Revelation

[Black Philip]

"So what were we talking about," Jake said as he further dissociated. The whole incident felt like thirty seconds now, and he knew they'd been discussing something. Was it the party? His eyes moved to the door for some reason, and he also wondered if the base needed more security. He'd ask Lisa about it tomorrow.

[Trillian]

Lazarus blinked at the rapid comeback. Well, he supposed there was no point wallowing. Because Jake was back to business, he took a risk and mentioned the topic, though not the name.

"You said the south district had gone to Saint Bitch. I'm not stepping foot in her zone," Lazarus complained. He added another kiss to Jake's head as an afterthought, to show he wasn't going to be throwing him around again.

[Black Philip]

It took Jake a second to respond, unsure what Lazarus meant. Was he really that opposed to Sabrina. He needed to know more. "What happened between you two?" He nawed on his shoulder playfully. He felt like himself again. He thought of Murphy for a moment, and then for some reason wished he hadn't. Then Ben popped into his head. Why now? He just seemed to feel him. He quickly made sure he didn't see the other man at the door, Lazarus maybe even noticing the sudden jerk. He relaxed again and waited for Lazarus's reply.

[Trillian]

Lazarus shifted to get a better hold of Jake. He growled his pleasure at the gnawing and took a moment to reply. Did he really want to tell Jake what happened? He'd just blown him, so why not? Do it all.

"She cast a witchy spell on me, a long time ago. It was after I had the city the first time, but long before I took it the second time. Before you were here, anyway." He was stalling, he knew it. "She turned me into a woman. I spent three fucking years travelling the world looking for someone to turn me back. I found someone in China who could reverse it."

The dragon-lady. She'd been almost as bad as fucking Sabrina.

[Black Philip]

Jake had been trying to stay "hip" when it came to the whole Queer revolution. He didn't even call himself gay anymore. Queer, masculine attracted if people needed a label, but honestly, who used labels anymore? He never understood Lazaus's odd hatred of women, but a piece of it fell into place. How horrible to have your body twisted and not match your soul. For the first time in his life he was disappointed in Sabrina. Surely there had to be a better way of teaching Lazarus than mutilating him. He told Lazarus these things and how sorry he was, and gave him lot's of affection, but added, "I think she's Charon's puppet if that helps."

[Trillian]

"Batman and Saint Bitch? All that does is make the city even smaller," Lazarus said, growing angrier that Venture was off limits, all of the south was off limits. If the two of them were allied like Jake said, then Sabrina might be roaming the fucking East as well. "What good am I now, if I can't go where I want?" Lazarus asked, his voice rising in pitch.

[Black Philip]

Jake wanted to ask if Lazarus feared Sabrina, but dared not make him angry again. He decided to go for a gentler approach.

"You work for me now. Nobody is going to mess with my guy." It was an odd way to say it. He could've said "my harpy," or "my employee," or even "my friend," but guy left it open to interpretation. Did Lazarus see himself as Jake's guy?

"So go where you like. Behave in their districts. You burn down Sabrina's house there's not much I can do, but at base line they won't touch you."

[Trillian]

Lazarus looked sideways at Jake, wanting to believe that he could protect him, that his status was enough, but he'd been burned too many times and lost so much. Even when he'd been at the top, his plebs had mutinied and given Kerr the position of Luminary.

Fucking Kerr.

"I would've preferred Ben as District Leader over her. At least we can push him around," he said, hoping to cheer up Jake. Perhaps it was the wrong thing to say though, because Jake said how much he disliked Ben but he never did anything about it.

[Black Philip]

"Well I plan on doing that in general anyways," Jake grumbled. Suddenly he felt very angry at Ben. He thought of his actions at the party tonight and scowled. "He is such a little fuck up." Lazarus would hear more hate than normal, and see a cruel look on his face.

"But Sabrina won't make waves, and it basically means that Charon controls both districts. He's the one to watch. Sabrina owes him. He's meeting with Zoehert and assholes tomorrow, and..." And this part was spat out harshly. "His loyalty wasn't fucking cheap."

[Trillian]

"Why, what does he want from you?" Lazarus asked, aghast. "He doesn't want you to... you know..." His mind went straight to sex.

