6/20 Instance: Eliza Shaw

[Slarti]

Timelined right after Political Machine

<Jessica> Jess fidgeted with her drinks napkin as her eyes scanned the crowd in the club again. Nope, nope and nope. She frowned and sat back in her chair then slid sideways to lean on Sebastian. "Did you have fun with Tony?"

<Shaw> "Of course, but I think he will have more fun with me gone." He smirked and slid his arm around her, balancing his refreshed scotch on his knee. "You looked terribly bored when I found you, my dear."

<Shaw> Sebastian bent close to brush his lips against her hair, just over her ear. "Perhaps it's time to retreat and make our own entertainment, yes?"

<Jessica> She laughed softly, turning her head to catch his lips for a kiss. "I'm always bored when you're not here to mock the locals with me."

<Shaw> "Mocking just isn't the same when done alone, is it?" He spoke between kisses. "I've always found it to be true."

<Jessica> "All the fun goes out of it when there's no one to laugh with you," she nodded sagely. "And you missed an absolutely shocking wig."

<Shaw> "Did I? How frightfully disappointing." He smiled, watching her face instead of the room.

<Jessica> "I'm sure it'll pass by again soon enough... It's taken its owner for a walk..." she gave him a grin, resting her forehead against his.

<Shaw> "Are you certain it was a wig? Perhaps it was a smuggled lap dog."

<Pryor> Madelyne made her way back towards the couple. "Sebastian, I'd like to thank you again for helping me set up that little agreement. Would this be the lady I've been hearing about?"

<Jessica> Jess' laugh at Sebastian's question was cut short by the surprise appearance of a woman and she turned her head to see who it was.

<Shaw> Somewhat surprised himself, Sebastian looked up at Madelyne's sudden appearance. "Well, hello again, my dear! You're most welcome, but Tony must be slipping to allow you to escape."

<Jessica> Her eyes widened a little, holy crap was that Madelyne Pryor? She glanced at Sebastian again.

<Pryor> "Oh, I'll make my way back there. We're probably going to head out and discuss things more thoroughly in a setting that might not get us overheard by the older set."

<Pryor> "Now, how about you introduce me."

<Shaw> Sebastian gave Madelyne a knowing smirk and shifted over in the private booth. "Of course, but you must first join us." He set his scotch on the table and patted the seat beside him as he gave Jessica a squeeze. "Between two beautiful women - I feel much more at home."

<Jessica> Jess smiled at him and dropped her hand onto his leg, "Well don't get too relaxed."

<Pryor> "Sadly I have prior engagements for this evening. Also I think perhaps your company should enjoy your company undivided." Madelyne grinned just a bit as she saw that hand holding on.

<Shaw> With a soft snort, he kissed Jessica's cheek and pressed his leg against hers. "Jessica Drew, this is Madelyne Pryor - Senator Pryor, in fact. I wouldn't want to shortchange you your due titles and honors."

<Jessica> "Hi..." she offered the other woman a smile and her hand to shake, "Nice to meet you."

<Pryor> "Nice to meet you as well, Miss Drew." She gladly shook the hand, offering the girl a wide grin. "And I do enjoy Senator. Just because I'm making an attempt to trade up is no reason to let it slide."

<Shaw> "Of course not. Madam president... vice president..." He tilted his head to smirk at Madelyne. "Black queen."

<Jessica> Jess' eyes flicked between Sebastian and Pryor a few times before settling on him again, "Oh so you've started repopulating the Inner Circle with more mutants already?"

<Pryor> "Sebastian is rarely idle. Who can tell what others would have been trying for if the opportunity was left dangling?" She shook her head. "We don't want anyone getting any ideas now."

<Shaw> "The lady speaks the truth. I would be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity to build an Inner Circle to our advantage." He rested his hand over the top of hers on his leg.

<Jessica> She smiled, "Oh I'm not complaining... just saying it was fast... and if you make it into the White House, that can only be a good thing for everyone involved."

<Pryor> "That's my opinion of it." She raised her glass to that. "And I like to think I worked it out with Sebastian here. He's come a long ways from my Eliza Doolittle I polished up."

<Jessica> Jess looked between them again, her expression one of confusion, "Huh?"

<Shaw> As he'd picked up his scotch again to take a sip, he sputtered at the name.

<Pryor> "Oh it's just what I used to call him when we were in university and I was dusting the Pittsburgh off of him."

<Jessica> Jess blinked between them again, "You've known each other for that long?" Why was this news to her? She focused on Sebastian, raising an eyebrow.

<Shaw> "Yes... though I haven't heard that since MIT." He stared at her with a slightly amused frown and put his scotch back down in case there were further surprises. "Lynne here was the first other mutant I ever encountered. Knowingly, at any rate."

<Pryor> "We're old friends, though I'm afraid since my career took me away we're only now working together again. We learned a good deal from one another."

<Jessica> "You'll have to forgive my surprise, Sebastian didn't think to tell me any of this." Her eyes narrowed briefly at him, though more out of curiosity than anger.

<Pryor> "Well who wants to hear old college stories when there are better things to talk about? I imagine you both have better things to do."

<Shaw> "Yes, indeed." He glanced between the two women and twined his fingers with Jessica's. "It... was a long time ago."

<Jessica> "Well I don't know... 'I went to college with the mutant senator' is a good story any time...." she gave a small shrug, "Especially now."

<Pryor> "Sebastian knows plenty of people, my dear. I'm just one of them." Madelyne assured her. "After all, lets remember where we are. And with that in mind I suppose I should leave you lest Tony get impatient and start talking to ladies he really shouldn't considering the press."

<Shaw> "I'm certain that Tony only has eyes for you," he smirked. "Tonight at least." If he remembered why he was supposed to be charming her by the time she made it back to him.

<Jessica> "Unless he's been drinking... which is all of the time." Jess grinned a little, "He's a terrible flirt but you can probably distract him easily enough.... and I don't think he cares about what the press says... I'm not sure if that's good or bad."

<Pryor> "He's more clever than that, don't you worry. I do know how to keep a person's attention as well, Eliza." She raised her glass to them both. "Perhaps I'll run into the two of you another night when I don't need to go talk business."

<Shaw> "Careful, Higgins." He bared teeth at Madelyne. "I don't at all doubt your skills, but do remember he's my friend and show just a bit of restraint."

<Pryor> Madelyne offered up her brightest smile. "Don't you worry any at all. I do know know to be discrete. Tony won't have anything else to rib you for the next time he sees you because of me. You two have a delightful evening now."

<Shaw> "Oh, we will, Lynne. Enjoy your negotiations." Sebastian gave her a knowing smirk and since her hand was nearby caught it to kiss the back. He added a bit of teeth to it.

<Pryor> She chuckled at that, reaching up and patting his cheek. "You never change, do you Sebastian? I'll be sure to." With that Madelyne slipped away to rejoin Tony.

<Jessica> Jess raised an eyebrow at Sebastian and shifted in her seat to face him.

<Shaw> Sebastian watched Madelyne go for a moment, then turned to Jessica with a shit-eating grin.

<Jessica> "What the hell?"

<Shaw> He knew he was in trouble when she moved away from him. "Yes, hell precisely." With a tilt of his head, he rose. "Drink?"

<Jessica> She frowned a little, wondering why she never had patches on her when she wanted to get drunk. "Fine..."

[Chaos]

[tears~fall~like~glass]