Timelined right after Do the Robot
<Shaw> "….and if it's the last thing I do, and it better bloody well not be, I'm going to hang her pelt on my living room wall," Sebastian said, ending his rant with a sip of his scotch and looking back into the screen.
<Tony> Setting down the pieces he'd been working with, Tony leaned to look at the screen of the computer, considering the background to Sebastian as he took a sip from his own glass, vaguely gesturing after setting the cup down, "Might look better right over there. I mean, think of the guests you could have in the living room…"
<Shaw> "All the better," he snorted, and set down his own glass to poke at his tablet. "You'd think these imbeciles know not to trifle with me by now, though I'm sure Viper considers herself in a class all her own."
<Tony> "If she was, we'd would've known about her a long time ago," he reasoned as he went back to fiddling with the gadget strapped to the palm of his hand. "Also, what kind of stupid name is Viper?"
<Shaw> "Oh, I don't know, I might go by that as well if I were saddled with a moniker like Ophelia Sarkissian," he said with a sneer. "I've half a mind to flood the club floor with EM regularly to keep tech like that from it."
<Tony> "Might not be a bad idea. Then, you'd just need a way to keep people from dismantling the place." Tony didn't even bother to pretend he could contain the snort at that name, "That is so, so awful. Who name's a kid Ophelia? …Though, I guess I can't talk with a kid named Hope."
<Shaw> "Well, at least you didn't name her. And by the way," he leaned closer to the webcam. "She wants an EM pulse generator for Christmas." She'd hung around for some time that day, until he was distracted by his security upgrade.
<Tony> Tony about choked on his gulp of scotch and shot a confused look to his own webcam, blinking, "What? Why?"
<Shaw> "She saw one of mine, of course," he said with a sloppy smile, eyebrows up and entirely ignoring the fact that he should be pacing himself.
<Tony> At this revelation, Tony drained the liquid that remained in his glass and reached for the bottle for a refill. This would be easier with both hands. Sighing, he set the bottle back down, "I imagine it'll be a disappointing Christmas."
<Shaw> "Oh, you're not going to indulge?" He laughed and caught sight of the robot in its corner of the lab. "Should I, then?" That idea struck him as even funnier.
<Tony> "If you want," Tony made sure his shrug could be seen, "Speaking of, what are you doing for the holidays? Would you like to come celebrate my victory with me?"
<Shaw> Though he knew Tony only meant to be kind, it sobered him slightly. "I... don't know." The reminder that he could be alone for the holidays wasn't a welcome one.
<Shaw> This called for another drink.
<Shaw> After pouring and regaining his composure, he smirked. "My, aren't you sure of yourself?"
<Tony> He'd focused his attention on the device he was wearing once more, but the pause didn't go unnoticed. He couldn't imagine Sebastian appreciating his commentary on it though, so he simply nodded as he scoffed, "Of course I am. Who the hell would want to live with Norman Osborn controlling their lives?"
<Shaw> He had to admit Tony had a point there, and just waved it away. Sitting back in his chair, he gave up on getting anything done and nearly fell out of view of the webcam. Once he'd righted himself, he frowned. "It seems," he started, slowly, and bracing his elbow on the workbench. "I have a son."
<Tony> He dropped the tool he'd been holding and flinched as it clattered against the surface of the bench, muttering a curse before picking it back up. Finishing the adjustment, he grabbed his glass and rolled his chair in front of the tablet, brow furrowed as he stared at the screen, mouth working. After a few false starts, he finally managed, "This must be how you felt when I told you I had a daughter." Pausing, he considered the news, "…Is he single?"
<Shaw> Sebastian's brow furrowed and he stared into the webcam. One eyebrow slowly lifted. "Are you entirely certain you're not high? What's in that scotch, Stark?" His gaze dropped to the contraption on Tony's hand. "And how's that coming, anyway?"
<Tony> Looking down to his arm and up to Sebastian, Tony frowned slightly as he took a long drink, nodding as he swallowed, "I am positive."
<Tony> To answer the following, he started to reach for the bottle of scotch to list the ingredients, however he reached with the contraption in question, a blast erupting from the circle on the palm of his hand, the force sending him sliding out of the frame of the camera as the glass of the bottle shattered as the liquid in his glass sloshed over the rim. Quickly closing his palm, he latched onto the edge of the workbench, calling to the tablet, "It works! It actually worked this time!"
<Shaw> The explosion made Sebastian jump as well, even though it was only felt through the speakers of his system. "Well done!" He leaned toward the screen, as if that would help him see more of the room in Tony's workshop.
<Tony> As Tony came back into view, the excitement fell from his face. "…That was my… Noooooo, my scotch!"
<Shaw> "Oh, well that's a crying shame," he lamented along. "But the repulsor worked? That's remarkable!" After a moment, he took another drink. "I may have use for that, very shortly."
<Tony> "It did! …But… Where did I put that other bottle?" Tony wondered aloud as he spun around, almost immediately regretting that decision. The room had already seemed uneven before that. Preparing to get up to search, he paused to look over his shoulder, "Oh, really?"
<Shaw> "Yes, really!" Sebastian picked up his own bottle and sloshed it tantalizingly at Tony, a coy expression on his face. "You do remember the hide on the wall, of course?" He gestured at the screen. "Let me see that again."
<Tony> "You're a bastard," he grumbled as Sebastian flaunted his bottle of scotch, swaying as he stood to go retrieve his back up. As he stumbled across the lab, he bumped into a bench, flailing to catch a fragile bit of tech before it hit the floor. Finally having gathered his drink, he returned to his seat, more than sure he'd put on quite a show for his friend as he squinted while pouring himself another glass. "What am I showing you again?"
<Shaw> "The repulsor, of course," he said, after a moment of thought himself. Suddenly, a terrible thought came to him. "You didn't smash the Porsche did you? I swear, one day I'll get you to part with that..."
<Shaw> Oh, right. "Yes, if it works reliably, I'll give it a good field test for you..."
<Tony> "Oh, of course not… I would've had to get out the emergency bottle of scotch to go with this one if I had," Tony answered as he held up his arm for Sebastian to see, careful not to open his palm, "If I smash the Porsche, I'll be sure to let you have it though."
<Tony> "If I let you field test it, and you get in trouble…" he started, pausing for a sip from his glass, "Make sure you tell them it's mine. Because something this awesome is beyond you."
<Shaw> "Oh, you have no idea, but it will save me some time," he smirked, leaning in to inspect the device strapped to his friend's arm. It seemed bulky on Tony, but it would fit him rather nicely, he thought.
<Tony> Tony offered a grin of his own as he simply nodded, instead asking, "Have I ever bothered to tell you what I'm working on?"
<Shaw> Pleased at Tony's agreement, he took another sip of his scotch, savoring the burn. "No. Have I bothered to tell you?"
<Tony> "No," he simply answered.
<Shaw> "Well, there we are then," he smiled, raising his glass to the screen with a rather sloppy grin.
<Tony> Tony rolled his eyes but raised his glass as well, the liquid sloshing over the rim again, "I'll let you know when I finish my masterpiece."
<Shaw> Sebastian laughed, watching the liquid in his glass as he rolled his wrist. "As will I," he said, and slugged it back.