[Paolo maneuvers himself to lie under Jindosh's arm, pulling the blanket so it would cover them both. He'd have to remind himself to bring his own-- No, no. He was already picking up things for any future encounters, he didn't have to go so far as to start invading the man's space... Yet.
He turns his head away from the bare mattress, moving to lay on his side with an arm across Jindosh. For now, he'll listen without interrupting, settling in and enjoying the fingers in his hair. Though his own curled at what he had to offer.]
... Y'know, [he starts, leaning his head on Jindosh's shoulder,] that kinda sounds like you enjoy my company without cutting me open. What've you come to, Kirin? [He has to get a little teasing in, since he knows he's in for it in the morning.]
[Jindosh scoffs, looking briefly at Paolo and then up at the ceiling. It's getting kind of crowded in here, with the two of them and Paolo's attitude. Jindosh tugs once on his hair, chastising.]
Consider it the next phase of my experiment, if you will. [the gay experiment. there was no first phase.] Do you want me to say it, Paolo? That I enjoyed the evening, and you?
[He hums, like maybe he won't. Or maybe he'll say no, it was awful, and rescind his pseudo-invitation.] Fine then: I did. And I do.
You don't h... [Paolo starts, but trails off as Jindosh hums. It's astounding how many shades of red his face has turned today, but to salvage his ego, it's only a tinted pink.]
I'm... uh, glad. I'm glad. [He cleared his throat, dragging his hand up his chest to take and turn Jindosh's chin. Look, a kiss without any desire for more. Maybe he's not just horny.] Maybe I'll come by for lunch. Or breakfast... [or not leave at all.]
[Jindosh smirks as Paolo trails off and stumbles over his attitude, now. That's what he thought—at least he still has more experience in taking people by surprise with words.
But then a kiss, and one that isn't trying to climb on top of him again. His smirk turns into a look of thoughtful consideration, after that. Breakfast, lunch... it would be hard to miss the implication.]
In the morning. [He repeated against his lips, going back in for another kiss. He felt around for Jindosh's hand, taking up the ceramic to take one last drag of the evening.
He blew the smoke away from Jindosh's face for once, threading their fingers together as he laid his head on his chest.] And they say I'm not lucky...
[In the morning. Jindosh wonders how many "mornings" he can push real decisions back to, while he sorts himself out. Even now, Paolo's small gestures of affection feel like almost too much. He hums again instead, curling his other arm a bit more around Paolo like simple proximity to him will ease how much he doesn't know what he's doing.
Which it might. So.]
Hmm. Wait— [wait!!] Who is it that says you aren't lucky? You cheat death daily. What kind of standard for luck are they hoping for?
[Paolo blinked, then shook his head with a laugh and brought Jindosh's fingers up to his lips to kiss as he thought on it. He could get used to this, just giving affection instead of going to smoke cigars to keep his mind off the gravity of things.]
I didn't say they were smart. It is the Abbey, and... some other dumb fucks. Politicians, as it so happens. [He finally says, brushing his thumb over the ceramic's little details.] You don't get a face like this being the luckiest choffer in the city. So they're right. In some ways.
[Jindosh scoffs as if to say Oh, them. He should have known better—politicians and the Abbey are even more pointlessly offensive!! Mostly the former.]
Useless, simpering morons. Anyone born with a silver spoon in his mouth thinks he has a right to the highest seat he can find, no matter how empty his head is. [Jindosh stops playing with Paolo's hair just long enough to wave his hand in a small, dismissive gesture before working his fingers in again.] The era of luck will end sooner rather than later.
[The Empress melting his brain can't change his mind on this. He could probably write another book.]
As for the Abbey... well, it's typical of the intellectually incapable to fear the unknown, so I pity them more than anything else.
I don't. They don't deserve pity. [Paolo's jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed, but he made an effort not to squeeze down hard on his hand. Someone's bitter.] Killing too many people just trying to get by. Feeding their kids, their...
[He took a deep breath, focusing instead on the fingers back through his hair.] The most you gotta worry about empty-headed pigs is that they kill each other. And that's a good thing. Dunno how you worked with Luca...
[Ooh, bitterness. Jindosh raises an eyebrow at the ceiling, shifting to gaze down at Paolo's head on his chest. He's into bitter.]
