“ have a sniff of this , will you ? ” phoebe doesn’t bother with niceties before a glass of something heinously hot - pink & smoking is thrust underneath a veritable stranger’s nose ! “ there’s somethin’ in it , & i’m dead sure it’s 𝐍𝐎𝐓 a love potion . smells fucking rank , honestly . ” another wave wafts with the breeze , & the scrunch of her nose is entirely warranted . “ shouldn’t valentine’s day drinks smell like 𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚜 or something ? this smells like minty shit . ”
❝ LOVE IS IN THE AIR THIS WEEK and if you haven’t managed to score an invite to the event of the year ( their words, not mine ), you’re in luck ! the celebration of the flint & parkinson engagement is only one of a number of valentine’s day events being held around the country this coming monday, and amortentia on diagon alley has pulled together what just might be the most impressive one of all ! the two galleon entry fee comes with a complimentary cocktail ( as stock lasts ) and access to every single one of the individually themed rooms, where we’re told they’ve really gone all out this season. the real treat comes to those who choose to sign up for their ‘date night’ arrangement, as the rooftop terrace has been transformed into a perfect replica of the most romantic candlelit restaurant. don’t let the impending nuptials of the slytherin it-couple get you down - get out there this monday and find yourself true love ! ❞
WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE :
EASTWELL ESTATE, LONDON : the eastwell estate is a large georgian mansion sitting on about twenty acres of well tended land just outside of the city - once the home of ulick gamp ( the very FIRST minister of magic ), it’s become a popular venue choice for the upper echelon of british wix society and being able to hire it for even a day is considered a huge show of status and, of course, wealth. the waiting list is pretty long, and neither family would have been able to finesse even the smallest of the function rooms if it hadn’t been for an opportune cancellation and a swift but carefully calculated bribe that guaranteed the use of the main ballroom and terrace, as well as a few bedrooms for family & friends to stay overnihgt. marcus and pansy mightn’t be enjoying their betrothal quite as much as one might hope they would be, but their parents have done everything in their power - and then some, to be frank - to ensure that their engagement party not only goes off without a hitch, but also that there’s something for all of their curated guestlist to appreciate ( even if that just happens to be the copious amounts of alcohol available at the open bar ).
the early afternoon is planned to be the stuffy sort of event befitting of the neoclassical space - all polished marble and gold gild - complete with servers offering the fanciest of finger foods, spindly tables to gather around and enjoy a glass of chilled champagne & a small string orchestra chosen specially by marcus’ mother. first and foremost, this portion of the engagement party is intended to parade the happy couple around in front of their rich & important frineds, not much care given to whether either particularly wants to be shown off. the table at the door where partygoers can set down any presents ( and sign the leatherbound guestbook ) is certainly some kind of compensation for playing along, though both have pansy’s stepmother to thank for the REAL gift that comes, much later. as the older crowd heads home and night starts to set in, a ‘hip’ cover band is set to take over from the orchestra and inspire a very sudden shift in the overall atmosphere. the champagne fountain and the ice sculpture in the shape of a snake - their house emblem, of course - mightn’t seem at home at the heart of what will quickly devolve into a more carefree dancefloor, but there was only so much that vana could do on short notice.
AMORTENTIA, DIAGON ALLEY : amortentia’s horny little devils party ( no dress code enforced at the door, though all the servers on the main floor are dressed in red instead of the trademark bubblegum pink, their ensemble completed with a set of red horns ) has been in planning since halloween past, when the ministry issued safety guidelines forced all the night life along diagon alley to close by eleven on what should have been one of their busiest nights of the year. as such, no expense has been spared for this triumphant return to the party hall of fame. those willing to pay the two galleon entry fee will be given a free cocktail on the door and a complimentary bracelet made of inexpensive ribbon and charmed to change color depending on each characters desire, for the evening - red for taken ( or not interested in the dating scene, tonight ), yellow for casual & green for for anyone happy to go entirely with the flow. the latter might - or might not ! - make up the numbers of the rooftop dating event, which anyone can sign up for before the 8pm deadline, as long as they’re willing to put aside an hour or two for the subsequent dates arranged on scene.
