OOC: No offense to any one person, but this thread has gone on too long. This is the slowest one we've had yet, and there isn't enough activity in it to suggest that it's going to end.

Ever.

We're essentially faced with two options: We let this ride, stand idly by, and just hope that it eventually comes to a close with everyone satisfied (which is unlikely at the diminishing rate of posting), or we step in, be jerks, and just say it's over, hopefully preventing anyone from quitting because of its pacing.

If any of you want to get any posts in and establish that anything in particular happened, it is suggested you do it within the next day or so. This thread is going to be locked very soon!

[]sorry for the wait.[]

Mary’s words where entirely lost on Jack. She was so absorbed in what was going on that she didn't even HEAR the lamb. She watched in horror as the gem went airborne. She was endlessly glad that Mary managed to catch the rock, she looked at Ember pointing at the poor deer’s head.

"I hadda thought. Maybe we shouldn’t hang ‘round. We ain’t supposed to be here.” Jack advised the bird, pulling away from the deer that was held down with little more than ribbon and knots.

The Llama returned fire at the guards but it seems Vince had no shortage of bullet sponges where she did have a limit on bullets. She noticed the cat too late to move the bullet hit her calf, her leg went out from under her. The only noise she made was a grunt.

Tracer took in her situation holding the bleeding wound. While it was within her power to get up and keep fighting, it seemed the situation was lost. She glanced up at the stage where her accomplices' dance partner and her hostage where keeping him subdued. She made a mental note to murder both of them as soon as she got the chance. The rock was lost, she didn't see it go flying so could only guess that someone other than the buck had it. Things where not looking so good.

Then the booming voice and appropriately armed reinforcements, The Llama gave a heavy sigh, and tossed her gun out from behind the pillar. Even Tracer knew when she was beat.

”…crap.”

Ember quickly let go of the deer and fell back with a panicked expression. Not wasting any time she stood and help her her hands sheepishly.

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire.", she mumbled to herself. The gears of her mind worked overtime to try to find a way out of this. She had no badge, no reason to be there, and had set the place on fire in the first place. Though it had been dark and so many guests were running around like chickens. No one noticed. Hopefully.

A sigh of relief came from Terra as she stood from behind the table. Her shot was true and she was thankful to see the llama throw out her gun. The feline was starting to feel a little worried. The prompt arrival of the police was welcomed as she walked out from behind the table. Stowing her gun back into its holster, she pulled out a badge of her own to show that she was part of security.

With a nod to Jacques and the accompanying police she commented, "Was wondering what was taking so long."

Basil nodded in return to Terra. "My apologies on my tardiness, miss. We... ran into certain difficulties getting inside, you see. However, I can assure you, we will most certainly take care of things from here." A couple of the officers to his left headed off to tend to anybody who happened to be wounded. Jacques shifted onto one side as he procured a single candy cane from the pocket of his tuxedo, and began to idly crunch down upon the minty hook. "Yes..." Crnch, crnch... "... I will be very interested to learn more about these 'guests'..."

Keeping their guard up, the armed officers closed in on their targets, and began to issue the cuffs where necessary. A trip to the local station down the street awaited the terrorists, as well as those particular guests that got caught up in everything to begin with.

Of course, there was still the matter of that Chaosol Emerald... Whether the lamb was still holding on to the rock, or had her hands up in surrender as well, a few of Jacques' men approached the gem cautiously. Before they could really decide what to do next, a couple heads of Vince's security detail strolled up, one of which was the leader herself.

"Don't... don't worry about that thing..." With a hand rubbing the back of her head in a vain attempt to dull her current migraine, the dalmatian sauntered over to the group and plucked the emerald for herself, before unceremoniously chucking the thing into an unfortunate ice sculpture that had somehow survived the whole ordeal (mostly) intact.

KrckCRASH!

Almost as easily as the sculpture, the supposed Chaosol Emerald shattered into countless pieces.

If it was possible to feel the very temperature emanating from a living being, the air around her would have been absolutely seething.

"As it turns out..." She breathed heavily as she readjusted the shades upon her muzzle, in an effort to, at the very least, not appear any more disheveled than she had to. "My staff just spent the last half hour or so risking their necks for a very fake piece of $#@% stone." The dalmatian growled with a bit of distaste for the overall result "... Master Vince decided it was a good time to inform me of this just moments ago."

She walked over to Terra, and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "You did good. I'll see to it that you and the others get some form of compensation for this mess. I'm going to have a little chit-chat with our boss." The dalmatian then turned to Basil with a look of gratitude slightly obscured by her sunglasses. "We appreciate your assistance in the matter. I have to move along for now, but Terra shall remain with you to lend her aid with cleanup. Please make sure my wounded employees get assistance."

The jackrabbit nodded, finishing off the candied treat he had been chewing on, and give the dalmatian's hand a firm shake. "It will be done. We can take it from here."

The security leader nodded, gave the detective a salute, and made her way to the ballroom's elevator, taking what remained of her able guards along for the trip.



It was certainly a sight to behold. What was once a glorious, beautiful dance hall was now mostly in ruin. Tables and debris were scattered about the place, food and tableware were strewn all over the dance floor, and several spots in the ballroom had been burned severely, the once-aflame articles now singed beyond recognition.

Jacques' officers began to set up their perimeters, securing the scene as was necessary. The jackrabbit watched with a steely eye as a handful of his employees began to herd the handcuffed guests to the outside, where there was no doubt a police van was waiting for them. He counted to himself the number of those arrested - five...

He issued some final instructions for one of the officers of the crime scene, and tipped his hat to him, turning heel to follow the detained outside.

He had a wide array of subjects that he had wished to discuss, after all.


[[I do apologize for the hasty wrap-up, but I figured it would be good to go ahead and get things secured as quickly as possible.]]