For an instant, he was certain the music was deceiving his ears, too much Veela harp-song with too much whispering of secrets, but no, someone had clearly just asked him if he wanted to duel. He turned around, looking for some conceited Slytherin who would jump at the chance to establish their credentials. What he found was a Ravenclaw girl, perhaps a year or so older? Standing with a spindly sort of pride, chin lifted as if she wasn't quite certain whether to be proud or ashamed of having asked.

She was definitely familiar. He had caught glimpses of her in the common room but never interacted with her. He thought that made sense if she was an upper classman with older friends and all. He was pretty sure he would lose the duel against an older student but “you don’t get better at something without practice.” His dad always said.

Mikey glanced over at Avery. The rose perfume still lingered on the back of his throat. It was really starting to bother him that he could taste the smell and he wanted to jump at any excuse to leave the ballroom. He was through with the color pink. With pageantry. With being a captive houseguest in someone else's gaudy fairy tale. So, he grinned. "Yeah. Yeah, actually," he said, settling the strap of his satchel across his shoulder. "That sounds. perfect."

He moved aside to face Avery, his voice dipping just so that he could be heard between them. "You want to come with, too? Might be fun. Or at least, not this." He gestured a hand towards the sparkling chandeliered fantasy they were standing amidst. And with that, Mikey withdrew from the ruin of roses and decorum, already happy for the excuse to get out. The bar may not have been close, but it was miles closer to normal he guessed.




Mundane Action: Accepting the duel challenge from Elizabeth, inviting Avery to join, and strolling along to the bar.

Interacting with: @Elizabeth Stonewall and @Mikey Forville Mentioning: N/A Date: 08/10/25

Word Count: 284

✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽

The constant smell of roses, the music, the decorations were making Avery’s head spin. The Athanatos really did know how to mess with a mind and make them feel safe when they really weren’t. Avery couldn’t stand it. The only person keeping her from bolting out of the room and to somewhere more quiet was Mikey. She was surprised when an older girl approached them. Avery recognized her from her first year when she had unexpectedly found her and a couple other students. She recalled the girl crying about something, but couldn’t remember what. Avery was just glad that she seemed happy now. Avery was shocked when Mikey agreed to duel. He had probably just saved her from a lot of embarrassment without realizing it at the fact that she didn’t really know how a duel went or if she was strong enough to handle it. “Are you sure you want to do this? I can take your place if you ever get second thoughts.” Avery questioned him when he glanced at her. She nodded when he asked her to come too. She had to get out of this place and now was her chance. Plus she didn’t want to be separated. She still had the feeling that something bad was coming and she would need his support to get through it. As she followed him closely to the bar, her eyebrows knit together in worry, all she could think about was what could happen in that bar. A duel sounded dangerous, but maybe would make things more normal. Avery didn’t want anyone to notice that she felt off. She couldn’t risk the wrath of an Athanatos. Not after what happened to that girl.

✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽

Stats:

stamina ◦ 7 | evasion ◦ 6 | strength ◦ 7 | wisdom ◦ 7 | arcane power ◦ 6 | accuracy ◦ 7

Abilities:

’s Grace, Fearless

Mundane Action: Following Mikey into bar and chatting.

Magical Action: None

Elizabeth didn’t let anyone see that she was glad to get out of the ballroom. She had been slightly surprised and yet was expecting it when both of them agreed to a duel. At least her dad wouldn’t come after her insisting that she socialize since she already was. She didn’t tell anyone, but she had asked them about dueling because she didn’t want herself to be unprepared in the future. The incident at the ball last fall had made plenty sure of that.

Elizabeth took in a quick glance of the room and found her dad pre-occupied in conversation with, she assumed, one of his colleagues as she liked to say. Perfect, she’d slip away before he checked in on her. Swiftly turning on her heel, she continued towards the bar about two paces behind the other two, allowing them, if they so wished, to finish their conversation from a moment ago. Perhaps being with someone else was a smart thing to do in seemingly crowded places. But that wasn’t how she typically rolled, not one bit. However, she figured today wouldn’t hurt for sticking with someone for a little bit. After all, if she didn’t, she’d 1) regret it by the time school started again and 2) be dragged into a hopefully empty room and be lectured by her dad about the importance of socializing among people her own age.

