World Tree MUSH

    The town hall meeting is set in the San Jose city hall building, in the Gabriel C. Hernandez Public Hearing Hall. As appropriate for a city as affluent as San Jose, the 'hall' is more like a tasteful but lavish auditorium, with excellent acoustics and darkly stained oak panels. The chairs are very comfortable for the wealthy citizens who have deigned to attend and the more ordinary blue collar citizenry who have both filled the hall to capacity. The mayor stands at the central podium, while the members of city council sit on both sides. The mayor is rapping the gavel, trying to bring the noise to some kind of order, sweating profusely under the lights in his pristine suit.
    "For God's sake, people!" bellows the mayor.

Ash dressed conservitively as he filed in. Technically he had no business being here, but as he had increasingly had to start dealing with local authorities? While he wore what could be taken as bluejeans, tshirt, and a ballcap? The hollow red circle with a red slash going through it was likely an unfamiliar logo on his ball cap. The material of his shirt draped strangely, and his boots? Were clawed toed boots normal here?

Still, he had left his weapons at the door as he held his hands in front of himself. The gold rimmed half-specticals recorded what was going on in the town hall. "Ordis how's signal looking?"

"Clear, Operator." Ordis's voice couldn't be heard unlesso ne either had very sensative ears or were standing next to Ash. "Nothing that would register as unusual as far as my sensors can find. This meeting appears safe."

Escanor was dressed extravagantly. a long leather dustur with fur along the trim and insides with no shirt on, black pants, and some shoes. The Divine Axe Rhitta planted in the ground nearby as the Lion's Sin of Pride looks...well, bored. 

 The Gargantuan of a man looks around. To think he's here to witness old men talk instead of act. Well, atl east he's not talking at the moment, keeping his words to himself.

    Luke admitedly felt a bit sorry for... the situation at the parade, even if he and his pokemon acted to stop what seemed a large, possesed parade balloon!. He is alone this time, not wanting to cause trouble with the people gathering in the building, and slowly searching for a familiar face, was that Ash?. He begins to make his way towards his friend, the boy easy to miss in the crowd, once pokemon are taken out of the picture. 

    He almost misses the gargantuan figure looming around and pauses, he is a bit unsure if he should approach or not, deciding instead just politely wave towards the bored man as he tries to make his way to the person he thinks might be Ash.

    Crammed in among the more white-collar crowd, and managing to pass himself off as completely normal in a three-piece suit, there is a man here that does not belong in this world. Truth be told, Balthier was not particularly interested in the goings-on of this world, only here as a stopover while Fran and Nono effected some necessary maintenance on the Strahl, the ship cloaked and hidden in plain sight.
    Left with relatively little else to do, he had made his way to where the crowds were going, which conveniently took him into the city hall building. He'd followed a gaggle of rich-looking businessman, and a pair of reading spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose as he'd effortlessly swiped a briefcase from one, a nice-looking long-brimmed fedora from another, and a scarf from a third; none of the three the wiser.
    So he sits in his uncomfortable auditorium-style seat, occasionally glancing down to the paper (this world's writing system seems bizarre), and watching the proceedings, piecing together the situation from what he can hear.
    It helps that he has no otherworldly quirks of appearance. There's no way Fran would have been able to blend in here; a hood wouldn't even begin to conceal those ears. And Nono... well. He's pretty sure that nobody here has ever seen a moogle before.
    Nothing to see, here. Just another rich, concerned businessman.

>> SUMMARY[Balthier] >> The leading man must know when to be a social chameleon, and do it well!

     Dressed in his usual pinstripe broad shouldered business suit Benito doesn't even try to dress down to blend in. He shouldn't have to after all. 

     He stands confident not raising too much noise, nor attempting to make a scene. Really the reason he was here could be far more easily chalked up to tourism then anything else. No need to dress different when all you are is a tourist right? 

     His hands are deep down into his pockets slicked back black hair matted down into place with a hefty dose of pomade. His own long flowing trench-coat that he took everywhere along with the matching hat had been left behind on the coat rack by the door, after all it was only polite to do so when entering a meeting. 

     Friendly eyes trace from one corner of the room to the other as he puffs away on his cigar, none too keen to give it up nor put it out as the show goes on the stage. This whole thing could go south in an instant and he knew that, but business was what it was.

    About an hour ago: A city councilman picks up an odd silver coin, roughly the size of an American quarter. He doesn't recognize the markings on it and pockets it, assuming it's some weird foreign coinage. He doesn't notice it dissolve into magical mist as he sits down just before the meeting starts... 
    Nobody's getting dirty looks per se. Even Escanor's height and outlandish outfit just makes people look at him because he's HUGE. The very diversity of people within the state of California works to make it harder to tell who's a native and who's an outworlder. Which makes the present topic of how best to deal with outworld threats a bit more sinister.
    The crowd is restless and demanding better protection against vague and shadowy threats from the outworlds. It's pretty much a shouting match between the mayor and a few of the most vocal people in the crowd.
    The councilman who picked up the coin loosens his tie, looking flushed and unhealthy. As the meeting drags on interminably, the man slowly bloats until finally somebody notices...

