It wasn’t nearly as hard to get a press pass as Tock had expected it to be. When he heard another country was joining the W8 conference (the
W9 now, he supposed), he had wanted to be there for a multitude of reasons, the least of them being his cartoons. Tock had always been political, highly political, and he was quite radical as well. He was something of an anarchist, and there was something about a room full of politicians making international decisions that rubbed him the wrong way. He certainly expected to showcase that when he drew his scathing comics about it. He had expected some pushback, though, when he applied for the pass, and had found none. Apparently they were giving them out like candy. Unwilling to go alone, and for fear that he might do something drastic in his anger, he had invited his good friend Jane Lennon to come with him. Jane was a grounding force. She had been there for him when no one else had been, and the two of them were quite close, despite their differences.
He felt better now that she was not in auror academy, though. There were too many good people giving their lives to the badge for his taste—even his former boyfriend, Terry, was an auror now. It felt like they had grown worlds apart, but he and Jane were getting a little closer now that she was out of the academy and away from that job. She was engaged now, and he was happy for her, though that complicated matters a bit. He and Jane had been physical in the past, more for comfort and loneliness than true romantic attraction, and Tock was still lonely and still needed comfort—but he supposed he could control himself. She was very happy with Piers and he was happy for them. Piers had confided in him that he had loved Jane for years before they got together. Tock had chosen to neglect telling Piers about his and Jane’s former dalliances, in hopes of protecting their friendship.
He felt stuffy, dressed nicely in a pair of second-hand dress robes. They were plain black, which was a saving grace, but he rarely wore anything that wasn’t ripped jeans and high-top converse. He had to be on his best behavior or else he’d get kicked out of the gala, and that would be no fun. He wasn’t exactly the most sociable, either. Another reason to bring Jane, he supposed. He took a drink from a flask he kept on his hip to combat his nerves. This was way too much pressure, what was he thinking? Surrounded by all these important people, so full of themselves and full of ideas they thought would make the world a better place. Tock was so pessimistic and jaded by it all. He had so little respect for people who thought they could meddle in the lives of the “little people” and make decisions to affect everyone’s lives. Elected or not, it wasn’t fair. No one should have that kind of power, no one should.
Tock turned to his date, looking ravishing in her dress. “Well, would you look at us. We look almost like we belong here.” He teased. “Wait, wait, no, puff out your chest and stand up straight. You need to look a little more pompous.” His sketch book was in his extended pocket, ready for last minute ideas. He had promised at least a week’s worth of good comics from this conference, so he really did need to do some work while he was here. He tried eavesdropping on some of the guests nearby, everyone talking about nothing and enjoying the privilege of the elite.
@Jane Lennon 
