Timelined the morning after Elite Promise
<Hope> Darkness began to fade as Hope began to come to consciousness. Something was wrong. There was a strange noise that she couldn't pinpoint. It jerked her awake when she realized it. Where was she? After a moment of getting her bearings, she wished she hadn't. She was at Sebastian's, but she was in bed. With him. Naked. She didn't want to peek and see if he was naked too. Nope. Nope. Nope.
<Hope> How drunk had she been last night?!
<Sebastian> Sebastian didn't wake up, but sensing the movement in the bed roused just enough to roll over. He found a warm body and wrapped his arm around it.
<Hope> NOPE! Hope squealed and flailed, trying to escape.
<Sebastian> Now he did awake and it was with a snort. All he could see was flailing bare limbs and red hair. "What? What's wrong?"
<Hope> "You're naked too!" Were the only words she could muster.
<Sebastian> "Yes, it generally works better that way," he said drily, and didn't move the arm pinning her to the bed. Still half asleep, possibly still half drunk, Sebastian was mostly just bemused by her reaction.
<Hope> Knowing better than to struggle against him she stopped and just stared at him. His words caught up to her. "Wait. What?"
<Sebastian> "What indeed?" He gave her a slow blink, and since she'd stopped flailing around he found her hand and picked it up, pressing a kiss to her palm.
<Hope> "Since when... just... what!?" She continued to mentally flail. What was happening?!
<Sebastian> His lips moved to her wrist, kissing and nibbling. "Oh, come now, Hope... you can't really be shocked."
<Hope> "Considering you called me your kid a couple of months ago? Yeeeeeeeeah I'm going to stick with shocked."
<Sebastian> The movement of his mouth stopped and he looked up at her, trying to read her face - trying to wake up and sober up enough to read it, anyway.
<Hope> Hope just gave him a look. Yeah. Let that sink in, buddy.
<Sebastian> He blinked, repeatedly, but didn't otherwise move. After a moment, he managed a word. "How?"
<Hope> "Hooooow what?" Hope used her free hand to make sure she was covered.
<Sebastian> "Why would I do that?" Deciding now that she was also toying with his mind, he let her go and flopped onto his back. He made no effort to cover himself, however.
<Hope> "Uh because you're often more of a dad than Tony is? Because let's face it, he is still a kid himself." She slid out of the bed, slipping a robe on and tying it securely around her waist. "You really don't remember that?"
<Sebastian> Sebastian sighed, rubbing both hands over his unshaven face. "I suppose you're also going to tell me I'm married to Jessica Drew."
<Hope> "I didn't say it was a good idea, but yeah, something about Hawaii. I don't know, I was busy with a psycho boyfriend. Kind of pissed I wasn't invited to be frank."
<Sebastian> He stopped himself and sat up, watching her storm around the room.
<Hope> "It's just... I figured you two were on the outs since you've been here more than home." She sat down on the edge of the bed, glancing over at him.
<Sebastian> "Hope," he started, then realized perhaps there should be some level of propriety and pulled the sheet over his hips. "Tell me what you know, or what you think you know."
<Hope> "About what exactly?" He really wasn't making any sense.
<Sebastian> "About me of course, since what I do or don't remember seems to be what's taking up much of my time this week."
<Hope> "You... don't remember much about yourself? She whack you in the head during your fight or something?" Hope sighed and lay back on the bed. "Well, you turned up at school not long after I found out Tony was my dad. I was convinced you were just out to steal my ideas for your own company."
<Sebastian> "Right, I remember... no, wait, not at your school. It was at the Hellfire Club, yes?" He turned onto his side to better see her, making sure he remained covered below the belly button.
<Hope> "No. It was at the school. You were my professor. And frankly, the only one who could get me to class."
<Sebastian> "I was your professor..." he repeated it, recalling the voicemail from Lehnsherr. "Where? At the school in Westchester?"
<Hope> Hope nodded. "Yeah. Then you got eaten by zombies. Then you started banging Jess. Then she moved in. Then you started dating Jess." She ran her hands through her hair.
<Sebastian> "They weren't undead, believe me." He raked his fingers through his own hair to settle it and looked around the room for pants. When success was found, he pointed. "Please?"
<Hope> She smirked and got up to get the pants, picking them up when she reached them. "Well anyway, you got the bright idea to propose to Jess. Then she and I got into it and I was uninvited. Kinda." She tossed him the pants. "You really don't remember what happened next?"
<Sebastian> Catching the pants, his blank, confused expression said it all.
<Hope> "Don't really want to talk about it..." She sighed, running her hand through her hair, nervously.
<Sebastian> "I can have no judgment on things I cannot recall, Hope." He slid off the bed and yanked up the dress slacks - commando. Once zipped, he lost steam and didn't button up, but decided it was good enough for now. So, he turned to look at her, arms crossed.
<Hope> "Just uh... just ask Jess what happened," she suggested, shifting uncomfortably.
<Sebastian> "Perhaps it would be best to give me an answer, Hope, so I can determine which of you is the biggest liar?"
<Hope> The nervousness faded instantly. In anger, Hope pushed off the wall and moved to Shaw, getting close to him again. "Let's get just one thing straight. I have never, and will never lie to you. Get that? I own my problems. You'd think a telepath would be a little better about discerning the truth."
<Sebastian> "Except you would be able to take my power and make it your own to spin the truth exactly where you wish it to go." He widened his stance and rolled his neck back to stare down his long nose at her. "Why should I believe a word you say?"
<Hope> "I didn't mean mine. I meant her's." She stood her ground, glaring him down.
<Sebastian> "Whose?" He let both arms fall, holding them out as if answers might fall into his waiting hands.
<Hope> "How about your wife's?" She offered, taking his hands. "Look. We're not the family people. Though you're in lala land and don't remember, you also claimed me because we're more alike than anyone wants to admit. If you don't want to be with Jess, don't be with Jess. But don't insult her by calling her a liar."
<Hope> She pushed off from him and headed to the bathroom. "You could also have slapped a patch on me to negate my powers, genius."
<Sebastian> Sebastian watched her go, standing still and thinking about this. He was deeply confused, in need of a shower, and fairly certain if he followed her he'd again find himself squirming on the shower floor. This week was getting no better.