dumbshow | was i ever truly off my bullshit

was i ever truly off my bullshit

[When Kirin Jindosh's house falls into the sea, he almost doesn't realize it's happening. No alarms have been activated, no sensors in his floors alert him to the presence of an intruder; even the mechanisms of his house are silent as the grave, on this completely ordinary day. Were there anything amiss in his house, he would know... and nothing appears to be wrong.

He hasn't eaten in two days. It's unimportant, but he's pushed his hunger to the point of distraction and now needs to put something in his body before he starts to slip in his work. It's this that gets him out of his lab and skulking directly down to the kitchens instead of waiting around for someone to bring him food in the dining area; the cooks aren't pleased to see him in their space (it isn't theirs), but they never are, and Jindosh can eat a pear in peace for five minutes thanks to their studiously avoiding his gaze.

His cooks are among the best of his staff, all things considered. But so it happens that he is not in the high, ocean-overlooking part of his home when it begins to fall. He feels a faint rumble beneath the floor and pauses, head tilted to listen. Somewhere, something creaks. And then something tears.

All at once his perfect home becomes a place of chaos: guards abandoning posts, staff and servants running in every direction, the clockworks not knowing what to do with themselves in the absence of an enemy to put down. Jindosh himself moves like a spectre, the shock of his home's demise too great to spur him into doing something like moving more quickly. Against all odds it's a maid (he knows her face, Maybe if he had a family, but that kind of thing doesn't even occur to him, his home remembers) who sees the master of the house staring dully out of a window as it splinters and does something about it, grabbing his hand and taking off at a run before he can find his voice to object.

The house crumbles. Glass shatters, wood splinters and stone all but dissolves as if it were never the marvel of engineering it was built to be. Metal screams and snaps as it bends in ways it was never intended to and Jindosh has no words for the feeling he experiences as his life's work, years of work and decades of research, slip into the sea like they were never there. How? he wonders. How, how, how? No answer comes to him; his greatest defeat is this, and though he can see no enemy that caused this, he knows: his house is flawless, and if it falls then his enemy has bested him without ever appearing before him.

A worthy opponent, despite the consequences.

Outside the carriage is somehow still working, but it throws itself off its track when a chunk of his waiting room wall lands on the station behind it. Jindosh and the maid are tossed limply into the grass, and the maid scrambles to her feet to continue running while Jindosh sits up to watch his house fall to rubble and dust. He thinks he can see his silvergraph lenses glinting in the afternoon sunlight as they fall, but perhaps he imagined it.

He's still sitting there watching when the dust has settled. When a dark-clothed figure covering her face stalks toward him, says nothing to him as he looks up into the eyes of his own destruction, the Empress, says nothing as she tosses the cracked shell of a clockwork soldier's head into his lap and walks away.

He's still sitting there when the sun begins to set, on the hill, on everything. She may as well have just killed him, he thinks as he finally rises to go pick through his own rubble. It would have been more merciful than this.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Paolo initially prided himself on how he knew exactly which Howler he was talking about, even with such a vague description... It lasted about ten seconds before the smile slipped and his jaw clenched. He glances past him towards the exit, leaning forward in his seat like he's ready to go, but knows he shouldn't.]

And he doesn't have any reason to think you'd do any of those things. [It's a statement, not a question... Jindosh only answers Paolo? It should stay that way?] I'll... take care of him-- he attitude, whatever. I'll handle it.

[he's not a jealous man, he thinks, this is normal, he thinks,]

[Nah, this seems like jealous man behavior. Jindosh can't help but be the slightest bit smug about it - he says two words and Paolo is ready to go put the fear of God into someone, very flattering. He shrugs, fiddling with a pen or something on the desk idly, like it doesn't really matter.]

Will you, now? That's very helpful of you. [lol......] Then perhaps I will finally get some work done in peace and quiet, afterwards.

Perhaps. [Don't look at him like that, now he has to acknowledge he's a little obvious and play it cool. He takes a deep breath and rises to his feet, stopping just before Jindosh with his hands clasped behind his back.]

Or maybe, when it's all done, I'll come over and ask some things... like what are you working on this and come have a drink that.

[Obvious, but cute. With Paolo volunteering to put himself in his space, Jindosh can't resist reaching out and just sort of tipping his chin up with a little nudge. Hey.]

