Aliquam: Tobias’ Gala



With frequent and unending gasps, Estelle’s gaze fell all over the majesty of the mansion and the gala Tobias was throwing. The building itself screamed expense and refined sophistication, with a beautiful crystal chandelier hanging overhead and many exotic, potted plants dotted across the outer rims of the large party hall they were in. The centre of the room had been reserved for couples to dance upon, and they did so with a style and grace Estelle had only ever seen come from Selan before. Like themselves, everybody else within the hall were dressed to impress, with stunning gowns and dressing or crisp, magnificent suits, and more then a few with their own masquerade masks, except everyone else wore their outfits with a trifle more comfort and ease then she and her friends wore theirs. Elegant music wafted throughout the hall from a band graciously playing at the far end: the use of piano, violins, flutes and harps was without compare. This truly was a place Estelle felt unprepared and overwhelmed by, a place she was not suited for.

Compared to all of the battles and adventures she had experienced since becoming a Guilder… from the horrors of Gaoh within the snowcapped ruins of Tabul to the demonic vampire lord Lucifer and his diabolical family within Vandrell… this made her feel far more scared.

“What are we… what are we supposed to actually do?” Estelle asked, blinking and looking around in confusion and unease. After Dylan’s comments about relaxing and enjoying the party, as well as to be wary around Tobias for reasons undisclosed, Estelle watched as the rest of her friends quickly made their own plans- from Moira and Amy snatching away Aria to travel to the bar for drinking (no thanks), to Lucien trying to accost Lute and Syed on a quest to hunt girls (…). Neither of these options seemed appealing to Estelle, and looking over the dance floor, neither did that. If she were to try, she was sure she’d make a mockery of herself and be laughed at. Swinging a sword, fighting Varrens and Electures and Firons were all well and good, but dancing was a whole different thing.

“How about we just explore the mansion, Estelle?” Marcus asked with a smile, as if reading his partner’s mind. “See what the rest of Tobias’ home looks like, and see what else might be happening in some of the other rooms. Would that be alright, Dylan? Dalia? And Trixie, if you’d like, you could come with us?” The mage smiled as he looked down to the prankster. With the way in which everyone else was already splitting up, he thought it a good idea for at least one of them to keep an eye on Trixie, especially if Amy was to go drinking.

Aliquam: Tobias' Gala

Aw right, they were in the secret party base! The majority of them were donned in these awesome-possum masks that totally make them mysterious and not stand out from the other party-goers at all. Some of the dancers were wearing those expensive masks too! Wow, were they also investigators of this to-be crime scene? And the music! Ohhh, the music, which bounced back and forth between slow and lively. Definitely meant to throw off the guests and keep their emotions flighty.

Her nose tingled. Trixie whipped her head to see waitresses passing by left and right, carrying silver treys of tall glasses and funky-smelling drinks! Funky! That's suspicious. Moira and Amy and Aria took them and- oh wait no, that's just the smell of alcohol. Pah! These party hosts knew her weakness - that the dang smelly smell of champagne always squicked her out. She had to figure out another way to crack down on these crackpots. But how? Well, she could get away from the servers using the swirly stairs - if they weren't laced with oil to make her slip. Or she could check behind all those potted plants and giant paintings for secret buttons. Or she could-

"Trixie, if you'd like, you could come with us?"

Marcus' request had cut off the prankster's train of thought. "Huh, what? Well, okay, I guess." Without hesitation, she grabbed onto both Estelle's and Marcus' wrists and yanked them along with her as she made a mad dash through the dancers - "Exsqueeze me! Pardon me! Pixie comin' through!" - and up one fight of stairs. Against her suspicions, the steps were indeed not laced with oil. Once they made it to the top, Trixie trailed her hand along the golden balcony, before turning her attention to the windows.

"Man, this place is crazy decorated..." She sniffed the air. "It's like everything here is brand new. But didn't this guy have parties all the time or something?" With one arm hooked with Estelle's, she peered into one set of red double-doors, to find a group of people seated around some puffy chairs and a fireplace. That single scene alone reminded her too much of what she had witnessed at both Vandrell and Los Paraisos. "How come everywhere else is so much richer than Clockwork..."

---

Like Moira, Amy too brushed off Dylan's warning; she had been cautious of the young man the second he walked into view. It seemed they all were to an extent, whether Dylan's ties with him made an impact on them or not. Regardless, Amy was determined to have a drinking night with both Moira and Aria this time. As there were many other guests enjoying themselves at the bar before the trio (plus Syed)'s arrival, it'd be unlikely the drinks were poisoned anyway. She knew she was being superstitious at this point, but perhaps that's what the guilder life did to people over time.

She hoped the drinks would loosen her up. "Hah. If that's the way aristocrats prepare their drinks, it's no wonder their shit tastes different. Hey," she called out to the bartender as she sat herself at the counter, along with her companions. "I'll try whatever you've got in hand."

"Only the finest vodka in all of Aliquam, ma'am. It's called the--"

"Great. I'll take a pint." Amy's red lips curled into a mischievous grin as she turned her eyes to the illusionist. "So, Aria. You look like you've been around more fancy bars than most. Please tell me you're the type that drinks fancy red wine..." She was always on the lookout for newer, better brands, even if she could never remember the names. As her voice trailed off, her eyes loomed over to Moira next, who sat on the other side of Aria. It had been so long since either of the two had gotten a proper sit down like this, much less gotten drunk at all.

Aliquam: Tobias’ Gala

“Who is that man?” Tobias said, floating away from his guest mid-conversation as his sights narrowed down on Lucien. One of Dylan’s new companions, if he remembered correctly. It was the strangest thing. The suit was impeccable, and he new from a quick glance that he had Lily to thank for that, but the hat...

It was wonderful.

A panda hat with a fine suit. He was bold! Innovative! A visionary in the realm of fashion! He was decided. Like a tiger stalking his prey, he stalked forward. By the end of the night that man would be his latest acquisition.





Dylan felt his face freeze up as they brushed off his concern, but they seemed to be relaxed and on the cusp of enjoying themselves, so he bit off his comments. His friends were strong - there was no way that Tobias could work his magic that quickly.

