11/28 Instance: Virtually Painless

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

11/28 Instance: Virtually Painless

Post by Slarti »

Timelined immediately after Cannot be Unseen

<Shaw> After he got the voicemail, Sebastian experienced a very cold ride home on Jessica's motorcycle. The season for such a vehicle was definitely over, and a icy drizzle had started to fall to add insult to injury.

<Jessica> Jess had retreated back to her room for a lie down which largely consisted of her alternately staring at the wall or the ceiling. She wasn't sure she'd been entirely honest when she'd told Doreen she was fine.

<Shaw> The link picked up several blocks away and Sebastian was as surprised by this as anyone and promptly swerved and skidded into a parked car.

<Jessica> Jess felt the surprise and the alarm, and even a little bit the surge of pleasure that resulted from the impact. She sat up and fumbled for her phone.

<Shaw> He checked her bike, then reaching for his phone and decided a text response was safer.

<Jessica> Satisfied that he was alright thanks to the text, she settled back on the bed again and waited for him to make it the rest of the way home.

<Shaw> Now soaked and feeling a tad chagrined for the accident - which had witnesses - Sebastian rode more slowly the rest of the way home. Tomorrow, he decided, he was checking on that building behind theirs again. He made his way inside and looked toward Shinobi's door. It was very quiet. Are you all right?

<Jessica> I'm traumatised. What the hell took you so long?

<Shaw> I was in a meeting. He checked the inside pocket of his very wet attache and took out a flat box. Satisfied, he hung up his coat and started up the stairs. Traumatized?

<Jessica> The image was still sharp in her mind and she contemplated sharing it with him - it'd serve him right. You don't want me to share that.

<Shaw> Well then how am I supposed to know what you're talking about? It was very, very quiet. He passed Widget, and even the robot seemed subdued. What on earth happened?

<Jessica> I caught Shinobi in the kitchen with Doreen. They thought I was out. I wish I was. She shuddered.

<Shaw> In the kitchen? After a split-second of wondering what the problem was, he realized it. He took the last steps two at a time and popped in through the bedroom door. Sebastian winced when he caught sight of her on the bed. "Oh."

<Jessica> "Yes, oh. And the worst part is he's not even sorry. Doreen at least had the decency to look ashamed of herself."

<Shaw> Sebastian coughed to keep from laughing at this, then put down his case to peel off his jacket.

<Jessica> "This isn't funny. If you laugh I'm showing you what I saw."

<Shaw> "It's... it was consensual, yes?" He cleared his throat and vanished to hang the jacket on the back of the bathroom door to dry.

<Jessica> "...that is so not the point, Sebastian." Her rise in irritation resulted in another wince.

<Shaw> Feeling something... strange... through the link, he stopped with his shirt half off and looked out the door. "Are you all right, koibito?"

<Jessica> "I'm fine... I just have a headache and madam keeps kicking me in the kidneys..." At least she thought that's what it was. "I've had a stressful afternoon."

<Shaw> He frowned slightly and nodded, stripping off his shirt and undershirt. "I understand you were surprised, but I'm not certain why you were surprised."

<Jessica> "Of course you don't..." she decided sharing was necessary.

<Shaw> The shirt fell to the bathroom floor when the image hit.

<Jessica> "Now it's not so funny, huh?"

<Shaw> He pressed his lips together. "It's... still a little funny, love."

<Jessica> "It wasn't funny to walk into the kitchen and find them there... or something I ever wanted to see ever."

<Shaw> "I agree it's ... unexpected, perhaps?" Sebastian unbuckled his belt and unzipped. "Have no fear, I'm wearing my own underwear. Today."

<Jessica> "....you're an ass." She rolled onto her side and curled up.

<Shaw> If he couldn't feel her real upset and ...that strange sensation that still lingered... he would have laughed again. Instead, he quickly changed clothes and came back into the room to sit on the bed and reach over to touch her ankle.

