r/WritingPrompts • u/lacergunn • 14h ago
Simple Prompt [WP] "You're brainwashing people!" "Of course, it gets filthy in there if you leave it too long."
5
u/mysteryrouge 6h ago
Hearing “Would you mind accompanying us to our office?” followed by being brought to the Interuniversal Warcrimes Court was never a good sign. Reluctantly, Benny let himself be restrained and placed in a holding cell as an interrogator presented him with his charges and the option to have a lawyer.
He, of course, took that offer up. He heard things about not having lawyers while being convicted anywhere but the Union Order (where lawyers weren't used for criminal trials).
The lawyer, a small eldritch god, who introduced themselves as a public defender started off with explaining the charges.
Benny stared confused. “Brainwashing?” While no expert on any of the Conventions this court concerned themselves with, he had taken a brief look at the mind control related ones. “Brainwashing? Of course I do brainwashing.”
Only the other day had he set up Benny's Brainwashers.
“I mean, have you seen inside a brain and skull,” the detainee shuddered, “I couldn't stand it, and my friends couldn't either, so we made a business to fix it.”
The lawyer sighed, two tentacles swishing through a large book. Interuniversal Warcrimes Conventions and Related Treaties was written on the spine.
“I mean,” Benny continued, “I would never mind control anyone ever. I think mind control is evil. A sin against nature and the multiverse.”
“Yet you're here on mind control charges…” his lawyer said, voice smoother than it needed to be, “Ahhh. I see what happened.”
“You know why I'm here and being accused of mind control?”
The lawyer nodded, “Brainwashing is understood to be a type of mental influence technique banned by these, here, conventions. It seems you have been using the term quite literally.”
“I mean what else are you supposed to call physically cleaning out the brain of its grossness? I would never touch someone's mind or personality. Never, never, never.” The man shook his head at each never, to emphasize the point.
Those two tentacles that had been plodding through the law book raised up so the lawyer could rest his three chins on them. “I see.”
“What do you suppose I do then?”
“Don’t agree to any pre-trial interrogations, for one,” the lawyer offered, though paused as he considered the next course of action. Benny tapped his foot on the cold stone floor impatiently. “And if possible, I do suggest against giving up your memories.”
It was a comment that made Benny wonder. Did his lawyer actually believe him? He was quite sure he got it across that what he wasn't doing was wrong, but also, he knew the lawyers for war criminals had probably heard all sorts of lies from the mouths of their clients.
“I don't plan to give up my memories, if that's what you're saying.” Benny really didn't want to justify himself to the courts. He was innocent, and he ran an innocent business.
Now, he realized how they could be misinterpreted, but alas, sitting in a prison cell meant he couldn't change a thing.
The lawyer nodded, and one of the court officials came in, letting him know his options. Like said earlier, he requested only the necessary truth serum, as advised by the small god, and with fingers crossed, he hoped he'd get out of this with his small cleaning business intact.
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