Current timeline
<Shaw> He needed to scratch his nose. Twitching it beneath the leather mask he wore, Sebastian failed to pay attention to the Lord Imperial and nearly missed his response line. "You are bound."
<Shaw> "You are bound by the law. Fay ce que voudras.” The Lord Imperial's voice echoed around the chamber and Sebastian's eyes were again drawn to the hooded figure in the center of the room.
<Shaw> Are you enjoying yourself, my dear? he asked of her, shields lowered enough to skim the surface thoughts of those around him unwary enough to conceal themselves.
<Pryor> Would it appear ungrateful to say that the process of the whole thing is a bit tedious. The atmosphere is quite something I will say. Madelyne was actually rather itching to properly stand up, the bits of stone on the mostly dirt floor starting to dig in.
<Pryor> Who on earth did they get to decorate this place, anyway? I'm beginning to believe this is where gaudy museum furnishings go to die. “Rise, neophyte, and take your place with the Inner Circle.” Oh thank God there was her cue. Madelyne found her feet gracefully enough and lowered her own hood, looking about the room, quite satisfied with everything else.
<Pryor> "I am bound."
<Shaw> After the last response line, Sebastian threw back his own hood and gratefully gave in to the itch as he pulled the mask up. Oh yes, they do like their baubles. It's charming in its tackiness, isn't it?
<Shaw> Reaching into the pocket of his robe, he went to Madelyne and took her hand to bind the cut made by the Lord Imperial's gilded dagger. Mine scarred. Scarred. Can you believe it? The bastard. Likely he treats the metal to ensure it.
<Pryor> She couldn't quite keep the smirk off of her face. I take it you're a bit bitter about your marred perfection, Sebastian? I'm sure nobody minds your scar. You probably get it to work for you now and then now, don't you?
<Shaw> Of course, but that is entirely beside the point. He tied off the bandage with a bit of a twist for that, meeting her eyes and returning the smirk. "Welcome, my queen, to the Inner Circle." With that, he bowed his head to kiss the back of her hand.
<Pryor> "Why, thank you," Madelyne replied, the same smirk playing over her mouth as Shaw bowed and kissed her hand. "So, is there a ritualistic sacrifice or do we get to finally slip away?"
<Shaw> "No, there's ritualistic networking." He straightened and gave her a predatory smile. "We wouldn't be remiss if we vanished just for a while, considering." He kept her hand and ran his thumb across her knuckles.
<Pryor> "I believe you're right. After all, I've already networked with most everyone here. Now is just a chance to do it in a robe. So, a tour perhaps?" She swung their hands forward to indicate their path. "I wouldn't want to miss what else the decorator has done to this place."
<Shaw> "Of course." He started down one of the corridors from the main ceremonial chamber. Some of the carvings are most entertaining. You would think they were done by a child with a chisel.
<Shaw> The guttering candles did nothing to illuminate the damp, winding passageways as the echoes from the large room faded. They walked for a time in silence and he let his mind wander to the past - to the last time he'd been alone with Madelyne Pryor.
<Pryor> Some former King or Queen's child who they insisted was monumentally talented, perhaps. Madelyne put on an expression that would make one believe she was a good deal more impressed with their surroundings than she was.
<Pryor> The expression soon changed, however, as she just looked Shaw over. Are you feeling nostalgic tonight, Sebastian?
<Shaw> His amused chuckle was quiet, and he stopped in front of a "devil" carving of some sort to pretend to study it. I should have known you'd be snooping, Lynne. Glancing over at her, he noticed the candlelight's reflection off her red hair, giving it fire.
<Pryor> I never stop snooping. What would the benefit be if I ever stopped? She looked to his face at her question even though she hadn't bothered to give it voice.
<Shaw> What will you do when the media starts asking what your abilities are? When they stop asking and just start tearing into your past? He studied her face. I've learned other ways to find any information I might need, without using my telepathy.
<Pryor> I'll tell them. I've nothing in my past that the other candidates don't have so I welcome their attempts to try to find anything to slander. I've done my fair share of elections anyway, I'm rather used to what the media can do. There was a slight shrug in her shoulders.
<Pryor> Oh, I know you have. I'd be disappointed if that was all you relied on, after all. Found anything interesting of late?
<Shaw> Sebastian kept up his scrutiny of her face, trying to decide if she was serious. You plan to tell the media that you can enter their minds at any time, that you can manipulate their very thoughts - that you can do this to every red-blooded, apple pie-eating American voter...
<Pryor> Maybe not to that extreme. Lets face it, anything I say about it I can manipulate the reporters there into buying into. Maybe I'll tell them I have gardening powers and win over the midwest because they think I care about soybeans.
<Shaw> He laughed as that sounded more like the woman he knew. Though if another telepath were to realize what you were about, things could get sticky. Hope came to mind, and he belatedly strengthened his shields a tad.
