yeah, sure. [She shakes her head and turns her back to him, knowing exactly what he's doing, and feeling all the more an idiot because of it.]

Oh, Christos? [She doesn't turn to look at him as she speaks.] You probably really should just disregard everything I've said and done tonight. I've obviously had way too much to drink and I don't even want to think about the ridiculous things I must have said. [She tries to say it jokingly, but fails miserably. So it just comes off like she's trying way too hard.]

[everyredcent]

[He turns to regard her, now that she's faced away, and there's a heavy pause for a moment before he says, simply:] Consider it forgotten.

[Which sounds so brusque and dismissive, but he doesn't think of it that way at all. If she really feels embarrassed by her behavior, and would rather it be dismissed, who is he who to begrudge her that? It's what she WANTS, isn't it?

He looks down at the floor, trying to think of something to say and fails, so he just turns to go.]

[socialgraces]

[Francesca stays leaning against the railing for several minutes after Christos leaves until she feels like she can no longer take the cold, or stay emotionally composed. She heads down the balcony towards a different set of doors that lead to a different part of the castle and continues to her room for the night having no desire to return to the party.]