Mundane Action: Entering the bar with Mikey and Avery
Magic Action: none

THE BRIDE'S FAMILY:

The Harper crew arrived at the ballroom together via portkey, with Orla's arm wrapped firmly around Saoirse's shoulders. Winnie's mother might have been a muggle, but it seemed she had all but been adopted by Orla since Winnie's birth.

Saoirse Davies would have been the mirror image of Winifred if it had not been for slight differences, such as the dash of an age line, a gentleness that softened the corners of her lips, the fact that even at 5'2" she stood a good two inches taller than her daughter, and that she had brown eyes instead of Winnie's blue. Her hair was a mass of wild copper locks she had tamed into a plait that trailed behind her like a cape. Her pale pink gown was modest but carefully chosen by her daughter to match the wedding's colour scheme.

Saoirse's gaze did not go to the food, the alluring melody of the Veelas, or the overwhelming decorations, but rather to where her daughter stood being comforted by her half-sister, Evelynn. Thoughts rose to the surface of her mind, easily picked up by anyone who possessed the gift. Ribbons in copper hair, a sweet round face she had kissed goodnight, Band-Aids over scaped knees, loose teeth and bedtime stories.

"I'm sorry. I need a moment." She announced to the group, dabbing the corner of her eyes with handkerchief embroidered with pink roses.

──────────────────────────────────────────

The rest of Winnie's muggle side of the family popped into the room soon after, and all but scattered away from the portkey with the urgency of a flock of startled birds. Orla tried to hide her amusement as she watched the muggles squirm. She had, of course, been the one who had helped them with the portkey.

Chris was first to stumble forward, practically tripping over his black dress shoes as he tried to steady himself on a nearby chair, "Right, well I hated every second of that." He patted himself down, as if examining all his limbs, "okay, so far so good. I'm intact."

Juliet was right behind him, clenching her purse against her chest as if it were the only thing keeping her safe. Her hair and outfit were intact, but she had left her dignity back at the Cathedral given how loudly she had screamed. "I can taste sound," she whispered to herself, "I taste sound!"

Oliver tumbled to his knees as if the portkey itself had rejected him. Audrey caught him in her arms as she made her entrance, her shaking hands fixing her fiery red locks. Dexter was right behind them, green in the face as he pulled his tie loose.

"I grow tired of these muggles," Aileen hissed into Orla's ear as she watched the antics with a wrinkled nose, "where's Fionnagáin's bastard child, the Evelynn girl?"

"Merlin, mother, could you say it any louder for the people in the back?" Orla said quickly, trying to stop her mother before she made a fool of herself in front of the entire party. "She's with Winnie, mother, try not to interrupt the two of them, I can introduce you to her later."

"Nonsense, you have kept her from me for seventeen years, let me meet the damn girl already and see how your son has slandered our family name once more by breeding with a muggle—"

"For the love of God, mother, stop." Orla interrupted, reaching up to massage her temple and try to chase away the tension headache that had been building.

──────────────────────────────────────────

Fergus had somehow already found a chair to plant himself in towards the corner of the ballroom, like a forgotten antique. His hat sat crooked on his head, causing a dramatic shadow over one brow. He didn't say anything when Saoirse sat down next to him, just squinted at one of the passing house elves carrying a tray of appetizers before waving it away.

"Don't trust any food that breathes," Fergus said to no one in particular, "Last time I ate a tart that moved I was in St. Mungo's for three days thinking I was a fecking haddock."

Saoirse let out a weak chuckle, her hands clenching her handkerchief. Fergus reached into his pocket and withdrew a silver flask.

"Dad, those things weren't moving. Did you take your meds today?" Sean grunted, finally catching sight of him from across the room and moving in to take a seat next to him.

"I took my meds. I just happened to chase them with a wee bit of fire whiskey." Fergus scowled as he eyed the decor. "It's too pink in here," he said, finding anything to complain about at this point, like an old man yelling at a cloud, "looks like someone murdered a cupid and strung up its entrails. And what the hell is that music? Am I being seduced by a ghost?"

