Welcome to Gaia! ::

Asch's shocked expression then suddenly changed as Natalia continued to speak. In an instant it turned cold. The surprise and the tiny flicker of hope were suddenly squashed. Anger and bitter disappointment filled him as he realized that Natalia was actually looking for that idiot. He should have known better. Even she hadn't realized it. She didn't know who he was. She hadn't recognized him nor realized that the other was a different person.

His yanked his arm away from Natalia, trying to mask the hurt as he leveled a steely look on her before quickly turning and dashing into the crowd.

He had to get away from her. Maybe even leave the party completely if it came down to it.

(Whee for collab posts.)

It was green. It was lumpy. It had a worrying resemblance to a footy pajama suit.

Hayes took a look at the thing Aulus was holding up and made a decision.

"Oh hell no."

Aulus grinned. "Oh come on," he crooned flamboyantly, "it's so you! It's certainly not me at any rate." Now scowling Aulus scanned the room for other possibilities. "Dinosuaurs. Why did it have to be dinosuars?"

"Yeah right," was his partner's laughing, good-natured response. Hayes didn't blame Aulus for the current situation. All the freshly-minted agent had wanted to do was get off base and pull him, that was to say Hayes, 'away from that idiot box for a night.' Neither of them could have predicted this. Still, it was a situation.

Dinosaurs. Why did it have to be-

"Hey." The spectacled blond elbowed his companion suddenly.

"Hu? Wazzat?" Aulus quizzed eloquently.

Hayes waved his paper slip. "This is just a theme, right?"

"Well... I think so?" Aulus replied, scowling in a slightly more puzzled manner. "Why do you ask?"

Hayes was frowning thoughtfully at the clothing racks, and didn't respond right away. When he did, Aulus was met with a happy grin that Faleen would have recognized as 'I have an idea.' "Put that down and find a hat. You want to be Indiana Jones or Alan Grant?"

Aulus' frown deepened. "Alan who? Is he one of the villians or something? If so I guess I should be him, protagonists never have a scar over their eye." A sad fact but it seemed to be true in movies and all that. Still, at least tonight he'd probably get complimented on a really good makeup job rather than anything else.

"Dude," the blond laughed, looking up from a collection of shirts with a barely repressed 'are you serious' grin. "Jurassic Park? We'll just say you got clawed by a raptor. Here." He tossed something denim at Aulus. He'd been neutral about the party, but finding a workaround to a problem was proving fulfilling.

"Oh? Oh, right," Aulus frowned, catching the clothing item and nodding, "right, that works... You know I don't think I ever actually saw that movie. We should watch it sometime." He felt a bit of a tit not having seen something so very well known, but Hayes was cool - or seemed it thus far - so he didn't mind admitting it in front of him too much.

Hayes' "Sounds good-" sounded distracted; he was on a mission now. A moment passed until it occurred to him that Aulus would have difficulty creating a costume that he'd never seen. "Uh, okay. Blue denim shirt, khaki work pants, tan work boots, cowboy hat, red.. neck.. thing," he gestured vaguely, indicating either a bandana or a cravat, "and a dinosaur." Go.

"...Right." Scowling more than ever Aulus poked amongst the racks of costumes, gathering up things that looked somewhat like what Hayes had suggested. "These do?" he asked, heading back over to the blond once he'd found everything.

"Sure." Hayes had found a similar hard-wearing getup in dusty tans and browns, and - most importantly - absolutely no traces of flannel or resemblance to pajamas anywhere. He tossed a stuffed dinosaur at his partner, a plush Shieldon of his own tucked under his arm, and shifted the rather iconic hat on his head. "Let's go be paleontologists."

"Uh... That's guys who study dinosuars right?..." Oh. That made sense. He felt dumb. He put on his hat. "Right. Let's go change."

---

"Slips." The attendant on door duty held his hand out, skimmed over the papers, and looked up to find biceps filling his vision. "Those costumes aren't-"

"Paleontologists." Aulus shifted his shoulders meaningfully. The attendant shifted his thinking.

"-thuhhhhhh usual interpretation I've seen. Alan Grant? Loved Jurassic Park. Have fun."

Hayes gave Aulus a sideways look as they passed into the main room. "Nice."

Holding up his skirt, Asch looked very silly as he dashed across the floor, weaving through the crowd in an attempt to lose Natalia.

Why now? Why HERE of all places? And what was she doing in Kodo? But she had told him, hadn't she? She'd come here looking for Guy and the idiot.

Her words stung as they replayed in his mind. She had missed him... but not him... the other one. Asch also grimaced at the name that she called when trying to follow.

In his flight, he caught sight of a familiar face in the corner, talking to a very tall man. Suddenly there was a flurry of red and black as Asch practically dove behind the two to hide.

