4/13 Instance: Morality Theatre

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Slarti
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Title: Damn Not Given
Nightscrawlearth Character: :icey :phoenix

4/13 Instance: Morality Theatre

Post by Slarti »

Timelined after Lettuce Rejoice

<Jessica> Jess focused her attention on her drink, though she was well aware that Sebastian was on his way back over to her. She wasn't sure what topic of conversation they were going to embark on first but she was almost certain that she wouldn't like it.

<Shaw> "So, that was... interesting, yes?" Sebastian took the seat beside her. Everyone had given them wide berth since they'd arrived together this evening. Now that she was alone, it was no different. He rested his forearms on the shined surface of the bar and glanced up at the mirror instead of at Jessica, giving the room another once-over.

<Jessica> "That's one word for it..." she gave the bottom of her glass another prod with her straw before glancing up at him.

<Shaw> A fresh scotch appeared in front of him and he picked it up, swirling the liquid. "Are you all right?"

<Jessica> She half-shrugged, "I don't know... I'm just.... not looking forward to all the stuff that'll happen tomorrow..." or later when Kevin finally got home.

<Shaw> "I suppose I didn't realize your situation was quite so complicated." He took a drink, savoring the burn, and not looking forward himself to the days ahead as he reclaimed his identity.

<Jessica> "Nothing is ever simple at that school..." she stopped fiddling with her drink and folded her hands in her lap instead. "And I highly doubt Cecilia is going to keep her nose out of it when she sobers up."

<Shaw> "When shall I expect a visit from your boyfriend? I confess it will hardly be the first time a jealous lover has attempted to castrate me over some imagined sin." Sebastian licked his lips, watching her from the corner of his eye with a smirk.

<Jessica> Jess winced a little, looking down at her hands, "I don't know... I haven't seen him since the start of February.... so... maybe never... maybe soon? Probably mostly depends on who he hears about this from..."

<Shaw> "February?" He huffed a laugh and knocked back some of the scotch. "Now that you mention it, I do recall this... and I believe then I said it was his misfortune to abandon such a lovely woman."

<Jessica> Jess nodded, "Yeah... something like that..." she sighed, "Anyway... he is on his way home... he finally called while you were all dead.... I told him to come back..." she frowned, "I mean... I knew something like this would happen... I guess I just hoped it wouldn't happen until later..."

<Shaw> "Something like what?" Now he was a bit wary.

<Jessica> "That they'd find out and I'd feel like shit again and have to explain myself while freaking out that they're going to tell Kevin before I can.... all of which would ruin a perfectly good thing we had going."

<Shaw> "In my experience, when a woman strays it's a sign of a not so 'perfectly good thing.'" He gave her another sidelong glance.

<Jessica> Jess shook her head, "Noooo... I meant our thing... it's going to ruin that... mine and Kevin's thing isn't anything right now because he's not here." She frowned. "I sound like a bitch..."

<Shaw> Sebastian was quiet for a moment, then took another drink. "I have no use for the hotel penthouse anymore, obviously, as come tomorrow I'm quite officially alive again."

<Jessica> Jess wasn't sure what he meant by telling her that. She just gave him a blank look, glancing briefly to the bar when the waiter set another drink down beside her almost empty glass.

<Shaw> He gave her a slight smile for the blank look and studied his glass. "If you would like to avoid the school for a while longer, you may continue to stay there if you wish."

<Jessica> She sighed, nodding a little, "Thank you... you don't have to do that..."

<Shaw> "You're welcome." He inclined his head.

<Jessica> She offered a small smile, casting her eyes over to the group from the school again. She chewed her lip, "Can we go somewhere...? I just... I feel like they're watching and, even if that's not true, it's not really helping right now..."

<Shaw> "Of course." Smoothly, he rose from the seat and picked up his drink, offering her his arm.

<Jessica> She took his arm, and picked up her full glass to take with her. She knew full well what they were going to think but it wasn't like their opinion of her could get any lower right now... She tried not to think about that and walked with Sebastian towards the back rooms again.

<Shaw> Taking her to his private office, he opened the door for her and glanced down the hall.

<Jessica> Jess sat down with a quiet huff and tried not to focus overly much on the fact she'd apparently managed already to be downgraded to office. "I should have been more open about the fact I was in a relationship... I'm sorry..."

<Shaw> "It's all right, my dear, as I suppose it's really none of my business." He sat on the leather sofa and stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankles and watching her.

<Jessica> "Well... no... it is... but only in so much as that's just... something you should be aware of..." she wrinkled her nose. "It's just that... I have no illusions about what this," she gestured between them, "is... and that's something that's completely separate from everything else.... it has to be... and now it suddenly isn't and they won't get it..." She put her face in her hands.

<Shaw> Now he was curious. "And what, may I ask, is this?" He echoed her gesture, then loosened his bow tie as he took a sip of his scotch.

<Jessica> Jess frowned, "Is that a trick question?"

<Shaw> "Not at all." Sebastian smirked.

<Jessica> "It feels like one..." she sighed, "I thought, maybe I'm wrong... but I thought this was just a casual thing... just sex... nothing more... how could it be?" she shrugged helplessly.

