xp_logs | Marie-Ange and Doug, dinner date

Marie-Ange and Doug discuss the details of moving in together over dinner.

As usual, Doug and Marie-Ange had only given a cursory glance at the menus at Mama Lupe's, opting to take her suggestions. And as usual, the table was slightly overloaded, and it was likely they would end up taking home leftovers. Not that either was likely to complain, the food was good, Mama Lupe understood their differing tastes in spicy, and having a lunch or second meal ready meant one less time that they had to cook - or one more time Jubilee could mooch the leftovers, as was as likely as not to happen.

In one small spot where Marie-Ange had pushed the dishes away, she had a small notepad with a short list on it, and a cheap plastic pen, that she was currently ignoring in favor of trying to get the last of the guacamole out of the small dish with a piece of tortilla. "Perhaps some of those cabinet organizers if you are to lose some cabinet space? She asked.

"That's not a bad idea," Doug replied around a mouthful of burrito. His taste in spicy food was finally back to something approximating normal, and Mama Lupe had been very understanding of the whole vegetarianism thing. He imagined she was just happy to see him in general and looking more normal than the last time he'd been around.

"I think you may need it. You have a lot of gadgets." Marie-Ange had no idea what most of them were even for, although she did like the juicer. "Do you want to keep your dishes, or mine? I like mine. They are colorful..." Granted, she only used them for leftovers and microwavable food. While she rattled off questions, she alternated between forkfuls of food and using the pen to add to the list and completing a little column of drawings of furniture and pots and pans and other household items.

It was rather like drinking from an architectural fire hose, and Doug smiled as he answered the occasional question. For the most part he was content to let Marie-Ange chatter and sketch to her heart's desire while he enjoyed the food and her company. It was astonishing, the number of details involved in moving in together.

The list went to a second page, as Marie-Ange continued to think out loud, and she rattled off a few more ideas in a rapid-fire fashion, slipping a "And can we dispose of that chair you got as well?" in between questions about if they should ask Wanda to help with the wall before or after the conference in Germany, and her suggestion that they get a small mini-fridge.

Doug quirked his eyebrow at his girlfriend in amused fashion. He'd been waiting for her to try and sneak that one in as well. He lowered his chin and let his glasses slide down his nose. "I think not," he told her in a dry tone.

Marie-Ange displayed her overwhelming maturity by sticking her tongue out and making a 'nyah' noise. She crossed off "Dispose of ugly chair' from the list with bold strokes of her pen and then looked back up at Doug. "Then can we replace one or perhaps both of our sofas with ones that will compliment your very ugly chair so as to offset how very very ugly that chair is and how much it sticks out?"

Doug narrowed his eyes, and looked at the entirely too earnest expression on Marie-Ange's face. He wouldn't have put it past her to set him up by asking about getting rid of the chair, which she knew he'd quash, and then following up with a much more reasonable suggestion to incline him more towards compromise. "Maybe," he said slowly. "But then what would we do with the couches we have now?"

"I have a very good idea for that too. I think you will like it!"