Ah-ah. I've already agreed to your clandestine meeting on the roof. You of all people should know the limit of my nerves, by now.

[Oh, hey. Paolo blinks, but he manages to keep his head up and maintain eye contact. It's a feat, considering how many times he's mumbled something and walked off.]

I know your nerves aren't really all that grated by me. [Where did all this confidence come from... the adrenaline of knowing he's going to beat someone up, probably.] But if it matters that much, I'll save the wine for tonight.

[Lesson learned: make Paolo jealous more often. That temper directed at other people? Nice.]

The good one in the gold bottle, I hope. Because it's been such a trying day. [Give him... the nicest things. He deserves it.]

I already took it off the shelf. [Don't worry, babe. He's already planned out this whole thing. It's actually really convenient Jindosh came and spoke to him, so he didn't have to find some awkward way to bring it up.

Like how he's awkwardly still standing here because he doesn't have some smooth line to exit on. Hm.] Anything else, because of your trying day?

[Oh, he's planned ahead, how charming. Jindosh raises an eyebrow - as much as he too is still standing here, there was really no guarantee he'd have said yes to this roof date... getting a little ahead of yourself, Paolo...

But hm. Charming.]

Dessert. Something that pairs well with the wine. [pudding,]

Dessert. [Paolo repeats with a chuckles for a moment, up until he realizes he's serious. They don't just go around eating nice things- pear soda is a delicacy. How is he supposed to do this.] Right. Dessert. You... got it. I'll... be there. Tonight. Wine. Dessert.

[His confidence lasted like, a minute, it's fine. He clears his throat, then nods curtly and steps around him to exit the room first. He's keeping his back turned to avoid being judged, but Mindy's already laughing at whatever expression he's made from across the balcony.]

Yes, yes. I trust you can see to it on your own. [Get him a delicious pudding cup... Jindosh appreciates how quickly this went from Paolo being smooth and confident to Paolo mumbling and not knowing what he's doing; love that, excellent performance. He can leave Jindosh here to collect his wristbow drawing, anyway, and maybe he'll go spend the afternoon tinkering with that and some other fun murder projects before it's rooftop time.

Paolo will have to come and get him, but the fourth floor is literally on the way to the roof, so it's fine.]

[It's Mindy who suggests the pudding, and it's Mindy who makes the worst goddamn pudding in Karnaca. It's downright inedible, so much so that they just dump it on the poor guy who had the audacity to try and spend time with Jindosh. Once it comes to light that his usually better half is useless here, Paolo doesn't know what to do with himself. He asks other Howlers, then one of her many visiting boyfriends, then he goes out for a smoke because this shouldn't be so stressful when he's done things like rob the bank.

Mercifully, an old woman saves him from this plight on his trip down to the market for more sugar. It's the same old woman who sold him bandages when he first brought Jindosh to his doorstep, who asks how "nice young man" is doing every time she sees Paolo on the street, and seems to know the same thing that Mindy does about the way he speaks about him but won't say a word. She writes down proper instructions and sends him on his way, so eventually, around a third time as the sun's going down, he gets it right.

He looks ridiculous, angry scuff across his cheek and knuckles split from beating a man unconscious, and then powder from something so domestic like cooking in his hair. How contradictory Jindosh has made him, these past weeks. Knocking on his door, sheepishly:] Hey, finish up. We'll miss sundown.

[Jindosh, meanwhile, does indeed spend the afternoon messing with his new wristbow design. It keeps his hands and his mind occupied away from other things; up on the fourth floor the noises from the yard sound distant enough to fade into the background, which usually gives his addled nerves a rest. He can think up here, although today he thinks about wristbows more than anything else.

But he does wonder just what Paolo has done to that Howler who follows him around. He wonders a few other things about Paolo, things nobody has to badger him about because the rest of the people in the Crone's Hand have learned to leave him well enough alone. If anyone chuckles behind their hands at the way Jindosh always aims to put his hands on Paolo as often as possible, they have the decency to do it somewhere he can't see.

Very generous of them.

By the time Paolo knocks at his door, Jindosh hasn't actually finished this prototype - mostly, but not enough to "finish up" before Paolo starts whining about sundown some more. Jindosh puts it down and moves to the door, eyebrows raising when he takes in the state Paolo's in. Again, he doesn't resist lifting a hand to turn Paolo's cheek to look at the mark there, which he regards with just,] Hmm.