“How about we just explore the mansion, Estelle?” Marcus asked with a smile. “See what the rest of Tobias’ home looks like, and see what else might be happening in some of the other rooms. Would that be alright, Dylan? Dalia? And Trixie, if you’d like, you could come with us?”

“That’ll be more than fine!” Dalia smiled. “He does have galleries throughout where he shows off his personal collection.” She leaned forward conspiratorially. “And he does have a couple of Dylan’s pieces in there as well. What about you?”

Dylan shrugged. “I think I’ll join the others near the bar. Enjoy yourselves!” He bowed out of the conversation, heading to join the other group, ordering himself a nice red wine and settling in.

Dalia turned, dashing after the group that ran up the stairs, catching up with them after they came to a stop in front of one of the parlor rooms. “Oh, well,” she said, catching the end of Trixie’s question. “It’s the school, but really, most of the people are nice. Do you want to head in and talk to them? I’m sure if you tell them your guilders they’ll want to hear all your stories!”

"Eh, bros are supposed to have another bro's back." If there was something he learned from Don, then it was that.

Lucien turned to Syed and noticed the slight flush on his friend's cheeks. The mage tapped him on the shoulder and offered to help and the summoner grinned from ear to ear. "Nonsense, we're all going to help each other," he jabbed Syed lightly on the arm. "Besides, it doesn't have to be a date. We can find you a nice girl who likes machinery and you guys can have a lovely conversation or something." He nodded his head up and down confidently. "You've got that whole tall, dark, and handsome vibe, we'll definitely find someone in a flash." He was just about to pull Syed onto the dance floor when his eyes fell on Lute.

Ah, so the girls had left him for the bar. Perfect! With the three of them working together, things were bound to go their way.

He began waving excitedly, "you're just in time, Lute! Over here." When the virtuoso didn't come over immediately, he dashed up behind him and began ushering him towards Syed. Lucien looked from the virtuoso to the mage, a Cheshire cat grin spreading across his face. "Okay," he swiveled around before his eyes finally landed on a table where three lovely ladies were seated. "Perfect, there are three of them and three of us." The table was pretty close to the bar, so getting Syed to come along wouldn't be a problem. He hooked his arms with both of his friends and began taking strides towards the table.

"Good evening ladies, would you mind if we joined you?"

The girls turned their heads and the redhead in a green dress, eyed them up and down. They didn't look half bad, though she almost laughed at the blue-haired man's silly hat. Oh well, they were sort of cute and white haired male had a pretty face. "I don't see why that's a problem." The two others gave them a wave. "I'm Leah," she pointed towards the blonde, "Riannon," next came the brunette, "and Charlotte."

Lucien couldn't believe it, operation babe hunt was now in full swing! He would have whooped and given his friends a thumbs up but instead he pulled up a chair. "Lucien Maddox at your service, these are my friends Lute Aiseirigh and Syed Dyjani and it's a pleasure to meet you all."



Everyone was already breaking into smaller groups.

She would have followed after Aria, but they were headed towards the bar. "Hey Estelle, Marcus, pixie, mind if I tag along?" Looking around the mansion didn't sound too bad and neither Dylan or Dallia had protested. Plus, the thought of seeing more art sounded nice.

Trixie seemed pumped for this and grabbed both Estelle and Marcus by the hands before dashing upstairs.

Xan chuckled at the prankster's enthusiasm then followed after them. It took a while to locate them due to all the people but eventually she managed to find them and joined them by the balcony. The view below was definitely fantastic, from the pristine room to the lovely decorations. The small village she had lived in was nowhere near as grand. Being a guilder had definitely allowed her to start seeing more of the world. "Everything looks so colorful from up here," she mused as her eyes followed a few people dressed in bright clothes of all colors.

Tobias’ Gala: Bar
Cor! Look at this bartender go! It would almost seem to be a waste to go for the usual beer. Moira threw her head back, downed the remainder of her champagne, then slammed her glass on the bar. The delicate stem did crack slightly, but she didn't notice.

Amy ordered a pint of vodka?! Moira didn't realise she had been craving alcohol that bad! Still, she shrugged and nudged Aria's waist.

"Yeah, you got that look about you. Actually, I'll say you two are probably the only two of us who look like they fit somewhere like this." She sighed, resting her chin on her hand. "If you've got anythin' in mind to try, I'm up for it. I'm up for anything." Especially if it meant the bartender could do more of his thing. Phwoar.


Tobias’ Gala: Table
Find someone who enjoyed talking about technology and machinery? He'd be happy with someone who just laughed at his snarky jokes. Oh well, as Lucien didn't try and force him or Lute into a date, it should be fine.

Wait why were the last names nessessary?! Syed flushed even more, giving them a quick, rushed bow before taking a seat himself. This was so awkward this was so so awkward...

And it was made even more awkward by one of the girls really staring at him. She muttered something to one of her friends, although her voice was generally too low for him to hear. He was sure he caught the word 'exotic' though, which caused him to narrow his eyes. Oh no if they were going to be like that he was out of here. Selan may have embraced that label, but he didn't.

"So..." one of the girls said to break the ice, "where are you guys from?"

"Kinnersby," Syed said quickly, stiffening when he realised his blunder. Um, woops. Moira would murder him if she heard him say that. At least Kinnersby was such a small rural hamlet that nobody knew it even existed. Still, he had committed by now. "It's uh, 20 miles from Ranthel." He could see the dissapointment clearly on one of the girls' faces as she recognised name of the Artar town.

Okay he wanted out of this convosation now. Flushing spectacularly again, he turned in his seat to flag down one of the passing waiters and waitresses for some drinks. "Anyone fancy anything?" he asked awkwardly, ordering himself a lemonade.

Aliquam: Tobias’ Gala

‘Why “at your service”? Don’t give them the wrong idea, Lucy! What if they make us sing or worse, dance!?’ Lute’s cheeks were already flushed pink by the time both Lucien and Syed found their seats, but he remained standing because he really didn’t want to-

“You’re so cute! You look like my dog!”