Ash grunted, "THey're afrade, and fear is making them clamor into the hands of xenophobia."

"But Operator," Ordis's voice whispered, "They have legitimate cause for concern given how most are unable to defendthemselves. They have every right to be afrade of what they do not understand." Then after a moment the cephelon added, "With that said their fear is leading them to divide further weakening themselves."

Ash breathed deep as he looked about, waving to Luke when he finally noticed the trainer. Then looking to the rather gargantuine fellow he frowned. Something itched at the back of his mind about how he dressed. One fom Invalice? His head shook. Didn't match with any of the banners he saw when he worked there and someone that taffin' huge would have come up in convrosation.

Then he saw someone obviously unwell. Obviously... swelling. He started walking, jumping from one empty place to another as best as he could. Given his ability to literally dash from one spot to another, even if it was only a few meters at a time, this ability to thread through a crowd was rather better than average. 'Sir?" Ash's voice rose, gesturing and trying to get others to focus on the poor fellow, "Sir do you need a doctor?" He wasn't sure how close he could safely get, or even if he was just seeing thigns but something felt off.

"Ordis, get the lander ready. I might need my warframe afterall."

Escanor remains steadfast as he is. He still looked bored even as people notice him. Before the meeting ever began, those who looked upon Escanor would get a arrogant grin from the man. "What you look upon is the glory of the sun itself." 

 Then, it begins. 

 A look is given to Luke, and his chin raises just a little bit. Even now a look of superiority given to the pokemon trainer he had met just days ago. But, things get even more exciting! A fat politician gets fatter unnaturally. 

 "oh ho...this may be interesting yet." He lets people ask if the man's okay. Perhaps he has a medical condition. But, Escanor uncrosses his arms, and reaches for his massive battle-axe. Seems he's prepared for combat or prepared to defend people against an explosion.

    Luke was more focused on approaching his friend than actually looking around, so he was not really noticing the hcanges on that councilman at first. He is certainly aware of hte topics, and he feels a bit bad for potentially causing some unrest but.. he was just enrvous that balloon might hurt people and he acted!... well, technically, his pokemon did!. "Hey Ash, been a long time." he finally manages to say, before realizing that Ash's attention turned to one person, blinking and following quickly. "He desn't look too well." he mumbles, "Can anyone call a doctor?" he calls outloud, trying to get attention from the crowd, even as he also reaches for one of his pokeballs.

    As the proceedings deliberate back and forth, the sky pirate folds his arms, leaning back in his uncomfortable chair and cocking his head just slightly. The spectacles lend him a much more bookish appearance, one that the people here seem to find non-threatening. It also seems to be quite common. Myopia must be a problem in this world.
    He sighs, reaching up to adjust the slightly headache-inducing lenses. His eyes are perfectly fine, so the reading glasses provide a little bit of distortion. So it's down to a shouting match between the mayor and the outspoken minority. As exepcted, they look like they're leaning towards blind, stupid xenophobia. Mob mentality. Thankfully, his mild posture and his underwhelming appearance help lend the impression of belonging.
    His eyes flit across the crowd, searching out the ones who seem to be making the most of a scene about the city's problems. That woman over there is apoplectic iwthwith her shouting, and those two men look like they're ready to chew up an iron ingot and spit out nails... and that man over there--
    "Well, that's interesting." The comment is quiet and mostly under his breath as he watches the uncomfortable man. So bloated is he that there's no question this must be some kind of magick. Balthier lifts a brow, tilting his head a little, gaze flicking back across the chamber to see if anyone else has noticed.
    Not as of yet, but a few of them seem to be catching on. That young man over there, the one conservatively dressed, wearing jeans, a shirt, and a cap. And that boy over there, that's the trainer of strange monsters. On the off chance the boy glances over, Balthier affords him half a wry smile and a wink. Surprise, boy. But he watches as the one in the cap tries to help the bloating man. Instinct and years of cynicism tells the sky pirate that this might not end well.
    His posture is shifting, subtly, ready to leap from his seat if the need arises; to backpedal and blend. He doesn't have his rifle with him, nor any magick at his disposal. An uncomfortable situation for what began as a means to kill some time. Slowly, smoothly, Balthier rises from his seat, tucking his hand in front of himself to steady his jacket and tie.
    No sooner has he blended into the crowd than he reappears at Luke's shoulder. "Well, well. I wasn't expecting to see you, here, but there we are. Leave that for someone else; there are plenty of concerned citizenry, here. I would, however, expect trouble. You know how it goes," he comments, airily. "First there's screaming, then the rushing and the shoving for the doors, and then something shows up to ruin our collective day."
    The sky pirate sighs. "Bother."

