xp_logs | Doug and Domino

Backdated to yesterday afternoon. Domino is exploring the mansion and happens upon Doug in the sunroom. They talk about Nathan for a bit, they discuss gossip about Nathan and Moira, and Dom's plans for Doctor Pym. Doug struggles valiantly to not blush _too_ much, and Domino declares him 'cute'.

Doug sat quietly in the sunroom, soaking up a ray of sunshine as he typed idly at the keyboard of his laptop. He looked up, slightly startled, as someone walked into the room, someone unfamiliar. "Um, hello?" he asked tentatively.

"Hello yourself," Domino said, giving the kid her best dazzling smile. Cute, she decided as she sized him up with a single measuring look, especially with that hesitant expression. "Just checking the place out."

"Ah," Doug replied. Now he remembered. "Domino, right? I think I remember Nathan mentioning that you and someone else were coming into town to visit." He made a vague waving motion. "The sunroom. Usually pretty ideal for peace and quiet. I sometimes wonder if I'm part cat, because I love my sunbeam." He chuckled.

"Mmm," Domino said, going over and flopping sideways in one of the chairs. She eyed Doug with amusement. "And you would be?" she prompted after a moment, when the kid didn't say anything.

Doug blushed lightly. "Oh. Sorry. Doug Ramsey. Dunno if Nathan mentioned it, but I've been helping him translate some stuff related to his precog visions. That's my mutant ability. Instant translation and understanding of languages. Not very flashy, but it's come in handy once or twice."

Helping out Nate? Domino put 'Ramsey, Doug' on her list of good names and smiled at him a little more naturally. "Nice to meet you, Doug. And yes, I'm Domino."

Doug watched the calculation in her expression that led to the genuine smile. "Means a lot to you, doesn't he?" he asked casually.

"More than I'd ever say to his face, yes," Domino admitted easily. "It's been a relief to see him this weekend. After all that business with his heart stopping and so forth... well, he looks better than I expected."

Doug nodded. "It's been...scary, at times. He _is_ doing better, though. Not so much with losing himself in the visions. That's why they've been so bad. It's like...when he loses himself, he's actually _living_ it."

Domino leaned back in her chair, sighing. "He had another one this morning, apparently," she said. "That's why I'm wandering around by myself." She noted Doug's concerned look and then smiled. "Not to worry, he's okay. Just wanted to lie down for a bit."

Doug nodded, relieved. "That's good. Doc Mactaggart would be pretty upset if he tried to shuffle off."

"As would quite a number of other people, much as he doesn't like to admit it." Domino grinned a bit wryly at the kid, rubbing the back of her neck. "You know, he mentioned you in a couple of his emails, come to think of it."

Doug brightened and looked vaguely curious. "So, did he have anything good to say about me?" he asked, a wry humor in his voice.

"To be honest, Nate's spoken well of just about everyone here that he's mentioned," Domino said idly, and then snorted. "I had to find out from Moira that it's not all been sweetness and light."

Doug snorted. "Let me guess. Manuel." His expression twisted a little bit at the name of the Spanish empath.

"Oh-ho," Domino said wisely, her eyes narrowing a little. "From what Moira said, I did imagine that Nate probably wasn't the only one who'd had problems with this guy."

Doug nodded slowly. "He...my...girlfriend, Marie-Ange," he said, still slightly tripping over the word, and unable to avoid saying it without a sense of wonder. "She's precognitive as well. She saw something about Manuel, and he wanted to know more. So he tried to...forcer her. And when I tried to get him to back off, he tried to force _me_ to turn around and leave."

"Oh, he sounds like a barrel of fun," Domino said dryly. "Moira told me he's wearing a dampener, though?"

"Yeah. Although he got to take it off for the Red X mission about a week ago. And Angie and I had to work with him. Not much fun, playing go-between with my girlfriend and an egotistical Spaniard."

"Charming," was Domino's pronouncement on the whole situation. "Happier thoughts?" she suggested, smiling cheerfully at him.

Doug smiled somewhat wryly. "Yes, please." He trailed off, unsure as to a direction to lead the conversation.

Domino glanced around at the sunroom, still smiling. "I think this is where I'm supposed to meet your Professor for tea this afternoon, actually." She winked at Doug. "Any advice?"

Doug shrugged. "Be honest. Even without the telepathy, he might be better at reading people than me." He chuckled. "Forgot to mention that little side effect. Language comprehension includes _body_ language. That's honestly been the handiest part of it."

Domino laughed lightly. "And what are you reading from me, Doug?"

