Towards Diverting a Stream

[Trillian]

Ben nodded when Ichabod said it had been sprung on him. "Yeah, sorry," he said softly immediately after those words. He hadn't wanted to tell Ichabod of his plans this way, but the opportunity to explain everything to Zeus had been too good to pass on. He watched as Ichabod looked from their sire back to him again. He thought he read a modicum of assessment in that gaze but it was hard to know what Ichabod was really thinking. He finished the blood out of his glass and set it down on the counter beside him.

"I'm not 'ducking out'," Ben narrowed his eyes at the phrasing, not liking how Ichabod made it sound like he was going to just drop everything. "I was going to hire someone to be the Dean anyway, I was never going to manage it. Founders don't run schools. But I'm going to need someone there with executive power to make decisions when the staff needs something. Instead of explaining the whole situation to me before I can decide on it, you can just be there and know it all and decide straight away."

He watched as Ichabod set down his glass too, and then said something Ben had been fretting about already. But at least he had an answer for it.

"Yeah, I'm aware that a vote might put other districts in the crosshairs. If it goes really badly, the DLs can just point here and say 'no, we'll decide who's leader' which is how they've done it so far. But if it goes well... I mean, wouldn't you prefer to have a vote? At the moment there's tussles for territory and Jake sweeping in and claiming shit like it's still the eighteenth century."

[Existentially Odd]

Kerr covered up his urge to laugh by ducking his head and drinking some blood, his left hand tucked into his right armpit and one foot casually crossed over the other as he continued to lean silently against the bench. It wasn't the time for him to interrupt, even if Cub was throwing him vaguely accusatory looks, like he'd let Ben off his leash and should be ashamed that he'd piddled on his leg or something.

[pinkroses]

Ichabod raised an eyebrow slightly at Ben’s reaction to his comment about the Academy. There it was, that defensiveness and anger, but at least Ben was going on to explain properly. Maybe he was getting a bit better already.

What Ben was asking of him, it was a lot of responsibility, but Ichabod thought he could handle it. And if there was anything he wasn’t comfortable with then it wasn’t like Ben was disappearing into a different dimension.

“Ok,” he said softly. At Ben’s response to his second question he gave a nod. Yes, he would prefer to have a vote, and Jake was a brilliant example of why the way it was needed to stop.

“Yeah, it would be good. A huge change for the city. If it works across the city and lasts then it would stop people like Lazarus from seizing control again too,” Ichabod said in agreement. He lifted a hand to rub against the bridge of his nose, a thoughtful habit from when he’d been human and needed glasses. After a moment’s hesitation Ichabod pushed himself away from the counter and reached out his hand to offer it to Ben.

“Good luck to you. I hope you manage to take him down,” he said firmly. Maybe Ben wasn’t the best person to take this up, but he would be better than Jake.

[Trillian]

Ben looked at the hand, not knowing why Ichabod was offering it before he realised that they'd come to an agreement. When he took it and gave yet another handshake, he remembered Zeus' parting comment.

"Oh, and Zeus and friend wanted me to say goodbye to you on their behalf. Paying respects your way," he said.

It was weird, shaking his brother's hand, but it was also nice that they'd finally come to a point where they could be good with one another again. Ichabod had memories of a different Ben, a crueller one, one who'd hunted him down and abused him. It was difficult to think of himself as doing such a thing, but he accepted it. Under the wrong circumstances, with a push in the appropriate direction, he could turn into an abusive asshole. He was grateful those three years had been taken from him - resetting him. He was sorry he'd lost his love for Kerr, but at least he'd found it again. And it couldn't turn back the clock for Ichabod but it could serve as a warning for himself.

Power corrupts
I've got to be careful
Because power corrupts
And I think I'm vulnerable to that sort of thing

He looked at Kerr next; his lover, his sire, his partner in eternity and his moral compass. He was a good man and he'd been a good leader. As long as Kerr remained at his side, he'd be okay.

He was sure of it.