Octavius believed hiring someone to organise an event for him meant they would actually organise an event for him. Unfortunately, that notion proved to be a false one when the organiser left him high and dry in the middle of the month, but Octavius persevered. With the help of himself, Mira, occasionally Lottie Sweeting, and an army of lackeys, the night of the masquerade had come together as beautifully as possible.

Lottie had, for once, actually done her job, and at either entrance of the grand foyer were attendants handing out beautifully crafted half-masks to party-goers, and collecting them as people left. The ballroom was majestic and shimmering, the music was softly thrumming, the drinks were pouring, and the mood was infectious. All in all, Octavius thought, it was a satisfactory night to end a rather satisfactory year. After the chaos and excitement that had chased him all throughout 1983, he was rather happy to have had a (comparably) quiet year.

"Can you make sure Miss Warbeck is ready to begin?" he murmured to an attendant nearby who then scurried off. The Wizarding Wireless Network had, after all, promised a wonderful surprise at midnight! Octavius needed to ensure everything went perfectly.

The flash of a nearby photographer made Octavius scowl, annoyed was he at even the few press witches and wizards who had paid handsomely to be at the charity event tonight. The publicity was good, no one could deny that, and the masks concealed everyone's identity at least marginally so there was no grievous intrusion on privacy, but that didn't mean Octavius enjoyed their presence.

He rolled up the sleeve of his dress robe to check his watch, then his eyes darted back to the stage. It was five minutes to midnight! What, for heaven's sake, was Celestina Warbeck taking so long to appear onto an already dressed stage? Shaking his head agitatedly, Octavius cut through a path through the brightly coloured bodies in the mingling crowd to check on his star performer.



OOC Read this for questions, or ask me! Fluid time, so feel free to thread before/after kisses. Again, the "compulsion" to find your kissing partner kicks in 5-10 minutes before midnight and could be anything from thinking you should walk and get some punch to being mystifyingly sexually attracted to the masked stranger at your side. HAVE FUN! GO WILD ♥ AND HAPPY NEW YEAR'S MY GORGEOUS GALS.