<Jessica> "I have a headache..." she pressed the heels of her palms against her eyes.

<Shaw> "I'm sorry, love." Sebastian closed his eyes and concentrated to block it for her.

<Jessica> "I need a less stressful life..." she sighed, sliding the ends of her fingers into her hair.

<Shaw> "Particularly now." He shifted to move further up the bed and lie down beside her, one hand on her belly. "Is you head any better?"

<Jessica> "Some... thanks..." she lowered a hand from her face to rest it over his. "At least she's good at kicking me hard when I'm doing something I shouldn't like getting angry..."

<Shaw> "You're really upset over this," he observed. "I don't quite understand why, however. They're young, and if they were both consenting... the women's underwear aside, I'd likely be more concerned about Shinobi if he wasn't interested in her."

<Jessica> "I brought Doreen back here so she'd be safe... I wanted to help her. She was assaulted and I don't want something like that to happen to her again, I'm not saying Shinobi would but it's still risky behaviour... for both of them."

<Shaw> "It's good you want to help her, and I believe you have." The cooking lessons were helpful if nothing else, he was sure. "You're right, we don't know what he would or would not do, but it appears they managed to... come to a mutual arrangement."

<Jessica> "Well not anymore... Doreen decided that today was enough." Though, truthfully, she wasn't sure how long that would last.

<Shaw> "Ah. Well, I can have a talk with him." Perhaps about several things.

<Jessica> "As long as talk is what it is and not yell or threaten..."

<Shaw> "I won't threaten him, and of course you can hear everything I would say anyway, love."

<Jessica> "I know... but I like advance warning if there's going to be threats made." She turned her head to give him a small smile.

<Shaw> "Noted." He returned the smile and pushed himself up to listen to the deafening silence in the house. "I believe you have everyone quite well cowed already."

<Jessica> "Yes... I may have gotten angry and sarcastic... It's not a good combination on me."

<Shaw> "I imagine it took them by surprise," he chuckled and sat up to go retrieve that box.

<Jessica> "Probably..." she pushed herself up into a sitting position.

<Shaw> "I've been busy today." He picked up the box and one of his tablets and returned to sit cross-legged on the bed, the items in his lap as he opened the box.

<Jessica> "Yeah? With what?" she eyed the box.

<Shaw> "As you are now in no condition to go to London with me to assume control of the Inner Circle, we shall take an alternate route." He carefully unpacked the contraption, which appeared to be a headband.

<Jessica> Jess raised an eyebrow, "You're going to dress me up?"

<Shaw> "I could make a joke about panties here, you realize." He smirked at her, holding out the band for her to take a look. It was plain metal, with some mostly-concealed circuitry and electrodes.

<Jessica> "Please don't..." she took the band from him, turning it over in her hands.

<Shaw> "You're quite lucky I have restraint." He picked up the tablet and turned it on, pulling up the relevant software. "This will allow you to attend the ceremony, in the virtual sense."

<Jessica> Her eyebrow went up again, "How?"

<Shaw> Sebastian took three small receivers from the box as well and placed them beside him on the bed. "It's based on your Danger Room's technology, and the hard light experiments we conducted in the school basement last spring."

<Jessica> "The same ones that broke and ran rampant around the school for months?" She eyed the headband with suspicion.

<Shaw> "I've refined the design." And tested it on several lackeys. He attempted a reassuring smile.

<Jessica> "Right... so how does it work? I mean... in what capacity is it me? Do I have to move or what?"

<Shaw> "It will create a hard light representation of you in London. And here, if you prefer to stay at home, it will recreate a small area for you." He tapped the small projectors. "Or, if you'd prefer something more immersive, you can go to the school and use the Danger Room."

<Jessica> She frowned, "Won't that be... weird?"

<Shaw> "Of course, but it will allow you to participate in the ceremony." More or less.

<Jessica> "Yeah... probably going to need some practice first...."

