[ other people, worth it? no, they are not. in most cases, at the very least; he has gone through his entire life with loner stamped over his existence like ink seeping into paper, impossible to scrub off once there... and yet, it's never been a designation that's particularly bothered him. there is a difference being a loner and being lonely — he has been solitary by choice, only sparing his time for those he's deemed worth it.

that octavian is in the top three of that very list, here, isn't such a surprise.

and neither is the way that once again his quiet sense of humour sticks the landing perfectly, making viktor duck his head to hide his smile and a huff of air almost like a chuckle. ]

Yes, [ he says, with a little tilt of his head and another sip of his drink, ] Like this.

[ that isn't too much to say, is it? he hopes not. and then, a little more contemplative, ] I confess I've not taken much time to do other things than work in the past, eh, fifteen years? I never saw the point in it. There was always too much to do in the laboratory, equations that wouldn't simply solve themselves, equipment to build and test... but I find I don't mind this.

[ his lips quirk up slightly as he looks at octavian directly over the rim of his glass. ] Perhaps there are merits to stepping outside the laboratory.