[Hmm. He moves to brush the dust out of his hair next, before it Bothers his sensibilities. There, much better.] Alright, don't loiter.

[He scrunches his nose when Jindosh puts his hand on him, but he's learned by now that putting up resistant will get him nowhere. So he lets him, and he lets himself feel a little shame that he didn't clean up prior to all this, then he moves on. The stairs to the roof creak more than the others from age and disuse, and the door takes some doing to open - he didn't renovate this place, because he didn't think he'd be using it.]

I don't usually let anybody up here. [He says as he steps out, holding the door open as he looks out to the scene with a sigh. The sky is already fading into bright oranges and pinks as the sun has begun to sink behind the buildings ahead, but the entrance to the district does provide something of a view over the cliff Stilton's manor resides on.

As far as accommodations go, there's evidence of dust being poorly swept off the edge of the roof, and still old cigars in an ashtray threatening to fall over it, but otherwise? It's nice. Chairs - one distinctly newer than the other - with cushioned backs are positioned at just the right spot for the scene, and candles are melting on a small table between them holding their gold wine bottle, glasses, and pudding bowls. The audiograph sits behind it all, scuffed like the owner, but with a track waiting to be played. Everything is worn with time, of course, but nothing Paolo owns is pristine.]

It's my place to think about how to move forward. [Go on... literally move forward so he can shut this,] Not the finest view, I'm sure, but... it's something.

Edited 2017-12-29 11:02 (UTC)

[Shh, he's into it. Paolo completely destroyed some guy all because Jindosh said he was a little annoyed? That's how you know it's real!!

This rooftop hideout is very close to pathetic, but it's more effort being made for his own sake, and Jindosh appreciates the sentiment. Paolo doesn't fawn over him waiting for an expensive treat like nobility once did—frankly, once he had his hands on the old Clockworks, he could have stabbed Jindosh in the heart and no one would have questioned him, so to continue making efforts to appeal to him is something. Jindosh chooses to interpret it as appreciation of his grand genius, which is close enough.

He makes his way over to the chairs, looking out at the not-so-fantastic view with a pang of longing for his own home's view, the finest, etc etc. But hmm, yes, chairs ready for sitting in.]

It is. Is this pudding? [how did u know.... jk he only eats like a child, probably hasn't eaten today, sigh,]

[Hey, this is high quality for the Dust District? Please. Paolo thinks it's great, oblivious to how low quality it actually is... It's the pudding that's the weird thing here.]

I... hope so. [He raises his hands in a helpless gesture before he sits back, crossing one leg over the other with a relaxed sigh.] It might be more apple than anything, but uh... I tried a little. [a lot, he tried a lot, all day,]

[Well you know what the biggest twist is? Jindosh is going to eat this pudding. He's going to eat it without making a face and fussing over it first, as if he's a normal person who eats food regularly. It's a little... grainy, but it's distinctly sugar and apples in a mush, so that's great.]

You made pudding. [Eggs and toast is one thing, this is effort. This explains the crap that was in his hair earlier, too. Cute.] It isn't bad, but I'm not sure it will pair with the wine at all.

[Paolo marvels at this incredibly rare occasion, so much so that he nearly misses his glass when he starts pouring the wine. He catches himself staring, and looks back to what he's doing just in time.]

Looks like it's more for me, then. [No, please drink his wine anyway... It was so expensive.] To celebrate the fact that... [nope, he's still being a baby,] I got you the great Kirin Jindosh to eat something. They won't believe it.

[Things to add to Jindosh's mental list of things that make Paolo lose awareness of the world around him: eating pudding.

He wags the spoon at him, scolding. Shut up.] You have seen me eat on several occasions. Pour the wine and tell me what you did besides make pudding, instead. Surely your afternoon was not wholly occupied by sugar and apples.

[tell him, about beating a guy up,]

Oh, this? Dunno what you're talking about, this is definitely from an apple. [Paolo smirks as he gestures towards his face, but he relents easily enough. He leans over to pour the wine into the other glass as he contemplates the real story. Hmm...

Well, Jindosh already knows he's jealous, so there's no point in downplaying it. He sets the bottle back and leans back, shrugging his shoulders casually.] I went and asked that kid what the hell he was thinking, y'know, all civil. He said he didn't have any idea what I was talkin' about, so that was what started it. The uh... real conversation. [He waves the more battered and bruised hand, like it speaks for itself.]

