dumbshow | incredibly indulgent shipping post

[Hmm. Still mad, so it takes him a pause of his own to answer, but he can't resist talking about the house in the end. Even if Paolo is lingering behind him.]

Of course it is; it appears only as effortless as the amount of effort put into it. I don't deal in smoke and mirrors, Paolo—the simpler it looks to the untrained eye, the more complex the mechanism that holds it together.

[He runs his hand along the wall as he speaks, a man enraptured by his own work. Even if there are a few leaky pipes, the image of the mansion coming together? The first room, that intentionally moves more in a more complex way than any other, just to prove his point? He wants those tiny glimpses of more to sneak through.

That's the point. Testament to engineering, and everything. But now he's just wandered to a halt to stare at his own walls, and turns to start walking again with a short sigh. Back to reality: babysitting.] If you wanted to avoid me, you didn't have to come back.

[Paolo keeps his mouth shut, observing the man speak so fondly of things the Howler couldn't begin to understand. He couldn't possibly comprehend it all if he tried, but he'd be satisfied if he managed a fraction. He wanted to grasp what made Jindosh so happy, for when he'd fail to.

It's why his brows furrow when he hears that.] I'm not a man to run off because of dirty looks, Kirin. [Offense? No, it's spoken too softly to be. He's taking steps to walk alongside him now.] Besides, I already got plenty of looks in the market for wearing your things. I just... wanted to get started.

[He'll show off his book, Jindosh's grump or not. It was far below any first-year student's at the academy's level, but he thinks it's nice.] Can't find a space to fit here if I don't know what's around it.

[Jindosh makes another face, apparently having forgotten that Paolo went outside in his clothes. Like, this just didn't occur to him somehow? He's had better moments.

He'll look at Paolo now, at least, glancing sideways at him when he actually shows him his book. It's—it's such a low-level volume he doesn't think he's cracked open a copy since he was a teenager, and even then, just to criticize it... But the whole image fits together suddenly: Paolo crawling around behind the walls, reading this book, hitting his head on the mechanisms—and Jindosh, despite himself, is touched.

Being impressed by the house is nothing compared to wanting to learn about it. The way to his heart is under his perfectly polished floors, apparently. With another short sigh, he reaches over and wipes a smudge of dirt off Paolo's cheek with his thumb.] Apology accepted, I suppose.

[Hmm. Shush. After a beat,] You know, they tried to hook me into writing a foreword for that one, when the fifth edition was published. I told them they wouldn't be able to understand it.

[Whatever image Paolo was trying to establish for himself outside of their bedroom slips away with the smile he gains. It's small, his head turned like the wall has suddenly become very interesting, but it's there. Paolo does do whatever Jindosh wants and he should hate it.

He doesn't. He's brushing the hand at his face off, but it's just so he can hold in his own as they walk. Threading their fingers together like they had the evening prior, minus the expectations. He just liked the feeling.] If it'd be anything like The Astounding Clockwork Soldiers, I think the foreword is all I'd read.

[Another surprise—like it hadn't occurred to Jindosh either that Paolo would have picked up his book, despite how there are at least four copies in easily accessible places around the mansion. So the look on his face for just a moment is much more genuine than the annoyed expression he's been sporting since breakfast, and it's Paolo's fault.]

How much of my book did you read? [No, we're talking about this now, forget everything else.]

[Oh, he can't make faces like that. It means Paolo will smile more, and it's already unacceptable that he is now. Jindosh is dreadful.]

All of it. [He says matter-of-factly, as if this makes him more qualified to be interesting.] A few times. Don't know what you were thinking in 23; no one saw those faces and greeted them with anything but screams. You changed them because wood's cheaper and sturdier, am I right?

[Look at him... he can be smart.]

[Don't call him out, he'll take back his forgiveness!! He's sensitive. It's too bad he has his own book memorized and that fact is obvious, or maybe he could get away with pretending he doesn't know what Paolo is talking about.]

Now you're clever? Please. [maybe, he'll never tell. It's time to get out of the walls and take Paolo back upstairs to put on clean clothes, meanwhile.] ...They were also top heavy.

And shattered easy. [Paolo has to add, after so many hours of conversations where he didn't know anything to say. He's keeping close, though, even if he didn't see anything wrong with being this filthy. It was one of his better looks.]

The bird head is nice. [He'll stop calling him out, he guesses, since he wants to stay in good graces.] Your face is nice, too, but... uh... I prefer not seeing it when they're trying to skewer me. Where are we going?

[Stop calling him out!!—oh, he did stop. Jindosh still gives him a look, but tugs him along by his hand instead of stopping to discuss how Paolo figured out that half of a grinning porcelain face is his face. Never mind.]

Upstairs. You've ruined my clothes, so I'll have you change and then stay there.

[Don't worry, Paolo's not that observant, Jindosh probably told him... but when did he tell him? It's a good thing he's not thinking about it, and Paolo's too distracted by how they're still holding hands.]

And stay there. [He repeats, his brows raising in amusement.] I'm curious as to what your plans are to keep it that way, Kirin.

[Jindosh won't use the speaker because of the maids, but he'll hold Paolo's hand all the way back upstairs. Any maids along this route are acceptable losses, he supposes. They're going to have to take the elevator which is simply awful. But it's the quickest way back to Jindosh's private rooms that doesn't involve levers, and efficiency is key.]

I was going to trust that you don't enjoy getting lost and hurting yourself in the dangerous insides of my house, but I suppose if I must turn off all the mechanisms so that you are stuck in a particular room, I may do that.

