"What did I tell you about flattery?"

But, for all Viktor is not an egoist, he's fairly self-assured when it comes to his own abilities. He has to be, when he also has to deal with significant limitations--not that he's ever let that stop him. There's a joke to be made here, about child labor in Zaun, but he lets it go. Not the time or place. Instead, he rests his chin in his palm and listens to Jayce talk about his formative experiences. When he takes the boat, Viktor's expression becomes a little fond.

"Clockwork toys made of scrap metal." Impressive for a ten year old, maybe. "It did work, after a few iterations."

Maybe, meeting Jayce as a child, they could have worked on these things together. The possibilities of what they might have accomplished seems endless, and almost pointless to dwell on, considering he isn't even sure whether or not they'd get along, not having grown into their adult personalities yet--but it's a pleasant thought exercise, regardless.

"Maybe we would have been expelled together." Maybe that would have been more bearable, for Jayce.