every individual themed room is, as always, decked out to the nines ( with the only one unchanged for the ocassion being the aptly named love room, everything just as pink as always, the same small amounts of their namesake potion added to hidden vaporisers in the walls ). you might stumble on a scene from a popular romantic comedy - one server swears there’s a room with access to paints to mimic the iconic 10 things i hate about you scene, while a loud partygoer insists they took a wrong turn on the way to the bathroom and found a snow covered set that looked like it had been pulled straight from love actually. you’ll find servers dressed as cupid in one heavenly inspired room ( real clouds floating all around the space ) and a very confused set of bartenders dressed like vampires in one snug private bar that have been instructed to tell anyone who buys their drink from them that ‘love bites’, whatever that means. of course there are themed drinks, but there’s also a kissing booth on one level and heart shaped bubbles floating throughout the entire building. amortentia has leaned entirely into the valentine’s day brand, and wouldn’t have it any other way.
ELSEWHERE : the poison apple nightclub on knockturn alley is hosting their own valentine’s day event, with rumors circulating that they’re now fully leaning into the controversy still surrounding them following halloween 2020. back then, they called it an accident when a number of unusual potions were mixed with their signature drinks, causing different symptoms in each unsuspecting partygoer - this year, in contrast, they seem almost proud of the whispers that love potions have been snuck into some of their signature cocktails ( don’t worry, though - none of them actually have any in them ). the quibbler is once again doing their valentine’s day special, promising for the second year in a row to organise blind dates for anyone who sends the form enclosed in their most recent issue back to them by owl ahead of february 14th. flavia scrimgeour is hosting a valentine’s themed dinner at her home for the people who have already invested galleons into her campaign, with a daily prophet photographer ( chosen specially by the ministry hopeful ) sat moodily in the corner of the room to snap pictures for the next issue of the paper, mad they’re missing out on the events around britain.
OUT OF CHARACTER:
it wouldn’t really be february without the acknowledgement of valentine’s day, and what better way to do that than to have our very first double event of the new year ( they’re the nox brand, after all ) ! the celebration of marcus flint iii & pansy parkinson’s engagement is expected to be the event of the year and intended only to be second to the wedding itself - both sets of parents have pulled out all the stops to ensure that they’re the talk of the town ( in the best of ways, preferably ), though they’re still purebloods. only so many invites are issued, and not everyone is fond enough of the two ‘lovebirds’ to bother actually showing up, which led, fairly naturally, to the other half of this event being an entirely different vibe at everyone’s favorite diagon alley hotspot, amortentia !
the valentine’s day event being thrown at amortentia comes with its own side quest, as it were: one way or another, there’ll be randomised dates for you to sign characters up for with the hope that it’ll once again foster more dynamics for characters that maybe wouldn’t interact that much, if not for this. the option to sign up will be posted in the discord, but i’ll also give you guys the chance to decide what way you’d like to do it - i have a couple of ideas, but i always like to see what the vast majority would prefer before i decide on anything that feels a little like a task ! please keep in mind that by signing up there’ll be a certain expectation to do the thread. of course life happens, and i’m sure we all understand that, but it’s all about being inclusive and trying to have some valentine’s fun, so it’s definitely important to at least try when it comes to this portion of the event as a whole !
the events will begin on tuesday the 15th of february at 6pm gmt - you can click this link to find out what that translates to for your timezone - and will end two weeks after !
no character is required to attend either event ( nor are you required to take part at all ! ), and though i do encourage you to throw yourself in to one or the other - or both, if you so choose - please also be mindful of which one makes the most amount of sense for your characters ! we knew going into this that half of the valentine’s day bonanza would be a specific sort of closed door event, and though there are plenty of options ( getting brought as a date, for one, or just... flatout crashing- ) there is no shame in the amortentia party !
since you guys voted fair & square for this event to take place across both discord and the dash, i’m going to honor that & place no obligation on any of you to pause any threads currently going. please just make sure you keep all threads to the correct categories on the discord and tag appropriately to differentiate, on the dash.
event related starters ( including private ones ) can be tagged with nox.event023 if posted to the dash, though you should also use nox.amortentia or nox.engagement to further clarify which one your post is based at ! the club is located on diagon alley and the engagement party on the fictional eastwell estate ( think of it like any rich-in-history manor or mansion hired out for engagements and weddings and things ), for anyone who tags location.
if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to send them to the main ! please reply to this post with your favorite love song once you’ve read it !
