"oh, thank you.” with barely more than a glance spared towards them before plucking the champagne glass right out of their hand, pansy might’ve been forgiven the ‘mix up’ of confusing them with one of the costumed servers if it weren’t so painfully obvious that she hadn’t tried to distinguish them from one, at all. her focus is not on hurt feelings as much as the alcohol she swirls around crystal glass, next words not an apology but instead a haughty, “how much was the bottle it came from? cheap, i presume?”
❝ PUT ON YOUR DANCING SHOES & GOOD LUCK, because you’re certainly going to need it ! merlin’s music hall reopens this weekend with an event unlike any you’ve ever seen, and with the promise of a special performance from the banshees & all money raised going to the same charity that miss celestina warbeck dedicated her final hours to helping, you won’t want to miss it ! the 24 hour danceathon will run from midnight on june 27th to midnight on june 28th, with a two galleon per head fee & the requirement to dress like our late great herself. if you don’t feel you have the stamina to win the private meeting with the banshees and large gift hamper on offer, you can still partake in the days activities by listening in on the presentation on miss warbeck’s life, bidding on an item or two in the charity auction or voting on the celestina warbeck impersonators who will make an appearance, over the day. whether you’re a tired parent looking for something to entertain your kids or someone looking for some live music to take in with a glass of cold butterbeer after work ends, there’s something for everyone at merlin’s music hall ! ❞
WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE :
it feels like only yesterday that celestina warbeck, one of the most recognizable voices on the wizarding wireless network, announced her involvement with the charity auction that was to take place on june 27th, 2020, all proceeds to be donated to werewolves in need. someone who knew someone was owed a favour, and though the banshee backups refused to join her on stage, the singing sorceress weathered the bad press that came with the controversial decision, put on her trademark beaded gown & got up on that merlin music hall stage to sing her heart out, as planned. she was almost assuredly to thank for the huge turnout and record number of galleons made, but unfortunately, she never lived to receive the large bouquet of flowers they had planned to hand her at the end of the night, or the heartfelt thanks of so many grateful parties.
walden macnair murdered celestina warbeck as she closed act one, and a small faction of death eaters brought terror down unto the music hall guests. the building itself destroyed in the chaos, the scars of that night the sort that would last a lifetime for many, walden’s death soon after would be found to be a cold comfort to many. the attack on the music hall served as a turning point, and by the end of the night, no one was left who believed that they were turning onto a better path.
a year on, merlin’s music hall has been rebuilt from the rubble. the banshees have decided to carry on celestina’s legacy after a six month break, and the same charity who helmed the original event has decided to roll back their shoulders & lift their head high to show the world they were not cowed by the terror attack, last year. in what is sure to be yet another controversial move, they are to host the first event following the official reopening of the hall.
the event begins at midnight with the start of the 24 hour danceathon, with a 2 galleon a head buy in & the promise of an audience with the banshees themselves for the winning pair ( for anyone dragged along by a partner who might be a fan, know that there’s also a large gift hamper filled with donations from several businesses along diagon alley ). celestina’s greatest hits will be played throughout, 20′s wear is mandatory, and once it gets to 6pm, the banshees themselves will take the stage & play the last leg of the danceathon live.
following an early morning presentation on celestina warbeck and her life, there’s to be a small auction at midday, a contest to find the best impersonator of celestina herself at four, and throughout the rest of the day, small events will run for children - face painting & beaded necklace crafting tables included - and adults, alike. if nothing can be found in the early hours, make sure to pop by after six for the live music & bar. security has never been tighter - with aurors assigned by the ministry & a privately hired team doing regular patrols, to boot - and guests have never been safer. in these uncertain times, it’s never been more important to show that the spirit of a united community can’t be broken - and as the banshees themselves will announce before beginning their adjusted set ... this is what celestina would have liked to be remembered for.
OUT OF CHARACTER:
celestina warbecks death, and everything that happened in the immediate aftermath of it, was what really kicked nox as we know it off. it’s onyl RIGHT that we pay homage to her, and this is the best way i could think to do it ! celestina will be remembered. merlin’s music hall will reopen and remain open for many, many more years to come. the same charity aiding werewolves in need will receive all the money raised over the course of the evening, and this year, nothing and nobody is going to slip past the teams working around the clock to ensure the safety of the guests present. walden didn’t win, and that’s what matters most.
in regards to the danceathon : this is, above all, a way to encourage you guys to plot with someone new ! characters must be costumed ( 20s vibes only ) and can only participate in pairs ! there’s probably sponsorship available to competing pairs from diagon alley businesses ( stay in for so long & get a donation in an agreed amount given by said business to the charity ), so there’s also that to play with - but mostly i just hope you guys have fun with it as is, and i can’t wait to see the pairings formed & the costumes you send to the channel !
