dumbshow | incredibly indulgent shipping post

[Listen, if anyone's fucking machines it's the one who can make them.] I mean, with how you hardly spend your time doing anything else... You wrote notes instead of sleeping, after all.

[While Jindosh is stepping into the bath, Paolo is tugging his sleeves up yet again. He mumbles something about their length, choosing to walk up to his table with what he thinks its a cactus.] Have a microscope in the bathroom...

[Don't call him out like this. He adjusts the collar of the shirt, as if he's somehow wearing it wrong. He probably is. Excuses...] Mine has blood on it.

[No, there are swords on those. Anyway, he's just going to be right here watching Paolo poke around, slouching down to his shoulders in the water until he feels less sore. Mm.] I did sleep. You woke me up, so you must know.

[Rude. And don't touch his microscope, he needs that and that is a very important cactus. It's good that he's distracted by this, or he'd have to think about the appeal of Paolo wearing his clothes and that's just too many feelings this early in the morning.]

Your shirt had blood on it before you came to me. Where did you put it? At least have one of the servants clean that ratty suit of yours.

[Where is it, where did it go!! Paolo!!]

[Touch his microscope?? Paolo is going to, leaning in to peer through the glass at a... leaf. A leaf. The smirk across his face upon discovering this should be illegal.

It isn't long-lasting, though, replaced with a feign of shock as he rises with a hand at his chest. His offense was exaggerated.] The stains give it more character than whatever you wear.

[But, he drops it in defeat.] It's on the table, Mr. Awake. [All neat and folded, too, look at that. Too bad it's filthy.]

[Noooo, leave that alone. Jindosh makes a noise of objection, but he's not getting out of this bath to go push him around, so just—know what he means when he makes irritated little sounds. Stop that.]

Character! I'm sure the character of whoever's blood it is was also extremely worthwhile. [He looks over at the table.... ew.] And look, it still has so much character.

He tried driving me out. [Paolo frowned, as if he actually were offended by that. He's also saying it like it's an excuse for murder, hm.

Since Jindosh doesn't want him touching his things, though, he'll wander around looking at the plants before he ultimately winds up back at the tub.] You wouldn't like me if I weren't like this.

[Hmm. Character is an excuse for murder, then? Jindosh scoffs at him, waving a hand carelessly before he ducks completely under the water to wet his hair. He might as well actually bathe instead of just staring at Paolo this whole time.

Which means he's busy pushing wet hair out of his face when Paolo comes back.]

I've been told I have atrocious taste. [So. He lifts a hand to gesture Paolo to come closer. Come here, let him reach with these wet hands.]

[There he goes. Paolo doesn't know what to think, but he knows somehow something so mundane beats the view from a carriage on his way back home. So he'll do all the staring for Jindosh, putting a hand on the rim of the tub.]

You're... [wet, he almost says, but Jindosh probably knows that and it's his shirt. So he'll lean over the side with raised brows.] They're right. Terrible taste.

Dreadful taste. [Truly the worst. Jindosh reaches over with his very wet hand to... fix Paolo's collar, so it's at least folded down properly, even if it's a little wet now. There.]

You can't even dress yourself. It's unbelievable.

[He pats Paolo on the cheek with his slightly less wet hand, which definitely isn't annoying at all.]

[Paolo blinks, looking between Jindosh's face and his collar. He's getting criticized and not even a kiss to make up for it.] I dress my best for our little visits.

[He doesn't know if that makes it any better, given that his best is so bad. If Jindosh is going to touch his face, he's at least going to take the opportunity to steal a kiss.] I don't want to make you relearn your etiquette, so don't be so rude.

[Oh, he's pathetic, that's nice. Jindosh laughs at him, because of course he does, fingers curling against Paolo's cheek as he leans in to kiss him. Jindosh considers leaning away and refusing this little bit of affection, and yet Paolo's lips against his are not so objectionable even now.]

I'm not the one hovering around and interrupting his gracious host's morning bath. [Rude, very rude. Not that Jindosh is putting in too much effort to get on with his bath. He frowns, thinking of something, then tugs Paolo in for another kiss. Then he nudges him away with another wave of his hand, to make him stop interrupting!!]

Did you eat? Go. Downstairs.

Gracious. [Paolo repeats with a laugh, shaking his head. He smooths the shirt to ensure he still looked somewhat presentable... As presentable as he could look with rolled up shirt sleeves.

Speaking of which, he's going to rifle through one of the cupboards to actually somewhat finish getting dressed. There are two problems here: the waist is too loose, easily fixed with a belt, but they're much too long. Ignore the fact he nearly tripped over himself after failing to properly fold it over. It's fine.

At least they cover his striped socks. He's on his way out without interrupting again, but over his shoulder he calls:] Don't leave me waiting like those assholes!

[Hmm—well, Paolo sure is taking more of his clothes. Jindosh makes another vague noise of protest, but this one also has some amusement in it—the shirt he managed to handle, but there's no way he'll be able to make Jindosh's pants look like what he should be wearing.