    The man has drawn the eyes of most people in the hall. For once, it's quiet! The man isn't really moving anymore, which... implies the worst. There's a long moment, more than a handful of heartbeats, as some of the more circumspect members of the public quietly leave. The more gormless ones just gawp and stare. Ash is able to get extremely close, as the police officers who are there for security are either helping people out in an orderly fashion or trying to figure out what to actually do.
    There's an awful ripping sound that breaks the pensive quiet, a strange shadowy thing discarding the councilman's skin like dirty laundry. "Lords and ladies, boys and girls of all ages~! Welcome... to the show~!" It says in a booming but sibilant sounding voice. At this point, panic sets in among the remaining crowd.

"No." ash's voice was an unamused flat declaration as he stared at this... Thing. Emotion filtered away as he centered himself in the emotional void needed to do the voodoo he do.

"You just killed a man and have declared ill intent for this plac." His voice carried unnaturally far, rolling within the walls of this meeting hall enhanced by the void coursing through his body. "I will give you this moment to explain the what and why of your actions." He held his right arm out as if pointing to a thing beside him. His fingers spread out as if reaching. Within the security room at the front of the building a palmsized disc opened and expanded. A trio of forearm length blades extended as it spun, flying down corridores and through doors until it found its way to Ash's hand. The disc looked more grown than forged.

Ash's eyes never blinked as he looked upon the corpulant shadowed demon. "ANswer me truely and restore the man you have slain, or you will die by my hand."

That's right fatso. Eyes on me. No need to involve all thesquishy people that were now likely feeling mortal terror.

    Luke yelps in surprise at someone talking over his shoulder!. He recognizes Balthier from his previous encounter, "WEll... I might have been involved in the incident making them do this meeting so was curious... perhaps see if I would help." he begins to explain, before turning his focus to the swelling person. 

     As the... change happens, the boy seems freaked out, but he does not seem willing to get away just yet, struggling against the crowd of people trying to run around him. He tries to push his way through, and grabs the pokeball he was reaching for, releasing teh contained pokemon. A grizzly bear sized fire bear materializes in a red beam of light, next to Ash, looking at the shadowy thing curiously, and offering Ash a greeting growl, polite bear monster. Luke seems a bit freaked out still by the way the monster just... discarded the person, so he allows Ash to talk for now.

"How unsightly." 

 Escanor didn't appear too concerned. Sure, he felt bad about the politician that died, but he probably did something to cause this...strange individual to emerge from his body. Sounds about right. Well, Escanor shoulders his weapon and he approaches, his feet making loud thuds as he walks. 

 "If you seek to entertain me, draw a weapon. I assure you, however, it would most certainly be in vain. But! I, Lord Escanor, will give you a chance to flee for your life before I strike you down." 

 ...he wasn't called the Lion's Sin of //PRIDE// for nothing. He notes his allies: Luke, Ash, Benito, and possibly Balthier. Nevertheless, it appears that this will not be a silent contest of verbal jabs. 

 Not even close.

    "Oh, look at that." Balthier lifts his chin and eyes the emergent shadow, and the way the thing casts aside the body like soiled laundry. That man is probably very much dead. Nothing to be done about that, is there?
    Folding his arms, Balthier sets down the briefcase (it didn't have anything valuable in it anyway) and tossing aside the reading glasses (they were only giving him a headache in the end). Whatever happens to them, he doesn't care. The jacket he also shrugs off and tosses over the back of a chair. It'll only get in his way. He lets his head loll to one side, along with a satisfying crack as he tilts it the other way, doing the same.
    "Funny, but you seem more like a supporting role, to me." The sky pirate strides forward, and in spite of his wry half-smile, his hazel eyes are still and cold. It's better not to get involved, but even the leading man has to do something heroic once in a while. These people are obviously unprepared for something like this. He looks like it, too, but that stillness in his eyes suggests he's better acquainted with danger than he looks, slacks and shirt and vest and all. "Really, how tasteless an entrance do you need to captivate a crowd? A poor showing, if you ask me."
    Balthier strides forward until he's standing a little closer to the others, face twisting into a nasty little half-smile. Let Ash bark about having that thing restoring its victim to life, but the sky pirate is a cynic; no doubt dead is as dead does, for that man. He does arch a brow, though. Neat trick.
    "Your heroism is certainly commendable, if misplaced," he offers, to Luke. "The more people you gather in a group, the more panicky and stupid they oft tend to be, and the less grateful for what they see as uninvited meddling. Still. Mayhap we can make lemonade out of the lemons in our hand."
    He doesn't freak out. In fact, he looks calm as he slowly steps away from Luke and the Pokemon he summons, hazel eyes flicking over the crowd as he folds his arms, noting with some detachment the approach of Escanor. That is a very big guy. Huh. Wonder what the chances are that he has an extra weapon on him.
    "Blood and damnation," Balthier sighs, glancing to the others. "I don't suppose any of you have some manner of firearm on your person?"