the event starts sunday ( june 27th ) at 6:00pm gmt : click this sentence to see what that means for your timezone ! the plan is for it to run for two weeks.
you have a week to plot your pairs for the 24 hour dance marathon, and next sunday, i’ll have it all set up for us to find out who places where, and which pair will ultimately win ! placements & winners will be randomly chosen, though you can request if you want your character to tap out at a certain point.
your character is not required to attend, though i encourage everyone to get as involved as they can across the board. you do not have to post any old / current convos during the duration ( so long as everything is appropriately tagged ), and conversations specific to this should be tagged with nox.event016. the location is the reopened merlin’s music hall, but broadly, diagon alley.
if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to message the main ! please like this post once you’ve read it.
location: merlin’s musical hall
participants: hélène levesque & regulus black ( @mcrtaloncemore )
"i hope you came to win,” hélène whispered in regulus’ ear, a smile appearing across her back as she took a step back. it was rare for her to show her competitive side, but hélène thought regulus deserved to know what he’d gotten himself into. of course, she’d conveniently waited until it was much too late for either of them to find another partner. she never acted without a purpose, and she certainly wouldn’t be starting now.
𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: merlin’s music hall, diagon alley !
𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: @hannchabbctt !
"i’ve decided that i don’t care about winning, anymore.” it’s unlikely that there’s any truth to that weary proclamation, but she makes it all the same. ginny had always fancied herself fit in the literal sense, but she’s never been more aware of the biggest DOWNSIDE to playing wix sports than she is, now : she’s never been on her feet for this long, and she’s genuinely surprised to look down and find that they’re somehow, miraculously, still attached to her body. “please tell me there’s no one left on the dancefloor that you recognise,” afraid to look for herself, she leans her head against hannah’s shoulder with her eyes shut tight & prays to all the powers that be that every weasley and every schoolmate has somehow given up, “if the slytherins have quit, my pride won’t take as much of a hit when i drop dead.”
𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: merlin’s music hall, diagon alley !
𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: @chhochang !
"you look nice,” they say, breezily, popping up at cho’s side & giving her an almost appreciative glance, head to toe. they mightn’t be the sort to compete - no desire felt to join the masses in their beaded gowns or to dance around for hours until they either died of exhaustion or won meaningless trophy - but they’re there, all the same. astoria is getting ready somewhere & nazli wants to be there for moral support ... and more than that, wants to be nearby if they happen to need a LONGER break than the allotted 15 minutes, something only they can provide. “who’s the lucky partner?... or are you still waiting to be told? i’m not sure how this thing works.”
"I had an adrenaline rush. It’s very common. You can Google it."
– with @qviddiitch
“An adrenaline rush?” George repeats, raising a brow skeptically. “No way,” He shakes his head emphatically – “I’m calling bullshit. You’ve got to be using performance enhancers or something.” By this stage of the night ( or was it day again? truthfully, George had somewhat lost track ), George ( and many of the other competitors, mind you ) were moving sluggishly – alas, lo and behold, here was OLIVER WOOD, still looking fresh as a daisy, and barely phased by the hours of dancing already behind them. “I’m going to get a judge over here or something.” The threat is playful, of course, a smirk never leaving George’s face.
( 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 ) — merlin’s music hall
( 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 ) — during the danceathon
( 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 ) — @vellichvrs
( 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 ) — closed
it had been so so long since augustine last saw merry. it was a purposeful thing, a choice she made. she’d been alone in muggle london and whatever family she’d known had turned their back on her. even before then, when she still knew the bite of seraphina’s love, she barely saw merry. but now? there was a pain that followed thoughts of merry, an uncertainty that coated her throat. it was easier, she thought, to never know if merry felt the same about her as their father had.
but now, in the haze of the danceathon (long after she and her partner had tapped out, but she still hung around, clung to the sidelines), she saw merry clearly for the first time in so so long. her veins iced over and she simply stood there and studied her, took in a face that age and war had shaped in ways she barely recognized.
“what are you doing here?” and it was a stupid question, augustine knew that. in this world of wonder and miracle, she was the outlier, the person that should not be against this backdrop of glitter and starlight. “i-” her words escaped her, abandoned her. “i shouldn’t be here.” and for a moment, she felt like the lonely little girl she left behind.
"evening, ma’am,” smile shines its way through gritted teeth, and it takes niko an unusual amount of effort to stop himself from actually rolling his eyes. tonks is familiar to him in the way that most aurors are, with a shared tendency to jump to the worst assumptions when it comes to his reason for being. her appearance turns a terrible evening worse, and though he knows what to expect as he loiters, he doesn’t immediately reach for the event invite stuffed inside his inside pocket. instead, he goes straight for robotic politeness, “i’m here as a guest, if that was your concern.”