Sean quirked a brow before staring up at the garlands and decorations. Maybe his father had a point. "Hey Da, maybe try to keep some of those thoughts in your head—dear Merlin is that a flask? Who the hell gave you alcohol?"

Fergus didn't answer his son, he just popped open the flask and took a swig. "Pink everywhere. I fought in two wars for this?"

"Can you at least try to pretend to enjoy yourself for Winnie's sake?" Sean asked, setting a hand on his father's arm.

"I am enjoying myself. I'm sitting on my arse, drinking, and I haven't hexed anyone yet. This is peek enjoyment for a man of my vintage," Fergus quipped.

Notes:
— The hidden text can be 'overheard' by characters with mind-reading abilities or wands.
— If you wish to interact with one of these NPCs please tag Winnie Athanatos, but keep in mind basic rules for dNPCs will apply. Their responses will not be as elaborate as Event NPCs.

TAGS: @Evelynn Decipio

Interacting: @Evelynn Decipio | @Nabi Park

Outfit: ✿

Mentioning: @

English | Irish | Internal thoughts

Her world felt like it was spinning out of control, caught in a glittering whirlwind of music and mumbled congratulations. She was just along for the ride. Until there was a touch. Grounding. Loving. Evelynn.

She leaned into the touch, exhaling slowly as if she had finally been granted the ability to breathe. She wanted to melt in her embrace and run away from the entire party. Why had Mathias left her alone? "W-What?" Was Winnie's first reaction to Evelynn's comment. She knew that Mathias had picked her for a reason. A flash of a memory that Evelynn (if her writer would like) could pick up on. The cold dungeon at Hogwarts. She and Mathias were pressed close, breathless from kissing between arguing.

Reducio

She knew the family had published the article. It hadn’t been the wizarding world celebrating, it was his family dangling how ‘progressive’ they were in everyone’s faces. Meanwhile, Matt had not been given the family name, had wanted to get into his family’s good graces. He could have picked a nice pureblood girl or a seer. Instead, he had picked her. It didn’t add up, unless the mixed blood relationship was something their family needed. “Mattie, were you drawn to me because of my strength or because you needed a muggleborn and I was an easy target? You filled the empty spaces, used my loneliness against me; you made me believe I was important to you."

"Both." Matt had told her, “You think I chose you because you were an easy target?” His voice hardened, each word laced with restrained intensity. "That it was what, odds in the favor of others that drew me to you?"

“Do you think anyone in my position would risk the scrutiny, the whispers, the judgment of my family for someone who didn’t matter? You’re not a pawn, Winnie. You’re a piece of the foundation I’m building. Without you, the house I desire falls.”

When Evelynn used the word 'matriarch' she felt her stomach drop. Oh God, oh Merlin... She hadn't even thought about that. If Mathias was the heir... Would that mean she would eventually have to step up with him as the head of the family?

"I'm not strong like you, Evie..." She felt dizzy just thinking about it. But before she could spin into another panic attack, Evelynn was soothing her with words. Her sister always knew just what to say.

“Your pink gowns are your armor. Your innocent smiles…” A breathless laugh escaped her lips.

The Ravenclaw was only broken away from her sister's speech when she heard the soft voice of Nabi Park. They had shared a cabin during the Valentines event, but had not spoken much.

"Thank you." She said, accepting the gift she offered her. She looked confused when Nabi called her 'Mrs. Athanatos' and almost asked if she had seen Mathias' step-mother, but realization hit her as she tried not to gawk at the title. She straightened her posture, as if trying to look the part.

"Oh, um... We met once before. At the Valentine's event, we had a cabin together. We didn't get much of a chance to talk." The boys had caused too much of a ruckus with their pranks... Namely Matthew and Gideon.

Her eyes fell to the offered gift. It was wrapped in pink and almost blended in to the ballroom. Winnie accepted the box and with pink painted fingers she carefully removed the lid. Her eyes lit up when she saw the jade carving, "oh! It's beautiful. One of my family crests have a dog on it just like this!" She held the carving to her chest, smiling as she reached out to squeeze Nabi's hand.

