10/23 Issue: Never Off Duty

[Slarti]

Timelined Saturday, April 15, 2023, after Boys will be Boys

Shaw: Slouched low on the comfortable sofa in the living room, Sebastian sipped his scotch, catching up on his messages. The Club was intact, with no blood spilled, and Madrox didn't seem to be seriously injured. He knew Jess wouldn't be pleased if he'd allowed the boy to be maimed.

Jessica: Jess came in from the kitchen armed with a cup of tea and some of the spare cupcakes. "I am knackered..." she sat down beside him and put the cupcakes and tea down on the coffee table. "I still have to throw hay at the pigs but... sitting down first."

Shaw: "If you'd ever told me I'd have livestock in the house..." He gave her a smirk and set his phone aside to pull her closer.

Jessica: "They are not for eating!" She swatted him even as she leaned into him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "They are for cuddling and loving."

Shaw: Sebastian grinned at the swat and leaned his head into the quick kiss. "Much like you," he agreed, dragging her into his lap.

Jessica: "I don't know.... I might consent to some types of eating..." she cuddled against him once she was settled into his lap and nuzzled his neck.

Shaw: "Mmm, well that's our evening plans set," he chuckled, sliding his hand beneath the bottom of her shirt to trace little patterns into her skin.

Jessica: She laughed softly and squirmed a little at the sensation, "After I throw hay at the guinea pigs... they won't be happy if I forget to give them their dinner."

Shaw: Sebastian gave a heavy sigh. "They can wait a few more minutes. We're busy." He brushed his lips over her forehead and buried his nose in her hair.

Jessica: "Oh I don't intend to move at least until I'm finished my tea," she assured him, closing her eyes and enjoying the closeness.

Shaw: He cast an eye at her tea on the table, but just snuggled her closer. They hadn't seen one another much this week, after all.

Jessica: "So... my week's been interesting. How was yours?" She was exhausted from all the activity in the house over the week. She couldn't remember when it had last been so busy.

Shaw: "Busy at work, and then I had a visitor at the office today." Sebastian closed his eyes.

Jessica: "I've had visitors all week, but you know that," she shifted to rest her head on his shoulder, "Not sure where Carol is today so I'm pretty sure we're going to be woken up sometime in the night when she gets home..."

Shaw: "Hopefully not by another nightmare," he observed.

Jessica: "Yeah..." she wrinkled her nose, "Though it's hard to have nightmares when you're awake..."

Shaw: "Yes, but the woman needs to sleep, and not by drinking herself into a stupor on a daily basis."

Jessica: "I'm not going to argue with that... but if this is how she's dealing with it right now... she's an adult - we can't tell her how to behave."

Shaw: "True." He thought over the events of the day again. "Have you spoken to Jean Grey again of late?"

Jessica: Jess nodded, "Yeah... she came by today and we went for coffee...."

Shaw: "Her partner was my surprise visitor today." He'd recalled the two of them from the school, and the moping of the girl with Jessica after their breakup.

Jessica: "Oh yeah? He talk to you about the Hellfire Club?"

Shaw: "No, about one of my former contract assets, who apparently attempted to seduce Miss Grey, with the aid of his pheromones." He cocked his head. "He didn't seem to know she had spoken to me about the Club. Trouble in paradise already?"

Jessica: "Maybe they just didn't have time to talk about it yet? It's not that unusual..."

Shaw: "Indeed. He wanted my permission to seek retribution from the asset, which I granted."

Jessica: "Who do you have him following anyway? I hope you're not putting friends in danger..."

Shaw: "Daken Akihiro." He reached for his scotch and took a sip. "Madrox was simply to tail him, so no contact was required."

Jessica: She leaned with him then decided to pick up her tea and sneak some icing from one of the cup cakes. "I hope he doesn't get hurt on his quest to defend Jean's honour... pheromones make people crazy..."

Shaw: "I armed him with a bottle of your blocker, with the warning it likely wouldn't be entirely effective." Sebastian smirked a bit. "He isn't seriously injured. Monet ensured nothing got too out of hand, as Daken was at the Club at the time."

Jessica: "If he's worried about Daken's pheromones I'm sure Viper could make one to counteract his too..." She took a sip of her tea, "Or did you want to work on it yourself first?"

Shaw: "Trust me, the boy wants nothing to do with Sarkissian," he chuckled. "We'll see how this plays out, but I would not be opposed to assisting him, as Daken has made himself a bit of a liability. Monet wishes to retain him, however."

Jessica: "What the hell for?" She set her tea down and picked up the cupcakes, holding one up in offer to him.

