CLOSED ♔ knighting ceremony

[ironsides]

WHO || Wynn, Buffy, Jack Chessing, Dovan Ironsides, Spike, Fredrick Jr., Mark Sandazhard, Luthir Reedhym, Eric Carpenter, Lanston Wellington, past and present Team Failboat members, Rafael Giovanni, Desmond Descant?, various other unnamed members of the Dragon's Hide [closed]
WHAT || Buffy's full Knighting ceremony; induction into the Dragon's Hide
WHERE || Knight's Headquarters, the Great Hall
WHEN || DECEMBER 11th, 2012 evening [Super 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.

Buffy's invitees are given seats of honor at the front of the ranks of the Dragon's Hide members - the largest sect in the castle, with the most representatives here, and Jack, Wynn, and Dovan wait up at the front of the room for Buffy to approach them, but the attitude of the ceremony is much more relaxed, full of smiles and light conversation on all sides.

Wynn finally gets things rolling, by saying in his loud listen-to-me voice: "Approach and kneel, Sir Buffy Summers."

Comments

[slay]

I dunno, did you see? [ she gives him a lopsided grin, but then nods. ] Right outta thin air. I'll give magic this much, it's way handy for partying.

[romanticidal]

I suppose there must be consolation for losing so many nights of sleep to long hours of studying old books, si?

[slay]

And, as consolation prizes go, cake? Always a winner.

[romanticidal]

It is good, that your Knights find so many causes to celebrate.

[slay]

Yeah, well, we gotta balance all the getting shot out somehow.

[romanticidal]

I still feel like a fool for my part in any of that. I am not used to working with... those who charge in the way you and your friends do.

[slay]

"Reckless" says that a little quicker. I - I know we're not exactly, y'know, well-trained superspy types or anything, but we're ... I mean. We try. A-And we've been doing okay! You know, elevator incident aside. Unless you, uh, approved of the elevator incident, which in hindsight I now realize you were probably ... perfectly okay with and if you wanna stop me at any point -

[romanticidal]

[ LMAO WOW BUFFY. he looks thoughtful but apparently decides honesty is the best policy instead of just letting that one slide like last time where he kept his mouth shut... ] An evil man was punished, and for that I am grateful. I am just glad none of yours were hurt in the process, especially with Anderson's presence.

[slay]

Yeah, I'm all for coming up with plans on how to not run into him again.

[romanticidal]

You let me worry about Anderson. If you are away from me... you should be none of his concern.

[slay]

I'm a lot more worried about you being alone than I am about Anderson. He's coming after you, you need all the help you can get.

[romanticidal]

I have many friends in Italia. Members of the ... Resistance, who will work to keep tabs on this man for me.

You need not worry.

[slay]

Need not isn't the same as will not.

[romanticidal]

I suppose I cannot stop you from worrying anymore than I could not worry about you here.

[slay]

That's just what friends are for.

[romanticidal]

Perhaps some day there will come a time when neither of us must worry for the others' life when they are away, no?

[slay]

I'm not really sure retirement's an option for people like us.

[romanticidal]

As I said before: once I would have agreed easily. Now...

I am not so sure I am content with it being so black and white.

[slay]

What would it take for you? I mean, if ... if Jade asked you tomorrow, would you just run away with her? Forget all of it?

[romanticidal]

If the opportunity truly came?

I think I would be a fool not to try.

[slay]

What if it wasn't Jade? What if I said ... After all this, after we find the Talisman and stop Becksworth, we should just go and not look back. I mean, that'd mean not going back to Nightscape; turning your back on this stuff would mean leaving her behind, too.

Could you do that?

[romanticidal]

If, in doing all these things, we found no way to make her remember?

[slay]

[ slowly, looking like she's at unease with her own vulnerability, buffy nods. ]

[romanticidal]

[ he thinks about it for a moment. ] It would never be easy to walk away, even then but... it would be best, si.

[ he at least seems to realize that he shouldn't make this moment all about jade and he looks back at buffy, eyes gentle ] I would go.

[slay]

[ she meets his gaze, watching him for a silent moment as she seems to mull over the response. she should be satisfied with it. it should be something she'd love to consider as a potential future, right?

but, it's not. and she realizes what's creating the heavy pit in her gut and she's almost surprised with herself. ]

I wouldn't.

[ she shakes her head. ]

That's where we're different. Even if ... Even if we finished this mission. Even if I weren't worried about who I was leaving behind, I wouldn't be able to walk away. It's not just that the Knights are my family, it's - The work that we do. It's work worth doing.

I couldn't live with myself, knowing that I could be helping people, saving them, and that I was choosing myself instead.