>> SUMMARY[Balthier] >> Theatrical bluster at the demon-thing. Hey, anybody got a spare rifle??

     Benito is calm and collected at the whole situation. He just makes his way over to his long trench-coat and hat. He takes his time having managed to move through the crowd even as it all hit the fan. 

     Methodically he places his jacket on one sleeve at a time hiking it up barely giving that monstrosity the time of day. He doesn't seem to terrified to be honest. 

     "You know, when I came down here," He starts, placing the hat slowly onto the top of his head hiding back away his slicked hair smooth motions one to the next. "It was just for a bit of business, you know with nothing but a fist full of dollars." 

     He's still not looking back in that direction. "Hide it all behind a bit of tourism and go home with a few dollars more." He reaches into the jacket and pulls out a small magazine loading it one bullet at a time. "I was going to just let you do you, and me do me, one big fish to another." 

     He looks back turning around fully now holding a brilliant silver Thompson SMG engraved with the virgin Marry and other religious iconography. "So why'd you have to damage the suit?" Before just holding down the trigger firmly in that things direction.

    The shadow thing laughs. "All the world is but a stage and life but an illusion we share~!" A gesture from the thing and the corpse lurches up and dances towards Luke and Ash in a hideous imitation of life. The shadow thing seems to exist more to cause terror than actual damage, so the assembled heroic types are likely way too much for it to deal with.
    "Why yes! I'm the master of ceremonies and only set the scene for the play. The real villain of the piece loves to hide away."

Ash was only slightly bluffing. He could put up a fight as is, but he'd need his warframe to put that whatever it was down permenently. He spared Balthier a glance and nodded, "My sidearm's in the security station out front. Didn't feel like bringing any of my larger guns I'm afrade, too bulky. Pretty sure there's a few others in there the guards'll be happy to let you borrow." His voice was calm, not relaxed but calm even as he felt Esconor's footfalls shake the ground near him.

Even floating within the void there was a sense of relief that he wasn't going to fight this thing alone. Maybe it would decide to not ignore him, or at least the group as a whole, and go hunting for fast (and screaming) food.

And then there was gunfire. He didn't flinch, the shots wern't aimed at him and he was running on the assumption the trigger man had a half-ideaof what they were doing.He stood his ground, throwing the bladed disc at the daemonic whatchimacallit's head. He would give it no more words. The fact he was clearly going to make good on his threat to murder the thing should be a clear enough message to this thing's boss. 

As soon as the disc left his hand he made several hops back before his eyes closed and his focus started t gather. Last time he tried this? A thing came along and ruptured his eardrums. Now? He hoped he could have enough timeto gather energy and end this. 

A single headshake. No. No time. His left hand moved, pointing forward palm first with fingerss spread as a beam of prismatic shifting light, heat, and energies swirling from the physical to arcane and back again shot towards the creature.

    Luke takes a few steps back, focusing on the monster, and shuddering when the corpse is forced to levitate, the bear pokemon snarling loudly at it and moving to smash it away if it gets too close to him, or Luke. "I don't have a gun, but I have a pokemon good at ranged fights." he begins to reply. Of course, he is distracted when the machine gun starts firing away, especially when Agni forgets aboutof the dancing corpse to push Luke to the ground and flopping on him, trying to 'protect' Luke from the attack.

    "Cute," Balthier observes disdainfully in the shadow-creature's direction. "But you haven't the talent to handle a real audience. You're a shabby, second-rate imitation, and I don't make a habit of speaking to the dead."
    And that thing is going to be so very, very dead once the various and sundry people here are done beating on it. The sky pirate is not going to be one of those people. He could go retrieve a sidearm from the security station, but there's really not much point.
    "I'll leave this to you," he comments to the group at large, fastidiously adjusting the cuff of one sleeve. "I find I've lost the desire to soil my cuffs with this business. I do believe that it's time for me to exit stage right."
    No sooner has he given that than he edges backwards into what's left of the panicking mob fleeing the vicinity, blending in; just another brisk-walking businessman putting his head down and getting himself out of harm's way. He does pause to look back, though, just enough to see the shots fired by Benito, the bladed disc hurled by Ash... they're going to destroy this thing.
    Exit stage right, indeed. If the others look for the well-dressed sky pirate, he's nowhere to be found.