A hint of a genuine smile would appear on her face as she observed how the bride's mind seemed to have come to a realization, did you hope it was all a dream? Or a nightmare? The correction in posture was undeniable as Nabi remembered her time in etiquette class during her earlier years, I suppose you must present yourself as a proper Athanatos now.

"Yes, we had crossed paths during our time in the Beauxbaton's cabin... though our introductions had been... interrupted by some rather childish actions." Nabi gave her a nod in agreement, her gaze momentarily returning to its cold nature before flawlessly switching back. "Boys. They never seem to grow up."

One of particularly short stature would come to mind.

Another atrociously covered in a thick layer of mayonnaise.

She watched as Winnie inspected the gift, her hands settling down at her sides. A mild twitch of her fingers untensed slightly as soon as the box's lid was lifted. Nabi did not know what to expect; her mother had not told her of its contents, nor did she inquire. I suppose it is a necklace... Her eyes narrowed, observing how Winnie's eyes lit up. That was until the bride spoke, a dog? She was about to speak when the Lady Athanatos moved at an almost alarming rate.

What is she-

Nabi's posture was perfectly stiff, her eyebrow raised slightly as the young Lady Athanatos caught her off guard. Her cold hand was grabbed by the bride, who held the gifted Jade to her chest as if it were the answer to some unspoken prayer. Nabi knew her mother enough to know she would never give a dog as a carved jade; a dog can easily be put down. Her gaze flickered quickly to the jade before looking back at the bride, oh my naive lady...

It was not a dog.

But Nabi would let her believe it were, "How fitting the gift is then...", a wolf for a lamb, "the Park Manor is glad you have found the gift to your liking, Mrs. Athanatos." Her smile perfectly done, as she calmly withdrew her hand from the bride's grasp. "I am sure it will bring you protection." A skin to use as a disguise.

Her eyes moved onto the pink-adorned girl she assumed to be one of the bridesmaids, "I do apologize if I had interrupted something...", Two lambs? Nabi would not let the girl fade into the background; she was not taught to be mannerless, "Hello, Miss... You look lovely in the dress, I assume you are one of the bridesmaids?"

@Aly Salinger | Dress

Freshly sleeveless and a little more composed, Dee was one of the last people to step out of the green flames into the ballroom at the reception. She'd asked Aly to come with her while she'd picked up her purse - the sheath bridesmaid dress really offered no room to bring anything, and apart from the wand she was never leaving anywhere and had, for lack of better options, stuck down the neckline of said dress, Dee had some necessities she just couldn't do without. (Potions. They were potions.)

What Dee hadn't said but Aly had likely figured out anyway was that she wanted a few moments away from the chaos, to regroup and strategise (and figure out what in Merlin's name was going on). For a moment, right before she stepped into the floo fire, Dee thought about how insane this all was. It was her friends' wedding - it should be a happy celebration, she should be looking forward to dancing with her friends, getting drunk, and celebrating Winnie, not making plans on how to keep Winnie's new brother-in-law from possibly killing the bride. Nothing was normal about this wedding.

So Aly and Dee arrived at Augurey Cloister with a few minutes delay - not enough to be noticed, likely, but enough that the ballroom was milling with guests and the party had spread out over the vast area. Really, this event was insane, but she supposed that was the Athanatos family for you. They probably believed that anything reasonable or moderate would besmirch their family name or something. (Speculation, Dee didn't know the first thing about most of them.) Dee still couldn't believe that Winnie was one of them now. (No, not one of them, a small voice inside her whispered. Their property, more like. Winnie's wedding vows still echoed in her brain.)

The smile on Dee's face was as bland as it was fake as she scanned the crowd for familiar faces. She spotted Eve's red hair in a cluster of ginger that must be Winnie's family, next to the bride herself, that was good. She pointed the group out to Aly, then said, "I'll get us drinks and take a look around. Anything you want?" Which was, of course, just code for Let me find Gideon and make sure he's not plotting to poison Winnie.