'Oooh the fancy girly called you cute~ hee hee- Wait what!?'

Both Delilah and Lute were shellshocked when the brunette, Charlotte, gushed and pulled the virtuoso down on the seat next to hers. The next thing he knew she was pinching his cheek and cooing like one would do in front of an adorable creature, and wasn’t being subtle about it either. He was shooting pleading glances at Syed and Lucien the entire time. “Look, Leah, doesn’t he remind you of Claude!?” The young lady emitted yet another high-pitched squeal before her red-haired friend turned to regard the young man. “Charlotte dear, that’s a human, not a terrier. Let the poor dear go,” She declared and her friend pouted but nonetheless let go of Lute.

“Sorry, it’s just that I have a really cute terrier named Claude, he’s absolutely the cutest thing EVER, and you have the same color of fur!” She bit her lip and raised her hand, presumably to pat his head, but thankfully refrained from doing so.

… Did she just call his hair “fur”?

Uh yeah… How do we proceed from here…?

Lute coughed and straightened his spine, subtly leaning far away from Charlotte as his eyes scanned the room. A distinguished man, an aristocrat, seemed to be looking at and walking towards their direction… But for what reason? Lute glanced at the guy to see if the stranger was looking at him, but realized that he was just looking at their area… Perhaps at one of the girls? Hmm, he was probably just heading towards the bar; Lute couldn't be sure at this distance anyway. Shrugging, the virtuoso turned back to the conversation in case Syed or Lucien needed some... well, assistance for a... uh... comedy routine?

Aliquam: Tobias’ Gala

Aria matched Amy’s grin with one of her own, downing the rest of her champagne and placing it on the counter where it was taken away by the bartender.

“I know my way around a few wines, yes,” she laughed, in reply. “More with sweets, but there’s a few dry wines I’m quite partial to as well.” She eyed the vodka the bartender handed to Amy, wonder whether frantic gyration would have any effect of the taste or whether it was just for show. Heck, she’d order one if only for the sake of watching the bartender dance again- she hadn’t known humans could move like that.

In response to Moira’s comment, Aria merely gave a sheepish look. “I dunno, everyone looks pretty fancy today.” They had all been treated to Tobias’ small army of stylists after leaving the tailors, and everyone had been groomed until they could hardly be distinguished from the nobles on the dance floor.

“I think I’ll have what she’s having,” Aria gestured to the bartender, motioning at Amy’s drink. Perhaps vodka was a little strong to start off with, but eh. It had been a while since she’s had anything after all. Blinking over Amy’s shoulder, she spotted Dylan sitting at the counter with a glass of wine. What was he doing here? She had thought the artist would be off mingling with his friends or the other guilders.

She gave a wave, catching the man’s attention. “Hey Dylan, why are you sitting there by yourself? Come join us,” she gestured to the barstool next to their little group. “I thought would’ve gone to check in with old friends or show the others around,” she commented once he was seated, silently giggling at the once again wildly shaking bartender from the corner of her eye.

Aliquam: Tobias’ Gala: Second Floor

Upon Trixie’s opening of a beautifully ornate door into a smaller room, filled with people happily conversing in suits and dresses reclining around the plush sofas and upholstery beside a roaring fire, glasses in hand and plates of food scattered about the tables in front of them, Dalia suggested for the Pride to enter and converse with those inside. Estelle felt a little bashful at first, before she realised the majority of the clientele inside were students, so approximately her, Xandra and Trixie’s ages. They might have had a rich upbringing and all be talented when it came to the arts, but it couldn’t be that hard to grow comfortable around them, could it?

“Well?” She turned and asked her friends. Xandra nodded formally, whilst Trixie returned a shrug that emphasised she couldn’t find a reason to say nothing. Yet despite the trio’s agreement to do so, they all wavered in actually doing so, waiting for one of the others to take the lead. Naturally their eyes fell on to Estelle, being the actual leader of the Pride, but she couldn’t get her legs to make that first step. She still harboured doubt and discomfort… until Dalia walked straight past them, talking to the students relaxing around that central table in front of the fire, dining on elegant plates a serving of fine food without compare. Her speech certainly announced all of their presence to the students. Blushing, Estelle followed, and her mouth gawped as she looked at the utterly beautiful young woman stand up from the central chair at the table, to gracefully curtsy before them. When Estelle saw her in the room earlier, she was leading the group’s current talk, and had all of the others’ attention residing on her. And Estelle could clearly understand why.

She was beautiful.



“Why, hello Miss Dalia,” The girl with the silk blonde hair and a white gown outfitted with diamonds that sparkled with the light from the fire smiled as she approached their guests. “How are you enjoying the party, Miss Dalia, and if I may ask, who are your guests?” Rose asked with a pleasant smile, before it grew wider upon noticing the small brunette girl in the purple dress. Even with her matching mask covering her face, Rose couldn’t mistake the girl’s smile, her hair, or that toothy grin.

“Oh, well if it isn’t the darling little angel from earlier!” Rose clapped her hands together excitedly. “Don’t you just look beautiful! I’m not sure I managed to catch your name earlier. I’m Rose de Cervantés, and it’s an honour to make your acquaintance.” Rose laughed into her hand. “Welcome to Tobias Smith’s gallant party. He throws a pretty fine event, although naturally the Cervantés Ball at the end of the month will be a lot more glamorous. How are you all?”

Estelle, Trixie, Xandra and Dalia had all gotten so swept up in meeting Rose that they didn’t notice Marcus had excused himself to continue exploring Tobias’ manor.

Aliquam: Tobias’ Gala

Tobias moved through the crowd, stalking towards the man with the fabulous hat. His suspicions were confirmed as he settled in near the bar, noticing the way that Dylan was hanging around them like a nervous chaperone. He chuckled at the sight - Dylan was watching as Hat Man and his lackies were drawn into a conversation with three lovely young woman. Ordering a drink from the bartender, Tobias settled into the wait. When the time was right, he would strike out of nowhere!



“Hey Dylan, why are you sitting there by yourself? Come join us,” Aria gestured to the barstool next to their little group.

