[He watched Spock's face carefully as he thought over the explanation. That little flower...in wake of how shattered Spock's inner mind really was, must have been one of the few things that kept him sane in the aftermath of the last experiment. Lupin nodded in understanding.]

That's...fine. [Because it can't be anything but.] I've had many problems lately myself, by grace of the Malnosso and personality differences. I don't mind helping...but in a way we may have been taking advantage of each other. It goes both ways, you know.

[A sigh. He wanted coffee, but tea would suffice.] Just because we've been forced into it doesn't mean that we can't take our time. It's likely that I wouldn't have bothered you very much again after our first meeting before that Shift, [if only because of his prior experiences with cultural icons,] but it's given us something interesting.

It's a change in the norm around here. Change...can be good.