“do you want the rest of my drink?” it was the sort of thing that adora didn’t quite sort into the odd thing to ask category, at least not yet. when she was younger, left-over food was not a thing to be wasted. if she couldn’t finish, someone else always could. waste came with a sort of guilt she tried not to think, the kind that made her want to beg luca for absolution to get rid of it. “it’s too sweet. and the strawberry flavor is fake.”
LOCATION: amortentia, diagon alley !
STATUS: closed for @endeavorisms
Uninterested in rehashing old times at school, Greg made his appearance at the engagement party, took advantage of the open bar as much as he could, and promptly left without a proper goodbye, instead excusing himself to the toilets and finding himself out. It’s not like he could pretend to be happy for Flint or Pansy when they were making the biggest mistakes of their lives. Or was he jealous? Greg mulls the thought over a drink at one of the bars in Amortentia, chin resting in one of his palms while he cradled a drink in the other. For Salazar’s sake, he should’ve just went to the Poison Apple, the slew of red hearts and valentine festivities making him gag. He’s just about to get up and leave, but freezes at the sight of Otto. “Wouldn’t have expected to see you here,” Confusion is written on his face and he tries to keep himself from slurring as he approaches, “You didn’t sign up for that blind date shit, did you?” He’s not trying to scold her, but it sounds like it. Maybe he was jealous. Not that he would ever admit it anyway. “Y’know that kinda stuff never works out, right?”
“All I’m saying is that only virgins use a love potion.” Absolutely nobody asked, yet it didn’t occur to Alexander that others might not feel the same. Normally, he hates being so open and loud in public - but a stay at the bar made his mind forget that personality trait. “If you can’t get anyone on your own and you have to use a potion, it’s pathetic.”
“adora ? adora !” she’s just one of many pushing their way through the amortentia crowds in search of someone else, a growing note of desperation to every fresh shout of her siblings name. they were the only one missing from the quick count she had done after the harsh flourescent lights had thrown on, the only one she hadn’t found in the midst of the crowds that had come to a befuddled standstill or hiding out in the corner of one of the mirrored rooms - they were also the only one that luca felt overly justified in her worry about, these days, and though she’s aware they’re an adult and sure they couldn’t have gotten into too much trouble in a locked down building, logical thoughts cannot ease her panic. at the bottom of a flight of stairs she almost runs straight into a fellow patron, now as good a time as any for the escalation of her search. “have you seen my sister ? she looks like me, but she’s way shorter - she was wearing a looks a lot like me, but she’s way shorter - she was wearing a yellow sweater, i told her it wasn’t right for the club, but she liked it - i can’t find her.”
"did you hear what the aurors are saying ?” in a move she might’ve learned from niko karkaroff himself, ginny materialises at percy’s side as if from nowhere, keeping her voice at a low whisper. she doesn’t see any need to make a scene of their reunion - she had caught a glimpse of his familiar mop of weasley hair as she had taken the stairs up to the bathrooms two at a time and figured he wouldn’t have had time to leave the building before the aurors had locked the place down. she’s more interested in sharing the news, no matter how bitter it tastes on her tongue, “flavia scrimgeour is dead. her campaign dinner was attacked - that’s why they’re shutting the building down."
location: amortentia’s horny little devils party
status: closed for @ofkatiesbell
“I should’ve known I’d find you here.” Elodie calls over the music, leaning a hip against Katie’s table and giving her a wave. For all of whatever might have previously happened between them, there’s no discomfort in the witch’s voice as she speaks, even the faintest hints of a smile playing at the corners of her lips. “They let you off work for the night?”
