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

[cabot]

I'll take that as a compliment, from a human perspective. I take it you don't possess much experience with elves.

[slays]

How's zero rank on the much? Is zero much? [ She gives a little bit of a shrug, going on to explain. ] I don't ... really have a lot of experience with anything. At all. I-If we're being honest. Kinda why I'm here.

[cabot]

Ah yes. Filling the void, so to speak.

Well, as I said, you're far from alone. A rather large number of our members had the same experience, and most of them are now fully functioning members of society. [His eyes rake across the crowds, and he seems to second guess himself, adding wryly:] ... Or some equivalent.

[He shoots her another smirk] You could look at it as a chance to invent the self that perhaps you always wanted. [A pause] And choose out what it is that you always wanted, while you're at it.

[slays]

Well, we've got castles and knights and magic, does that mean I could Amnesia-reinvent myself into a Princess? [ It's a joke. Really. ... Kind of. Either way, it's easier to be sarcastic and say what she doesn't really care about in terms of reinventing than to think honestly on that for a moment. ]

[cabot]

I'll be certain to refer to you exclusively as Your Royal Highness, in that case. [Is he kidding? We'll find out...]

[slay]

See, that? Great way to help me settle in. I feel all cozy and at home already.

[cabot]

Well, what better way to feel at home, living in a castle? If we have to be this far outside of known civilization, we might as well get to act pretentious about it.

[slays]

Pretty dresses, pretty titles ... [ She tugs at the skirt of her dress a little. ] I might have a hard time remembering the pretentious isn't reality.

[cabot]

I know that the dresses in particular always make the illusion very complete for me personally.

[slays]

Fancy accents don't hurt. It's all very posh. [ This is her attempt at using British slang. Roll of 8 says her charisma makes it ... awkward, but passable. Endearing awkward. ]

[cabot]

[A smile cracks across his face as he studies her expression, and then widens when he seems to determine that she was indeed doing it on purpose]

Posh, yes. [There's only the thinnest line of teasing there, a verbal nudge in the shoulder, so to speak]

Speaking of which, you arrived in America, I take it?

[slay]

How'd you know?

[cabot]

Your accent gives it away. Perfect American, and the Veil endows us with some magical ability to pick up the language of the region we first arrive in with some level of ease. [He smirks] It also tends to stick us with that accent, unless we work to break it.

[slays]

... Should I be working to break it? [ ~self awareness~ ] I just mean, you know, with everybody being all -- B-but, I don't think I'd really rock the Queen's English. Not that there's anything wrong with her English, I'm sure it's very ... english. But. You know.

[cabot]

[He continues to look ridiculously amused by all the words that come out of her mouth] Everybody? Not at all. We're a bit of a melting pot, as they say. You needn't change a single thing.

[He glances around once, innocently] Except, perhaps, the fact that you haven't been asked to dance yet at your own squiring party.

[slay]

[ There's a swell of confidence in her demeanor at that, and a smile creeps across her mouth. Enough that, at the mention of dancing, she just laughed. ]

It's a lot of people's squiring party. I'm pretty sure Andie's got the dance floor covered enough for all of us. [ A beat. She glances up at him, lips narrowing into a thoughtful quasi-pout. ] Unless ... I mean, did you want to - ?

[cabot]

Well, if I didn't, it would have been terribly rude to bring it up. [He extends a hand] Would the lady care to dance?

[slay]

[ She takes a moment to give a slowly widening smile, then reaches out to take his hand, making an effort to quiet it some. ] Very much so. [ It's said in a shy, coy way that clearly conveys her flattery at the invitation. ]

[cabot]

[He takes her hand gently, and leads her to the floor with a pleased smirk, drawing her into the middle of the crowd. He keeps her right hand in his left, and slides his other boldly around the middle of her back, turning them in a dramatic half spin as he does so and pausing there.]

Shall we consider this a test of your instincts? Training, of course, has its advantages, but I always thought a really superb dance was born of instincts, first and foremost.

[slay]

But no pressure or anything, of course. [ She can't help but let out a short laugh at that, because seriously, test? So not the way to get a girl to relax. As he slips his hand around her back her heart jumps briefly into her throat and she swallows thickly, stepping closer to him and resting her free hand against his shoulder, staying far enough back to gaze up at him. ] Don't laugh.

DEX CHECK FOR DANCINGGGGGGGGG

[cabot]

I shouldn't dream of it. I'll be the picture of solemnity. [He takes it slower in actuality than he seemed to have been hinting he would, giving her the time to fall in with his steps, and suppressing a smile that remains in his eyes.]

rolled 17 +3 for skill bonus apparently buffy is beyonce today. but, you know, slimmer. also white

[slay]

[ She falls into step with him easily, and she's basically like God's gift to dancing apparently. Also known as Summer Glau. Seriously, why was Harmony on Dancing with the Stars, it should have been Buffy. That is how awesome this is.

Which, you know, is weird for Buffy, because she can't recall ever dancing a day in her life. But, it feels natural, and he's right -- instinct kicks in, coupled with reflex. And she's just going to choose not to question it because it's about time something went right. ]

23 total B)

[cabot]

[and it was awesome]

ok, jk there's more

[cabot]

[Naw, but really they are just the smoothest criminals on the dance floor. It's like some kind of end of the high school movie miracle, I guess, except he's like a billion years old, but that's pretty much in line with Buffy's high school experiences anyways.

True to his word, he takes the dance quite seriously, keeping his expression dignified, but not unfriendly. His eyes speak volumes about how impressed he is, at least, and he twirls and spins her effortlessly, making bolder moves once he's certain she isn't going to be taken off guard.

And he'll even polish off the song by dramatically dipping her, only then cutting her a smile as he holds her in place.] I'd say as instincts go, yours are top notch.

you are such a troll

[slays]

[ She holds his gaze as they move, very much in the moment until the last step. When he dips her, Buffy draws in a sharp almost-gasp of flustered, swoon-y breath. Her eyes stay fixed on him and her breathing stays heavy as he holds her there.

However, she manages to blink and compose her expression, quickly processing what he said to give a timely, dismissive smile. ] Kind of all I've got going for me. It's probably just like, you know, those blind people who are really good at smelling stuff?

[ She slowly makes an effort to pull herself back to an erect position, and very nearly headbutts him in the process, all grace drained from her demeanor. ]

Besides. You did all the hard work. I just followed.