You say "deserve pity" as if it's a good thing. [Just saying. Pity isn't charity, babe.] As for the Duke, I wouldn't call it "working with"...
[Except. For that one time. Whatever.] I'd rather spend his money than mine, more or less. Although I wonder if he'll have a change of heart, the way he has with so many other things lately.
[Pity is definitely charity, excuse you. Paolo scrunches his nose, but chooses not to argue it. He'll keep the fact that "pity" was going crazy in his basement another day.]
He's had a change of heart with a great many things. Says he finally has Karnaca's interest at heart, with guidance from the "great Emily Kaldwin." [He rolls his eyes, looking out at the view the balcony had to offer.] She ain't done shit for us. Neither of them. You know who's been taking care of this city? Me. Stilton. Ours friends. Not some little girl on a throne.
[Hmm. Paolo brings up the Empress himself, and Jindosh frowns more deeply up at his ceiling to think of her. It stirs up pain and shame in him to really think about Emily Kaldwin, and his fussing with Paolo's hair pauses for a moment while he listens to him discount the Empress' effectiveness.
He's into that, too. So there's that.]
And yet here you are in bed with the man outfitting the worst this city has to offer with inventions worth much more than any of their flimsy court titles. [haha just kidding, that almost makes it sound like he cares-] I've been hoping they'll kill each other with my clockworks eventually.
No one can rule a city like Karnaca from as far away as Dunwall, in any case. Even the Duke is too far removed to realize the simple reality of things: the time of nobility is waning. It's time for men of intellect and action to inherit the earth.
[Ah, he's getting ahead of himself. He fiddles with Paolo's hair again, determined apparently to never let it look neat. That said, there was something else...] How many audiences have you had with the Duke?
Your inventions can only fend off the rabble for so long in the hands of people that don't know how to use them. If all they do is sit back while your soldiers cut down the people, they're gonna find we learn how to turn it against them. [He would know, he thought, with all his encounters.]
I may not be smart, my boys might not be either, but action... Action always wins. [He's fought so many of the things he knows the ins and outs, painfully or not. He probably shouldn't sound so smug, laying with their creator, but can he really blame him? It doesn't really help that what follows is more talking about how important he is lately.] And uh... quite... quite a few, actually. He decided to call the great Vice Overseer Byrne-- [there he goes, waving a hand to the sky like the Overseer was somewhere out there to strangle,]-- and I to the Palace after his party. Wanted to make sure we play nice. Give updates on how the streets improving, make sure we don't try and kill each other anymore.
[He drops his arm, turning his head to look up at Jindosh like he was reassuring him. He still is cool, he swears,] We still do, but... I'm getting him wrapped around my finger. Those Abbey pricks were so hung up on catching me they don't have shit to present about improving the city, so when I lean real close and make my promises? He believes them. Maybe after a whiskey or two, but... he believes them.
[Jindosh resists interrupting to chide Paolo—"It sounds like you want one of your own, not that you can afford it."—and just listens instead to his assessment of the city. It's different, but it's almost what he expects from a man like Paolo. Jindosh's own assessment starts and ends with nobility being a useless concept and intellect being worth about a thousand times more minimum, so at least he's learning something about perspective.
Does he buy it? Maybe he will, in time. He does scoff to hear Paolo's boys could take down his clockworks, because maybe Paolo could, but he does have a special advantage his boys don't.
But trash talking "Luca Abele" is a hobby of his, so when he raises an eyebrow at Paolo again, it's with interest.] He would not have not too long ago, you realize. [Does Paolo realize? Jindosh, who sees every person like a puzzle to solve and has solved most already, realized at once that the Duke is no longer the Duke, but he assumes most people at the time believed the body double story he heard months later in passing.
He has the distinct feeling Paolo does not realize, but that's alright.]
The leader of the Howlers, muttering in the Duke's ear? How scandalous. I suppose it was his idea to send you here to annoy me over and over, was it? At least that's typical of Luca. [he's not dumb, he figured it out before Paolo kept bothering him for personal reasons. whatever!!] The streets of Karnaca are surely improving while you whittle away your time in here with me.
[There's... no doubt in him that Byrne is a dumb asshole and Paolo is at least trying, in his hoodlum way, but he still has to get in that jab. He smirks.] When shall I start calling you "Duke"?
[Why buy one when you can just bed the manufacturer? Paolo doesn't spare it a second thought, mindlessly tracing his fingers over the skin of Jindosh's chest. He knew something was off with the Duke, but all these months passed and he hadn't bothered to look into what.
He knows he can ask what exactly he's supposed to be realizing, but he didn't want to ask if it were something so obvious. So he'll skip it for now, save his pride.] You can call me that anytime you like, Kirin.
[He meets his smirk with a grin, leaning his head up far enough to kiss the corner of his lips.] With all my time whittling away, you'll get to say you knew the real Duke before his prime. More than any rich choffers can say. Won't even have to go to any parties to know what I would and wouldn't do.
[They are expensive, that's the point. Hush. Jindosh laughs anyway—call him Duke, goodness, he's a master of comedy as well as machines. More importantly than that is how he likes this side of Paolo, that's grinning and going along with him.
Now Paolo is the cute one. Take that.]
Please tell me your reign of terror won't involve any parties. I couldn't bear another one for as long as I live.
Terror! [Paolo is even cuter when he laughs, probably. He's too wrapped up in the subject to consider keeping up his persona, shaking his head with shaking shoulders.] My reign of compliance won't need anyone fucking all over the palace. That's a right reserved for the Duke. They'll have their own homes to do it in.
[He paused, his grin growing wider.] 'S why I was so surprised you were a blushing virgin. [He can make jabs too, both verbal and at Jindosh's chest.] If Luca's too dumb to get anything out of you, then why'd you even go?
[He is cute, fuck. It's awful how he does that, making Jindosh smirk more fondly at him before he can stop himself. Is this really happening, lying in bed laughing with someone else? On purpose? What has he become...]
Blushing, please. [He wiggles his hand over Paolo's on his chest, to stop him from poking. Don't taunt him about his, uh, purity. Technically speaking.] As I told you, being in the Duke's good graces—more or less—has its own advantages, most of them monetary. And he has plenty of room in his atrocious palace to get away from his festivities, and plenty of drunken idiots with loose pockets who love to spend their money on the latest innovations.
Kirin Jindosh, Grand Inventor, hiding away unless it's to sell something. [His grin can't get any wider, it's awful. He'll stop poking his chest, but it's just so he can touch his jaw again.] If I ever get my hands on that fortune, I don't think you'll have to do a whole lot of persuading.
[All that without kissing him, what a tease.] And I will get my hands on it.
For you, it seems I don't even need to play nice. [Paolo is easy, pass it on. Jindosh nudges him closer for a kiss, which might contradict what he just said about not playing nice, but whatever. The point is that Paolo will do whatever he wants.]
Ambition suits you, Paolo. I daresay I'm looking forward to seeing it.
For... for some... [things he might, he would say. But to totally contradict the thought, he's kissing him without finishing it. He is easy, but Jindosh had no business being so comforting.]
We aren't going to see it if I keep whittling away-- [There he goes with another one, damn his weakness,] --instead of resting.
[Paolo really is easy... Jindosh can't complain, considering the unique advantage it gets him. And the kisses. He's content to smirk into these kisses and muss up Paolo's hair a little, for emphasis.
Gay emphasis. Paolo is totally his now, and that's going surprisingly well.]
If you're tired, then sleep. I won't keep you up. [He understands the need for an adequate amount of rest, see. But he also assumes Paolo will helpfully move off of him and let him go work until his own four hours of sleep are due. Waiting...]
[Waiting... Waiting... And Paolo lays his head back down on him, and even worse, lays the arm back around him.
Is he clueless? Absolutely not, but he'd rather intentionally keep him there than lay alone.] Holdin' you to that. Don't stay up and-- [he yawns, burying that smirk in his chest,] --complicate things. As you do...
[Well... hmm. This is not going as planned any longer. Jindosh blinks, lifts his head a bit from the bed to stare at him and blinks some more. Um??]
Complicate— What are you talking about? I'm not going to sleep. [Here, he'll start poking at Paolo's shoulder, like that will get him to get up and let Jindosh go. He can still get an hour or two of work in, why isn't he working??]
[And Paolo isn't moving. He's actually pulling him closer, making the situation worse. Paolo is dreadful.] And I think you should stay.
[Obviously, he thinks this carries some weight. Even if it isn't, though, he's still putting his own physical on him so he won't easily escape.] With me. Not your tools.
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He turns his head away from the bare mattress, moving to lay on his side with an arm across Jindosh. For now, he'll listen without interrupting, settling in and enjoying the fingers in his hair. Though his own curled at what he had to offer.]
... Y'know, [he starts, leaning his head on Jindosh's shoulder,] that kinda sounds like you enjoy my company without cutting me open. What've you come to, Kirin? [He has to get a little teasing in, since he knows he's in for it in the morning.]
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Consider it the next phase of my experiment, if you will. [the gay experiment. there was no first phase.] Do you want me to say it, Paolo? That I enjoyed the evening, and you?
[He hums, like maybe he won't. Or maybe he'll say no, it was awful, and rescind his pseudo-invitation.] Fine then: I did. And I do.
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I'm... uh, glad. I'm glad. [He cleared his throat, dragging his hand up his chest to take and turn Jindosh's chin. Look, a kiss without any desire for more. Maybe he's not just horny.] Maybe I'll come by for lunch. Or breakfast... [or not leave at all.]
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But then a kiss, and one that isn't trying to climb on top of him again. His smirk turns into a look of thoughtful consideration, after that. Breakfast, lunch... it would be hard to miss the implication.]
In the morning... Decide then.
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He blew the smoke away from Jindosh's face for once, threading their fingers together as he laid his head on his chest.] And they say I'm not lucky...
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Which it might. So.]
Hmm. Wait— [wait!!] Who is it that says you aren't lucky? You cheat death daily. What kind of standard for luck are they hoping for?
[He's offended, this doesn't make sense!!!!]
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I didn't say they were smart. It is the Abbey, and... some other dumb fucks. Politicians, as it so happens. [He finally says, brushing his thumb over the ceramic's little details.] You don't get a face like this being the luckiest choffer in the city. So they're right. In some ways.
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Useless, simpering morons. Anyone born with a silver spoon in his mouth thinks he has a right to the highest seat he can find, no matter how empty his head is. [Jindosh stops playing with Paolo's hair just long enough to wave his hand in a small, dismissive gesture before working his fingers in again.] The era of luck will end sooner rather than later.
[The Empress melting his brain can't change his mind on this. He could probably write another book.]
As for the Abbey... well, it's typical of the intellectually incapable to fear the unknown, so I pity them more than anything else.
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[He took a deep breath, focusing instead on the fingers back through his hair.] The most you gotta worry about empty-headed pigs is that they kill each other. And that's a good thing. Dunno how you worked with Luca...
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You say "deserve pity" as if it's a good thing. [Just saying. Pity isn't charity, babe.] As for the Duke, I wouldn't call it "working with"...
[Except. For that one time. Whatever.] I'd rather spend his money than mine, more or less. Although I wonder if he'll have a change of heart, the way he has with so many other things lately.
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He's had a change of heart with a great many things. Says he finally has Karnaca's interest at heart, with guidance from the "great Emily Kaldwin." [He rolls his eyes, looking out at the view the balcony had to offer.] She ain't done shit for us. Neither of them. You know who's been taking care of this city? Me. Stilton. Ours friends. Not some little girl on a throne.
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He's into that, too. So there's that.]
And yet here you are in bed with the man outfitting the worst this city has to offer with inventions worth much more than any of their flimsy court titles. [haha just kidding, that almost makes it sound like he cares-] I've been hoping they'll kill each other with my clockworks eventually.
No one can rule a city like Karnaca from as far away as Dunwall, in any case. Even the Duke is too far removed to realize the simple reality of things: the time of nobility is waning. It's time for men of intellect and action to inherit the earth.
[Ah, he's getting ahead of himself. He fiddles with Paolo's hair again, determined apparently to never let it look neat. That said, there was something else...] How many audiences have you had with the Duke?