[Maids are making an effort not to look directly at them, exploding into whispers as soon as they've passed by. Paolo's taken a habit of waving to them up until they step into the elevator, where he of course, is still not letting go of his hand.]

That's a lot of effort to make me not hit my head once. [One time!!] You can't just lock me in there, what am I supposed to do? Talk to your machines? Admire the view without you?

[Jindosh, for his part, is just ignoring the maids. Angrily, but at least he's not yelling at anyone right now. He doesn't yank his hand away from Paolo's the moment they're in the elevator, either—he's going to hold onto him until he can maybe lock him in a room somewhere. That's normal.]

Yes. You can't honestly expect to monopolize my time all day. Read your little book while I'm working.

If I'm just going to read a book while you're working, I might as well have the pleasure of your company. [Paolo leans, but finds he has to stand on the tips of his toes to get even remotely close to whispering in his ear.

He opts to kiss his cheek instead.] Come on. I can be quiet.

[Paolo is so short... Jindosh doesn't make it any easier for him to reach his face, but he can't help the face he makes when Paolo kisses his cheek. It is the face of a man trying not to smile, twisting his mouth around stupidly to resist.

Paolo is dreadful.] One sound from you and I'll lock you in my chambers.

[So... fine!! Pit stop to get him new pants, and then he can sit in a chair in the lab and not speak.]

[Being locked in his chambers wouldn't sound so bad if he knew Jindosh wasn't going to be working the whole time. So he cooperates, changing out his pants for the shortest thing Jindosh owns and shutting his mouth when they stepped into the lab.

He did start out reading quietly. He really, truly did. But there were words he didn't understand, and he didn't want to ask yet again, so he finds himself staring at Jindosh from over the woodworking station, rolling an unfinished piece in his hand.]

[Paolo will have to wait to be locked in his chambers with Jindosh, alright. There is work to be done. Jindosh stands around with his hands on his hips, looking impatient for Paolo to change the moment he lets go of his hand to send him rifling through his clothes. He could have just grabbed something for him himself, but no, he's chosen to do this.

At least he makes a pleased kind of noise when Paolo is fiiinally ready to go to the lab. Jindosh deposits him in a chair and then goes back to ignoring him, but this time it's because of his work and not because he's mad. He's caught up in his work within minutes, occasionally muttering to himself and a few times just stepping back from his work table to pace around the other half of the room, thinking. (He doesn't go near Paolo because he needs to focus, thank you.) Sometimes he even looks at a clipboard, wherever that came from.

By the time Paolo gives up and just stares at him, he's probably moderately smudged with grease and charcoal from sketching between fiddling with machinery. He's even loosened his cravat, because it's warm in here and natural philosophy is really intense.

Still. Without looking up:] Don't touch that.

[Paolo's so distracted by the rare sight that is Jindosh dirty that he almost drops the piece he's not supposed to be touching. He grabs it last second, setting it back on the table such little subtlety there's no point in lying.]

You-- [He starts, but stops abruptly, remembering he's not supposed to be distracting him. He sighs in annoyance, slumping in his chair and just looking at the unfinished clockwork torso across from him. Like it would understand his pain.

He didn't learn his lesson, because he's gonna touch the head anyway.]

[Jindosh actually looks up from his work when Paolo makes a sound, eyebrow raised, clearly waiting to see if he needs to lock anybody upstairs again. Hmm? No?? Okay.

It's back to work then, until Paolo touches the clockwork's head, at which point Jindosh just sighs and puts down his magic clipboard with an irritable little clack.] Come here.

[Paolo freezes with his hand still on the wood, dropping it with the defeated sigh. He stares at the clipboard instead of Jindosh when he crosses over to meet him.

At least he can see how cute he is with the smudges up close.] Yeah?

[Jindosh holds up a finger for him to wait, then circles around the table to go knock some spare screwdrivers off a short wooden stool next to a different table (he will pick those up later), which he then carries back to his work space and plunks down in front of Paolo.]

Sit here. Stop touching things. [Perhaps being closer to him will actually help?? He's hopeful. It's tragic.]

[Paolo blinks, putting a hand on his hip at all the effort he's going through. He shouldn't grin, but he does, and it's a miracle he's not calling him cute again.] Sure.

[He'll stop touching things after he wipes a smudge off Jindosh's nose with his thumb. Focus with his satisfied face as he sits back down, he dares him.]

[Don't do that thing that he just did to Paolo an hour ago. Jindosh blinks, bringing a hand up to his face and almost touching his nose and inadvertently smudging it again, but changing his mind and just giving Paolo a look. Stop. Be quiet.

It's back to work, then, which isn't hard to do with Paolo there at all until he realizes Paolo keeps giving him that smug look. Jindosh makes it a few whole minutes before he whaps his clipboard down again.] Don't you have something to read?

Hm? [With how it takes Paolo a few seconds to even register he had a question, it's obvious he hasn't been thinking about the book for awhile. With how he can't touch anything, he's been focused on Jindosh, enjoying all the little details when he isn't being smart at Paolo.]

There's too many words I don't know. [He finally admits, shrugging his shoulders and leaning back.] You're nice to look at.

[It has been maybe 16 hours and already, having a lover or boyfriend or whatever word there is for this is very time-consuming. Jindosh stares back at Paolo like he can't quite comprehend why Paolo wants to stare at him for this long. Look at everything in this room? Can't he stare at any of these interesting machines, as long as he keeps his hands to himself??

This is ridiculous. He puts his hands on his hips again, frowns, then holds out a hand for the book.] Which words? Give it to me.

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