"Well, I tend to try not to read people that I've just met. Seems...impolite. I did get a bit of how much you care for Nathan, but it doesn't take a mutant power to figure that out." He smiled.

"What can I say? I wear my heart on my sleeve," she said dryly. "But tell me," she went on a bit wickedly, "what does the gossip around here say about him and Moira? I'm assuming you all do gossip."

Doug grinned. "Oh yeah. There's plenty of gossip around here. You're not the only one who wears their heart on their sleeve." He smiled self-deprecatingly and placed a hand on his chest. "But the rumor mill on Nathan and Doc Mactaggart? Mostly that they do a lot of stuff us kids would rather not think about, and that old people have no business being that cute."

Okay, so maybe she would have done better not to ask that question. Still... Domino couldn't help a slight smile. At least she could console herself with how uncomfortable Nathan probably was at being the object of "Aww, aren't they cute?" comments.

"Old people get to have healthy sex lives too, you know," she said innocently, just to see if she got a reaction out of Doug.

Doug blushed. "Yeah, but we don't have to hear snide little asides to that effect in the journal system, do we?"

Domino snickered. "More power to them," she said, a bit surprised to realize that she did mean that. "I'm always in favor of messing with people's heads."

Doug shrugged. "Still. I like them both, they're good people. But reading in Doc Mactaggart's journal basically that she's all satisfied because she got some good sex from Nathan...it can be a little uncomfortable."

He was a nice kid, Domino told herself. No need to laugh at him for his puritanical streak. "I'll be sure to tell Moira she needs to tone it down a little," she said gravely.

"I..." Doug blushed again. "It's not so much her, as me, I guess," he replied candidly. "Makes me a touch uncomfortable, maybe, but that's my problem, right?" He shrugged.

"Smart boy," Domino said approvingly, but then grinned at him. "I will deny saying this if it ever gets out, but given everything she apparently does for you kids, turning a blind eye would probably be the nice thing to do. Unless the two of them start getting caught in compromising positions in public places, in which case public expressions of discomfort or public ribbing is perfectly fair."

Doug chuckled. "I hear you. Of course, public ribbing kinda goes around. Especially when you live with the resident king prankster of the mansion." He grinned.

"Ahhh. This would be the person who came up with the idea of sending the stink bomb to that bastard Pym?"

Doug nodded. "That's my roomie. James Arthur Madrox, the Multiple Man. He'd be a handful enough all by his lonesome, but his power allows him to make duplicates of himself." Doug shook his head. "And I actually volunteered to help run Doctor Pym off. I gather he hasn't been getting the message, though."

"Oh," Domino said with her best enigmatic smile. "He will."

Doug grinned wickedly in response to the intentions rolling off of her. "Excellent. Might I ask what you've got in mind? Never know when I'll need new prank material to get back at Jamie."

"Well," Domino said very delicately. "I have a date with the gentleman tonight. I plan to take him back to his place and... wear him out. Once he's unconscious, I'm going to dress him up in women's lingerie, go wild with my handy digital camera, and then send the pictures to every tabloid in New York." She raised a finger to her lips, her violet eyes sparkling with lethal good humor. "But shh, keep that under your hat."

Doug blushed very slightly at the implication of Domino 'wearing' Doctor Pym out. The rest, though... "You should definitely meet Jamie. Or then again, maybe not. I think he's evil enough as it is."

"It's really one of those double-silver-lining things," Domino said casually. "Pym gets humiliated, and I have several different kinds of fun doing it." She smiled beatifically. "I'm not a total sadist. I fully intend on giving him a good time before I take a sledgehammer to his reputation."

Doug chuckled. "How polite of you. And it probably has the added benefit of being even more embarassing after the fact..."

"I suppose it leaves me with only one question," Domino said with a put-upon sigh. "Do I trust Pym to have a proper selection of sex toys, or do I need to bring my own handcuffs?"

The blush deepened slightly, but Doug was now determined to keep up with Domino's ribbing. "It's my understanding that it's always best to bring your own to the party. Although he definitely seems the type."

Domino laughed aloud, pushing herself up out of the chair. "You're a good kid, Doug," she said more kindly. "I'll stop teasing you - I should go check on Nate anyway." She wandered lazily over to the door, then stopped to give him one last grin. "And since I never answered your question... Nathan said you seemed to have a fairly good head on your shoulders and a better-than-average heart. Which is high praise, coming from him."

Doug allowed himself to blush this time, in mild embarassment. "I...thanks, Domino," he said, looking up to meet her mischievous violet eyes. "Take care, and good luck with the Professor."

"Cute," Domino proclaimed, wandering out. "Quite cute."