"Guess I'll have to get a license. Or find something like a truck that doesn't need one. Boat maybe?"

"Maybe, I don't know. As an adult, I obviously can't actually tell you how to flee away from other adults."

He changes to his black-coded self.

"Clearly, not," Stephen-the-black agrees. "it's not the sort of thing that adults tell their kids, more often than not tell will get ideas of their own or overhear adults talking."

Back to white. "Oh? Like how maybe he really shouldn't try to get by on his own, but if he does he should learn about camping and maybe get a camping tent."

Black again. "Yeah, a camping tent like the one we have in the attic. Also, for that matter if his plan is to sell magical stuff maybe he could go to the witch at the edge of town for tips, instead of doing all on his own."

"Indeed," White says. "It's sad that adults get so busy arguing among themselves and have no time to actually hear the child."

"If you try to keep me in a place I can leave. By the way. I invented it and didn't think it'd work but it did."

"Yup," he shrugs.

...These adults are weird. The tent in the attic tip might be a trap? The witch at the edge of town - well, Adam mentioned her, so maybe she's not made up, but she's probably an adult, so...

"Oh, so useless, adults never listen. I guess I'll stay here at least a little while if they'll let me. Something might eat my face if I wander off or so I hear."

"Eat your face or worse." He says much more seriously. "I am not sure if what you're saying is the truth but you can stay overnight and if you're parents come from the ship demanding you I can even take blame for the unplanned sleepover. If not," another shrug, "we can deal with it in the morning."

"My parents aren't gonna come find me. Probably wouldn't even if they could."

Well, that's actually sad. He nod agreeable.

"Are you feeling tired already?"

"Yeah. I'm not that tired quite yet."

"Okay, are mad at Adam for calling me over?"

"I figured he was gonna do it anyway. I knew he would when I told him. So it'd be pretty stupid to be mad, wouldn't it?"

"Not stupid. But it's a good thing that you're not. Even if you disagree, he was trying to help."

"...Well, anyway... Clockwork and radios are cool. And trucks. And steam-boats. We didn't have any of that stuff."

"They are! I can barely wrap my head around them, but Adam is really good at understanding and tinkering with them."

"Maybe I should go ask him more questions then."

And if the... Two dads... Don't stop him he'll go upstairs and look for Adam.

Well, the non-individual Dad goes up as well, presumably he lacks a reason to stay in the basement.

Adam is actually sitting right in front of the stairs (at a reasonable distance to avoid collisions) and asks. "Hi? How did things go?"

"Well, observe me not running away? And your dad-s- not storming up here angrily?"

"Dad never gets angry at kids. Neither version. But, like, are you going to stay?"

"Tonight yes. Any further than that... Dunno yet."

"Okay... can I show you more stuff?"

"Sure! Being shown stuff is pretty great!"

More stuff! Like this series of mechanisms that Adam want to incorporate into a mechanical hand (main challenge is keeping everything small enough).

He has no idea what the limitations of tech are like but wonders aloud if his magic could do shortcuts. He can't shrink it, but maybe he can link one thing to another without an actual physical connection?