People will always watch a spectacle.

It was one of the fundamental truths of universe in much the same way that airports can never be pleasant and bureaucracies are incapable of efficiency.

Still despite their somewhat depressing nature there was a certain satisfaction that could be taken in their predictability; in turning even the most tedious of irritants to one’s advantage.

After all, fading into the background comes far more easily when the audience is absorbed in a suitably distracting display of spectacle, and in this day and age what better example was there than a certain outspoken, toupee touting, multi-billionaire presidential candidate?

As he strode towards the back of the crowded press conference and the rapidly diminishing empty chairs that remained, Simon found that he couldn’t help but appreciate the irony of a serious political conversation taking place within the same room as Donald Trump and the mainstream media.

Skirting passed the thinning ranks of journalists, camera technicians and run of the mill security the elemental eventually claimed a seat beside an all too familiar blonde. “Good morning Miss Faust.”

Oh. This was rich.

“Please, have a seat.” Lori’s mirth could hardly be contained. It leaked out of her smile and into the very tone of her words. “I can’t believe how responsive they all are. Do you think he’s… you know?” She raised an eyebrow and somehow indicated Trump on stage. He was a telepath, though not many knew that. If anyone could seed an idea in someone else’s mind, it would be a telepath.

Was he cheating? Did it even matter?

“I see you got my message.” She hadn't been sure how to get hold of him, so she'd asked a favor of Lisa.

”—and I promise you, promise you, I am the best thing God ever invented for jobs in America.” Another rallying cry for the 2016 presidential candidate. Even Lori clapped for that one. Hilarious.

“I wouldn’t want to be president.” She admitted, once the crowd had calmed enough to hear Trump’s next fanatical declaration. “I don’t think my background would hold up for one, but I also don’t want to leave New York.” Roger and Rupert, Faust Pharmaceuticals, the M trade… No. She had too much going on here. They would find a cure here. Maybe it was this ridiculous rally, but she felt hope kindle for her company’s research. “I think we need a better mutant lobby on Capitol Hill.” How else would they be sure to get their best and brightest elected?

“This is America! We should be able to do what we want!” It was hard not to be in a good mood here among the frivolity.

"But even more than that, I think we need someone here, in New York." She'd never tried her hand at politics before, but Trump made it seem fun.

Claiming the proffered seat beside his old employer Zephyr afforded himself a brief glance around the assembly before the few remaining chairs were taken. While he generally disdained the mainstream media on both a practical and principal level he was aware of their limited, if effective use, in throwing metaphorical tantrums to distract the population from discussing anything of actual consequence.

That being said though, monkeys still fell from trees, fish did drown and even the greatest fool’s came across pearls of wisdom; the hessian had no desire to become part of some nightly news snippet, while the odds were low that he’d be recognized there was little point taking the risk when it could simply be circumvented.

Thus as an infamous head of orange hair approached the podium and the hall erupted from the flashes of far too many cameras, a handful of tv crew members felt their equipment shift faintly as lenses were tilted upwards by imperceptible currents of air just enough to avoid the seated crowd and focus on the man behind the curtain dais.

’And so the circus begins.’

There was no true malice behind the thought, merely a weary resignation as Trump dived into his habitual bombastic oratory for the press who clung to his words like felines following the crimson speck of a laser pointer.

“I can’t believe how responsive they all are. Do you think he’s… you know?”

Tilting his head the elemental regarded the blonde beside him with a nonchalant expression before giving a simple shrug. He had his own suspicion’s regarding the man in question but this was hardly the place to voice them. “I wouldn’t be surprised either way, regardless you don’t need to be gifted to heard sheep, just louder.”

“The problem with politicians these days is no one admits they have an ego. Show me someone wthout ego and I’ll show you a loser.”

“I see you got my message.”

Shifting his attention away from the billionaire’s… charming, rhetoric Zephyr let himself sink into his seat slightly as he returned his attention to his companion. “I heard there might be an opportunity if I stopped by, though it was a tad sparse on details.”

And so Lori told him, amidst the blunt and boastful claims of the man on stage and the feigned outrage and sincere excitement of the sonorous crowd, until the background noise simply became too much of an irritant and the elemental constructed a sphere of silence between the two of them.

“I hadn’t though you one for politics, but I won’t disagree with you, a pro mutant block is rather lacking at the moment. I take it you don’t mean to go after the Mayor’s office directly?” While it technically wasn’t the political capital of the country NYC was the business capital in all but name and as such any related positions of power garnered far more scrutiny than they might otherwise.

“While there’s a number of things that need to be considered you’re most immediate obstacle will be the current incumbent, he was elected on anti-mutant pro-regulation platform disturbingly similar to what we during the registration. Have you had a chance to consider how you’ll deal with him? If you’re looking to be blatant I’d point to the mutant group currently bombing banks to highlight his ineptitude.”