<Shaw> "Which I why I brought it home, yes." Sebastian took the band from her and leaned in to slide it carefully onto her head.

<Jessica> "So... will I be having a holographic you to keep me company?"

<Shaw> "Well, I will actually be in England, as we discussed."

<Jessica> "Yeah I know... but if it's making a whole room for me to see would it not make people in it too? So I know who I'm talking to and where they are? You know... if they expect me to say things... or if I can't help myself."

<Shaw> "Ah, I see. Yes, it will project whoever is physically in the room back to you. So, me, or Monet, or Hope... or any of the others."

<Jessica> "... How many people are you planning on bringing along? Also, I'm totally jealous of all of them."

<Shaw> "Enough to ensure we can assume control, of course." He flashed her a toothy grin. "Jealous?"

<Jessica> "Yes. Because I can't go... even with this it won't be the same... and I'll still be all pregnant and wanting to pee all the time..." speaking of...

<Shaw> He watched her get up to go to the bathroom. "Well, yes, but at least we can get this ceremonial bit over and done as tradition requires."

<Jessica> "It gives me something to do I suppose... rather than sit around worrying."

<Shaw> "That's the spirit." He leaned to project this into the bathroom, though it wasn't necessary with their sensitive ears. Reaching for the tablet, Sebastian powered on the band she wore.

<Jessica> In the bathroom, Jess yelped in surprise as it was replaced by a lab. "Sebastian! I'm peeing! Not funny!"

<Shaw> He kept his chuckle low. "Well, at least we know it works, yes?"

<Jessica> "Yes, it's fantastic now can you turn it off so I can find the sink?"

<Shaw> Sebastian turned it off as commanded and got up to place the projectors around the room in strategic locations.

<Jessica> Jess finished up in the bathroom and wandered back into the bedroom, taking off the headband and running a hand through her hair.

<Shaw> "Ah, ah... back on." He made a shooing gesture. "I need to know what adjustments are required."

<Jessica> "I don't have to stand up for that do I?" She put it back on and moved to the corner of their bed.

<Shaw> "No, not particularly." He gave her a more surveying look. "Are you certain you're all right, love?"

<Jessica> "I'm tired..." she sat down, "I didn't get to have a nap today..."

<Shaw> Sebastian smirked slightly, recalling why. "Well, we'll keep this short then.

<Shaw> " He moved back over to the tablet and flicked a toggle.

<Jessica> Jess nodded, "And then I need a long nap... but not too long because I also need to have dinner."

<Shaw> "I can get take-out for us while you sleep." He smiled at her, then turned the band and projectors on.

<Jessica> "But it's so unhealthy... and I like cooking... maybe I'll just make dessert. They're more fun anyway."

<Shaw> "That's the spirit," he laughed. "Of course, I could see if any of your cooking lessons stuck for Doreen and enlist her to help prepare something."

<Jessica> "...yes. Do that, it can be her penance."

<Shaw> "It's settled then." Sebastian pressed the final touch-screen button and vanished as the room dissolved into a workroom at the Shaw Industries Boston office.

<Jessica> Jess yelped in surprise again, "You could warn me first..."

<Shaw> "You didn't notice I've been turning things on for the last few minutes?" His voice was disembodied now.

<Jessica> "Yeah but I didn't know when to expect the room to vanish again... It's weird, I don't like it..."

<Shaw> "I suspected it could interfere with your senses, but no more than the regular Danger Room." Of course, for him, the room was an odd mishmash of a shimmering hologram and Jessica on the bed. He sat down beside her.

<Jessica> "This is so freaky.... I'm going to have to do this somewhere that no one can interrupt..."

<Shaw> He balanced the tablet on his knee and rested his free hand on her thigh while he made a few adjustments. "That's Hansen, by the by, apparently working on his holiday bonus." At a work station in the office, a young man seemed to be watching a cartoon while he tinkered with a robotic hand.