He kept thinking that I'd take his word over yours, y'know, like I'm some kind of idiot. So we talked for about an hour, and he decided he wanted to talk back to me, because he had some sort of impression that I didn't have the right to be taking up all your time. Now, the only thing I think he's going to be bothering you about after this evening is how what you use for those lost fingers of yours. With a little less pretty face, and a little slower, because I'm pretty sure he got a... a concussion, you said, right? That's it. Hit his head on the bar and lost some fingers, all in one day. Tough break.

[Yeah, nice... give him his wine so he can really enjoy this story, that's the stuff. Paolo has genuinely decimated this other Howler just because Jindosh implied he should and that's still as flattering as it really should not be, they're both crazy.

At some point he reaches over to tug on Paolo's sleeve, to get a better look at that bruised hand. Let him see... let him touch.]

I won't be making anyone new fingers, so he'll have to get used to his new lot in life. I do hope it wasn't his dominant hand. [he lies, lyingly,] I suppose I should thank you for defending my honor.

[lol..... well he'll touch hands for a second there, that counts as thanks.]

[Why he touch... Paolo sighs, but ducks his head and relents as is custom whenever Jindosh puts his hands on him. He’s leaning at the edge of his seat for this, just so he can pretty much hold his hand. You’re welcome.]

You saying you wouldn’t give me new fingers? I’m hurt. [He wiggles them for emphasis, but ignore the way he winces after.] It isn’t that bad... Gotta say though, you should probably do it yourself for a change.

[He touch... Just shut up and sort of hold his hand while he looks at this injury. Hmm, yes, very nice. That's going to be even grosser in the morning.]

You might want to put ice on these, but you won't lose any. [Even the ice is just a suggestion, fuck it,] You want me to fight your subordinates?

[just wondering....]

[Evaluating how gross his hand is going to be is great and all, but you know what's better? Looking at anything else besides his hand before he gets self conscious about it-- No, Paolo doesn't get self conscious, that's not right. It's that the waning conversation makes that distinctly uncomfortable feeling start to pool, because if he runs out of things to talk about, how is he supposed to leave him wanting? His fingers curl in, catching on Jindosh's before he moves to withdraw entirely.]

I'm sure you could, but uh... I don't think I can afford losing any others. [Because he would probably ruin them worse than he beat that guy. Hot, but no? He turns head, looking out at the condemned buildings blocking what could be a great view.] I mean if any uh... Eyeless freaks come running, you know, they... They don't come out this way, but... Ah, shit.

I got an apartment for you, up in Cyria. [A beat. For once, he doesn't the one that doesn't know how to shut up.] It's the one above the florist, you know, with the dying whale playing in the window. Mindy wants to take over the Red Camellia, and you need a uh... a better place to think.

[Hey, he's looking at those gross fingers? Oh well; Paolo pulling his hand away means Jindosh looks up at his face again, faintly amused by his bumbling. He would one hundred percent absolutely destroy any cultists who got in his way, good call.

But the abrupt change of topic to this apartment is a surprise. Jindosh is clever, and observant when he wants to be—all other times? It's as if the rest of the world doesn't exist. So he had no idea this apartment was even a thought Paolo was having, and the surprise on his face is genuine. An actual apartment? In the Good Part of Town? Quiet?

Calling it a better place to think is a nice touch, because he won't sleep any more than he does here. Laughable.]

I will have to take one of the Clockworks with me. [The neighbors will LOVE that,] And I do suppose the Red Camellia has a better view. Will you put apple pudding on the new menu?

[He'll still show up and drink all the wine? That is the Arrangement.]

[Some tension he didn't realize he'd been carrying ebbs away when he sees the surprise - he might have been a little paranoid that Jindosh had come to his own conclusions and wanted to get his hands on what secrets he still kept before he abandoned ship. The more he thinks about it, the more ridiculous it is now. As clever as Jindosh is, he'd have been much more obvious if that were his goal, with his great fascination with the Void.

He wrings his hands when he laughs, but his shoulders are more relaxed. A part of him still aches at the idea of the fourth floor being empty, but not nearly as much with this out there.]

No, no, but it'll be the secret menu. Things Only Kirin Jindosh Eats. On the house, of course.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject