[viktor couldn't agree with that face more, snorting at the 'respectfully.'] A little of both and please, speak some ill. I care very much about the professor but I often want to strangle him. Tomorrow is too late and he's let topside feed off the undercity unchecked for too long.

[well, the drinks are making him a little less guarded about those opinions, bit of frothiness there he recognizes and shakes his head at with an apologetic look. you know what would fix this? another sip of his drink. can't go wrong.

so a thing about viktor and proximity is he likes it too. in any form, he likes casual touch and likes being close to other people, though there are few he trusts enough to want that close. pal is one of them, and without jayce around and his tendency for casual affection things have felt a touch empty.

mostly meaning when they accidentally brush in any way viktor makes no move to pull away, trying to ignore the fact that maybe he should. it's fine if pal isn't moving away and he's not respecting that, yes? yes, he thinks so. he's going to think so because he doesn't want to move away himself.]

You write? [he asks, glancing to him with a bit of surprise.] You've written a whole novel? What is it about?

[this genuinely impresses him, he is so not a creative type in the slightest aside from the mechanical.]