Dylan looked up from his drink, startled out of his eavesdropping. From what he could tell things looked pretty safe - though he was starting to think that the one girl was kind of nuts since she seemed to think that Lute was a dog. Mustering up his best attempt at a smile, Dylan slide over the seat she gestured at.

“I thought would’ve gone to check in with old friends or show the others around,” she commented once he was seated.

“No,” he said as he shook his head. “Dalia’s showing them around. I thought I’d just grab a cup of wine for the moment.” Turning in his seat, he caught a flush of indigo in the corner of his eye. “Oh no.” He turned his head further, spying Tobias causally leaning against the bar, eyes on his friends. “That isn’t good.” Tobias had focused in on Lucy with a predatory glint in his eye, one that he was greatly familiar with.

His first instinct was to intervene, but no, that would just make it worse. Lucy would be fine. Syed and Lute were both there.

He still said a quick prayer to Aislin, just to be safe.



Dalia led the group into the room, moving with a graceful step. Gliding towards the students, she beamed at the group - including the incomparable Rose, highlight of this year. “Hello everyone. How are you? Oh, and Rose, I didn’t get a chance to say it this earlier, but your floral arrangements were exquisite.”

“Why, hello Miss Dalia,” Rose smiled as she approached their guests. “How are you enjoying the party, Miss Dalia, and if I may ask, who are your guests?”

“Oh this is Estelle, Xan, and Trixie.” Dalia said with an equally graceful smile. “This are some of my brother’s friends - Guilder’s actually.” She stood back as Rose stepped towards Trixie, the Student President seemed enamored with the young girl.

She couldn’t blame her. Trixie was adorable.

Aliquam: Tobias' Gala - Bar

Aria's short and simple reply brought another smile to the cleric's face. Seeing as Dylan was nearby as well, Amy also reciprocated his joining their company. Anything to keep this guy smiling. "Wonderful. How do you three feel for some wine-tasting today, then?" Her grin grew more mischievous by the second. She was ready to nab this opportunity for loosening up while it was still open. "See how long we can last before one of us crashes. We all start with a strong pint, then go downhill from there. C'mon, it'll be fun..."

While Amy finished her suggestion, Dylan muttered with disapproval as he turned his head. The cleric turned her head to see what he was eying as well - "What is--oh." - before returning to her previous posture. She brought her vodka-filled beer mug to her lips and took a deep gulp before setting the glass back down. Though the bartenders in Clockwork Town knew her well enough for being able to hold her own, it'd take so much effort for her to restrain herself from getting drunk today. Especially if that blue-haired creep was stalking around. Like Dylan, she too wanted to tell him off... but the last time she did that to a party host didn't work out so well for the other guilders either. She sighed instead, likewise praying that the patron would be decent at his own party.

At least Simon wasn't there. That was one load off her back.

---

Aliquam: Tobias' Gala - Second Floor

“Oh this is Estelle, Xan, and Trixie,” Dalia introduced the girls to the gorgeous hot mama Rose with a smile. Trixie turned and blushed, twirling one foot behind the other for extra cuteness. “These are some of my brother’s friends - Guilder’s actually.”

Rose stepping forward and suddenly complimenting the prankster had caught her off guard. Right as the aristocrat finished speaking, Trixie bounced forward and embraced her. But because of the height difference, Trixie ended up burying her face in Rose's breasts for a moment before pulling back. The little thing didn't even notice. "Thank you, Miss Rosy! You're really pretty too. I mean really pretty. Hot dang. My name's Trixie!" She then thrust out her hand for a proper shake. "Trixie the Pixie actually. I'm also the Wondergirl, in disguise. But don't tell the others, shhhh..." She winked behind her mask, and whispered her next line. "I'm a superhero. We all are~"

She never really understood the significance of secret aliases anyway.

---

While the trio upstairs had continued exploring the manor's secondfloor alongside Dalia, Marcus had taken the time to leave the girls to themselves and wander about the area on his own. After reaching a particular hallway, his walk was briefly interrupted with a few dressy students storming out an open-doored parlor room, chucking plastic chips to the ground with a grunt before vanishing out of sight.

A suited young man within the room noticed the passing mage and called out to him. He remained seated behind a long rectangular table, cards and chips neatly laid out before him, and a steed at his side. Who also sat in a chair. Without breaking it somehow. Hell, the horse even held a few cards in the little crevices of his two front hooves.

"Psst. Psst. Marcus."

"Brrruuhrhh."

"Not now, Sebastian. Hey, Marcus! Over here! You look like you've got a good poker face. Interested in a game?"

"Oh Charlotte, isn't he such a gentleman?" Riannon threw a wink in Syed's direction. "Just some red wine, please."

Well, they seemed pretty happy. Lucien laughed a little at the comment she gave Lute, then leaned close to the virtuoso. "It's probably a compliment, good job." He whispered before tapping his friend on the back and giving him a huge grin. The summoner returned his attention to the three ladies. "I'm from Falone." Lucien stated in reply to the question.

One of the girl's raised her eyebrows. It was posh city, one of the reasons he had left. Memories of his parents forcing him to attend all sorts of lessons came back and he had to bite back a scowl, that place was the epitome of boring and he didn't regret leaving it even one bit. "It's not as grand as people make it out to be." He gave them a grin, then focused his eyes on Leah. "Now that we've told you where we're from, I'll have to ask, are you from heaven? Because I think I'm looking at an angel."

The girl stared at him before choking back a laugh. Well that was a cheesy pickup line, in fact, it was so bad it was kind of funny. She laughed a little but waved it off. "So are you three students? What kind of art do specialize in?"

Leah winked. "Artists are always so hot."

Gods, Lucien's mind began working in overdrive "Syed's a uh, a sculptor, yeah a sculptor who makes awesome things out of machines." He began stammering under her melting stare. "L-Lutes a musician and I'm part of the theater group." The lies didn't sound so bad, right?

One of the girls sighed dreamily before leaning towards Syed. She ran a finger down his shoulder, "so what kind of sculptures do you make?"