<Shaw> "Aha." He took another drink, still watching her.

<Jessica> She frowned at him for a long moment then picked up her drink. Aha? What the fuck was 'aha' supposed to mean? Ugh. She wanted to be drunk more than ever. Stupid powers.

<Shaw> Since she was getting increasingly frustrated, he looked into his glass, this time suppressing the smirk. Somewhat. "I had planned, later tonight, to invite you to my penthouse."

<Jessica> "And you've changed your mind?" She wasn't surprised. Maybe irritated, but not surprised.

<Shaw> "No, I haven't so much changed my mind as I thought to leave the decision up to you if I should extend this invitation. It's not my intent to further complicate things."

<Jessica> "It won't complicate things more than they already are... whatever judgments have been made are not going to get any worse if I go home with you tonight or not." She was still fuming inside about Cecilia's comments. They'd stung a little but they'd mostly just pissed her off.

<Shaw> "Well, you may return to the hotel, or you may come home with me, or you could return to the school. It's up to you and I'll not pressure you." Sebastian licked his lips again, unbuttoning his collar. "For what it is worth, I have appreciated your company this past week, Jessica."

<Jessica> "I've appreciated yours too..." she offered a small smile. "I knew this was never going to be permanent but... I'll be sad when it's over... it's been fun... and a much welcome distraction from everything else..."

<Shaw> He sat up a little and held out his free hand to her.

<Jessica> Jess set her drink to one side and got up to go over to him, "I would like to come back with you..." she thought she better clarify that point, "But I don't know about taking you up on your offer with the hotel... I feel like that'd be wrong..."

<Shaw> Guiding her to sit down beside him, he frowned slightly, though he still put his arm around her to give himself the best possible view. "Oh?"

<Jessica> She nodded, chewing her lip slightly, "Well yeah... if you're not there... it's like I'm taking your money..."

<Shaw> At that, he looked up to meet her eyes. "I'm not hiring you, Jessica."

<Jessica> "No, I know... And I'm not saying you are... but that's how it'll look... and feel..." she lowered her gaze. "I know people always say you shouldn't worry about what others think but I can't really help it... still not all that used to actually having other people and their opinions in my life." And some of them weren't very nice at all. She sighed, "I also know I think too much."

<Shaw> "Actually, I offered the hotel because I wondered if my original plan was a bit too presumptuous in light of the evening's events."

<Jessica> Jess raised an eyebrow at him, "You thought inviting me home was more presumptuous than putting me up in a hotel for the foreseeable future?"

<Shaw> "Yes, because it was meant to be a standing invitation." He tilted his head to study her.

<Jessica> "So.... basically what we've already been doing just at your home instead of the hotel... I still feel like that's less presumptuous than putting me up in a hotel.... maybe that's just my weird background talking."

<Shaw> "Well, you say you are concerned what your fellow students think." He was still watching her, though he let his eyes wander now. "I suppose the difference lies in whether you worry more if they presume you are my whore, or if we are in a relationship."

<Jessica> Jess blinked at him, clearly surprised by the question. "I think you're missing the point where I'm already in a relationship..." she fidgeted a little. "Most of them don't understand the way I look at things... so... given the whole Kevin thing... I don't think either would be particularly good... and I don't know which is worse to them..."

<Shaw> "Affairs happen every day," he dismissed, finishing off his scotch and setting the glass aside. "So does prostitution, but it is less common, at least in most worldviews." Considering this for a moment, he went on. "My intent in offering the hotel, however, was not to offend you, or to purchase your time, but you are most likely right that others wouldn't understand this."

<Jessica> She shifted to face him more, "Which would you prefer? It won't make a difference to them which I decide on because they're going to judge me either way and I can't change that, I can only hope they'll respect my right to talk to Kevin about it myself because I am going to tell him... just not over the phone, assuming he does actually call again before he gets back." She frowned.

<Shaw> "The decision is yours, Jessica," he said, brow arched.

<Jessica> "But I don't know... you're asking me to make a decision based on a system of morals that I have absolutely no understanding of... I already said I'd like to come home with you tonight..."

<Shaw> "All right, home it is then." Sebastian attempted a genuine smile. "A discussion on morality with me is truly the height of irony, my dear."

<Jessica> She laughed a little, "Yeah... but at least you'd have some understanding of theirs... maybe?" she wrinkled her nose, "Though while we're on the subject of weird discussions... why didn't anyone think to point out to Cecilia that she was taking her advice from a lettuce so clearly it was the lying shapeshifter and not you?"

<Shaw> "I suspect all three of them may be spending the night in a hastily padded cell under the care of your furry blue doctor," he chuckled. "They may not even recall seeing you."

<Jessica> "Well I can only hope so..." She shifted to lean against him, feeling a little more relaxed now. "How much longer shall we hide out in here?"

<Shaw> He tightened his arm around her and turned his head to nuzzle her ear and hair. "Well, I do have an extensive surveillance system, so I merely have to go over there to see if they've managed to find the door."

<Shaw> He nodded toward the desk. "Of course, I'm disinclined to move at the moment."

<Jessica> She looked at the distance between them and the desk, "Yeah... that'll take too long. Let's just stay here until we're sure."
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