Yeah she’ll trip you…, she thought, darkly as Roma pressed on.

“Or thermodynamic energy to some kind of… ” Roma paused, a playful smile tugging at his lips as he glanced upward thoughtfully. “Like a closet flange thingy…” He shook his head in mock appreciation, his eyes widening exaggeratedly. The courtroom seemed to hold its breath for a moment before Roma continued, his performance now fully engaging. Several jurors couldn’t help but suppress smirks, catching snippets of his stylized display as he seamlessly blended technical jargon with humor on the spot.

Juniper’s face was a study in controlled fury… nostrils flared, lips puckered, eyes blazing… as Roma delivered his final flourish. “That’s what I think of when I see this woman… a closet flange… elegant and amazing.” He nodded sagely at the judge, whose own expression had transformed from judicial patience to barely concealed exasperation. “But sadly, Your Honor, this is just smoke and mirrors designed to confuse our international visitors who might not understand U.S. patent law.”

Before Roma could capitalize on his statement, Juniper snapped, her voice low and laced with anger. Her face contorted into something that had stopped caring what it looked like… a furious scowl that kept going, past professional, past appropriate, into territory that made Daniel’s hand twitch toward his tie. “You look like a horse from down here… with your long face.” Her words hung in the air, sharp and unexpected.

Roma responded with a slow, deliberate nod, a serene smile playing on his lips as he met Juniper’s intense gaze.

Beyond the barrier, the jury could only watch the pantomime… two silhouettes warring in a language only lips could read. Uneasy glances rippled through the box.

Judge Donahue watched them both for a moment… something that might have been amusement flickering at the corner of his mouth before it died. His head shook once, twice, the motion tightening into something less patient. “Enough.” His voice cut sharper than before. “Both of you need to cool it with your theatrics and focus on the facts at hand. Let’s proceed with the legal arguments without the intermediate behaviors.”

Silence reclaimed the courtroom as both Roma and Juniper composed themselves, their animated gestures subsiding.