There was a secondary reason for her turning away and making her way through the ballroom towards where she suspected she might find the promised drinks. Quick fingers undid the clasp of her purse, and a glance revealed the five phials safely stowed inside - not much, but an emergency cache of sorts. She selected one of them, small enough to be mostly conceiled in the palm of her hand, and thumbed it open. It didn't hurt to make sure that luck was on her side, after all.

Arriving from the cathedral with @Aly Salinger

Magical Action | Drinking Felix Felicis (attempt at conceiling this if possible).
Mundane Action | Keeping an eye and ear out for Gideon

Sta 7 | Eva 16 | Str 4 | Wis 18 | Arc 10 | Acc 22
Evasive Maneuvers | Charmer | Perfectionist I + II | Spell Spread | Restricted Potions | Apparition

Inventory | Wand, 2 x Felix Felicis (1 used), 1 x Moonseed Poison, 1 x Antidote to Uncommon Poisons, 1 x Blood Replenishing Potion

Please note: Entry is closed off to new members. Members have had weeks to join in on this adventure.

There are also 3 KO'd house elves.

Keen eyes always look for what has been missed. How Jacob knew where to look, well... chalk it up to luck, intuition, or that annoyingly accurate gut of his. The kind of instinct that ruins surprises and unmasks secrets no one meant to share. It was not as if he was the only one that had sharp eyes, he was just the only one that was looking, the only one that had noticed.

Keen Eye:
Jacob Harmon - 7 Success
Nabi Park - 94 Failed
Evelynn Decipio - 81 Failed

Something was wrong. That much many of the guests already knew. The wedding ceremony was creepy. There were more questions than answers. Many things were wrong. But the mind can only juggle so much chaos, and Jacob, for all his sharpness, had to choose a starting point. His choice? The house elves. Donning pink suits and professional expressions, they were an easily overlooked facet of the service.

But there was something off about them. Perhaps it was the way they moved: skittish, twitchy, like shadows waiting for thunder. Their eyes kept flicking to the windows with a frequency that would shame a daydreamer. They placed hors d'oeuvres with an unsettling precision, their tiny hands shaking ever so slightly as they poured drinks and executed textbook hospitality. But there was an edge to it. It was not their normal fear and subservience. Elves knew how to appear small, humble. How to service. But there were among these house elves a few overachievers that has even began insisting on appetizers, pressing trays with the same energy as someone handing out flyers for a cult. Not everyone accepted. Not everyone escaped. But from what, well that was still up for speculation. Perhaps it was just empty calories and making certain that their new mistress was the fairest of them all.



From the kitchen the groom, Mathias Athanatos (yes, yes, the name will change, he insists, please be patient with his branding crisis) emerged. He stepped into the ballroom wielding meaty skewers like offerings from some smoky, carnivorous altar. Nearby, his new bride, Winnie Athanatos (a woman who changed her name with suspicious eagerness), floated among the guests in that eerie grace only the newly doomed possessed. Her smile was a little too bright. Her laughter, sometimes genuine but at times forced, brittle. The reality of what she’d done was starting to settle in, like dust on glass. Was she happy? Scared? Blessed? Remorseful? All of the above?

Winnie had gone from a commoner to the nearest thing to royalty in the wizarding world in a single day. Her friends, the bridal party, were nearby, there to support her. To protect her. To serve as witnesses at some grand jury when they give their account of her last days seen...



Just not yet. Chaos knocked. Literally.

The door, already ajar with Erin standing in the doorway. The door was flung open with the subtlety of a battering ram. A half-giant stormed in, his entrance launching poor Erin Ryan, renowned former Slytherin beater, backwards into the room like a rag doll. The door frame exploded into splinters, showering the guests in what could only be described as festive kindling.

And there he stood. Massive. Hulking. Unapologetically under-dressed. A faded olive T-shirt stretched across his chest, paired with Levi’s that had definitely seen better days. On his feet—brown, steel-toed muggle work boots, the kind worn by people who lifted things heavier than their regrets. He was not on the guest list.



