Current timeline
<Jessica> Walking into the club, she let them take her coat and moved over towards the bar to take a seat and just watch for a while.
<Jessica> As sleep was still somewhat elusive, with renewed talks about getting eaten not helping at all, Jess had given up entirely on the idea and opted for more distractions. Tonight's distraction was the Hellfire Club. Her dress was black and elegant and would hopefully draw just the right amount of attention. She had a lot of nice jewelry from her other job so she accessorised properly too.
<Shaw> As it seemed it was now past the bedtime of the old codgers who'd been inhabiting his club of late, Sebastian found himself at loose ends. Sitting at the bar, nursing his scotch, he was now watching the room through the mirror and not bothering to actually look at people.
<Jessica> Ordering a drink, she turned in her seat to scan the room, picking up snippets of conversation. Boring, boring, boring... She caught a familiar profile along the bar but was unsure whether she should reintroduce herself or not. She decided to just stick to her plan of watching for now. It was always fun to watch people.
<Shaw> Taking a drink, he noticed the new arrival and moved just enough to watch her through the mirror. She was from the school, that much he immediately recalled.
<Jessica> At least the creepy old guy Angel had saved her from wasn't here, she noted as her eyes travelled from one group to the next. She was grateful for that. She could definitely do without any more old people holding her hand outside of work. At work she didn't mind because they weren't hitting on her.
<Shaw> Oh, yes, she was with Tony and Hope's group. When Angelina had decided to drop back in. She had looked familiar then as well, and he'd never placed exactly why. Catching her eyes in the mirror, he gave her a small smile and inclined his head in greeting.
<Jessica> She returned the smile, casting another glance around the room before sliding off her stool and moving to join him.
<Shaw> "Well, my evening is looking up," he said, standing for a moment to hold the tall chair for her to sit.
<Jessica> She smiled, taking the seat, "Thank you... and I'm glad I can be considered an improvement."
<Shaw> "Of course! How could you be anything but?" He returned to his seat and took a slow sip, buying time until he remembered her name. "So, how are you this evening, Jessica?"
<Jessica> "I'm alright, just looking for something to do really," she offered another smile, "How about you?"
<Shaw> "Isn't that why we're all here?" Sebastian smirked over the rim of his glass. "Searching for a pleasant... or at least interesting... diversion?"
<Jessica> "At this point it doesn't even have to be interesting. Just nicer than all the other stuff that I'm trying to ignore... which is not a challenge." She shook her head.
<Shaw> "Oh?" He feigned polite interest. "Well, let us hope then that I prove to be nicer."
<Jessica> "Unless you're secretly a cannibal then you're already nicer." She laughed.
<Shaw> "Ah, that." Sebastian didn't have to fake his disgust at that topic.
<Jessica> "Mmhmm. It's all anyone's talking about lately and it's starting to drive me crazy. I have enough things to think about without that in my head too." She shook herself, "Need to change the subject now."
<Shaw> "Let's change the subject, then." He grinned and leaned on the bar, just a bit closer to her. "Maybe you can tell me why your lovely face was so familiar to me before I met you with your friends?"
<Jessica> "Could be that I've been here before?" she glanced around the room again, "Before the place... fell down... a few times, actually."
<Shaw> "Yet your name isn't familiar, so I assume you were the guest of someone." It always annoyed him when he didn't know what was going on.
<Jessica> Jess nodded, "Several people," she smirked a little. "I was very busy last year."
<Shaw> "Ahhh." He returned the smirk, with interest. "I see."
<Jessica> "They've been trying to cure me of my bad habits but I'm afraid I can be quite stubborn. That was a surprise to me too." She looked at her glass, frowning slightly, "I suppose it doesn't really matter in the long run..."
<Shaw> "What doesn't?" Head tilted, he hadn't quite followed that turn.
<Jessica> "That I'm not very good at not doing things that aren't necessarily the best thing to do." she gave a small shrug, "What do you think? As long as I'm happy, right?"
<Shaw> "Happiness is a good goal to strive for, yes." He took a sip of his drink. "If that's truly what makes you happy, that is."
<Jessica> "It's as good as anything." She caught the eye of the bar tender for a refill. "I haven't thought about longterm... kind of hard to in this world we live in..."
