xp_logs | Forge & Marie-Ange: Laundry Service (Reply)

Marie-Ange finally gets around to returning Forge's shirt. They have coffee, and perhaps a very small precognitive moment.

Marie-Ange didn't often return to the mansion - every once in a while to visit, but she had very few reasons these days to go back. In doing her laundry, she'd found the dress shirt, discarded in a pile of things to take to the dry cleaners and realized that it was too small to be Doug's, and that it was the one she'd borrowed from Forge. In March.

She really needed to do some of her laundry more often, obviously.

It was only courtesy to have the shirt cleaned and pressed after forgetting about it for more than two months. It did very little to reduce Marie-Ange's embarassment. Although it could've been worse.

She could've been knocking on Garrison's door, instead of Forge's.

The door opened, and Forge blinked in surprise. "Hello," he managed to say after a few moments, trying to gauge why Marie-Ange would have been standing outside his door. "How're... I mean, how's... hey, my shirt!"

"I thought you might like it back." Marie-Ange said. "Ever after I forgot about it for several months." She handed the dry-cleaning bag to Forge with a sheepishly apologetic look.

"Oh, it's no trouble," Forge said politely. "It was for a noble cause, after all. So things have gone well, you're looking good - oh, here, let me take that." He accepted the shirt back, hanging it on the back of his doorknob and looking sheepishly around. "I'd apologize for the mess, but it seems that Laurie's done a pretty good job of removing it. Well, for values of 'pretty good' meaning that all my technical manuals are apparently organized in some strange manner on a shelf. Who puts books on a shelf, I ask?"

Marie-Ange laughed, and shook her head. "Have you ever seen Wanda's office? We used to joke about sending in the Red Cross to find her if the stacks of books collapsed. I think she decided to build furniture -out- of them." She looked around the room with some interest. "I saw Laurie's posts. It seems you have quite the plague of young ladies tidying your space lately, yes?"

"I just consider myself lucky that she decided to take the clippers to Angelo's hair instead of mine." Forge ran his fingers through his unruly mop of dark hair, a week or two overdue for a haircut. "So are you in a hurry or can I make you some coffee? I promise that I haven't developed a taste for the MacTaggart Blend."

"I have nothing pressing, except to make sure Doug does not stay up all night playing that game with the fish people in it." Despite that it had many many other things then the fish people, the gurgling fish-men had stuck with Marie-Ange. And the noise made her laugh. "Have you watched Doctor MacTaggart make that coffee? I believe she cackles when making it. And Nathan -likes- it. And yet, they say I am the crazy one."

"I figured it was a precog thing. At least you've got some sanity to you," Forge quipped as he set the coffee machine to make a 'regular' pot, as opposed to the distilled mix he preferred for a quick caffeine rush. "How's that working out, by the way? Any leads on good stock picks this quarter?"

"I wish I did. My credit card would be much happier with me. Doug does the stock market better then I do. I am much better at predicting when it will crash..." Marie-Ange explained.. "You should have access to all my notes now, I think." The ones she still sent to the X-men. There were, of course, some she didn't share. "In case you wanted... " She paused, and tilted her head. "Do you hear water?"

Forge arched an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah. That's the coffee machine."

"I know what a coffee machine sounds like. I have one. Doug has one. We have two in the office." Marie-Ange said. "I meant louder water. You do not have some kind of pipe leak?" She had a distinct feeling it was something else, but there was always the hope of a leak. Or one of the students spilling something. Like a swimming pool.

Forge cocked his head and closed his eyes, slowly turning in a circle. "Nope," he said after turning completely around. "All the pipes are good. Or at least not making any weird noises. Maybe it's.. um, okay, I got nothing. What're you hearing?"

By the time Forge had finished his rotation, the noise had passed. "It was like someone had kept the water running and overflowed a sink, or the bath.." Marie-Ange pinched the bridge of her nose and frowned. "I do not think I've had solely auditory hallucinations before. How vexing."

"What, like one of your visions?" Forge was suddenly intrigued. "Do you need to sit down, or have something to write with? That's actually pretty cool, I've never had anyone have a precognitive event while I'm around. Well, it would help if I knew more than two precognitives and Jennie really doesn't count, since her power just means that she's really really good at guessing."

Forge's ramble was cut off by the hiss of the coffee pot, and he darted over to the small kitchenette to fill two mugs. "How do you take yours?" he asked nonchalantly.

"I should write it down, but I do not think it was major." It was confusing, just the noises of water, and then nothing. "And with sugar, please." She had the very slight headache that usually accompanied a vision, but it had -never- been just a noise before. Marie-Ange watched Forge in the kitchen until she was content that there were to be no sudden plumbing explosions.

Forge returned to the common area, handing Marie-Ange a mug of coffee and taking a seat across from her on the couch. "That's got to be weird. I mean, when I look at a machine, I see and understand everything, like that." He snapped his fingers for emphasis, then took a sip of his coffee. "Sounds like it's the opposite for you, yeah? All symbolic and interpretive and subjective. Precognition's weird."

"Try being inside it." Marie-Ange said dryly. "If you have any ideas for how to make it make more sense and be less weird, I would like to hear them." She had meant it as a retort, but then paused, looking at Forge curiously. "On second though, take that seriously. You should have access to all of Dr. MacTaggart's research, yes?"

"Not anymore," Forge said with a touch of humility. "All the personal files are off-limits since I kind of might have maybe sort of broken into your ex-boyfriend's medical records but it was for a good cause, really."

She tried not to laugh. She really did. Marie-Ange almost managed, except for a small giggle. "I think I can get you a copy of what I have. If you have permission, no one can give you any trouble for it. And I would like to hear your thoughts.."

"What, like a telepath?" Forge said with a smile, then waved a hand. "Kidding, kidding. Sure, I'll see if anything jumps out at me. It'll have to wait until after the weekend, though. Big engagement party for Medusa in Attilan, and then I hop a flight from there to Muir to finish up an experiment that Doctor Connors and I were working on, then I should be back about next... Wednesday?" He cocked his head, thinking, then nodded. "Wednesday, yep."

"I will send my copies... well, Doug's copies since I do not have electronic ones - over when I get back to New York, and you can look over them at your leisure?" Marie-Ange said, standing up. "And when you do return, we can discuss then?"

Forge nodded. "Glad to help. And... you and Doug. Everything's...?" He let the question trail off, with a raised eyebrow for emphasis. While he was aware that the ruse he and Marie-Ange had concocted worked out as planned, Doug had been characteristically mum on the details.

"Everything is fine.." Marie-Ange said, smiling. "We even managed to get through that strange week where everyone was the wrong gender." She'd heard from Doug about Forge not recognizing him. "Despite certain people admiring Doug's temporary, ah.. assets."

"I am so glad I spent most of that week in Canada," Forge said, reddening slightly, "And I am never living that down, am I?"

"No, never." Marie-Ange answered. "If it helps, I tease Doug just as much. He took much to much entertainment out of that week." Forge didn't need the details. He was red enough already.

Blinking, Forge tried to not let his mind jump to the implied conclusions, failed miserably, and proceeded to metaphorically jump out of his skull and make a run for the border.

"So, more coffee?"