A drink was shoved into Dazmond's hands by a giggling witch who'd just rammed into her side; when she turned her attention back to the boys they were heading it off in their usual ways.  Dazmond hardly made note of the tension, sliding her mask off and slipping it into her bag to give her skin some time to breathe. 

“Yes, well, right fine with the mood of the evening,” she said, partaking of the liquor she'd earned for being too short to see through the eyes of a glamour mask.  She treated Arius with a brief hug in greeting.  Then, looking around the room flightily, Dazmond hooked an elbow around the back of Nathan's neck on tippy toes.  “Nothing but the most hideous for our darling crone, pretty plumes for our prettiest pretty-boy, and a hooked horn for my favorite delinquent.  Get hammered with us?”

Just about then a small figure in a dark sheet emerged from under a table a few feet away from the trio.  Daz gave a grimace in distaste toward what was probably a child.  No disproportionate person would be dense enough to wear the full body costume with those rough cut circles for the eyes like that.  Talk about a Mr. Can't Be Missed.

“Look,” said Dazmond, pointing at the ghost child.  “Free food.”  She smacked her lips and popped her eyes, in character a moment before spreading out in a grin and returning to her liquid satisfaction.

The man that [it seemed] Finn was battling for attention with decided that it was time he made his exit. Finn smiled slightly, but inwardly he was grinning. Obviously he knew competition when he saw it, and wasn't willing to make himself look like a fool in such varied company.

Finn was just about to start making conversation with the young woman, when she invited the other gentleman to sit on the other side of her. Finn's jaw almost dropped. He felt as though he was going to have to physically move his jaw back up into place. He plastered a smile as best he could on his face. "Of course, you must join us..." He was saying, but his voice was overpowered by the woman engaging the man in conversation about his choice of cane. Finn let his shoulders slump slightly, his brow furrow over his eyes and lifted his tumbler to his lips, draining off the last of his whisky. He motioned to the bartender to shoot him another one. If there was any time to drown one's sorrows, it was now.

He couldn’t help but laugh at Briggs’ statement. What a sign of insecurity, to attack others. Although Arius could not say that he blamed the man. After all, he tended to have that effect on people. The comments about working for a living were really nothing new, and if Nate believed he was clever calling him a half-wit and what not Arius was unsure. He would ignore that, however, not wanting to cause a scene - or be poisoned anytime soon.

“It truly is always a pleasure to run into you Nate.” He flashed a smile at the other wizard, his eyes moving quickly to size him up. What did Dazmond see in the fellow? Fact not withstanding that he believed Arius was a half-wit though he was the one who had dropped out of Hogwarts. Arius had finished, and he was intelligent, of course he was. People like Briggs seemed to forget that Arius was a Ravenclaw in his own right and the Sorting Hat made no mistake there.

He nodded at her response and squeezed her briefly in greeting as well. “I’m glad you are well. And yes, we do seem to have chosen properly, though I was unaware Nate was wearing anything but his own face.” He commented glibly before accepting her offer of getting hammered with them. Well, perhaps he would not be all as bad as that, but he would certainly drink to contentment.

He laughed slightly as Dazmond smacked her lips together at the sight of the food and followed her gaze, a loud bark of a laugh escaping as he saw the roughly hewn costume of that little midget-y person. Honestly, had they not been informed that being a ghost was so 10 years old? No self-respecting adult would come dressed like that surely. He was surprised Nate hadn’t tried it.

Lukas frequented Signature, that didn't mean he cared much for the garbage cluttering up the airwaves. Grimacing as another tune floated through one ear and out the other, he continued towards the other side of the dance floor. However there was someone trying to keep him there, at the bar, keeping him from finding other ladies to chat up.

“You must tell me where you acquired such an exquisite cane!  I have seen very few like yours…”

A smug smirk crossed his face as he twirled said cane. Turning on his heel to look back at her with a look of curiosity. Finishing the drink he had in his own hand he strode back towards the now unoccupied chair to the side of the mysterious female. Placing the empty glass on top of the bar he ordered up another. When the cool amber liquid filled a fresh clean glass, he was happy to bring it to the air, cheers and sip the beer.

If the other man thought he going to have a free shot at the young lady,he was obviously mistaken. Being beckoned back only fueled the previous interest he had. "It's a family heirloom miss, twas my father's, and his father's before him. You see, it has a lot of history," bringing the cane up for her to view it. The rich wood that made it's staff as well as the silver for the tip and head of the cane, made it look glossy as well as aged.

Casting a winning grin onto the other bloke, Lukas turned back towards the lady who had wanted his attention. "Miss you asked me about my cane, you now have me curious about your mask. It is quite creative indeed, perhaps you would like tell me more about it, or perhaps less about our accoutrements and more about you."