They were so dead, Dyn save them all.

---

Dallia introduced them to a beautiful woman named Rose and the woman seemed to recognize Trixie.

Xan chuckled as she watched the prankster introduce herself so energetically. It helped ease the atmosphere and in a way settled her nerves. "Pleasure to meet you," she stated with a nod. Her eyes flitted from the student council president to all the students mingling and enjoying themselves in the background. Many of them had smiles on their faces and laughter was present at every turn.

Despite her negative on view on Tobias, the party was generous. Rose mentioned something about another ball, the people at the academy must have been into these sorts of things then? Everything looked so pristine and while she felt a little out of her element she was determined to enjoy the evening with her friends. "We were just planning to look around, but aside from that we're doing well." She gave the woman a smile. "What about yourself?" Wait, it was polite to return the question right? Unless, they were supposed to mind their business. Then again, despite all the fancy decor the woman in front of them seemed friendly and Trixie appeared to like her quite a lot.

Aliquam: Tobias’ Gala

“We’re not-,” Lute began, but Lucien suddenly spun a tale about the three of them being students with different specialties. ‘Well, I suppose the music thing is true but…’ The virtuoso’s eyes narrowed as Riannon attached herself to Syed under the guise of asking about his creations, while Leah’s interest in Lucien peaked thanks to that white lie. Well… Whether he wanted it or not, now he was a music student; saying anything different would embarrass Lucien and he didn’t want to ruin the… not-so-fun fun, even if it was kind of nasty assuming a fake identitiy. “Are you alright?” He mouthed to the dark-skinned mage. If past interactions were to go by, he guessed that Syed felt nearly the same way he did about this situation.

Also, since they were near to the bar where some of their friends were, Lute glanced over to see how the others were holding up- and perhaps to seek help as well. The nobleman who was looking at them earlier was, as he thought, nursing a drink there, so the virtuoso’s suspicions were for naught. Still, Amy, Moira, Aria and Dylan looked like they were having their own brand of fun so…

“Sooo, what’s Claude like?” Lute laughed lightly as he turned his attention back to their group and found that Charlotte’s brown eyes were shimmering with fanatical fervor. He barely had a second to regret his decision when she crowed “I have pictures of him!” before taking out a yellow purse- a perfect match for her chartreuse gown- to fish out a handful of photographs.

“He’s the fluffiest fluffy-wuffy in the entire world! But Mother didn’t allow me to bring him along so…” The brunette quipped sadly before flashing Lute with a photograph. The virtuoso’s eyes grew wide and his cheeks turned pink as he snatched the shot and stared at it in obvious adoration. Looks like Claude won him over too. The two of them pored over the dog’s puppy pictures, either one or both gushing every now and then until the virtuoso finally shoved the larger pictures at Lucien and Syed’s faces.

“Look at him! Look look look! He’s sooo adorable!”

Tobias’ Gala - Bar
"See how long we can last before one of us crashes. We all start with a strong pint, then go downhill from there. C'mon, it'll be fun..."

"Woo!" Moira wooped, oblivious to the discomfort spreading through her friends. She knew Dylan seemed a little moody again when Aria spoke to him, but she couldn't really connect the dots as to why. She never bothered to turn around and see what exactly he was looking at. "Sounds like a plan to me!"

She then ordered the same as the others, a massive smirk on her face. Okay, yeah, a pint of vodka was rediculous and could possibly give them all alcohol poisoning straight off the bat. But Moira had had years of training for this moment. Decades! And Amy was a cleric, so as long as she wasn't the one who keeled over then they were all good.

"Come on you lot," she complained, slapping the bar. "We're here to have fun, right? I dunno what you're moping about but stop it."

She then brought her mug to her lips and started gulping. Yeah. No amount of makeup or clothing could ever make Moira fit in this place.


Tobias’ Gala: Table
Oh gods help them what was happening what was Lucien doing?! First the slightly unhinged girl comparing Lute to a dog, and now Lucien telling them all they were artists?! What was he lying for?! Why was he dragging him into his lies?! It was taking all Syed had to not spark up on the spot.

And now one of the girls was running her finger along his shoulder! He didn't want this he didn't want this at all. So this must be like what Amy feels before she slaps men away screaming about pigs. He initially didn't answer the girl's question, turning his head slowly towards his Lucien. His expression very much that stern 'I'm gonna detention your ass' look he only tended to wear when Moira really pissed him off. Oh dear. "What... are you doing?!" he hissed to his friend. Geez, did Lucien really not think before he opened his mouth or was he doing this on purpose?! Lute asked if he was okay... he was anything but.

"I'm not a sculptor and I'm not interested," he said clearly, firmly removing the girl's hand from his shoulder before she started groping his jawline or something. Lute might not want to embarrass Lucien, as far as Syed was concerned he had just embarrassed them. "I'm just the moral support, okay? Cool with chatting but nothing else." He gave out a deep sigh. "Although, Lute does have a talent with music, and I'm sure Lucien won't mind showing you his acting skills."

And quite suddenly, Lute was shoving pictures of some dog in their faces. "Uh, nice dog..." he said, caught off guard a little. It... it was just a dog. A little fluffy dog. Well, now he knew Lute's ultimate weakness. Even so... "Lute," he said with all seriousness, placing his hand on the man's wrist. "Congratulations."

Who'd have thought he would be the first to pretty much score, after all?

Aliquam: Tobias' Gala - Second Floor

“A superhero? Oh my.” Rose lifted her hand to cover her mouth, startled by the adorableness that Trixie the pixie wondergirl brought in front of her. It was almost too much. If they were at the Academy, Rose might have grown a trifle more stern, to warn Trixie that such games were unbecoming of a student or visitor within the Academy lest it lead to accidents and disasters such as the earlier transgressions that Trixie’s friends, Lute and Lucien caused. But seeing as they weren’t at the Academy, and were instead at one Mister Tobias Smith’s party, whose own flirtatious deviancies with students had caused her much headache and aggravation in its own right…

“Well, we should be ever vigilant for troublemakers and villains then, shouldn’t we?” Rose replied with a serene smile, patting Trixie’s shoulder and introducing herself to, and greeting Estelle and Xandra one after the other. Estelle’s shoulders relaxed from their stiffness after seeing how surprisingly kind and down to earth Rose was. She always had the impression that most rich people were stiff and full of decorum, manners and pompousness that made them look down upon poorer people. Lisette was a rare exception to the rule. And to Estelle’s delight, it seemed Rose shared that trait. It was relaxing.

