after-party ♔ february

[wynn]

♬ Kodo (Inside the Sun remix) - Yoshida Brothers

WHO || Wynn, any and all Knights not currently on missions (if you are uncertain if your character would be at the castle for this, ask!)
WHAT || Squiring Ceremony Afterparty
WHERE || Knights Headquarters, the Ballroom
WHEN || February 1st, 2014, 6:00PM [backdated]
HOW || Prose OR Actionspam

The "afterparty" is the real main event of the night at every squiring, but tonight's party is a little different than usual - Faith has successfully lobbied (as in roped people into helping her decorate for) a Chinese New Year's party, or Lunar New Year, theme.  With Knights from all over the world, it was easy to get input from those who traditionally celebrate the holiday, and Wynn is all about the spirit of cultural unity.  Not to mention, the second of the 15 days of the spring festival is all about spending time with one's family and friends.  

The lavish, opulent ballroom has been transformed, filled with red lanterns, peach blossoms, kumquat plants, and chrysanthemums.    People are encouraged to dress in red to ward off evil spirits and bad luck, and avail themselves of the New Year's Cake, golden champagne cocktail, rice pudding, candied fruits, and the Tray of Togetherness.

As always, 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 you aren't 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.

ooc; also if your Knight wants to get all gussied up, you can make a Disguise (Cha) check for how good they were at hair/makeup/stylin', etc! This goes for... any time.

Comments

[uncurse]

Thoster! [ it's genuine warmth in her expression as she watches him approach, stepping forward to clap him on the shoulder in greeting. she's not a hugger yet ok. ] Good to see you, too.

[bluffcheck]

[He is a hugger, but he knows better at this point. She's been a bit aloof from the get go so he will respect that.]

Hope you haven't gotten into too much trouble since we last spoke. [Or that his squire hasn't given you too much trouble. But he wont bring Hook up just yet.]

[uncurse]

I think that depends on where you rank 'dragon' on the trouble scale. [ she waves a dismissive hand between them. ] Don't worry about it. How about things here?

[bluffcheck]

[His eyebrows raise and he lets out a low whistle.]

If you think you've gotten out of telling me that story, you don't know me well, lass. But things have been just fine around here. Patched up my ship from the last venture out into the world. Just been laying about otherwise.

[And pining. Lots of pining. But he doesn't talk about that right off the bat.]

[uncurse]

Your ... pirate ship. [ she can do the math bc accent and hook. also, there is a 90% chance he is not talking about a spaceship, so. she blinks back the weirdness because it's not the craziest thing she's heard all year, and just nods. ] Glad to hear it. I'm sure Wynn 'll have you taking it out again before too long.

[bluffcheck]

Aye. It'll take more than that to take my sweet Alice down. Any ship named after a mother like mine can weather any storm.

[uncurse]

After your mother? [ news to her. ] Is she ... gone?

[bluffcheck]

Aye. That was years ago, before I ever came through the Veil. She was the strongest woman I knew. Raised all five of us on her own, and when she died... Well, it wasn't easy. Left me and my older sister to look after the younger three. But when Shaylee started a family of her own, they found out and decided to take it upon themselves to stow away on my ship. Raised 'em as the best crew you'd ever meet.

[He gets thought for a moment. His boat is here, but his crew, his siblings... aren't.] I miss them every day.

[uncurse]

Your crew was your family. Is that ... normal? I thought you were a pirate. [ maybe that's a conclusion to jump to off of an accent and owning a ship but there you have it. ]

[bluffcheck]

Even a pirate can have a family, lass. [He doesn't seem at all offended by her thought process.] We never came across another crew like ours, but that doesn't mean it's unheard of. [There were others, of course, but they were hired hands, friends he gained along his travels. Having his own blood relatives on board made him that much more invested in his ship.]

[uncurse]

It's not exactly the line of work you expect a guy with connections to get into. [ she'd become a thief because she was alone, and she can say with the certainty of experience that if she'd had a family, she wouldn't have had to make that choice. ]

[bluffcheck]

We were poor. Had enough to get by, but not much more that that. I did a lot of things I'm not proud of as a means to keep food on the table. Stole trinkets from people in town so that Shaylee could sell them for a few coins. We may not have been the most honorable lot, but we kept each other safe. And when the opportunity came to leave, to see the world, and make more than enough to just scrape by? Jumped in without question.

[uncurse]

[ judging by the sharp inhale and the way she averts her gaze, something in that story left emma incredibly uncomfortable. she takes a moment, blinking whatever memory has been summoned up back, and gaping until she can find words. ] I'm - Not judging. Believe me. [ she tilts her head, then soldiers ahead, eager to put the topic behind them. ] I'm sorry that you lost them.

[bluffcheck]

Losing people you love is never easy. But I taught them well, and they have each other. So long as I remember that, I can sleep better at night.

[uncurse]

[ wat r emotions. emma shuffles her feet for a moment and pushing her tongue through her lips as she tries to think of the right thing to say. ]

Good.

[ her gaze flutters around, not landing on any one thing for longer than a moment, and her shoulders remain hunched. ]

I'm glad. That you've ... I mean, that's a good way to think about it. [ she nods, decisive, then searches out an escape. ] Listen, I'm - I should find Lila.

[bluffcheck]

[Thoster isn't about to corner her to find out just what has her so spooked. He'll just nod and let her go on her way. If she wanted to open up to him, she could do it on her own time, in her own way.]

Tell her I said hello when you find her.