<Pryor> My dear Sebastian, do you know anyone who would ever dare? I'll admit, the last time the Hellfire Club back home was attacked I was slightly concerned but, luckily, I've never murdered anyone's husband specifically to trigger them.
<Shaw> The reminder of the attack on the club made him scowl. If I had been there that night, I daresay things would have turned out differently.
<Pryor> I apologize for bringing up something less than pleasant and I'm glad you weren't there. The last thing that situation needed was another combatant.
<Shaw> You had better watch out, Lynne, he warned, reaching out and brushing his fingers against the collar of her heavy velvet robe. You might make me think you care.
<Pryor> You mean you've never tried to delve deep enough to figure out whether or not I do? You must not be as curious as I thought. Madelyne rested her hand on his shoulder for a moment, sighing and giving it a squeeze. I'd be terribly upset if you managed to get yourself killed.
<Shaw> Once I did, but I didn't like what I found. He laid his hand over hers, the skin-on-skin contact only intensifying the link and making him suck in a breath.
<Pryor> That is in the past, anyway. I'm not one to concern myself too much with the past and I'm sure you are the same. She patted his hand, though, putting on her smile a bit more stiffly.
<Shaw> Sebastian pulled his hand away. "Indeed," he said. It was in the past and things had changed, or he had, at any rate.
<Pryor> "Plus I'm fairly sure your lady friend would have something to say about that if it were to have any bearing on our present."
<Pryor> She smirked, rather teasingly. "You've not done badly for yourself, Sebastian."
<Shaw> "Oh, I'm certain she would." He licked his lips. "She doesn't know about us." That made him tilt his head and return the smirk with a sniff. "Not so badly? Well, I should think not."
<Pryor> "I have to hold you to high standards. You're my best protege." Madelyne assured him, giving his arm another pat.
<Shaw> "How do you always manage to make that sound as if I'm your best pet?" He shook his head with a chuckle. "I'm still not entirely sure I'm going to vote for you, love."
<Pryor> "Little do you know I've trained you to." Madelyne taunted him just a little bit. "I suppose Tony Stark is my competition? I can't imagine you voting Osborn."
<Shaw> "Oh, I'm quite certain you've tried." Sebastian bared his teeth at her in a not-quite smile. "Of course it's Tony."
<Pryor> "Good, I can live with Tony...I wouldn't count that as a complete betrayal." It was somewhat eerie how their smiles matched.
<Shaw> "Osborn has his uses, but as president... no."
<Pryor> Madelyne nodded her agreement. "Most people have some uses. Most just don't know what they are."
<Shaw> He tilted his head to regard her. "And what is mine, now that you're in the Inner Circle?"
<Pryor> "Oh, your use has never changed...well...some of it has changed but the overall themes of it still ring true."
<Shaw> Sebastian narrowed his eyes and stepped in close, bending down to invade her personal space. "Oh? Do tell."
<Pryor> "You're the best company I've ever known and always provide me with a clear outlook. It's the best I can ask from anyone."
<Shaw> He let out a surprised huff, one eyebrow up. "Well, perhaps I should have looked a little deeper then."
<Pryor> "Perhaps, but there isn't any need to worry ourselves about those kind of things when we've carved our lives out."
<Shaw> Pursing his lips, he nodded. "And what interesting lives they are," he said, turning his attention to the carving on the wall.
<Pryor> "Interesting lives are for interesting times, would you have it any other way?" She resisted the temptation to ruffle his hair, stopping to look at the carving as well. "It could be worse, we could be as interesting as this which is not too terrible much but just draws the eye."
<Shaw> "That is what the Chinese curse says, after all," he snorted. "It draws the eye in much the same way as a train wreck, yes." It truly was the saddest excuse for a demon he had ever seen. "These tunnels... they go on and on. The carvings get no better, unfortunately, and rather less entertaining."
<Pryor> "Well, I suppose that means our tour shall come to an end in that case, there is no reason to bore ourselves while we keep each other company, right?" Madelyne smiled at the carving, however. "It's not all bad, it's at least not gilded within an inch of it's life."
<Shaw> "Much of the gilding is reserved for upstairs," he said with a grin and offered her his arm for the escort. "We've had enough time for the old guard to assume we've celebrated your ascension in a properly debauched manner at any rate."
<Pryor> She gladly took the arm. "I have missed those kind of assumptions. It is good to attend such things with you again."
<Shaw> He smirked. "Perhaps we do look just a bit too put together for them to be properly convinced." With that, he reached over and mussed her perfectly coiffed red hair with a satisfied expression.
<Pryor> That all but gave Madelyne permission to reach up and ruffle his hair which she didn't even delay in doing as she made sure her robes were set just slightly askew. "Shall we then?"
<Shaw> Sebastian laughed and started back up the darkened tunnel. "Fay ce que voudras, after all."