Current timeline.
<Shaw> It was the same dream. Always the same. He was almost getting accustomed to it now, at least enough that he woke up with only a slight gasp. It was dark in the room, and he wasn't alone. Rolling onto his back, he stared at the ceiling.
<Jessica> Jess was not at all getting used to the nightmares, every time she thought she knew what to expect, some new and horrifying thing would happen. The sound hitting her ears from an outside source was unexpected and startled her both in her dream and in the waking world. She woke with a start and accidentally venom blasted the other occupant of the bed.
<Shaw> Sebastian didn't have time to react to the movement beside him, other than to glance toward Jessica. He did have time to shout, however, when a force slammed into him and shoved him off the edge of the bed. Tangling in the already messy covers, he hit the thick carpet with a thump and a curse.
<Jessica> Jess sat up, just as surprised as Sebastian and looked around. That was... what was that? Whoops? She crawled to the edge of the bed and peered down at him. "Sorry...."
<Shaw> He craned his neck to look back up at her. "...well, you certainly like to keep a man on his toes, don't you?"
<Jessica> She chewed her lip, moving off the bed with the sheet and holding a hand out to him to help him up. "Looks like it... except I don't know how I did that..."
<Shaw> Not taking her hand, he freed himself from the sheets and smoothly jumped up. "Well, it was... invigorating, if unexpected."
<Jessica> Jess offered a small smile, dropping her hand and going to sit on the edge of the bed. She ran a hand through her hair, "I suppose I should be glad I did... whatever that was and not what I usually do.... I doubt you'd be as pleased...."
<Shaw> "Oh? What is it you usually do then?" Sebastian smirked down at her, not at all bothered by his own lack of clothing even as she covered herself with the sheet.
<Jessica> "Sort of.... electrocute people?" she wrinkled her nose a little, looking up at him. "It hurts... I know it does..."
<Shaw> "Really? Fascinating." He sat down beside her. While he more or less knew her abilities from her files, hearing her describe them was more interesting by far. "While I'm capable of absorbing several kinds of energy, I confess I've not experimented much outside of kinetic energy. Perhaps we might experiment sometime."
<Jessica> "You don't care that it might really hurt?" She watched him as he sat, "Before I could control it properly... I learned the hard way that I'm not immune to it."
<Shaw> Sebastian studied her for a moment. "It always hurts, Jessica. If I'm struck hard enough, it hurts, I just receive a benefit with the pain."
<Jessica> She frowned a little, "That doesn't really make it better...."
<Shaw> "It's just the way my abilities work." He shrugged slightly, then got up and went to the bar.
<Jessica> She sighed, lying back on the bed to stare at the ceiling, her feet still on the floor. "The more I think about mutations, the more it seems like they're just some kind of horrible joke played on us...."
<Shaw> "I disagree," he said, pouring two drinks. "Mutations are fascinating, but I will agree some of us are a bit more fortuitously gifted than others."
<Shaw> Returning to the bed, he offered her a glass. "As I realize you won't receive the same soothing benefits from this as I do, I hate to drink alone."
<Jessica> She sat up again to take the drink, "There's always a catch with mutations... there's never one that's all benefit and no horrible side effect...."
<Shaw> He raised an eyebrow as he took a drink. "And what is your horrible side effect?"
<Jessica> "You mean aside from the part where I can't even take painkillers for a headache?" she raised an eyebrow. "I woke up once in the middle of an operation thanks to that."
<Shaw> "Ah, yes, I could see how that would color your perceptions." Unconsciously, he rubbed his throat where the collar had been and took another drink. "Is this what wakes you so often at night?"
<Jessica> She shook her head, looking down at her drink, "Not anymore... it used to... but now there's worse things in my head..." she sighed, "It's not just the immunities that bother me though... most of the things about my mutation are more of a curse than a gift..."
<Shaw> "Worse and more recent, I assume?" He tilted his head to look at her, smirk sliding back into place. "I would say your clinging abilities are quite novel and useful, so I can't imagine you're referring to those."
<Jessica> "Them and the enhanced strength and durability are okay... but the hyper senses - especially the hearing - and the immunities and the pheromones I can live without. More trouble than they're worth... the venom blasts are kind of half and half...."
