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((FINALLY scream mrgreen ))

"This is all I could find. Everything else up there was related to demonstrations or fund-raisers. Legit. This is the only thing that stood out."

Zack folded his arms. "Take that information back to Interpol and get it analysed. Make sure they tell you everything; you want to know every last scrap of information, anything that could be important. Even things that might not be important; get them checked out."

If there was the slightest inkling that Zack wasn't completely serious before, it was utterly eradicated: "We are not letting this get out of hand."

((And then someone spontaneously combusted in front of zack and jump))

Another eep escaped Henrietta. Dancing, it seemed, was full of weird surprises such as spinning and dipping. Perhaps she should've paid more attention to it in any form before.

"I'm not really good with people, maybe a desk job." She couldn't see herself out holding a sign or talking to people about a goal like Plasma's. Especially not giving speeches. Behind a desk, where very few people would want to ask her questions or notice her, that's where she'd want to be.

"So how come you asked me? You had no idea of knowing whether or not I'd show up looking like a mess or not."

kenta stared at N dumbfounded. should he lie?... is there a point in that if he knows?.. "h-how did you know?"
sasha smiled at N, and still clung to kenta. she was listening to this and it seemed she not only understood, but congradulated N for being able to tell.

Wayne's eyes were just getting used to the dark when he noticed- "Yaaarghna?! How long have you been there? Uh. You didn't see me dancing naked did you, cause that totally wasn't me, it was like a hallucination except not and--"

He swallowed.

"You look pretty pissed, um... is this because I didn't go to your hotel room? I guess that's why you'd come to mine but like, I so did not stand you up cause I was on my way here when I passed out and had to drag myself back, then I went to bed."

The trainer slumped back down, a little out of breath. "That was-- I need to lie dow-- oh yeah." He ran his fingers through his hair, "My headache's back..."

Henrietta stopped dancing when she was straight up again. Her hands were up and she looked to be considering something. Her cheeks flushed - she wasn't really that... cute, to look cute enough with all that junk on her that someone would throw everything they intended up in the air for the sake of a date.

One hand dropped, to take Reid's. She seemed hesitant, her eyes diverted to the floor. "L-let's go someplace private."

***

"Hey!" Goldberg shouted when he saw Jump. He had an unlit cigar between his lips, apparently he intended to go out for a smoke. "Looks like I won, brother. How's about the money?" He grinned one big grin, but that was normal. He always seemed like a happy fellow.

((This))

Yana rose an eyebrow. "No hard feelings," she told him, placing his pokeballs on the chair as she stood up to look down on him. She did it in a way so Wayne would definitely be able to see that they were his pokemon, and far out of his reach.

With the hand not holding her parasol, she started to lower one of the shoulders of her dress. "I actually didn't come here to reprimand you, contrary to everything you might be thinking. Why don't you lie back down and I'll explain what's going on."

The fabric of her dress pulled away with her hand, revealing a tattoo on her shoulder. It was the Team Plasma insignia.

"We need to have a talk."

****

"What?" Jump exclaimed as he walked up the stairs in the lobby towards the doorway to the banquet room where Goldberg stood. Fortunately for the giant man, the doorway was huge.

"BS, dude. Got any proof?"

****

Reid took a deep breath. What was she playing at? Unless she intended for this to go like a real date, Reid didn't know why she would want to take him out of the banquet room. Perhaps to attack him when they were alone? But no, she wasn't the agressive type. Maybe she just wanted to be able to hear him better.

He looked over his shoulder. A single stairway led to the mezzanine that made up most of the second floor, and from the mezzanine they could access the balconies. Reid could throw her off one if push came to shove. Literally.

"How about upstairs?" he asked while taking her hand.

****

N shook his head. "No. She doesn't like crowds." He scanned the crowds, looking for Salieri. She had been gone for a while now. N didn't want to be left alone with this stranger, even if he was harmless. He barely wanted to be in the banquet at all. But at least Salieri was one familiar face.

"Crowds make her nervous."

Goldberg produced Sachiko's number, however real or fake it might be. "Could always go dig out the used condom if you doubt me that much," he said accompanied by some jolly laughter.

Whether that was a bluff or not was unknown.

***

"O-okay."

Holding Reid's hand, Henrietta followed Reid to the stairs. All the while, she looked around at the banquet. She could make out a lot of people she didn't recognize, and some she did. There was N, Robby, Kenta, Luka, Hiba. With her hair completely blonde and her face in make up she might be more difficult to recognize - save for Luka who'd seen her already.

((Thanks. My morale has been boosted! More coming soon!))

Jump snatched the number out of Goldberg's hand. What. What? "No, that-that can't be..."

He had been so distracted by Kero that he had never gotten Elysia' number himself. All of his mojo had been depleted at that moment. Goldberg had defeated him at his own game.

Jump dropped to his knees, letting his arms droop at his sides. "No..."

He looked upwards, and then bellowed. "NOOOOOOO!!!!"

****

"It's okay," N tried to assure Kenta. In all honestly, he would have been more comfortable if the child left him alone. But he wasn't about to say that. "I suppose I don't like crowds either."

A thought occurred to him. Kenta said he was a familiar face. "Where have you seen me before, exactly?" N questioned.

****

And so Reid and Henrietta would eventually end up on a balcony by themselves. It overlooked the wharf, providing an excellent view of the moonlit water. Reid leaned on the banister.

"Why did you want to go someplace private?" he asked her, fingers on his temple. Now that his hands were freed again, he could assume the psychic stance once more. And he could begin to read her surface thoughts again.