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

[lightblindbadass]

[He snorts at her first statement, giving a wry grin. Maybe it was the fact that they were so alike, maybe it was how young she was, but how comfortable he was with her was astounding him more as their conversation wore on.

He wasn't trying to bullshit her, in fact if he didn't know any better, he might think he was even trying to share some of his wisdom with her to help her, more than to scare and discourage her. The similarities between them and just how damn vulnerable she really was, not physically but emotionally, made him think for the first time that he would actually like to help someone heal.

He had no fucking clue how to do that, or where to even begin, but so far being honest with her seemed to be working just fine, so he'd stick to that.]

Yeah, your charming nature does remind me of my own. [He says this very dryly, crossing his arms as he smiles down at her.]

Isolation is a helluva lot better most of the time than oh say staying in an entire castle full of people. But it is kinda nice to have someone else around that I don't gotta worry about entertaining.

[There's a note of something else behind his words, like he can't really get himself to just come out and say it. The way he chooses his words, how he says them all seem to speak of a kind of gratefulness that a man like him wouldn't normally possess, much less express. He falls silent, letting the words hang there almost as though he's making sure the meaning is able to sink in.

Or maybe he just doesn't know what else to say. He's emotionally stunted like that.]

[befree]

[They can be emotionally stunted together, because Katniss is currently at a loss for how to respond beyond what she's already said. She nods, feeling a sense of contentment, but doesn't want to ruin the moment by saying more than what's needed.

They have a sense of appreciation for the other, and it's nice to feel something like that, when she had convinced herself that this place was going to be nothing but filled with people she has to put up with.

But the actual realization that she now has someone she can rely on doesn't sit entirely well with her, and she pushes herself to stand up, glancing briefly over in his direction.]

As nice as it is, we should head back. I'm sure Christos has noticed I'm missing by now, and he's likely to assume I'm off destroying something.

[notafraidofthedark]

[Riddick also sits in silence for the span of time before she gets up, enjoying the quiet and being outside once more where he felt the most comfortable.

Strange that it also came by being with someone else.

When she suggests they go back in his inner beast nudges him to stay out for a bit longer, but at the same time... He wanted to present her with a solid front. He had no reason to say no, and wanted her to know they could and would do things together and not have to fight tooth and nail for it. Compromise is so new to him]

We could always destroy something just to prove him right. [This is said dryly as he heads back the way they came, holding the door open for her and ducking through after she clears it.]

[befree]

[She stops mid step, and actually thinks that one over.]

It would be easy to do.

[It almost sounds as if she's seriously considering the option, but then she gives a light lift of her shoulders and shakes her head.]

But I wouldn't want to prove him right in his thinking I'm more trouble than I'm worth.

[And if she's thrown out of this place, she isn't sure where she would go. She knows she'd be able to survive, she'd find a way to, but she doesn't want to entirely ruin a good thing so soon.

So she hurries her way back the way they came, hoping that it would be easy to slide back into the party unnoticed.]

[notafraidofthedark]

Yeah, you're probably right. [He follows after her, unhurried but still keeping up due to his longer strides. As they pass along the hallway and get closer to the ballroom, he just can't help himself.

The set of antique armor tips forward with a loud protesting groan. The clanging metallic screech as it hits the stone under their feet is ear-splitting, and by the time Katniss looks back, he is already striding past it, a smirky smile on his lips.]

Oops.

[befree]

[A surprisingly loud laugh escapes her, and she reaches up to put a hand over her mouth. She didn't know that she could make a sound so...happy. ]

You're going to get us in trouble.

[The words are hardly scolding, and it's with great amusement that she glances back at the fallen armor.]

But at least we'll make a grand re-entrance.

[notafraidofthedark]

[He can't help the chuckle that goes along with her laugh, happy to have brought that out in her. She needed to laugh more often, it was a good sound on her.

He shrugs his shoulders negligently at the idea of someone scolding them for a suit of armor falling over. He sure didn't value all the clutter in this castle, plus it was entertaining.

They arrive back to the doorway of the dance, hovering in the darkness for a moment more.]

I'd like someone to try finding us to blame that on.

But I don't think I'm going back in, and I really don't think anyone would miss you if you skipped out on the rest of the evening too. [He lets that escape hang there for her, letting her know that she didn't have to do something that made her uncomfortable.]

I was told a few times we don't have to stay, so I'm taking up that offer to go and catch some sleep.

[befree]

[She nods in understanding, but still peeks around the doorway and back into the room where everyone else is gathered.]

I don't do well with sleep, but -

[She pauses, unsure if she should say it. The gesture seems like something more personal than she would do with anyone else, so the word stumbles out of her mouth awkwardly.]

Goodnight.

[notafraidofthedark]

[He looks at her a moment, noticing her hesitation. As the word stumbles out of her mouth he lets it hang there a moment before nodding very briefly in acknowledgement.]

Night, Katniss.

[He turns to go, walking a few steps before pausing and turning his face the barest amount back in her direction.]

If you need anything... just lemme know. [He waves a hand casually in the air beside himself, turning to walk again, not waiting for a response. That was awkward enough to get out, no sense in waiting for a response that would probably be just as awkward for her.]