The veela singers, a trio of hauntingly beautiful women whose harmonies had floated like perfume over the gathering, exchanged the briefest of glances when the disaster started. That was all. No signal. No bow. No announcement. Just the soft rustle of silks and bare feet as they slipped away from the stage like a trio of shadows peeling off from a dream. One by one, they vanished through the newly extinguished fireplace, snuffed out only moments ago, as if in anticipation. This would lead them to the reading room. They uttered not a word, not a sound. Only the scent of ash and something vaguely floral lingering in their wake.

And just like that, the music was gone.

The air in the ballroom was suddenly heavier.

As for the half-giant, he was not a household name in most polite wizarding circles. But in certain corners of the magical world, the ones where revolution is whispered like prayer, Brock was known. Not idolized. Not feared. But understood. He moved in the orbit of SCAR, but his specific purpose was unknown. He wasn’t their poster boy, but he was a blade in their arsenal. And blades don’t need introductions.

He stepped further into the ballroom, the marble floor somehow groaning beneath his boots. Dark eyes swept across the crowd, measuring, calculating, daring anyone to stop him. They could try and then probably die. He was not here for any of them.

Then he saw him. Thaddeus Athanatos, the patriarch. The ghost behind a dozen rumors. Sitting at the bar with a drink in hand, too far from the exit and far too close to trouble. The half-giant's mouth curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile.

“Never thought I’d see the day you went in-person to a public event,” he said, his voice a low rasp, cut with gravel and contempt. “Risky at your old age.” It wasn’t a greeting. It was a provocation.

Evelynn & Mathias wand: You both hear a thought run through this man's head. Make it look good.

The blast from the strange woman outside caused the window would explode inward. Shards of glass shrapnel would rain down on the guests. Some might try to take cover.

Roll for evasion (DC 25)
Dealla Prince - 10 (+16 evasion + 1 felix) 26 PASS
Nabi Park - 13 (+6 evasion) 19 FAILED
Nabi is bleeding (level 1) - 50 damage per round until healed of bleed effect.
Nabi has taken 200 damage
Winnie Athanatos - 20 (+14 evasion) 34 Critical Success
Taylor Athanatos - 15 (+10 evasion) PASS
Mathias Pride - 9 (+16 evasion) PASS
Ava Winchet - 11 (+10 evasion) 21 FAILED
Ava is bleeding (level 1) - 50 damage per round until healed of bleed effect.
Ava has taken 200 damage
Dylan Astor - 3 (+6 evasion) 9 FAILED
Dylan is bleeding (level 1) - 50 damage per round until healed of bleed effect.
Dylan has taken 200 damage
Erin Ryan - 11 (+16 evasion) 27 PASS
Jacob Harmon - 16 (+12 evasion) 28 PASS
Evelynn Decipio - 13 (+17 evasion) 30 PASS
Sayaka Ito - 2 (+8 evasion) 10 FAILED
Sayaka is bleeding (level 1) - 50 damage per round until healed of bleed effect.
Sayaka has taken 200 damage
Elizabeth Stonewall - in bar, avoided automatically
Avery Gray - in bar, avoided automatically
Mikey Forville - in bar, avoided automatically
Jacob Harmon - in bar, avoided automatically
Gideon Athanatos - in bar, avoided automatically
Finnegan Conner - outside, avoided automatically
Thaddeus Athanatos - in bar, avoided automatically
Aamon Athanatos - outside, avoided automatically
Howard White - in sitting area, avoided automatically
Harlan Montgomery - in reading area, avoided automatically
Vladimir Athanatos - in sitting area, avoided automatically
Jürgen Hess - in patio, avoided automatically
Opeila Winters - in private room, avoided automatically
Cassius Eden - in private room, avoided automatically
Orion Lécuyer - in bar, avoided automatically

The blast came from the street.

A crack of magic, followed by the window erupting inward like a punched lung. Shards of glass turned to shrapnel, slicing through the air in glinting arcs. Panic followed, belated and clumsy as screams rang out and bodies scrambled for cover in ballgowns and tailored robes, suddenly far less concerned with appearances.

Those quick enough dove. Others bled.

Dealla Prince, fortunately, had the advantage of good instincts and liquid luck. The Felix Felicis warming in her veins whispered exactly where not to be. Without hesitation, she dropped behind a table, the glass raining harmlessly against its polished surface like a cruel applause. She had a bad feeling and this blast was the unexpected opening act. Something was going down, and anyone paying attention could see the storm rolling in.