<Shaw> "I daresay I do know several ladies who have made very comfortable lives for themselves this way." He leaned back. "None of them share our genetic makeup, however. I'd like to think there are other avenues open to us."
<Jessica> "Well you can think that all you like but it's difficult for someone in my position to see past it... things are... complicated."
<Shaw> "Everything is complicated. That's the nature and beauty of life." He flashed her a grin.
<Jessica> She laughed, "Yeah, it really is. Maybe I should just join the military and have people tell me what to do. Seems easier that way."
<Shaw> "Oh, there are certainly better options out there than that." Sebastian lingered over this sip, his eyes wandering over her appraisingly. "What, may I ask, are the nature of your abilities?"
<Jessica> Jess wondered how to answer that one. "They're kind of... spidery."
<Shaw> "Spidery?" He laughed, taking another look. "There's nothing spidery about you, my dear."
<Jessica> "Well not on the surface, maybe." she laughed too, "And I don't do the web thing like some of my spider-powered friends. More like a tarantula I guess... which I find preferable anyway."
<Shaw> "Tarantula?" He felt slightly itchy now, and hoped her ability wasn't to summon the creatures.
<Jessica> "Mmhmm. An ambush predator. They're fast and patient. They sit and wait for their prey to come to them." She smirked a little and took a sip of her drink.
<Shaw> "Aaah, well, how apt then... for your present line of work, at any rate."
<Jessica> She shook her head, "Oh no, I'm not doing that anymore... well not technically. I have a respectable job but it's not as fun."
<Shaw> "Respectability is never as fun," he said, leaning in again with a predatory look of his own.
<Jessica> Jess nodded, "Started to work that one out for myself." she laughed, "Some of the best stories from people at work are stories about doing things they shouldn't be doing. I want those kinds of stories to tell."
<Shaw> "You are most certainly in the right place to create some stories." And because he just couldn't help himself, he winked. "And in the right company."
<Jessica> She laughed again, "Is that so?"
<Shaw> "Absolutely." He noticed she had barely touched her drink. "Can I get you anything else?"
<Jessica> "I'm sure you can if you want to."
<Shaw> "Of course I can, but the question is what do you desire?" He smirked.
<Jessica> "What do you think I'll like?" She cocked her head on one side, watching him with a small playful smile.
<Shaw> "I believe you're craving a bit of adventure, but we don't really need to play games over drink orders to quench your thirst for that."
<Jessica> "Do you have any better suggestions?"
<Shaw> "I'm always full of excellent ideas." He finished off his own drink and licked his lips with a smile.
<Jessica> "Would you care to share any of those or are you just going to tease me with them until I find a way to force them out of you?"
<Shaw> "I rather like the sound of the second option, yes."
<Jessica> She laughed, "I thought you might say that."
<Shaw> "See, we understand one another so well. It's already a better evening." He rested his arm on the back of her chair to trace the smooth skin of her back, just above the hem of her dress.
<Jessica> "If I'm going to be forcing answers out of you, I suppose I should try and convince you to come somewhere less public in case people try to stop me..."
<Shaw> "This sounds like something very worthwhile to do with an evening after all." He stood smoothly and offered her his hand.
<Jessica> She took his hand, getting to her feet with another smile, "That didn't take long."
<Shaw> "Why argue?" Sebastian smiled and kissed her hand, moving in close to place another kiss on her bare shoulder. "When it's clearly a stellar idea?"
<Jessica> "So, you know this place better than I do... where do you think would be most comfortable for some torture?"
<Shaw> "Well, we had a dungeon installed during our unexpected remodeling, but I don't think that's quite what either of us have in mind, so my private lounge it is."
<Jessica> She laughed, "Not when we've just met. Need to get to know each other better first."
<Shaw> "Precisely." He steered her with a hand in the small of her back. "And don't think I didn't take note of your deflection when I asked of your abilities... I shall be most excited to see your predatory nature at work, my dear."
<Jessica> "How do you know it's not already working?" She smirked.
<Shaw> "Even better," he said, returning the smirk. So long as she didn't wrap him in a web and drain him of blood, he was interested.