He thought of Ben having sex with the monster and almost gagged. He'd heard stories of plenty of pretty boys lining up to offer themselves to the monster and couldn't get past it. It separated the bite-junkies and whores from the rest, that was for sure. Maybe Charon dominated them? Oooh, that made sense, but where would be the fun in that?

He left his thoughts to pay attention to Jake's response.

[Black Philip]

Charon wanted two open ended favors of his own request, and added the condition Jake had no choice when to pay the debt back. When he came calling Jake would answer. Invading the west without telling Charon had been a risky moving but after seeing how chummy he'd been with the bird people he felt it was still the right one. Charon needed to earn trust too, and if he supported Jake in the west as promised, Jake would consider it trust earned.

"I owe him two major boons, favors of his own request. It's a rather popular form of currency in the vampire circles I'm from. I wonder if he chose that knowing I'd be forced to honor them. I don't anticipate they'll be anything life changing."

Jake was giving Charon a lot of credit, whether he'd really earned it Jake didn't know. Jake also saw the irony of telling the harpy who he owed boons too. Technically, making sure debts were paid was part of his job description.

[Trillian]

Lazarus' eyebrows shot up as he was told this.

"You're so clever. You get his support in the west now, until it doesn't matter anymore, and if he asks you for more than you want to give, you refuse. It's not like he can take it back." Lazarus laughed his delight.

[Black Philip]

Jake knew Lazarus was oversimplifying this. Charon's tasks would be unpleasant, but he did have one good point. The longer Jake controlled the west, the harder it would be to take it away from him. Charon asking for his two favors soon and back to back would be a hard warning sign that betrayal was near. Jake would honor his word unless it was to kill a school bus of babies or murder his child or something equally horrid.

"That's the idea," Jake played along. He liked that Lazarus thought him clever. He liked the praise.

[Trillian]

Lazarus grinned and cuddled Jake a little tighter, but still wary of his hold. He would be tentative for a few months (weeks?) until the memory faded of how Jake had regressed into himself. It had reminded Lazarus too much like another love - one who he'd let die, who he'd told to end it all and then they had.

No more dwelling. Jake was fine. He was fine! Lazarus had fixed him.

[Idrial]

Sam was displeased to see Lazarus when they got home, avoiding him like a disease-carrying rat and going straight to her room. This corset had started killing her in the middle of the event, happily stripping it off and throwing it on the ground. Taking in a deep breath to try and rid herself of the pain, whatever jackass invented the corset should be shot. Gently take off the tights and skirt, hanging them up in the closet. Sam was excited about pyjamas, warm, fuzzy and un-constricting. A grin on her face as she pulled her pyjama's on. She would shower in the morning, sitting down at her desk she proceeded to wipe off her make-up.

Suddenly Lazarus started screaming about Sabrina, it made her smile. So there was someone that put the fear in Lazarus, then she could hear the smashing of items. What the hell?! Jake is going to kill Lazarus! Then a heart-wrenching thump against the wall, oh God Jake! Sam reached out to him Jake but he told her to stay in her room; she obeyed sickened with worry. However, the feeling of staying put would not last long. As she wiped off the rest of her make-up a disgusting feeling crossed her body. One that felt so familiar it invoked a response of rage, a terrible rage that was ready to explode.

The wave of raw emotions from Jake froze Sam to her seat, sending her into her own flashback. The night of her death and rebirth, that feeling of an out of body experience and the loss of any sort of control. That vampire's ghastly paw on her shoulder as she was taken to the ground, breaking several bones and sitting on her chest. Her nose broken and her chest crushed before draining her dry, a violation of her body and blood, she felt the similar feeling with Jake now. Unable to sit any longer she shoved herself out of her chair, refusing to obey. She would not let him be alone, Lazarus did something violating and awful. He had assaulted Jake and Sam would not stay in her room, her eyes dark with not only rage and the beast within her was not far from being released.

Whipping open her door with an untold fury she marched to his door, a large bang as she forced her way into the room and what she saw disturbed Sam. Jake's pants are undone as the two spooned each other in Jakes bed. No... Lazarus didn't! But he did and Sam felt all Jakes emotions, glaring at Lazarus with an obsession. Not caring if Lazarus chose to harm Sam, she would not let Jake be alone.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY DAD!?" She screamed at Lazarus. Towering in the doorway, calling him out on his horrendous actions against Jake.