feast & after-party ♔ empty my heart | i've got to make room for this feeling

[wynn]

♬ Can't Take It In - Imogen Heap

WHO || Wynn, the new Squires, any and all Knights
WHAT || Squiring Ceremony Feast & Afterparty
WHERE || Knights Headquarters, the Dining Hall & Ballroom
WHEN || February 9th, 2012, 7:00PM / 9:00 PM
HOW || Prose OR Actionspam

While every dinner served in the Knights' exceptionally large Dining Hall manages to have a sense of occasion, given the sheer quantity of food necessary to serve the hundreds who take their meals there, the 'feast' Wynn's ordered for after this squiring party outdoes the norm. It's not a problem to produce so much food at the drop of the hat when mages can magically summon up entire banquets, and so the room teems over with the smells and spices of hundreds of unique dishes. Centerpieces built with peacock feathers and sweet smelling flowers dot the table at intervals. A silver cage in the very middle of the table includes several live birds, their feet and tufts each appearing to be silver as well. A banner hangs from the top of the cage, with the Knight's symbol of a black dragon on a silver field.

The food has a distinctly medieval flair to it today, which several of the older Shadowkind Knights express their boisterous appreciation for as they dive in. The first course consists of a civet of hare, a quarter of salted stag, a stuffed chicken and a loin of veal, the latter two covered with a German sauce with gilt sugar-plums and pomegranate seeds. At each end of the table is an enormous pie, surmounted with smaller pies, which form a crown. The crust of the large ones is silvered all round and gilt at the top; each contains a whole roe-deer, a gosling, three capons, six chickens, ten pigeons, and one young rabbit. Serving as seasoning or stuffing, a minced loin of veal, two pounds of fat, and twenty-six hard-boiled eggs, covered with saffron and flavoured with cloves.

A second course follows: aroe-deer, a pig, a sturgeon cooked in parsley and vinegar, and covered with powdered ginger; a kid, two goslings, twelve chickens, as many pigeons, six young rabbits, two herons, a leveret, a fat capon stuffed, four chickens covered with yolks of eggs and sprinkled with spiced powder de Duc, and even a wild boar.

Next came wafers and stars; a jelly, part white and part blue. A fourth course of cream with Duc powder, covered with fennel seeds preserved in sugar; a white cream, cheese in slices, and strawberries; and, lastly, plums stewed in rose-water.

Besides these four courses, there's a fifth, entirely composed of wines, and of preserves, which consist of fruits and various sweet pastries in the shapes of dragons.

---------------------------

Following this, assuming anyone is still capable of moving at all is the after-party: a black-tie affair in the lavish, opulent ballroom, every new Knight's chance to mingle and meet some of their new brothers in arms. Per usual, a couple hours are provided following the feast 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. 

All open feast threads should be made under the FEAST heading below. Any other threads below will be for the after-party. Feel free to make your own open threads for people to come congratulate your newly pledged knight.

Comments

[cabot]

[He'll take his time seeming to consider] Well, for one, I've found myself actually looking forward to having another soiree so soon. But there are other things as well.

[Somewhat cheekily:] Moonlight walks, perhaps.

[slays]

Well, it's probably somewhere close to freezing right about now, but I hear the garden's nice this time of always. [ Her shoulder lifts in a slight shrug. ] So, if you hypothetically wanted to ask someone to join you on one of these moonlight walks, perhaps ... I don't she'd be able to say no.

[valdrin]

Is that so? [He smirks a little bit, whirling her around and looking thoughtful] Not afraid of a little hypothetical cold, then?

[slay]

I'd be willing to brave it. [ She spins under his arm, then rests her hand back on his shoulder, smiling. ] For the right person.

[valdrin]

Good to know.

Hypothetically. [He cuts her a grin, and then leans to whisper in her ear:] Shall we?

[slay]

[ The hair on the back of her neck prickles at the closeness and takes a moment to bask. ]

You don't think they'll get mad if they notice we're gone?

[valdrin]

I doubt Wynn will set the truancy officer on us.

[slays]

... They have a one of those?

[valdrin]

... I think he has the night off.

[slay]

Good enough for me. [ She stops dancing immediately, then tugs his hands. ] Come on.

1/2

[cabot]

Of course. [Grinning, he moves with her towards the big glass doors that lead to the balcony and back steps of the castle. The air is definitely biting outside, but he doesn't seem to mind, keeping one hand slipped into hers, the other in his pocket]

[everyredcent]

[AND OH LOOK OUT HERE ON THE BALCONY. IT'S THE TRUANCY OFFICER CHRISTOS, not dressed for a party tonight, but instead wearing a heavy black cloak and black boots. He's leaning against the railing smoking a clove when the doors open, and he turns his head at the sound of merriment issuing forth from the ballroom.

When he sees them, his eyes dart between Val'drin's expression, their joined hands, and the look on Buffy's face, and subsequently narrow ever so slightly. He speaks up from where he stands, his question direct and bluntly intrusive:]

Going somewhere?

[slay]

[ Buffy minds a little more -- okay, a lot more. Southern California and all -- but she just wraps one arm across her chest to rub her other, refusing to relinquish hold of his hand to hug herself more tightly. Which ... actually might have been a good idea because she catches that judgy look from Christos at the closeness and her eyes immediately bug as she skids to a halt. ]

Uhhh ... [ She gives Val'drin a look of I THOUGHT YOU SAID HE WAS OFF TONIGHT before glancing back at Christos. ] W-We were just gonna ... [ S.O.S. ] Smoke break? You know us ... rascally kids and our nicotine. [ A beat. ] I-I kid. Not he kid. I mean, he's obviously not a --

1/2

[cabot]

[Val'drin certainly seems a lot less intimidated, though it does pull him up short. He fixes Buffy with a reassuring glance before looking back at Christos, furrowing his brow slightly]

We're on the buddy system. You never know what might be skulking about out here. [The hint of mockery is... not so hint-like]

I lied 2/3

[everyredcent]

Certainly highly problematic. [His response comes as flat as a pancake, as if Val'drin's attempts to get a rise out of him are thoroughly wasted. He manages to even sound remarkably smug as he adds:]

I believe you have a great deal of work to be doing, don't you, Val'drin? [There seems to be a note of authority behind his voice that actually makes the other drow stiffen uncomfortably beside her.]

[cabot]

[Val'drin's jaw tightens at that, his fingers clenching slightly within Buffy's hand. He seems to consider retorting for a moment, but something in the man's level gaze keeps him biting his tongue. There's a note of defeat in his response, even if he can't help but add a wry comment.]

... Ah yes. How silly of me. Thinking we could play as hard as we worked around here. [He turns to Buffy] Another time, my dear?

[slay]

Uh -- Yeah. Yeah, of course. [ She turns to give him an awkward smile, squeezing his hand and then casting a sidelong look in Christos' direction that's somewhere between a highly unsettled look and a scowl. She looks back at Val'drin. ] I'll see you. [ One final grim smile and she releases his hand, giving them both a nod before slinking back inside to where it's warm and not awkward. ]