The bridal party, bless their overly dramatized lives, were prepared, but perhaps for the wrong kind of danger. Their eyes had been glued to Gideon Athanatos, who was presently too absorbed in some richly personal spiral to pose any real threat. Tragic, really. But their readiness served them all the same.

Evelynn Decipio, sharp as broken glass herself, moved the second she saw Dealla drop. She dove under another table with a grace only years of paranoia could train. No hesitation. No regret, only safety.

The real tragedy? Their dresses... their gaudy, over-designed atrocities in hues no one should wear unironically—remained completely untouched.



Winnie Athanatos, radiant in a way only a prepared bride can be, didn’t flinch. No—she flipped. A blur of ivory, pink and glitter, she somersaulted backward over a table with the poise of an Olympic gymnast and the dead-eyed focus of a soldier. She landed in heels like it was part of the choreography, her wand already in hand. There was nothing blush-worthy about her anymore. She was ready. And this was war.

Taylor Athanatos was... not. She emerged from the bathroom just as the world was starting to shatter. Hair tousled, dress wrinkled, face pale. Taylor looked like she’d fought a duel with nausea and barely survived. Her fingers clutched the door frame for balance, her eyes landing on the window just in time to catch the gleam of a wand on the street below. There was no time to think. Just instinct. She ducked. The blast hit milliseconds later, a spray of jagged glass cutting into the guests beyond the threshold. It sang through the air like a choir of razors. Behind the safety of the door, Taylor’s breath came fast. Shaking. But she was still standing. Still here.

Keen Eye
Nabi Park 81 Fail
Evelynn Decipio 7 Pass
Jacob Harmon 72 Fail

Eve might notice that a few of the house elves had already disappeared from view. Tucked behind pillars, scurrying into the kitchens, or vanishing behind unsuspecting guests mere moments before the glass shattered. (Reminder: Eve saw this. You didn’t. Please don’t act like your character is omniscient.)

Nabi Park wasn’t so lucky. Perhaps her back was to the window when everything went down; her focus on exchanging pleasantries with the newly-minted Lady Athanatos. She wouldn’t have seen it coming... the crack of shattering glass, a breathless beat of silence, then a brutal spray of shards. Several embedded themselves deep into her back, others tore clean through the delicate fabric of her dress. Pain arrived like winter: sharp, sudden, and without explanation.

Ava Winchet suffered much the same fate. She had been waiting for someone, someone who had not yet arrived. Her attention lingered on the crowd, scanning the ballroom for a familiar face that never appeared. She wasn’t watching the hearth. Not really. Not when it mattered. And so, when the window burst inward, the explosion of sound and pain overtook her before she had time to flinch. Her friend wasn’t coming. Not because Ava was early, or late, or because she said the wrong thing, but because some stories end before they begin. The hearth behind her, once alive with a green flame, flickered dark and cold. The fireplace has been extinguished.

Keen Eye
Nabi Park 66 Failed
Evelynn Decipio 29 Failed
Jacob Harmon 96 Failed

No one saw the cause.

Mathias Pride didn’t need a vision or prophetic dream to sense catastrophe approaching. Meat skewers in hand, prized, blistered, and beautifully seasoned, Pride dropped to the floor like a man possessed. Not with fear. With purpose!

Did the meat survive? Roll (1). YES!

Somehow, impossibly, Matt protected both his person and his snack. The real MVP of the wedding. Not all heroes wear capes. Some wield sticks of sizzling protein and indomitable instinct.

His cousin, Erin Ryan, was not so charmed. The part giant sent her stumbling inward, the air knocked from her lungs in a gasp. She hit the floor hard, disoriented but alive. Head spinning, she saw the woman raise the wand and she scrambled to the partial wall beneath the soon to be shattered window which shielded her from the brunt of the spell that followed, sparing her life but not her pride. She would be able to crawl away, bruised and breathless, that was what mattered truly. There would be blood later, just not hers. Not today.