Covadonga almost felt sorry for the younger man as he shriveled and offered him a gentle grin.  So she was a target of competition, eh?  Well, well, well… this was certainly something which did not happen every day.  She must transfigure her looks and play this role more often!  It was certainly a good way to get out the sly kitty cat out of her.  Despite the new attention she was receiving from the second gentleman she made note not to forget the first.

Turning her darkened eyes her plump, sparkly lips tilted into a cockeyed smirk, taking her glass she asked, “A history?  Oooh…” tipping back a delicate sip of her absinthe, the very same she had during her last visit to the club, “you must elaborate…” her tone dipping lower to a nearly musical contralto.

At his request she wagged a finger to and fro, “Ah, ah, ah!  Quid pro quo, my good sir,” Covadonga replied, “and plus, is tonight not a night of secrets?” taking the dangling strand of topaz from the bottom of her mask and wrapping it around her finger.  Although she knew it not, the young lady had already given the man a couple hints as to her identity, even if her appearance was different.

Finn noticed the small grin the woman next to him offered. Was she meaning to look so gleefully happy at his misery? Ok, so he was being overdramatic, but he didn't like being completely ignored in favour of some old bloke with a half-decent looking cane. When the lady made conversation with the man about the cane, the man gave Finn a look that clearly said; "Aha! The best man wins!" He was doing little more than gloating right in Finn's face, something not too clever when he was in Finn's own habitat.

When the gentleman turned the conversation to the ladies mask, Finn waited until a suitable break in the conversation and coughed slightly. "Could I offer the two of you another drink?" He asked, being as polite as possible. "Charles." He called out to a waiter behind the bar. "My usual, an absinthe for the lady, and for the gentleman...?" Finn looked at the man and waited for his response, sure that Finn's knowing the bartended by name, and the bartender knowing his 'usual' would ruffle the feathers a little - or at least raise a little interest in himself.

Arius couldn’t help but laugh at Nate’s comment. Was the man unaware that Arius did provide a valuable service? Just because Nathan did not believe in the importance of outer beauty - and with a mug like that Arius was sure he understood why - did not mean that no one else in the world did! He provided a valuable service to the people of the world, to the ones who needed someone to worship, something to strive towards. He could exude for them that image of perfection that they so yearned for, and if he made other people feel poorly about themselves in the process, well, that was just the way the cookie crumbled.

“Well, at any rate, gorgeous, I’m glad you are well and seem able to speak for yourself. For a minute there I wasn’t quite sure, since Nate decided to answer for you.” Did Dazmond actually like it when Nathan answered for her? It was hard for Arius to believe that she might. The idea that she would actually be okay with any man speaking for her was beyond his understanding, especially since last time he had checked, she was still an independent woman with a mind of her own and no need for any man to say a word on her behalf. He certainly never would have tried. Then again, Nate and Dazmond were married.

He accepted the hug readily, squeezing her back, fighting the urge to lean in and give her the customary two kisses in greeting. Well, lean down at any rate. They were good friends but he had never dared to press his cheeks to hers except in moments of drunken stupor - which were plentiful when Dazmond was around. She made a wonderful drinking partner and was one of the few people that truly knew what world Arius was coming from, even if he did speak of it scornfully when drunk. He did have to admit that he mimicked his father well when drink was upon him.

“You certainly could have picked something prettier. Though, I will admit I was unaware Nathan was wearing a mask!” He took a sip of his drink before smiling at the pair before him, knowing she was at least right about his mask. The prettiest plumes for the prettiest boy. They were the only that that truly fit the peacock in him. That was something he definitely loved to show, just how like a peacock he was. What other animal could possibly compete with that to be the animal most like Arius? Surely, if it were more normal he would be an animagus just to be a real Peacock for a short time of the day.

His sip of his drink was his assent to get hammered and before long he was following Dazmond’s eyes to the food table, a loud laugh exiting his mouth as he noted the figure in the sheet. He might have expected that from Nate, perhaps, but not from any self-respecting adult! Then again, perhaps the figure was not a self-respecting adult. He polished off his drink quickly before grabbing another off a tray as a waitress passed by, his eyes taking her in with a rakish grin. She could be an interesting prospect for later.

For Nate, the night faded into a fuzz.  He traded jibes with Arius for hours  and Dazmond remained as aloof as the oracle at Delphi, speaking only the most secret and gracious truths.  The Signature dripped with excellence and decadence on and on into the morning, when the first glow of dawn spoiled the fun.  The chirping of birds seemed to herald sore heads and heavy eyelids.

Nate, having lost track of Dazmond at some point, went out the back door, mask on, and Apparated back to sleep away the day at his flat at the Shodding Arms on Knockturn Ally.