His only response to Paolo's call is to wave after him dismissively, again, and then he'll actually get to bathing. He's not going to rush, so it's a wait but not an extraordinarily long one before he emerges for breakfast, fully dressed in his usual. He's just tugging on his sleeve cuff when something occurs to him, and his gaze darts over to wherever Paolo has wound up in his weird sliding dining room. He's probably had to wave away at least one servant staring at him without the guts to ask, at this point. Dull.]

You never took off your socks. [what the fuck..... what kind of heathen....]

[Paolo had been having a nice, civil conversation with the guard... No, really. They'd walked away as soon as they saw Jindosh coming, but with grins on their faces unlike any they'd had for the entire time they were stationed there.

Paolo shared their grin, leaning his head in hand at the table. He was eating some equivalent of bacon, but his plate looked untouched. Like he'd been waiting on him.] Hm...? [Oh--] Don't be silly. I took them off to bathe.

[Like the socks, this will take Jindosh maybe twelve hours to process. He doesn't pay enough attention to his guards, but soon he'll learn that he needs to.

Anyway, he's here to eat toast. Maybe even with jam. He sits down at the table, looking at the rest of the breakfast and abandoning it, as usual, for jam and toast. He might have approximately one sip of the tea that's been set out, too.]

You know what I mean. [And now, as he frowns obliviously at Paolo's plate.] Have you been wasting your time chattering away with the guards? Eat.

They've been stationed outside my district before. Good guys. Good stories. [Paolo is gradually furrowing his brows more at his choice of toast. Of all things. He doesn't seem to be getting anything else, what...]

I was waiting on you, anyway. [He says casually, and true enough, he's loading his plate with one of everything they had to offer. There's a bottle off to the side, like it wasn't morning and perfectly acceptable to start off with a full glass.] How's your ass?

[He is truly a treasure.]

[He likes this toast, thank you. He's putting a generous amount of jam on it, at least, before he fumbles over it and spreads jam over his prosthetic thumb. Paolo can't ask that at the table.]

Fine. [Could he sound more clipped and uncomfortable?? No. He stops to wipe jam off his goddamn hand, while he wonders if he should actually talk to this menace now. Ugh.] I suppose I should thank you for running the water.

[Which... is it. That is his thank you.]

[Paolo muffles his laugh behind an apple, his eyes gleaming with amusement. He probably shouldn't say anything with people around, but the look on Jindosh's face was worth it.]

Almost thought you'd fall asleep in there. [He has manners, somewhere, just not when he's deciding to respond while he's chewing.] Didn't think it was so bad last night that you would, but... is that really all you're eating?

[There's like... so much fruit. Right there. This is distracting from teasing him.]

[Get out of here, Paolo... Jindosh busies himself with his toast again, studiously ignoring his teasing in the way that he sure isn't, but he's acting like he is. It's a delicate balance.]

What? [Hm???] What could your problem possibly be now?

I don't have a lot of problems. [Let him finish taking a bite of banana when he hasn't even finished his apple yet,] Supposedly the most important meal of the day, and that's all you're eating?

[This is unacceptable, at least have the bacon he's sliding down the table.] Eat.

[Of all things, Paolo chooses to send bacon down the table at him? No man has ever looked at bacon as scornfully as Kirin Jindosh looks at bacon.

He pushes the plate back with one finger. Ew.]

You want me to eat this? [It's in his house. It came out of his kitchen. He won't eat it.

There is no logic left in the world to explain this.]

[Paolo stares at him, swallowing and lowering his fruit to his own plate.] There's nothing wrong with it! What-- what about--

[There's eggs too!! He's shoving the plate down the table, now, this is important. Some maids are probably staring.]

[Even if he wanted to eat the eggs (he doesn't, they're runny and that makes them gross), Jindosh is pushing that plate back at Paolo too. On principle, see. There are definitely maids staring; soon they'll start whispering behind their hands in wonder that Jindosh hasn't shoved Paolo into a wall of light yet.

Truly amazing.]

I have my breakfast! Eat yours and be quiet!

It's a piece of toast! [Paolo knows this is ridiculous, and yet he's still pushing a bowl of fruit forward in the plate's place. He would even think this could go on forever, but he knows he's easy, so--]

Give me peace of mind here, Kirin. [Oooh, Kirin. The whispers are definitely on now.]

[Whispering!! Paolo did this. Jindosh takes a bunch of grapes as irritably as someone can, brandishes it at Paolo, and shoves one in his mouth with gusto. You know, for grape-eating.

He wouldn't have if Paolo hadn't done that trying-to-take-care-of-him thing again, but never mind that. The whispers are in full tilt already.]

There! Satisfied?

[Paolo looks ready to continue arguing this when Jindosh just shoves grapes in his mouth. He choked, taking up his glass to stop a coughing fit that definitely was not going to be laughter. Just ignore his smile.]

Cute.

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