Shaw: "Monet's motivations are, as always, her own." He shrugged and accepted the cupcake with a grin.

Jessica: "Well whatever it is she wants him for, it can't be anything good..." she took a bite of her cupcake.

Shaw: "Likely not," he shrugged, giving his own a slow lick and her a smirk.

Jessica: "Well, whatever... I guess he's her problem now?"

Shaw: "Indeed." Sebastian contemplated what the boy had said earlier. "Koibito, Madrox was still concerned about Sarkissian's infiltration of our home security system."

Jessica: "Yeah but we know she does that all the time... it's not a big deal. There's no point trying to shut her out she'll just find a way around it, you know that."

Shaw: Unfortunately. "Yes, but he mentioned another name, that... was familiar, although it took me a moment to recall." He gave her a glance. "Rott."

Jessica: "Jean was asking about him today too..." she shifted to look at his face, "I swear I didn't know he had anything to do with the cannibals... I would have told you if I'd known...."

Shaw: "I know, love." Sebastian sighed and searched her eyes. "But you also know I will need to assess how closely tied this Rott is to Sarkissian."

Jessica: "I don't think very... she found him annoying... I can ask if you want me to.... or you can... but I know you don't trust her to answer honestly."

Shaw: "I can always find out through other avenues," he said, raising a brow. "I do hope that Sarkissian won't miss him, however."

Jessica: "I'll talk to her..." Jess rolled her eyes, "Maybe she'll help you bump him off. I'm assuming that's the plan..."

Shaw: "You know me well," he gave her his shark grin and took a bite of the cupcake.

Jessica: "I'll talk to Viper and see what she knows. They might not want my help but you are getting it whether you want it or not."

Shaw: "Oh, Madrox and Miss Grey?" He licked the icing from his thumb.

Jessica: "Yeah, I offered to ask Viper to track him down but Jean seemed pretty sure they could handle it... but if that was the case why was he following Viper to find this guy? It's not like they're going to get anything out of her without help, she covers her tracks too well." She stuffed the remaining half of her cupcake in her mouth.

Shaw: "I would imagine Madrox wishes to do it himself, and Miss Grey is a quite powerful telepath." He shrugged. "I was... too much of a liability for the cult to hold, so I was never submitted to the tender mercies of the good doctor, but I saw the reports from Yukio. He's a madman." Sebastian sighed and glanced back at Jess. "The man makes Essex look positively rational."

Jessica: "If they wanted to rip through her shielding for the information she could have done that while they were spying on her..." She sighed and took a sip of tea to help wash down the cupcake, "You know I'm going to talk to her anyway, right? You don't have to be there but you have the option if you want it."

Shaw: "Well that's hardly subtle." Sebastian took another bite of the cupcake and thought about this as he chewed. "I suppose I can inform her of my intent to dispose of her trash."

Jessica: "Maybe she'll pay you for your trouble," Jess offered with a small smirk.

Shaw: Sebastian laughed, reaching for his scotch.

Jessica: "I'll give her a call in the morning... or Monday..."

Shaw: "Monday. We're off duty now." Sebastian took a sip of scotch and gave her a smirk.

Jessica: "Except for parenting. Never off duty for that." She took another sip of tea and settled back against him.

Shaw: "Indeed." Sebastian finished off his cupcake and they sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. His phone beeped.

Jessica: The sound pulled her out of her slight doze and Jess stretched a little before shifting to get up, "Better feed the pigs... before I fall asleep on you."

Shaw: "Perhaps I like it when you do that," he said, picking up the phone. "I said we are off duty," he told it, but checked his message anyway. "Fuck."

Jessica: Jess raised an eyebrow, looking down at him once she was on her feet, "What's up?"

Shaw: "Another leak to the press..." Sebastian frowned at the screen, skimming the article, about a prominent mutant psychologist and her questionable past. "Damn him."

Jessica: "...Maybe we should sic Viper on him."

Shaw: "Perhaps we should," he sighed. "Should we add it to the itinerary for our chat?"

Jessica: "Yeah... at the very least she might be able to run him off... or figure out what his problem is." She bent down to press a kiss to Sebastian's forehead before turning toward the door to drop her mug off in the kitchen on the way to feed the critters.

Shaw: Sebastian sighed and dropped his phone, knocking back the rest of his scotch. While he wasn't squeamish about ordering unsavory death to those who deserved it, signing a death warrant for his own uncle was still... uncomfortable.

[Esynthia]

Oh the meeting with Viper will go swimmingly, I'm sure. ><