Afterparty: Different Ways to Scream
Technically, The Lord of the Flask mans the bar after the initiation ceremony, but Ken wanted to be the first to serve Dean a drink after he became a new member, so he takes a half hour shift at the beginning of the afterparty.
Ken: Here you go, Dean, your very first drink as a member of Lodge #49!
Dean: Thanks, Ken!
Herman: (to Dean) Welcome to the club. I’m Herman, a.k.a. Kuruk.
Dean: Nice to meet you, Kuruk.
While the others were welcoming Dean in earlier, Herman was helping himself at the bar. So, Herman has already had at least one beer, maybe more. Ken checks Herman’s tab which Herman has filled out himself...yep, three beers so far and working on his fourth.
Herman: You smashed it with the beer pong, man!
Dean: Thanks.
Herman: But your face when you saw the bears, that was hilarious!
Dean: Oh My Watcher, yeah. I’m kind of embarrassed about that.
Manny: Don’t be. You’re not the only one to react. That’s a weird sight to come around the corner to.
Herman: (snickering) Yeah, but not everybody freezes like a statue.
Dean has just barely met Herman, and he’s already getting on Dean’s nerves. Dean decides just to ignore Herman’s remark and move the conversation along.
Dean: (to Manny) How did you react when you got initiated?
Manny: I put my hands up and went into a fighter stance. I was ready to go a few rounds with those old guys in bear heads (chuckles). Joey just stood there calmly and said, “Cool.” And Ken tried to run.
Dean: Really?
Joey: Yeah, Manny and I had to catch him and physically keep him in the room.
Ken: (proudly) I’m no dummy. If I see a bear, I run!
Dean: So you guys were there at Ken’s initiation. Who got initiated first then?
Manny: We all got initiated on the same day. I went first, then Joey, then Ken. We knew he’d hightail it out of there, so Joey and I asked to stand by the door on his turn.
Dean: How does that work? They just did three in a row? That must have been a long night.
Ken: They let us do the part in the antechamber together, and we all just spoke at the same time. Then 3 separate initiations up to The Ordeal, then all at the same time again for The Ordeal and the end part where you get your name. So yeah, it took awhile.
Herman: (still stuck on the previous conversation) And then you put your hand over your mouth, and I wasn’t sure if you were trying not to barf all over the floor or what (chuckles softly as if fondly remembering something).
Joey: (to Manny) You haven’t told Dean how Herman reacted.
Herman: Shut up, Joey.
Joey: Herman screamed like a girl.
Herman: I didn’t scream like a girl (takes a swig of his drink and places it forcefully back on the bar). I screamed like a man.
Joey is about to ask Herman how exactly one screams like a man, but then he realizes he really doesn’t want to have that conversation with Herman, so he doesn’t say anything.
Next: Afterparty: Ken Joke
Chapter Guide: Secret Initiation Ceremony
TOC: Vintage Newcrest Year 2 Table of Contents






