"I'm very glad to hear it," he says, nodding with understanding. Were it always so easy for him to bail on his commissions...

But enough about that. "I've been doing well, myself. I found a lot of inspiration in Venezia!" Most of it, he doesn't want to speak of out loud, just in case someone overhears, but he can't hold himself back from beaming and nearly shouting with enthusiasm, arms wide. "I even managed to test a prototype for a flying machine! It almost worked, too, if only I could figure out how to give it enough lift."