"Pleasure to meet you," Xandra said with a nod. "We were just planning to look around, but aside from that we're doing well." She gave the woman a smile. "What about yourself?" The manners with which Xandra spoke filled Rose with a great sense of satisfaction and pleasure – Xandra certainly knew how to conduct herself well.

“I was actually about to take a stroll and converse with a few more of my friends about the party, if not partake in a spot of dancing as well.” Rose smiled. “Would you care to join me?”

“D-d-dancing?” Estelle stammered, her cheeks flush with red. “I-I-I, er, don’t do dancing…”

---

Aliquam: Tobias' Gala - Second Floor: Recreation Room

Marcus’ eyes twinkled with a smirk on his lips at the promise of interest. He certainly hadn’t come to Tobias’ party with the expectation of a game of cards being played at the same time as all of the fine dancing, eating, drinking and conversation, Aliquam and Tobias himself almost seeming a tad too refined to allow that, but at the same time he shouldn’t have been that greatly surprised. Where there were people with a lot of money congregated together, they tended to take great delight in gambling amongst each other, even those whom were meant to be students.

“Angel, it’s a delight to meet you again, and… ?!” Marcus’ eyes bulged in disbelief at Sebastian sitting on one of the chairs around the circular table, holding his hand of cards within his hooves close to his muzzle, shiftily looking from side to side to make sure nobody could see. His fine moustache bristled with a snort from the horse, who also wore a low visor cap to make sure even those looking over his shoulders couldn’t see.

“Isn’t that… isn’t that the horse which… with Lucien…?” Marcus was, for once, rendered utterly speechless.

Sebastian looked up at him and snorted his bristling moustache again with a snort. He tilted his head to one of the free chairs at the table and then looked at his cards again. The expression was clear:- If Marcus was going to play, then play.

“I… I don’t mind playing. I think a game like this would be interesting, actually. But I’m afraid I don’t have any money on me at the moment… and I’m not certain I could actually match the stakes you’re all probably playing for...?”

Aliquam: Tobias’ Gala

Dylan smiled at Amy’s suggestion of ‘wine-tasting’. He was tempted to join in as he wanted nothing more than to get drunk at the moment, but if he was being honest that would probably end badly.

He’d probably start a scene and no one would want that.

"Come on you lot," Moira complained, slapping the bar. "We're here to have fun, right? I dunno what you're moping about but stop it." The woman proceeded knock back her entire drink, drawing the stares of everyone at the bar. Dylan sat gaping at her - it was an incredible sight. Even Tobias was slack jawed.

“Ummm,” he pulled at his collar, loosing his tie to make himself more comfortable. “Yes, I suppose we are. You know what? Screw it!” He knocked back his drink, suddenly determined to match her drink for drink. “Let’s do this!”

Across the bar, Tobias stared at the scene, his face blank with shock.



“D-d-dancing?” Estelle stammered, her cheeks flush with red. “I-I-I, er, don’t do dancing…”

Dalia smiled gently at the girl, the flush of her cheeks matching the flush in her aura. It was adorable! “It’s okay, Estelle,” she said kindly. “Don’t worry about the dancing. It’s quite easy actually, we just need to find you a strong partner.” She spun slowly in place as she talked. “You just follow his lead.” She hummed to herself as she finished her twirl. “Look, even I can do it! Where’s that friend of yours? Marcus? Does he know how to dance?”

She glanced around, suddenly realizing that he wasn’t with them - where did the man get off to? “That’s strange,” she muttered. “Did anyone see where he went? Not that it really matters, he’s probably fine on his own. I doubt there’s much trouble he could get into anyway.”

Turning her attention back on Rose, she smiled. “I was actually going to show them around to some of Tobias’ galleries, if you want to come along. You know he has some of the best around!”

Aliquam: Tobias’ Gala

Aria frowned in Tobias' direction, highly disapproving of the way he was eyeing Lute, Syed and Lucien and their new fawning friends. She wasn't too worried about Syed; he could take care of himself, but Lulu would be too innocent to notice anything and Lucy was likely just as gullible. She took a gulp of her drink, coughing as the alcohol burned down her throat

Still, Moira was right. They were here to have a good time, and she certainly wasn't going to let anything ruin her mood. Dylan followed in Moira's example an chugged down his drink, earning an impressed look and grin from Aria.

"That's the spirit!" She cheered, raising her glass and downing the lot at once. Her eyes watered from the intensity of the vodka, as she slammed the glass down on the counter with a satisfied huff. She peeked back to Tobias, and couldn't help bit chuckle at the incredulous expression on his face. She narrowed her eyes at him in a challenging smile, pointing to Lute's group before making an 'Im watching you' motion.

Turning back to the bartender, she raised her glass."Three of your finest wines to follow, please!"

Aliquam: Tobias' Gala - Bar

Amy brought the mug to her lips again once Moira did, though she let out a fit of coughs before she could finish chugging the thing through. And then she shifted her head too quickly. Oh. Oh gods, this was stronger than she thought. She was close to telling the others half the pint would be a good start so they could at least be sober enough to taste the aristocracy - but by the time she finished her round of hacks, everyone had downed their vodkas at once. Even Dylan had joined in. Amy finished her drink in giant, unladylike gulps, then laughed aloud.

Once again the gyrating bartender performed his little dance - this time with one hand doing all the shaking, and the other neatly serving 12 shots to the four guilders. "This one is the Mademoiselle, and the Senpai, and the Sugar Honey Iced Tea... I can assure you, it tastes absolutely nothing like what its name suggests." He named the drinks as he poured them one by one, though at a diligent pace. Amy stifled her laughter at the names, but at least they smelled... divine. While the first was a shade of white, the others were red. This would be good.

