[viktor snorts- also wonders a moment if he should find another chair but paul seems content enough. how do you host, who knows.] That is true, and he's quite adept at it himself. I often find myself giving a lecture without meaning to.

[it's the academia, baby. wait until he learns more about paul's ideas, then it'll be questions galore time.]

Oh no, it's- [a pause and he looks just a touch embarrassed to admit:] Palamedes informed me he had never seen them before and I thought it would be an interesting experience. I'm an engineer, I've never made them before but it didn't take much effort to learn.

[did he study up on how to make this stuff purely for pal? yes. yes he did.]