CLOSED ♔ knighting ceremony

[koraith]

WHO || Wynn, Finnick Odair, Koraith, Hasmed, various members of the Dragon's Tongue, Finnick's invited guests [closed]
WHAT || Finnick's full Knighting ceremony; induction into the Dragon's Tongue
WHERE || Knight's Headquarters, the Great Hall
WHEN || DECEMBER 10th, evening BACKDATED
HOW || Actionspam

Unlike the grandiose nature of the squiring ceremony each Knight undergoes upon their initial entrance into the Knighthood, the graduation to Full Knight status takes place in a much more intimate affair, between the Knight, their mentor, invited friends, and the members of the sect to which they will be inducted. There's no pompous music, no stolid rank and file, no elaborate march.

Hasmed, Wynn, and Koraith wait up at the front of the room for Finnick to approach them, but the attitude of the ceremony is much more relaxed, full of smiles and light conversation on all sides. Of course, when Wynn speaks, people still hush. It's just how he rolls.

"Sir Finnick Odair, please kneel."

Comments

[nothingsodivine]

Dedication's never been my problem, Wynnston. [He forces a smile, but it's a pained one.] You get a job, you blind yourself to everything else except the endgame. That's how I get it done.

[And maybe that's why he's so invested in Eterna Jade. Because she's the exact kind of collateral damage that comes out of these situations, because he didn't care enough about people like her and stayed too focused on the objective, they got hurt. Often, even killed.]

[wynn]

Somehow I think you have more of a sense of personal honor than you let on. Would you be willing to sacrifice others if it meant accomplishing your goal?

[nothingsodivine]

[♪Blue Light of the Flame- Dar Williams]

Way to ask the hard-hitting questions. [He sticks his tongue in his cheek.] I don't do it intentionally. Does that count as willing or do I get a pass on it because it all came down to the fact that I just wasn't careful enough?

[wynn]

I'd say intent is the more important quality to consider, in this case.

[nothingsodivine]

Intent doesn't mean much when people are still dead at the end of the day.

[wynn]

It means everything to the men left alive who have to live with what was done or not done.

[nothingsodivine]

Spoken like a man who's brought a few too many home in pine boxes.

[wynn]

One is too many. But it's an inescapable part of what we do.

[nothingsodivine]

Part of what you do. I lessen my chances of getting too close by working alone.

[But how often does that work out for you, Des? I mean, really.]

[wynn]

It's the connections we forge that allow the ripples of our actions to stretch so widely, Desmond.

[nothingsodivine]

Maybe I just can't shake that I'm not supposed to be here. [He gives Wynn a wry, crooked smile.]

[wynn]

And yet the fact that you are is an opportunity that shouldn't be wasted. You have a chance to cause many more ripples than others.

[nothingsodivine]

[He chuckles.] You know just what to say to a guy.

[wynn]

It's an essential part of my work.