<Shaw> Sebastian took another drink, watching her for a time before he responded. "I have enhanced senses as well. For the most part, I find them quite useful." His gaze slid down to her half-covered chest. "I heard your heart rate increase just now, for example."
<Shaw> "And I have no complaints about your pheromones," he smirked, closing the small distance between her.
<Jessica> "No one ever does... not about this kind anyway," she claimed his lips for a kiss, enjoying it for a moment before pulling back again. "But they do more than just this."
<Shaw> "Oh?" He reached out and hooked a finger in the sheet, baring her with a predatory smile.
<Jessica> "I can pretty much make people do whatever I want... depending on the amount I use and which kind... I can make people protect me... make them love me.... or make them fear me." She cocked her head on one side, watching him.
<Shaw> "Really now?" He met her eyes, more interested than anything else. "The spider analogy makes a bit more sense, though perhaps in the vein of a black widow." Sebastian smirked again and took her hand, inspecting her fingers gently. "Why do you call them venom blasts?"
<Jessica> "Well... my dad noticed the spider thing early on... he wasn't all that surprised..." she sighed, "I don't do the webs thing... kind of more like a tarantula... they're fast and they ambush their prey and bite. It's a fast acting venom because that's really all they have going for them... usually a neurotoxin." She charged a venom blast in the hand he wasn't holding. "These seem to hit the nervous system pretty hard."
<Shaw> Sebastian knocked back the rest of his drink and set the glass aside, letting go of her hand and squaring his shoulders. "Try it."
<Jessica> She blinked at him, "Are you sure? Because I'm serious - it hurts."
<Shaw> "I am." He met her eyes with a slight smile. "Go ahead."
<Jessica> "Well... okay.... but don't say I didn't warn you..." She raised her hand, modulating the charge so it wouldn't knock him out or stop his heart before firing at his chest.
<Shaw> This time he had time to prepare, and he didn't fall off the bed, but he did let out a strangled cry. Bracing his hands on his knees, he leaned forward and squeezed his eyes closed with a wince. She was quite right.
<Jessica> Jess curled up a little, reflexively, as she half-expected retaliation. "Sorry! But I did tell you!"
<Shaw> Catching his breath, he clenched his fists and enjoyed the rush.
<Jessica> "Are you okay?" She watched him warily, uncurling and reaching for her drink again.
<Shaw> "It's all right... I did ask you to do it." He straightened up, rubbing his hands over his face to wipe his watering eyes. "The name... is fairly apt. It packs a sting, and I gather that wasn't full strength."
<Jessica> Jess shook her head, "Not even close... don't want to kill you."
<Shaw> "I suspect it would take quite a bit to do that, but we'll not test the theory." Now recovered, he dropped his hands to give her a sharp grin. "Your restraint is appreciated."
<Jessica> "You're welcome," she returned the grin, taking a sip of her drink. "But it was more for my sake... it'd be tough to explain."
<Shaw> "Black widow indeed." He took the drink from her hand and took a sip himself.
<Jessica> She laughed, "Have to be married for that title to stick. And I like my current codename just fine, thanks."
<Shaw> "Not at all," he smirked, leaning in to steal a kiss. "Widow is rather misleading, since she merely has to mate before she kills. With that in mind, I qualify as your prey with no complaints."
<Jessica> "Well still... everyone that's shared my bed has walked away alive and well, thank you very much." She gave him a tiny zap on the shoulder.
<Shaw> He jumped a little, then grinned and set the drink aside to free her of the rest of the sheet. "Now that... I quite enjoyed that..."
<Jessica> "What? This?" She grinned and gave him another zap, turning more towards him once he removed the sheet.
<Shaw> "That's very nice indeed." His brows rose suggestively and he took her in, lowering his head to nip at her collarbone. "Since it seems we're through with sleep for the time being..."
<Jessica> She smiled, tilting her head back for him. "I like this better than sleep," she agreed, raising her hands to his shoulders and letting small sparks of electricity dance over his skin and down his back.
<Shaw> Sebastian pushed her backward onto the bed. "My dear Jessica, if you keep that up, you may never sleep again."
<Jessica> "Promise?" She offered another grin and increased the charge a small amount.
<Shaw> He moaned against her mouth in answer.
<Jessica> Jess took that as a yes and wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him against her as she kissed him deeply.