mitochondriaaya | Oh those lovely lawsuits

"Like that makes it all better." she snorted. It did, of course, but she had to be stubborn! "Promise me you won't consider a hotel room ever again without good reason."

"Promise." he makes no promises for Braig, however.

Well, she'd corner Braig about it too, probably in the car. "Good. No point in me having all this room if no one uses it!" he got another snapping of teeth before she rolled and bought the Bog of Stench.

They'd had a lot of fun with markers when they were younger.

He laughs and rolls as well, letting himself get lost in the game for the next few hours.

She didn't get quite as lost, growing more and more fidgety as the hours passed, but eventually Braig knocked on the door. Aya popped up like she was on strings to yank the door open for him "It's noon already?!"

"Yeah." says the short man, reaching around her for a hug. He's also in suit and lab coat, "Come on, sweetheart, lets go."

Dilan packs the game up before following.

"My other hero" Aya greeted, and she wasn't ashamed to admit that her hug was more of a cling than anything else Braig scooped her out the door. As proof of her distracted state...she left her small purse with her wallet, house keys, and student ID tucked safely on the couch as she went out. "Dilan mentioned you actually thought about getting a hotel room. Shame on you."

Dilan grabs the purse and slings it over his shoulder as they head out. Braig keeps his arm around her waist as they head down.

It is not a limo, it's a BMW. Dark blue. Very classy. "Well, you know. Just in case you wanted private time."

To do her credit, she didn't balk at all, stepping up into the car. "That's just dumb Braig, and you know it." she scooted over to let Dilan in. "Promise me you won't think something like that again."

"Nope." Braig says, slipping into the driver's seat. Dilan holds open the back door for Aya, and slides in next to her. "Always going to make the offer, always going to let you slap me for it."

Dilan just grins.

"Masochist" Aya snorted and swatted the back of Braig's head around the head rest. "You're going to deserve it every time."

"Maybe so." he says, "But you'll have the option of privacy."

"Yeah, not really seeing a situation where I'll need it." she snorted and leaned back to strap in. "Drive Raoul!"

"Onwards, m'lady." Braig agrees. Dilan slips his hand over Aya's and murmurs, "It'll be fine, love."

"Or we'll fail utterly and I'll end up in jail somehow." she knew that wasn't possible at all, but...but! Yes, she was back to tense. "You guys will visit right?"

"You're not going to jail." they chorus as Braig pulls up at the courthouse. "I'll meet the two of you inside."

"I'm going to jail." she muttered under her breath as she slid out of the car and smoothed her skirt. The girl they were suing was no longer in a cast but she wore a prominent arm brace and was talking, loudly, to her friends and lawyer across the hall.

"She came with her whole class!" she squeaked.

"Don't worry about it." Dilan says quietly as he leads her to her place. Which happens to be just in front of a dapper older gentleman, blonde hair just going silvery, whose face is e-ver-y-where on posters and magazines. Ansem's wife is next to him, and she rises to give Aya a gentle cheek-kiss before settling back down.

Aya gave Mr. and Mrs. Ansem quick hugs before she perched on the edge of her chair. "Dilan...I'm going to be sick." she said very, very seriously. That said she pasted a small smile on and folded her hands in her lap. The very picture of a well behaved twelve-year-old.

Judging by how dramatic the initial testimony ended up being it was going to be a long, long trial.

"No, you aren't." Dilan says, crouching down next to her for a last hug. "You're going to take a deep, deep breath, you're going to tell the truth, and you're going to be fine." he kisses her forehead and settles down next to Ansem, saving a seat for Braig. Braig's parents are on the other side of the Ansems.

Aya took the prescribed deep breath and held until she saw spots. It helped, a little. What helped more was the anger that started to grow during the other girl's testimony. It was righteous, indignant anger about how the girl was coloring the events. It made Aya sick for an entirely different reason...and it served to put some more iron in her spine. She took the stand with determination instead of fear, and she spoke with her customary, forthright honesty.

She'd have time to shake and break down later, for now she was mad. Very, very mad...but she didn't let it show. Her lawyer was grimly pleased by her testimony...and she really didn't dare look back to the people she knew after that. She kept her face forward and her gaze steady on the judge.

The personal testimony part is...interesting, to say the least. The boys, Braig and Dilan, are quiet and polite...up to the point where the other girl's lawyer tries to imply something more salacious than really exists between them. Then they get tight, angry, and very, very quiet.

Some of the girlfriends from when Aya was a teen make passionate appeals. Braig's parents speak. Ansem and his wife offer brief commentary.

That's the part the press eats up.

Through it all Aya sat tense tight on the hard wooden bench of the courtroom. It really would have been easier if Aya had just broken the girl's other arm...especially with the smear tactics. She wouldn't have blamed the boys if they needed to get up and out after that...

The flash of cameras made her jump during the Ansem testimonies. She really hadn't been expecting them to let cameras inside the courtroom, but really, how often did things like this, with this group of character references, happen?

It was during the closing speeches, with a lot hand waving and declarations of 'dangerously deranged' that she decided she owed everyone ice cream. Everyone.

Except Dilan. He doesn't do ice cream. He does lean forwards over the divider and rest his hand on one of her shoulders, Braig doing the same thing to the other.

Dilan could have a frozen banana on a stick. She'd even spring for nuts if he wanted.

Having those hands on her shoulders was nice. It kept her in her seat instead of scrambling backward as the judge deliberated. As it was she was leaning into the boys pretty hard.

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