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@Natalia, Rosie

"I didn't even get here until just a little while ago--" Ohh, wait. A memory sprang into his mind of the man with the face like his, and his expression grew more severe. "Probably that damn impersonator," he muttered, though not at a volume that Natalia would be unable to overhear. "Some freak running around that looks like me. It's not really anything to worry about, but he's got some serious issues, so it's better to avoid him." He pointedly left out the part about the suspicion surrounding said freak's involvement in a criminal organization. That was something that could be explained when they weren't at a party in the middle of a dance floor - if it needed to be explained at all.

The shout drew Luke's attention as well and attempted to pinpoint the source, but the density of the people around him made that task nigh impossible. He frowned, though Rosie promptly pulled his focus from the fruitless search, "Well... Probably." He didn't really want to tell Rosie that that guy was here either, but she was already much more involved in the Rocket fiasco than he hoped Natalia ever would be. He lowered his voice and directed his words to Rosie, "Seems the guy with the sword might be here," he said, hoping his tone and features would assist in identifying the subject of the vague description. "I haven't seem him since I got here, though, so he might have already left."

@ Aila:

Mau rolled his eyes to her skeptically. "You sure about that?" He reached a hand up and pat her shoulder. "You look anything but alright." There was a hesitation a moment before he asked. "Does this have anything to do with the young man that joined us earlier?" He couldn't think of anything else. Aila had run off with him. So he couldn't imagine anything else happening between then and now. "Who was he?"

@ Shizuo

Presea was at a disadvantage. She'd never had formal dance training, but it didn't look too hard. She knew the basic principals. Though their height difference made it a little awkward to position her hands. But with Shizuo leading, she didn't have too many troubles, and managed to not step on his feet. "No." She replied. "I'm from Fortree. Though I was living in Jubilife until recently. I've been in Camphoreon for about 2 weeks." As the song ended and Presea stepped back from Shizuo, something seemed to have caught his attention. She glanced where he was looking before Shizuo excused himself.

"A friend of yours?" She pondered as he was retreating back towards the dressing room. She gave a painfully awkward and unpracticed curtsey and watched Shizuo retreat. Really, she hopped that his friend was alright. Being at a party was supposed to be fun, right? She wasn't sure what to do now, and slowly retreated to the nearest wall to avoid being stepped on, still keeping a curiously worried eye on the dressing room.

"Great," Aulus grinned wider as Dani grabbed his hand and followed along without protest, "then let's go." Even if you didn't especially fancy her it was nice when a pretty girl grabbed your hand.

Aulus hadn't been out dancing for a while, but he knew how to avoid making a total tit of himself. He also knew well enough not to do any especially suggestive dancing; sure Hayes could as much kick his arse for it as a damp tissue could stop a raging Metagross but that wasn't the point, the point was he liked Hayes and didn't want to do anything to piss him off. Anyway, this was fun without grinding or groping or anything else like that. Maybe he just needed to loosen up and get out to have fun a bit more often. He'd meet lots of girls, and eventually one of them was bound to be more interesting than Claire... right?

On the ceiling meanwhile an isty bitsy spider made slow progress towards an open window. The expression on the Spinarak's abdomen was one of fear and confusion; it had gone to sleep somewhere perfectly quiet and dark and safe and then the dark safe place had opened up to brightness and it had run away to hide in a corner. People hard started stomping around then though, setting up all kinds of human devices and then noise had started and strange lights and crowds! Many, many scary things all at once had driven the poor spider up the wall, but there was nowhere much to hide where it was. Across the room however a window was open, and desperate to get away from all the scary the spider moved onward across the ceiling. SoSoScary! The window was SoSoFar! Don't look down! Scary!

