"I mean, maybe half of everyone can't read anyway? I don't see why not, but it's true. And we have spells to copy pages."

"I guess printing presses might be faster? I know that they were important to help everyone get smarter because books were expensive before them."

"I don't know. People kind of mostly invent new spells, not things? Printing press sounds neat anyway."

"I guess if you just have magic then it would do that, but it sounds limiting."

"Yeah it kind of is. There aren't enough points to use them for every little thing. Everything we can do with a machine will mean more magic left over for other stuff. So I wanna learn more about the machines."

"Yess. What do you want to learn? I might be able to teach you? Or at least I know if there is a book about it."

"Literally all of it." He yawns. "So, uh, maybe tomorrow."

He yawns sympathetically. "Yeah, true. Did you bring your pajamas or anything? I can just lend you one if you don't mind them being too big."

"I did not bring any pajamas. What's wrong with sleeping in my day clothes anyway?"

"Pajamas are more comfy? And sleeping on them gets your clothes all wrinkly."

"Well, if you're offering pajamas I won't say no but I don't think I need 'em."

"I am offering pajamas," he confirms.

"Then I'll have pajamas. And sleep. Don't care where."

Adam gets him pajamas and gets his dad to pull out a mattress to put on the floor alongside bedsheets and pillows.

And Nico sleeps. Fidgeting and mumbling in his sleep.

Adam does not disturb him and just ignores the mumbling.

The next day the sun peers through the curtains.

Nico resists waking up. He's sore all over, and still tired.

Eventually people knock at the door and call out. "Breakfast!"

He wakes the rest of the way up as soon as there's any indication he's supposed to be. Sleeping in was not allowed, before. "Breakfast. Right. Lemme go put my other clothes back on..." He does that.

Adam's dad does not bother or come inside. Adam rises up and yawns blearily. He looks a bit surprised with Nico's diligence, but gets ready himself.

"Huh. You don't have to get up fast. Maybe I should have guessed that from all the... Niceness here."

"Niceness?"

"The school and my parents both hit you if you sleep in. You learn not to do that pretty fast. I'm guessing your parents don't."

"I think some children's parents might do it?" It's pretty obvious this is a theoretical possibility to him. "I bet the orphanage does it. Definitely not my dads."

Downstairs?

Downstairs. "I wonder if tech makes people nicer?"