Seeing as Amy finished last place during the vodka round, she snatched up her shots one by one immediately after the bartender filled her glasses, and finished all three shots before he even reached Dylan's third shot. Her visage still held onto that mischievous smile, the same as Trixie's but red with lipgloss. It was only a matter of time before that smeared right off.

"Hahahaaa. This is some good shit. You guys think we could take some home? I've still got a bottle saved from Los Paraisos actually. Hey, bartender! Care to deliver round two?"

---

Aliquam: Tobias' Gala - Second Floor

"Ooh! Dancing! I know how to dance!" Trixie giggled. She totally did not though. Still, to prove her point, she tugged at Xandra's non-metallic hand and held it over her head. "See, look!" Keeping her fingers light within Xandra's own, Trixie did a rather graceful twirl beneath it, before spinning in front of Xandra and holding onto both of her hands. The metallic one felt a little awkward to grasp, but Trixie paid it no mind. "Hehe... I learned that one a long time ago."

She released her hold on Xandra and looked to Dalia. "Marcus likes to be alone a lot. It's kinda weird. Sometimes we find him doing things that don't seem like things he would--" she gasped loudly and reached for both of Estelle's hands this time. "WHAT IF HE'S DANCING. What if, what if he like, is actually really into dancing but didn't tell us cuz he thinks we don't think it's cool and he went down there and is dancing with some random girl right this minute??"

---

Aliquam: Tobias' Gala - Second Floor (Recreation Room)

Angel motioned to the chair across Sebastian with a laugh. Then he placed one of those fancy chip holders in front of it, complete with a decent wealth of chips. "Atta'boy! And don't worry about cash. It's no fun to win money out of people who don't have much to begin with. Besides, you're a guest! Go on, grab a seat and--oh, what, Sebastian? Yeah, he's my gaming buddy. Pisses Rose off sometimes but hey ho, what do ya know." He narrowed his eyes, though his tone was still as lighthearted as before. "You don't have a problem with this, do you?"

"Oh, Angél! My one and only!" a young woman squealed from outside the double doors. She donned a silky pink and white dress with a train much too long to be safe. Picking up her dress' layers in a bunch, she hobbled over to the desk and sat herself in the seat across him. Her dress practically ate up the chair however, and it looked like she was simply squatting before the table.

Angel pinched the bridge of his nose. "Hi Hannah." He leaned over to Marcus and whispered. "That chick's got a thing for guys who can gamble. She's a bit of a freak though. Don't let yourself get caught unawa--"

"You!" The young woman gasped unnecessarily loudly, cutting off Angel's warning. She thrust a polished finger at Marcus. "You! It's you again! You were--that guy at Los-- Los-- Los--"

"Hannah cutie, please, you do this every time I host a game... pointing at people and calling them things. Be nice today." He extended his hands, cracking his knuckles before collecting the stacked cards along the table. "Anyway! Poker. You up for it, Marcus?" Angel laughed again. "Hannah, you know the deal." He reached out a single hand, where the lady immediately slammed her cash into his palm (in a poor excuse to touch Angel's hand), before receiving her own thing of chips.

Outside the room, a couple of bystanders peered in, muttering to themselves. Lines like "Isn't this prohibited?" and "Yeah, but come on. We're at a party." and "Yeah, lighten up." and "Wow, that white-haired guy's kinda hot." and "Wait, who, the horse?" and "No, that one guy over there. He's kinda hot." and "Really, Steve?" and "I didn't think you were into dinky glasses!" and "Oh my GODS ARE THEY GAMBLING? THAT'S ILLEGAL." That last voice was quickly hushed into another room and locked in, though.

Syed wasn't as intimidating as the boss but he could give scary glares when he wanted to.

The summoner leaned back into his seat and fumbled with the collar of his suit, he was so going to die when this was over wasn't he? But hey, maybe if he told a few jokes Syed would spare him? His friend was one of the few people who actually thought he was funny so it was worth a shot. In the meanwhile though, he flashed a nervous smile at his friend and laughed as Lute began shoving cute dog photos before them.

Leah raised an eyebrow at Syed's sudden declaration but decided to let it slide, for this Lucien was pretty happy. He took one of the photos in his hands and stared at the white dog. "Oh he's such a fluffy puppy." Charlotte began gushing all over again before she began to tell them all sorts of stories about Claude and his silly antics. Once the pup had been interested in a candle. The poor fluff ball ended up burning his little nose. After a few more stories Leah tapped her friends on the shoulder and pointed to a couple of men in suits on the dance floor.

"Is that Leo?" Riannon practically had stars in her eyes.

Leah laughed, "yeah, go on! We'll be with you all the way." The girl turned to the three men. "Well, we'll be at the dance floor, you're more than welcome to join us there." One by one they began to get up from the table and the summoner, he would have accepted the invitation if not for Syed's intense glare.

"Uh...we'll just have some brotherly bonding time, yeah, have fun." As soon as they walked away he deflated and gave Syed an apologetic smile. "Sorry, sorry, her smile must have fried my brain." He let out a nervous laugh then stood from his seat. "I'll make it up to you, really!" In his haste he pretty much bumped into one of the waiters. A soda can met him in the face and he flailed around for a moment before catching it in his hands.

Lucien turned to face Syed with a grin. "Good thing it's a soft drink, yeah? Otherwise that would have hurt. Oh hey, Lute, catch." He tossed the soda can in his friend's direction then turned to face the waiter with a smile. "Some tea for my good friend over there and can of soda for myself please." He returned to the table and slid the nice mug of warm tea in Syed's direction. Lucien gave his friends a hopeful grin, "so um, am I forgiven?"

---

Rose asked them if they would like to join her and Estelle flushed.

Xan couldn't blame her, all the twirls and steps, it looked confusing. She gave Estelle a small smile before a glint of playfulness shone in her eyes, "well leader, we'll support you no matter what." She placed a hand on Estelle's shoulder, trying to keep her smile from becoming a playful grin.