(At a table)
Why didn't she bring a book or something?
Socializing. Interaction. These were /scary/ and awkward things. Always.
Parties were full of dancing people, drunk people or just people that probably wouldn't want to know. Eh. She knew that was her own mind talking but how an earth was one supposed to win an argument with one's own mind?
There was a book waiting at home; a present still wrapped, title unknown, ready to be explored and read. She could picture it, still waiting there on the bed, blue paper doing nothing to disguise what the package contained...
It /would/ be a nice thing to look forward to when she got... home. Huh. Okay. So the base was home now. She'd not realised it had clicked that way yet...
Tambrey deflated slightly, then just sat herself down. She could watch the dancing again, or keep an eye out for Lasi.
It had to be too early to leave, she was sure, but it would be nice to know where Lasi was so that they could go when ever she decided to...
She should have just unwrapped the book and brought it with her.
Her gaze turned once more to the dance floor.
People-watching could occupy her for a while she was sure; observing how other people interacted- Rockets and not- was interesting.

~~~
(Anyone on the dance floor really)
Someone /had/ to be thirsty! Unless that Gengar had gotten around to -everyone-? Was that even possible? Who knew?! Lasi didn't, hoped it wasn't, and even if it was he was going to try anyway. Humans liked to drink strange liquids for -fun- all the time! He was sure of that. And soda /was/ strange. Delicious, yes, but so, so strange. All bubbly and fizzy and all the sugar...
... To heck with the humans! /Lasi/ wanted the soda! He bit at the can a little and frowned. Nothing.
Fine!
Find a human, get them to open it and then share the fizzy bounty! Or steal. Whatever. There was goodness in this infuriating metal cylinder and he /needed/ it! He fluttered down toward some of the dancing people.
They seemed active! Active people were strong and helpful!
He landed among the dancing crowds and began showing anyone and everyone the can in his mouth.

It was amusing how Izumi and Frost seemed to get along in terms of conversation. Neither were very good with people, but when it came to mechanical and technical subjects, it seemed they shared a common interest. Furthermore, her arm was a rare topic that both individuals seemed comfortable with discussing.

Though the talk between them had started off rather awkwardly, with Frost's prompting, Izumi seemed to catch up with his enthusiasm in his questions by answering easily and rapidly. In spite of everything, the info-broker allowed himself a faint smile.

That was, at least, until he heard his name called.

Whoops; he hadn't expected Izumi to have noticed him, let alone call him out. Was she really so comfortable with him now as to identify him in public? And, from her words, attempt to strike up another conversation with him? If so, he blamed Jerome.

At least she still seemed to be stuttering, but it still unnerved the informer that she seemed so happy about his presence. Even more so that she had paused in her friendly conversation with Frost to greet him. People were supposed to find him annoying; not like him. People who liked him, although rare, were so much harder to deal with!

How had she been able to recognize him in the first place? He'd had the perfect guise, and - oh. His wig. He'd left that and his new mask in the bathroom. But he still had the old mask Aila had returned to him! Placing that back on his face, he turned back to address the angel.

"I'm sorry, you must be mistaken!" he cried in his comically heroic voice. "I am the magnificent Human Lover! I do not know this person of whom you speak." There was likely no fooling anyone; not Frost or Izumi for that matter, but if he didn't deny his identity, then Izumi might have likely continued to go around calling him that. It was already risky enough that she had spoken the name aloud once. Who knew who would have recognized it, or worse, associated his false identity, Nakura, with his true name?

"I am here to protect young damsels in distress such as yourself. Feel free to call on me whenever you are in need!" He saluted the cyborg angel before hopping behind Xander, fearing Frost's wrath upon him. Where was Jerome when you needed him? Why had he left Izumi alone with Frost? If he was lucky, maybe the two would go back to talking about Izumi's mechanical miracle of an arm.

(Dith)

To be honest, as bristled as this might have make Jerome... though he's not sure why. Jerome was liking this guy more and more because of this.
Jerome listened, his teeth playing absently with the piercing under his lip.

And then, Jerome spoke.
"Just gatta point out man, bout her bein' in danger an all, and ya probably heard from Bartender dude, I got her into some s**t, not that I meant to, and not that I didn't try to get her out of, but I've hurt her already."
He didn't take his level gaze away from Dith.
"But you take a step back and take a long hard look at what this little groups you've got is doin', trainin's good and all but you ********' want to poke at Team Rocket" It was here that Jerome pulled an arm up and dropped a hand for emphasis.
"Team ********' Rocket man? and yer worried bout me hurtin' her?"

He lifted his hand up again. "I'm not good enough for a kid like Izumi, She ain't got no business bein' around a punk a** like me."
And the hand lowered again, slipping back into his pocket.
"She's got you guys now, That's something she always deserved, and if you wanna be protective bro, go for it, you wanna keep her away from me? yer ********' welcome to, I ain't got a beef with that, Keeper her as safe as you can with this bull s**t idea you've all got. But I can't keep myself away from her."

Jerome Did not like the fact at all that these kids were going to be messing with Team Rocket, even with this huge guy in front of him, and the body guard Jerome was paying to keep Izumi safe.
He didn't blame Dith at all, Jerome knew he wasn't the kind of person that deserved to even be spoken to by someone as pure and innocent as Izumi, not someone as tainted as Jerome.

(Jerome)

Dith straightened up, narrowed his eyes, folded his arms across his massive chest... and looked down at the floor. "Da," he said eventually, "I gathered a leetle of that from Shizou. I am glad you don't deny that you caused issues at any rate...." He trailed off then and sighed, taking off his whimsical bear hat and pushing his fingers as far through his thick golden curls as he could before they got tangled.

"I know it must seem silly to worry about one man given what we're trying to do," he went on eventually, untangling his fingers and shaking his head. "Like, uh, like drop of water in the ocean but even so, there being big things to worry about doesn't stop me worrying about small ones as well." It hadn't been his idea to face Team Rocket. He hadn't ever wanted any of his young friends to be in danger, no matter how competent they were in a fight or a pokemon battle. He hadn't tried to stop them though, not once. He had told himself that there was no point, they wouldn't listen, but had he tried? No. It hadn't been his idea but it did fit with his ideals, and so he had gone along with it just saying he would do his best.... Well, his best would just have to be good enough, now wouldn't it?

Dith, who had been looking down through Jerome rather than at him finally shook himself and focused again. "I will do anything I can to protect her, and the others," he said decisively. "No matter what the threat and no matter what I have to do I will protect them until my last breath.... If you mean her no harm, I will not try to keep you away from her; you seem to make her very happy, and I do value that I simply...." The huge man trained off again and made a rather helpless gesture before concluding; "Worry."