<Jessica> "Can he see or hear me?" It was getting weirder by the second.

<Shaw> "I don't think so, or he would have reacted." Unless he was listening to earbuds, of course. "It should be set to read-only on that side." Sebastian chuckled and checked the settings to verify this. "I could remotely turn it on, however."

<Jessica> "No don't, he might break whatever his project is there and then he'd have to start over and get no bonus..." and she would feel bad.

<Shaw> "I wasn't aware I held such a resemblance to Ebenezer Scrooge, love." He gave her thigh a squeeze. "It can pay to keep the minions on their toes, however."

<Jessica> "People think you're a robot," Jess reminded him.

<Shaw> "Well, I do have a clone." He glanced at the hall before he said it.

<Jessica> "You do... one that likes ladies' underwear."

<Shaw> "Oh come now, we've all dabbled a tad." Luckily, she couldn't see the effort he had to put into keeping a straight face.

<Jessica> Jess wrinkled her nose, "Do I need to put locks on my underwear drawer?"

<Shaw> "I'll keep my urges under control," he laughed. "Perhaps you should get up and just take a short turn around the room to see how well you can navigate, and we'll call this test complete."

<Jessica> "But... which room am I navigating? The one I can see or the one I'm in? Because I don't think I can distinguish between the two..."

<Shaw> "Directly in front of you our room is quite open, so just attempt the virtual room." He had to squint at the hazy overlay he saw without the direct interface Jessica had. "Try to go around that station to the left and back to my voice. I will help you if it's too much."

<Jessica> "Uh... okay..." She carefully levered herself up and started on her task with very tiny steps and her arms feeling ahead of her because she was worried she'd walk into something in the real world.

<Shaw> Sebastian watched, monitoring the screens. Of course, the little computer was recording everything they'd done, and keeping tabs on Jessica's vital signs and synaptic responses. It was quite helpful data, and watching her shuffle with her big belly was also somewhat entertaining. "How goes it?"

<Jessica> "You will tell me if I'm going to walk into something, right?" She navigated the work station well enough.

<Shaw> "Of course, koibito." He watched her round the turn. "You're doing fine, and with a bit of practice and in an open room you should do fine."

<Jessica> "I would feel a lot better in an open room... but keep talking so I know where you are."

<Shaw> "At least this gives us an option, unless you wish to try teleportation. I would feel better if we simply got this over with before the baby is born. I'm told babies are a bit time consuming."

<Jessica> "I could probably teleport fine but I don't know if Viper's thingies have that far a range. They're good but there are limits... suppose I could ask."

<Shaw> "Well, it's best not to test their limits on you of course. We can make this work, and the next time it's necessary for a meeting of the Lords Cardinal, you will be back to yourself."

<Jessica> "Okay... Just need more practice in an empty room first..." she found him by feel with some relief.

<Shaw> He took the hand to the face with grace and caught her fingers to kiss the back of her knuckles. "Yes, more practice." Sebastian turned it off and smiled up at her.

<Jessica> She smiled back, blinking a little to adjust her eyes to the change in light levels and surroundings. "That was so weird... have you tried this thing?"

<Shaw> "Yes, of course. That's half the enjoyment in working on projects like this." He stood and slipped the band carefully off her head, making sure he didn't pull her hair. "I've been very productive lately, actually."

<Jessica> "Trying to get ahead of yourself before we have the baby? Because you know you'll get no sleep..."

<Shaw> "A bit, yes. You get no sleep now, however." Sebastian picked up the tablet and powered it off, clearing the bed off for her. "So, nap, and I will herd the rodent."

<Jessica> "Okay... thanks..." She took his hand to pull him to her for a hug. "I missed you today... and not just because of the trauma."

<Shaw> Sebastian held her against him, only slightly off-center from her belly. "I missed you too, love." He kissed her temple. "Now, you ladies get some sleep."
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