Jacob Harmon, meanwhile, was deeply invested in not thinking about certain events from several years ago. You know the ones. He was fine. Totally fine. So fine, in fact, that he was very aware of his surroundings and August's presence, not that he mattered while dancing with his girlfriend, while absolutely not watching the entrance. No trauma here, just twirls and limited eye contact. He was able to avoid the blast, as for his NPC girlfriend, well... he will tell us how she fared. Hopefully the narrator did not kill them on their first public outing.

The house elves were not so lucky.

Several were caught in the blast, small bodies flung, aprons soaked red, high-pitched screams punctuating the chaos. They were small and fragile. Some of the elves had been standing too close. Others had lingered too long. A few, still working behind the bar or hidden deep in the kitchen, were spared, by distance, by luck, or perhaps by design.

Note 1: Feel free to claim any dNPC family is injured in this attack. This is only broken glass so it would not be enough to KO or kill anyone, but it could cause Harmon, distress and fear.

Note 2: Those with Keen Eyes, tried to make sure all of you had a chance to shine. Since this works more as a passive skill and Harmon used it as a full action, I am rolling for a second possible opportunity for him to see something. Others, if you hit once, then you're done for the round.

Note 3: The hearth has been extinguished, so has the Cloister's link to the floor network. Additional guests are not expected. The Ministry (except August) will not come to save you.

@Aly Salinger | @Evelynn Decipio | @Winnie Harper | @Erin Ryan | Dress

Felix Felicis was, as always, a rush. Confidence was Dee's natural state, but Felix gave her something else; certainty, perhaps. Faith. Obscure knowledge, somehow, more than instincts.

It led her to glance over to the door, just a moment before it was blasted open, reduced to tiny splinters, the force of it throwing a girl an impressive distance and leaving her rag-dolled on the floor. Frowning, Dee stepped forward. She didn't know who this guy was - likely a part-giant, judging from his massive stature - but he was certainly not invited. She shivered, had it been this quiet earlier? It didn't stay silent for long.

Felix nudged her into motion again. She knew something was coming, knew she had to move, even while the newcomer uttered what was clearly a threat - to Winnie's new father-in-law. A step to the side, drop behind that table, split seconds before the windows shattered inward. Not everyone was as, well, lucky.

Screams echoed as the sound of glass shards raining down died out, and Dee stuck her head out behind the table to survey the damage. Broken glass glittered everywhere, and some people had clearly not been as fast to react as Dee had. Whimpering and bleeding cuts, the explosion had taken its toll, although no one seemed mortally wounded yet. Her eyes scanned the room for her friends first, Winnie and Eve and Aly, and was relieved to see Eve next to Winnie. She'd take care of their friend, which meant Dee didn't have to worry, and could focus on the other questions at hand:

What had caused the explosion,

who was the wedding crasher,

and were the two connected? (Likely, yes.)

Internally cursing her heels, Dee slipped her wand from her dress and slid across the table. A few steps carried her to where the blonde girl had landed after being thrown into the room, perhaps she'd know what was going on outside? She'd hold out a hand to help her up, only recognising who this was with some delay; she'd never had much reason to notice or interact with @Erin Ryan, apart from an unfortunate game of Spin the Bottle a few years ago. "Are you okay?" she asked, even while she turned towards the part-giant. "You don't happen to know who this is?"

Either way, said part-giant was clearly the aggressor, and Dee wasn't going to wait around for this to escalate further. Trusting her friends to have her back while she looked forward, she called "I don't think you were invited!" Part-giants were notoriously difficult to restrain, immune to most forms of paralysis or stunning, so Dee fell back on a spell that should pull the rug out from under his feet - or his feet out from under him. "Levicorpus."

Magical Action | Casting Levicorpus at the Part-Giant
Mundane Action | Offering Erin a hand up

Sta 7 | Eva 16 | Str 4 | Wis 18 | Arc 10 | Acc 22
Evasive Maneuvers | Charmer | Perfectionist I + II | Spell Spread | Restricted Potions | Apparition

Inventory | Wand, 2 x Felix Felicis (1 used), 1 x Moonseed Poison, 1 x Antidote to Uncommon Poisons, 1 x Blood Replenishing Potion