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I may not be smart, my boys might not be either, but action... Action always wins. [He's fought so many of the things he knows the ins and outs, painfully or not. He probably shouldn't sound so smug, laying with their creator, but can he really blame him? It doesn't really help that what follows is more talking about how important he is lately.] And uh... quite... quite a few, actually. He decided to call the great Vice Overseer Byrne-- [there he goes, waving a hand to the sky like the Overseer was somewhere out there to strangle,]-- and I to the Palace after his party. Wanted to make sure we play nice. Give updates on how the streets improving, make sure we don't try and kill each other anymore.
[He drops his arm, turning his head to look up at Jindosh like he was reassuring him. He still is cool, he swears,] We still do, but... I'm getting him wrapped around my finger. Those Abbey pricks were so hung up on catching me they don't have shit to present about improving the city, so when I lean real close and make my promises? He believes them. Maybe after a whiskey or two, but... he believes them.
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Does he buy it? Maybe he will, in time. He does scoff to hear Paolo's boys could take down his clockworks, because maybe Paolo could, but he does have a special advantage his boys don't.
But trash talking "Luca Abele" is a hobby of his, so when he raises an eyebrow at Paolo again, it's with interest.] He would not have not too long ago, you realize. [Does Paolo realize? Jindosh, who sees every person like a puzzle to solve and has solved most already, realized at once that the Duke is no longer the Duke, but he assumes most people at the time believed the body double story he heard months later in passing.
He has the distinct feeling Paolo does not realize, but that's alright.]
The leader of the Howlers, muttering in the Duke's ear? How scandalous. I suppose it was his idea to send you here to annoy me over and over, was it? At least that's typical of Luca. [he's not dumb, he figured it out before Paolo kept bothering him for personal reasons. whatever!!] The streets of Karnaca are surely improving while you whittle away your time in here with me.
[There's... no doubt in him that Byrne is a dumb asshole and Paolo is at least trying, in his hoodlum way, but he still has to get in that jab. He smirks.] When shall I start calling you "Duke"?
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He knows he can ask what exactly he's supposed to be realizing, but he didn't want to ask if it were something so obvious. So he'll skip it for now, save his pride.] You can call me that anytime you like, Kirin.
[He meets his smirk with a grin, leaning his head up far enough to kiss the corner of his lips.] With all my time whittling away, you'll get to say you knew the real Duke before his prime. More than any rich choffers can say. Won't even have to go to any parties to know what I would and wouldn't do.
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Now Paolo is the cute one. Take that.]
Please tell me your reign of terror won't involve any parties. I couldn't bear another one for as long as I live.
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[He paused, his grin growing wider.] 'S why I was so surprised you were a blushing virgin. [He can make jabs too, both verbal and at Jindosh's chest.] If Luca's too dumb to get anything out of you, then why'd you even go?
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Blushing, please. [He wiggles his hand over Paolo's on his chest, to stop him from poking. Don't taunt him about his, uh, purity. Technically speaking.] As I told you, being in the Duke's good graces—more or less—has its own advantages, most of them monetary. And he has plenty of room in his atrocious palace to get away from his festivities, and plenty of drunken idiots with loose pockets who love to spend their money on the latest innovations.
[And grapes.]
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[All that without kissing him, what a tease.] And I will get my hands on it.
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Ambition suits you, Paolo. I daresay I'm looking forward to seeing it.
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We aren't going to see it if I keep whittling away-- [There he goes with another one, damn his weakness,] --instead of resting.
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Gay emphasis. Paolo is totally his now, and that's going surprisingly well.]
If you're tired, then sleep. I won't keep you up. [He understands the need for an adequate amount of rest, see. But he also assumes Paolo will helpfully move off of him and let him go work until his own four hours of sleep are due. Waiting...]
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Is he clueless? Absolutely not, but he'd rather intentionally keep him there than lay alone.] Holdin' you to that. Don't stay up and-- [he yawns, burying that smirk in his chest,] --complicate things. As you do...
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Complicate— What are you talking about? I'm not going to sleep. [Here, he'll start poking at Paolo's shoulder, like that will get him to get up and let Jindosh go. He can still get an hour or two of work in, why isn't he working??]
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[Obviously, he thinks this carries some weight. Even if it isn't, though, he's still putting his own physical on him so he won't easily escape.] With me. Not your tools.
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