A Quick Aside

[Black Philip]

Jake led Ben backstage, away from where Seb and Lisa were currently speaking. Jake liked that Lisa had found someone to calm her and Seb was beginning to be a regular face in their lives. His friendship, service and counsel had not gone unnoticed, and Jake made a quick mental note to send him an invitation to a private meeting with him. They officially had business to discuss.Ben was taken into one of the dressing rooms, and Jake shut the door, turning to the witness.

“I have decided to spare Lazarus’s life. I don’t think you’d care why I changed my mind, but I have. It presents a new problem which is how he should be punished instead. I want something severe enough to send a strong message to him and others, but I have no wish to harm him in any way that’s permanent. You are the other offended party in this case. I am hoping you might have an idea or two as to what should happen if he is found guilty. I also have a suspicion that he might pull the rug out from all of us and plead guilty so I want to be ready just in case. You are under no obligation to provide me with counsel but I am asking you for it. If you don’t want to help, the door is there. Otherwise I’m listening.”

Jake crossed his arms over his chest, his expression serious. He was unsure how Ben would take this news, but words like psycho, trainwreck, poser and his other greatest hits were floating around in the air.

[Trillian]

Ben pulled a face of astonishment. Every move Jake did seemed to be propelled by his own self-interest.

"You've made all these decisions before he's found guilty?" he asked. He wasn't about to talk punishments to someone who couldn't even wait for the trial to be over before deciding what to do with the verdict.

Apparently Jake had decided the verdict was guilty, and fuck everyone else's opinion.

[Black Philip]

Jake kept his face clear. He didn't move, and kept his gaze directly on Ben.

"No. I don't determine guilt. Sabrina is filling that role. However, I do want to be prepared if he is found guilty, and seeing as how we both know he did what he's accused of he is likely to be found guilty. I cannot hold him for weeks to be sentenced in a separate proceeding. I am surprised he has not tried to escape before today. It is one of the reasons I think he might plead guilty.  However, you have my word that if Sabrina finds him innocent I'll respect her decision and let him go. Unless you wish to tell me I'm in league with Sabrina and that she's a puppet or that she hates Lazarus so much that she would sacrifice her values."

Tone was even. He gave no emotion. Ben seemed to misunderstand and misconstrue everything Jake said, no matter what was being said. He had no idea why Ben thought thinking of punishments meant that Jake had determined him guilty. He was really just a person who saw the worst in every moment.

[Trillian]

Ben stared at Jake for a long moment, trying to decide if he should tell him what he'd learnt. He decided not to. Let it come out during the trial, if it was going to come out at all.

"Cut his finger off, the one with the ring. It protects him from mental assaults."

Ben figured without the ring, Lazarus would be vulnerable. A vulnerable person didn't throw their weight around.

[Black Philip]

Jake nodded. Now they were getting somewhere. He was glad Ben's initial suspicions were put to bed. He even seemed to relax his body slightly. The arms and shoulders melted, and his face showed the tiniest flicker of gratitude. They would make it through today. Murphy was another topic for another time, but if they could get through today without hurting each other, well, Jake would consider that a first step back.

"I had thought of that as a possibility as well. I'd also considered banishment for a few years. He's traveled the world before and he'd come back. Any other thoughts on the matter? Now is your chance to say whatever is on your mind."

Jake thought of having to tell Lazarus to leave. It pained him, but at the same time he feared cutting off his ring would turn him into a weapon. An ancient with an ax to grind could turn Lazarus into a wrecking ball. Then again, he'd wanted them to feel one another, to go dancing in one another's minds. Maybe Lazarus would learn to forgive him for taking the ring. No. He probably wouldn't.

[Trillian]

Ben considered it, but Jake had blindsided him with this public trial, so he said nothing about Lazarus.

"I promised Murphy I'd sire him, after the Academy finished being built. It's happening in a few months, so... prepare yourself for that."

He hadn't got it sorted with Kerr yet, because they hadn't really come to an agreement, but he wanted to put the screws to Jake - to let him know he couldn't be slobbering all over Murphy's blood and body anymore.

So he could just fuck right off.

[Black Philip]

Jake actually looked stabbed yet again. Ben seemingly knew how to find the thing that made him happy and destroy it. Well what had he expected? Ben was just a horrible person. His disclosure reeked of insecurity and jealously and it made him sick. Ben wanted Kerr and had him, and now he had to have Murphy too. If he knew what he knew now, he might've bought Lazarus's tale that Ben seduced him. He just had to have anyone Jake wanted. It was so transparently weak. He walked up to Ben, as close as the coward would let him get without fleeing back in fear. He said nothing for a long time, but then broke into a smile.

"Thank you for testifying and for your cooperation. I know you don't like me, so it means a lot that you're here. Good luck today. As to Murphy, he can do whatever he likes. I like him. I want to be around him. I like him so much that I'd want to be around him even if he was your fledge."

He winked at the little shithead, and left him alone in the room, returning to the main room and towards Zoheret.

[Trillian]

Ben saw his words hit their mark and couldn't suppress the cruel smile that seemed to build up from his insides. He got an intense pleasure from pissing Jake off, and he didn't even have to yell or insult him to do it. He just had to drop a well-timed truth bomb.

The smile remained as Jake approached him. It would be fucking awesome if Jake struck him now, proving that he was inferior to combat Ben's words. The smile faltered when Jake gave him a smile of his own and his eyes narrowed slightly, wondering what was coming.

Ben nodded, accepting the response. Okay, he'd been civil. Good for him. Maybe he wasn't a total loser. Ben watched him go and then returned to Kerr.

continued back at A Trial For the Century