"J'essaie de m'éloigner d'elle. Prétendre que je ne suis pas là," he spoke quickly to Aila, using her and Mau as shields.

(Asch, Aila, Mau)

Luckily for Natalia, her costume didn't have a skirt like 'Luke's' to worry about. The jacket however caused a slight drag because of it flaring out behind her as she ran after the red head but it wasn't enough to put much distance between the two like 'Luke' probably hoped. Her worry was raising with each step her fiance took away from her and so was her determination to find out what was going on with him. When 'Luke' dived behind two people she didn't know she stopped a few feet away from the small group and put her hands on her hips.

In the face of the strangers she hid her concern and hurt from her face and instead adopted a masking annoyed look, though her eyes clearly showed what she was really feeling. "Luke fon Fabre! Why in the world are you running from me, why did you seem so shocked to see me and why is it that you seem different after only a few months?" The blond addressed him before giving the two he chose to hid behind a slightly apologetic smile.

Little Luke peered at the three before him and his Lady before wiggling his little tail. Maybe he could act cute and distract the two the other hid behind so his Lady could reach him unstopped.

(@Asch/Natalia/Mau)

Well, that answered her one question. Now how to deal with this situation? Obviously Asch didn't wish to deal with this woman, and a thorough inspection of her person gave some hints as to why that might be. Aila prided herself on her knowledge of Grande Ile's politicians, and this young woman bore a striking resemblance to one she recognized. Given she was addressing Asch as Luke - and using his full name no less - she felt it safe to say her assumptions were correct.

"Changer votre costume si vous le pouvez," she murmured while Mau addressed the young woman that had approached them. Perhaps he was stuck in with his theme, but certainly the party attendants couldn't argue if he simply wanted to change into a different dress? Perhaps it would be enough to throw this woman off. She shifted slightly, preparing to attempt to distract the stranger if Asch indeed used the opportunity to get away and if she in turn moved to pursue him.

(Asch, Aila, Mau)

Natalia Luzu Kimlasca Lanvaldear was not one to cower at correction or critique of her manor unless it was by her father and she was not about to start now when her 'Luke' was acting so strangely. She meet Mau's look with challenge in her eyes that warred with the mixed feelings that concerned 'Luke'. "Forgive me, I did not mean to raise my voice above the social acceptance." She straightened up, looking ever more the princess that has been her nickname when she had been growing up even in the witches costume. "Kindly step aside now please as this is between my fiance and I." If he wanted her to calm down then he could deal with her court manners as for the moment Natalia was feeling too many emotions to act any other way with out them showing.

Her eyes shifted from Mau to Ailia and 'Luke' though when the red head started to edge away. This made a frown grace her lips and hurt shine in her eyes more. Why was he still running? 'Luke' knew her enough by now to know that she wasn't really mad and that it was worry that drove her. Normally he would at least give her hints to try and not make her concern grow. He hands tightened on her hips slightly at the thought that she had must have down something to seriously hurt her fiance for him to act like this. Should she try to follow him again or let him run off to who knows where while he calmed down?

......What if something had happened and he couldn't remember his past again? That idea caused her to take a small, fast breath and her calm mask started to break and anxiousness shone through. If he couldn't remember things again then what might he still remember? Was that why he pointed a sword at Guy? Not because of some playful or slightly annoyed gesture but because he could not remember him? It had been horrible those eight years ago when Luke got amnesia and she would hate for him to have to go through that again. But that little selfish part in her heart wondered if he would become the boy she had fallen for as a child again.

No, it was best not to think of things like that as right now Natalia could not prove that anything like that happened. No need to think of the worst right now right? The teen took a step closer towards 'Luke'.

Little Luke on the other hand was fully prepared to jump down from his Lady's shoulder and dart after the other at any second if needed. It was time his Lady knew of the other and his relation to Luke. "Tepig."

@ Natalia, Asch, Aila

"You are frantic. It shall be overlooked this time." Mau responded to the woman in a tone that hinted chastising. As she stood taller, Mau met her stubborn gaze with his own hard though impartial one. "Unfortunately, I cannot step aside." He thought of going the childish rout in stating he had been here first, but dismissed the mischievous notion. He opted instead to try a more diplomatic approach.

"There is quite obviously something amiss between you. One he is not inclined to discuss at this moment, given he sought refuge among strangers." He tried to be diplomatic, as this woman seemed to hold herself in high regard. "Perhaps a mediator would be best." He offered, glancing again to Aila and the cross dressing costumed man.

"Would you allow my companion and yours to speak, to see what the trouble is? Yourself and I may speak to locate the problem. Between the two sides of the story I'm sure we will think of something." Since Aila seemed to understand this man, it was best she took him aside. He had a suspicion though, that she and the man knew each other. There were others around whom would have served as better barriers between the man and the woman. Yet they were singled out, and Mau most certainly did not know this man.