Dallia told them about how dancing wasn't as complicated as it seemed and it was only when the priestess mentioned Marcus, that she noticed his disappearance. Oh well, she was sure he'd be more than fine on his own. While she hadn't known Marcus for very long it was clear that he was one of the most responsible members of the pride. She was snapped out of her thoughts when Trixie began to talk about her dancing skills. The girl did a twirl before holding on her hands and Xan grinned. "That was definitely a superb dance, you'll have to give the leader and I lessons sometime."

Trixie mentioned Marcus danging with some random girl and this time Xan couldn't resist teasing Estelle just a little. Estelle and him seemed pretty close, "leader," she chuckled "it looks like you'll have no choice but to dance."

Tobias' Gala - Bar
As much as wine was requested, they got shots instead. But hell, Moira certainly wasn't going to complain. Not when she could simply tilt her head to one side and fully appreciate the view.

And it looked like the alcohol was already hitting her friends - Amy was getting giggly, and Aria was getting sassier. Even Dylan was getting started. About time they all loosened up! And Moira?

Moira was getting louder.

"Eyyyyy shake that arse!" she bellowed, standing up and imitating the barman's shaking. "Has anyone ever told you what a nice arse you got?" She was beginning to feel a little light-headed and dizzy, but hell, she had just downed a pint of some of the strongest stuff you can get your hands on. That shit was going to hit hard and fast. It reminded her a little of the time Lucien got completely hammered on what smelt like cleaning fluid and they had to drag him around Tagress. Except he had no tolerance for alcohol, so he was pretty much a floppy mess.

Amy issued the bartender with a sneaky challenge, and he rose to it quite readily. Three more shots arrived - two of them fairly ordinary looking, apparently called Chocolate Cake and Three Muskateers - while the third seemed to a little block of jelly on a tiny plate.

"This is a jelly shot, they are very trendy at the moment," the bartender explained. Well, it didn't require him to do his little dance since he got the thing straight from behind the bar, but it was a fun little shot made of lots of brightly coloured layers. No wonder the kids were into them.

"Ey, Ree," Moira said with a smirk once she'd necked that one. "You do much dancin'? I ain't had a proper dance in forever." She remained at the bar for now, but continued to shake it - using the bartender's movements as inspiration and building onto it. By building onto it, basically throwing her limbs around like a maniac. Who says you need to be good at dancing to enjoy it?!

Aliquam: Tobias' Gala - Second Floor

"Marcus likes to be alone a lot. It's kinda weird. Sometimes we find him doing things that don't seem like things he would--" Trixie gasped loudly and reached for both of Estelle's hands this time. "WHAT IF HE'S DANCING. What if, what if he like, is actually really into dancing but didn't tell us cuz he thinks we don't think it's cool and he went down there and is dancing with some random girl right this minute??"

"Leader," Xan chuckled "It looks like you'll have no choice but to dance."

“W-w-what?!” Estelle shouted out loud with an mild scream. There was no way Marcus would leave her to just dance with some random girl… would he? Estelle knew that Marcus was a private man and enjoyed his personal time, she respected that. But she couldn’t believe for a second that the reason why he did was because… was because…

Was because she annoyed him so much that he had to go find another girl to dance with!

Estelle raced out of the room as quickly as she could (which, with the dress she was wearing was easier said then done and a miracle that she didn’t fall over upon snagging her feet on her dress and cracking her head on the floor) to the banister which overlooked the main party hall below, and the spiralling and pirohuetting dancing that was taking place by couples below. She strained her eyes as much as she could to try and see if she could make out Marcus below- but the people were all too far away, and moving so quickly that they simply became a blur. It sucked that for the most part guys wore either only black or white, and not the colourful dresses that she and the other ladies at the party wore- it made it so much harder to distinguish who was who.

She turned on the spot, looking back at her friends with anxiety straining her eyes.

“Well,” Rose began, stifling a laugh. “It looks like we’ll be going down to the main floor to find Estelle’s friend and dance then.” She smiled and tittered in a polite and refined manner, before turning back to Dalia. “My apologies, Miss Dalia, but I’ll have to excuse myself from Tobias’ galleries. And Estelle as well…” She had turned to stare back at the dancefloor below. “I think she’ll want to find her friend first. But perhaps Trixie and Xandra would like to go with you?”

---

Meanwhile...

Far below, on the ground floor itself, a figure skirted across the perimeter of the ballroom. Their eyes quickly darted from side to side, inspecting each and every person they saw, his eyes focusing upon and lingering on a select few before moving on. His eyes switched to the dancing, and the way in which the dancers moved gracefully, their dresses trailing behind them and marking the paths they stepped, only to then turn to the band that was supplying the room with the wondrous music they gave, and the gusto with which they played. This was definitely a lively party alright, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves heavily. It was all so… so inspiring!

Beautiful women everywhere! As far as the eye could see! It was just so… so…! Perfect!

And then he stopped in his tracks. His eyes bulging with admiration and awe as he spied a scene of unbelievable beauty lying in front of him. His pace quickened, striding straight across the main hall floor, moving as briskly as he could towards his target destination…

"Eyyyyy shake that arse!" Moira bellowed, standing up and imitating the barman's shaking. "Has anyone ever told you what a nice arse you got?" As the barman continued to work upon the drinks he would serve, Moira continued to flaunt her own amazing shaking skills. "Ey, Ree, you do much dancin'? I ain't had a proper dance in forever-"

“SAY CHEESEEEE!”

Flash!

A sharp flash blinded Moira, Amy, Aria and Dylan alike, as a man dressed in a fabulously stunning tuxedo that would put even the world's greatest secret agents to shame suddenly popped up out of nowhere in-between their group and Lucien, Lute and Syed’s own. The camera in his hands flashed repeatedly, as the man angled himselves in many different directions to take multiple photos of the three striking beauties before him. “It’s so nice to see you all again, and you all look even more sexy and hot then before! Wow!!”

Flash, flash, flash



“And you’ve even brought a new friend with you!!” Simon’s nostrils flared up with a huff as he took photo after photo, the latest ones focused on Aria. “My name’s Simon! Who might you be?”