[img]http://i.imgur.com/2uDBgEK.png[/img] [b][u]Aliquam: Tobias’ Gala[/u][/b] [i]"At least the authorities know where he'll strike next yeah?" Lucien gave his friends a hesitant smile. "Plus, we can ambush him now and catch him before he strikes." He slammed a fist into his open palm, eyes gleaming with determination.[/i] Estelle nodded back, but looking up again at the swaying chandelier, and the feathers that cascaded gently down to the floor, she couldn’t help but frown. She folded her arms over her chest, and sighed. Ambushing the thief was one thing. They knew where he’d strike, if what he said was true. But the Academy was a large place, and they had no real idea of knowing what it was he planned to steal. His words were cryptic as best, and that was it. Whoever this person was… if it was something they did often, and announced it as that… catching him might not be as easy as they’d have thought. Her mind wandered back to Fenaru, to the time where they had to confront a pair of cat thieves plaguing the sleepy rural village. They managed to stop their antics, and recover the feline kittens they had stolen, but the thieves themselves managed to get away. That always bugged Estelle. This guy though… this ‘Masked Phantom’… she swore she’d catch him. [img]http://i.imgur.com/8mPMSWF.png[/img] “Estelle. Everyone… are you alright?” To their side they saw Marcus approach, the suited man casually walking up to them with a reassuring smile, hoping to relax all of his friends. They nodded. Despite the boisterous events that had occurred, nobody seemed to be injured in any way, shape or form. The only injuries they had taken were those whom had drank a bit too much. The hangovers they’d receive in the morning would see to that. Other then that, there was one injury, and that was… [b]“Attention! May I have your attention, please!”[/b] [img]http://i.imgur.com/WDVJyuu.png[/img] From the floor above, a familiar voice rung out as loud as possible. Craning their necks up to view it, the Pride and all of the other assorted guests saw the Gala’s host, Tobias, speaking down to them all. His expression was firm, and laced with agitation. From their vantage point they couldn’t see the blood trickling from his cut hand. “I regret to announce that this party has reached its untimely end. As I’m sure you’re all aware, thanks to this masked cretin’s interruption… it would be impossible to continue things as they were. I’d like to thank you all for coming, and offer you my sincerest apologies for this… this mockery.” Tobias sneered. “But rest assured, I promise to make sure this arrogant brain addled fool is caught, and made to answer for his crimes. If you’ll all turn your attention to the exits, you’ll find my staff willing to escort you to my carriages, which will take you all back to your homes. My apologies again for everything that has happened tonight. I wish you all a safe trip home. Thank you.” Tobias turned and walked away, to another loud bevy of chatter and discussion amongst the guests of Tobias’ party, even as they did slowly and laboriously begin to leave. “That’s a good enough cue as anything…” Estelle looked to her friends, and shrugged. She then turned to Dylan, who despite his drunkenness, smiled with a giggling nod. Even though the matter of this thief, the Masked Phantom, was a serious matter indeed, he couldn’t help but be delighted at Tobias’ face, and how his precious party had been so utterly ruined. [img]http://i.imgur.com/AIt9B3l.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/8I5EqBQ.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/9qAfFLn.png[/img] “We’ll all go to my home,” Dylan smiled. “Obviously we don’t have enough beds and rooms for everyone, but I think we’ll be able to manage, somehow.” "Or we could go to mine," Rose interjected. "Mine and Angel's home has plenty of room available for everyone here." “Hmm. Tomorrow, I think we’ll have to have the school closed,” Dalia rose a finger to her pursed lips, deep in thought. “This will be extremely tricky. We have a lot of students living at the dorms on campus… so I and the rest of the faculty will have to see what we’ll do about them. Whether to evacuate them for the night, or make sure they don’t leave their rooms. This stranger said he was targeting the Academy’s ‘most valuable work of art’. I don’t know what that is, and I wouldn’t think it would involve the students and their dorms, but…” “Don’t worry, Miss Dalia.” Rose smiled. “I'll deal with the students. I agree with you, in that I don’t think this thief will target the dorms. He has no reason to. If we make sure none of the students leave the dorms or their rooms, we should have nothing to worry about on their end.” “There’s a lot to have to deal and react with…” Estelle frowned, nodding in understanding. “But we’ll help as best as we can, Dalia. That is, if we’re allowed?” “Oh, but of course!” Dalia smiled. “I’m sure we’ll also have a lot of Empire soldiers patrolling the grounds tomorrow as well, but the more help we can get, the better! And I don’t think there’s anyone more qualified then Guilders, or my brother’s friends!” “What about Tobias?” Marcus asked, looking over his shoulder to where the Patron had last been standing. “If he needs any help, he’s welcome to ask for it. But you heard him. I think the best way to help him at the moment, is to quietly leave.” Answered Dalia. “Yeah, I don’t think he needs our help.” Lute added with a grumble. Dylan laughed, one part thanks to the drink, another part thanks to his friends now beginning to see Tobias for the type of man he was. One with an exceptional ego. “Well then,” Dalia turned to their nearest exit. “Shall we?”