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

[unhand]

Pirates aren't known for being particularly charitable, lass. Or perhaps I'd be giving you those rubies you asked for.

[He steps in a bit closer, a hint of a smirk on his face.]

You're not... scared of something so simple as getting to know me better, are you?

[It's a challenge and goading her all at once. Obviously, there's lots to be afraid of. It's the same reason he doesn't let people know the man beneath the scoundrel. What if they don't like your true self? What if they see that you really are just as worthless as you want them to think? But just because he's got no interest in unburying his issues doesn't mean he can't dig at Faye's.]

[reallywicked]

I'm not scared of anything. [She responds without really thinking. That's another defensive instinct she's never been able to shake. She doesn't turn towards him fully, but part of her smirk returns.]

So what do you want to know?

[unhand]

[That's even harder than the why one. Hook's not overly experienced at this friendship thing either. Or at least, he isn't anymore.

Well, he's a pirate. And she mentioned jewels earlier. He can work with this.]

Rubies, huh? Tie in to that whole red thing you've got going on?

[reallywicked]

[Her hand instinctively reaches for the hollow of her throat where her usual necklace rests. The pendent is a small star ruby. Unbeknownst to her, it's her power stone and deeply connected to her magic.]

It came with me through the Veil. Between that and my name, that's about all I remember about my life before.

[unhand]

[He reaches forward a finger to touch, stepping in a bit closer to look.]

It's beautiful.

[Yeah he really isn't trying to be creepily sexual IT JUST COMES NATURALLY. He looks up at her eyes.]

I remember near everything. I'd think I'd forgotten nothing, but for one thing.

[He drops his arm and pulls up the sleeve with his hook to reveal a tattoo.]

[reallywicked]

[Again, her breath catches. He's close, close enough to touch, and he's giving her attention, saying that he cares and wants to get to know her. Even if he started the conversation all but telling her much he regretted sleeping with her (whatever he claims his reasons for that may be...), she doesn't mind the attention.

So when he pulls back his sleeve, her fingers instinctively reach out to run over the tattoo lightly.]

Milah. [She says the name, glancing up at him with humorous curiosity.] Like Mr. Gold's familiar?

[unhand]

Aye. [He glances away from the tattoo and Faye. He doesn't remember the human Milah. But he knows from Emma's reaction and from the fact her name is tattooed on his arm that she meant something to him.] Also a woman. One Mr. Gold murdered in another lifetime.

[reallywicked]

[Her eyebrows go up at the mention of Gold's murder victim. Maybe she should be more upset about that, huh..? She's mostly just curious about it, honestly.]

A woman he killed that you cared about enough to get that?

[unhand]

Presumably. [He tugs his sleeve back down with his hook.] Though seeing as I've no memory of either the lass or Mr. Gold, I can only speculate.

[reallywicked]

I don't know who I was before this place. I can't remember where I lived, what my parents looked like, anything. Sometimes I wonder if I was better there. At least there, I might have known how to use my magic.

[unhand]

[Maybe. Hook doesn't feel much better off for the memories left to him. He's done terrible things. Presumably for his revenge but without his memory of that, it all feels so... hollow.]

Not one for the ignorance-is-bliss theory, then?

[reallywicked]

I think that only works when you know you have something you don't want to remember. I can't help but try. I just try to remember something, anything. A face, a name, a stupid joke that someone told me. But there's nothing.

[unhand]

Nothing at all? [It's far from unheard of, but he can't help being sympathetic. He's got a lot of memories despite the hole niggling at him whenever he sees Gold or that blasted crocodile. He's not so badly off.] It's just... blank?

[reallywicked]

Just my name. [This may be the longest she's talked about it in one sitting and she's sort of not okay with it.]

It's not a big deal. [No it kind of is (bluff 18)]

[unhand]

[shit-for-sense-motive doesn't see anything amiss (sense motive 15). He believes her, even if he's pretty sure it would be a bigger deal to him.]

It's a nice name, at least.

[reallywicked]

[She scoffs a laugh.]

Sure. At least I wasn't stuck with something shitty. Look, it's just how it is, okay? The Veil is a cruel mistress, or whatever.

[unhand]

Aye, that she is. [But he'll let the matter drop, he supposes. For now.] Suppose that makes it your turn to ask something. [He's new to this getting to know people thing too.]

[reallywicked]

That implies that I want to know anything about you. [She shoots back but there's a slight smile.]

How'd you get into the whole pirate thing? Or do you come from a long line of it? Losing the hand is some family rite of passage?

[unhand]

[He considers for a moment. It's not a story he's told often, not even to Emma. But Faye did open up a bit to him. Seems like it's only fair.]

No. Believe it or not, once I was an honorable man. [His expression twists, though it's hard to say if it's disgust for who he was or who he's become. Maybe both.] Member of the Royal Navy.

[reallywicked]

Really? [She doesn't laugh or seem put off by it. She just... wasn't expecting that. There's a slight hesitation where she debates if she wants him to know she even cares to know, but curiosity wins.] So what happened?

[unhand]

[He shrugs, trying to act like it's not important. And with his nat 20 bluff check? He's pretty damn convincing in his casualness.]

King and I had some minor disagreements. I quit.

[reallywicked]

[Oh her sense motive was stupid low. She believes you aren't hiding anything.]

So what if you and Wynn have some disagreements? You planning on quitting then too?

[Faye, your abandonment issues are showing.]

[unhand]

Depends how badly the disagreement goes. [Hook's not so opposed to poison as he might once have been, but if Wynn gets someone Hook cares about killed? All bets are off. Still, he eyes Faye. He sees those abandonment issues.]

But I suppose I might bring a crew with me. My ship sails best with a few extra hands, and as you may have noticed, I'm a bit lacking in that area.

[reallywicked]

You'd have plenty of people to choose from. [Not at all imagining that he'd pick her, tbh. Boats are made of wood and she has that whole firestarter thing going for her.]

[unhand]

Suppose we're all fortunate it's rather unlikely it'll come to that. [Though FAYE YOU DOPE HE WAS SAYING HE'D TAKE YOU. He's not invested enough to try and convince her he'd take her along, though, not when it really probably won't happen. Wynn, so far, has proven more noble than Hook's former king, and Hook himself is far less naive.]