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After dropping Nita off back at her duplex, Gaius trudged through the village. He was thoroughly whiped emotionally after the long night, but as he stepped up onto the first steps of his duplex building, he stopped. No, he didn't want to go home yet. He didn't want to deal with this.

Complications.

He turned around, walking quickly with his head lowered, back towards the party tent. It looked like a lot of the activity had died down after so many left. However, he was thankful that the alcohol was still available.

Heading over, he grabbed a bottle of something and, untopping it, drank straight from the bottle, not bothering with a cup.

Newt had found his crown on his way back, muddy and dented from the trail. He hopped all the way back to the tent alone, his head hung sadly. He was lonely. He had made friends, sure, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he just wasn't welcome anywhere. The labs, home, the village, anywhere. He didn't even notice Natsumi as he hopped inside, heading towards the food table to find a napkin to try to clean off the sad, rediculous part of his costume. He had thought the costume was cute. He supposed he really just looked stupid. He'd go back and put his jumper back on later. He needed a drink himself.

Amaya had been sitting around at the edge of the tent the entire night, watching what went on and staying to herself. Marshall had come over to stand next to her and chat between going off to talk to other people, but once the clock struck midnight and the red path leading out of the tent lit up, the girl refused to follow. She knew the staff was just going to play a cruel joke and she wanted no part in it.

She waited with a couple of others as Marshall, Alec, and a number of islanders walked off into the forest. Even as the night drew farther on and she waited for them to come back, only a few showed up again.

Marshall didn't seem to be one of them.

Sighing, Amaya stood up from her seat and walked out of the tent back to her duplex. Things just didn't seem fun the second time around.

Newt didn't respond, not hearing the gecko-girl as he hopped his way to the drinks table to climb up onto a seat and pull a bottle towards himself to read it's label. He really wasn't a drinker, but at that moment, he felt he deserved one.

He jumped at the sound of his name, giving a startled ribbit befor he settled down again, glancing over Natsumi and then back to his bottle of what had turned out to be a bottle of Jack Daniels. "Oh... h-hallo, N-natsumi..." He wondered who had eneded up taking her to the party, but decided it wasn't worth depressing himself further with delusions of possibly connecting with anyone. He didn't know why he bothered. He was scared of everything, mortified by everything, and he had had too much.

"I'll never forget you made me do this." Ridley Marlow had just edged into sight at the entrance of the tent, his head somewhat tucked and eyes out of sight beneath the broad brim of his top hat. He was dressed as any man would be for a black tie affair, all beit a century or two behind the current fashion. But given the slow pace at which tuxedos had evolved, that wasn't too noticeable. He wore a fine black coat with tails trailing from the slit between his chair back and seat, matching white silk shirt, tie, and vest, and a blood red cummerbund. The whole ensemble, while dashing, really didn't make much sense at a costume party until placed in context with the corset bound beauty at his side.

Here's the story as neither would ever tell it. Vasile and Marlow had been watching a film, one that Marlow hand never seen before on account of the numerous show tunes and an inexplicable distaste for Nicole Kidman. However, at the films end (which also happened to coincide with the end of a wine bottle) Marlow had to admit there were some redeeming qualities to the film, mainly the titillating nature of the costumes. Discussion led to confession and eventually they had a secret mutual fetish on the table and no way to express it in Moreau's isolated tropical menagerie.

But when news of a costume party reached Marlow's ears, he knew an opportunity had arisen. "Costumes" were ordered, and Marlow eagerly awaited the chance to surprise Vasile. Slight miscalculation on his part, as he had no idea that Vasile had actually wanted to attend...

Vasile was surprised all right. As was Marlow when he walked into the bathroom to find Vasile an hour and a half into the complex ritual of preparing for the party a week later. Seemed now both of them were going to have their way.

Ambrose was on his way back from an... emergency trip to his duplex... While the tent was fully lit and the music playing, it seemed as if a lot of the earlier crowd had thinned.

It wasn't long past midnight - were they really that early to bed? It wasn't like they had any commitments the next day. Shrugging his shoulders he walked back inside. There was still food, there was still some decent music playing..... there was a strange trail of red lights leading out into the jungle... maybe it had something to do with that.

Ambrose adjusted the fake glasses on his nose and headed over to the concession table, restocking a paper plate with some munchies, and then looked about the crowd.

At least it appeared as if he wasn't the only one reentering the trip that late - a familiar couple was wheeling onto the dance floor. With a smile and a wave, Ambrose trotted over to Vasile and Marlow.