Maitimo is in a good mood when they head back to Tirion.

That went well.

Yep! My father's not very difficult, really, but most people find him so.

I think he is... not trying to be easy.

He tries very hard not to be, I think. It's exasperating. My life would be so much easier if he exerted any effort - because he's not socially oblivious or anything - on being likeable.

Why doesn't he?

I think he thinks that regard won by being likable is - worse than worthless. He tells people the story about his mother being forced to stay dead so his father could remarry, you know, and he tells it so emotionlessly, and he'd get the reaction he wants from more people if he sounded sad but I think what he's curious about is what they think of the information when their cues to instead play social games are stripped away.

That did occur to me as an explanation when he told me.

Maitimo smiles happily at him. But sometimes one does need to actually play social games and he never ever will.

I think emotionlessly relating his story is sort of gamey.

It's admirably honest in an odd way.

I think very highly of my father and there are a lot of capacities in which I trust him entirely. I do sometimes wonder how he got me.

Got you?

Children usually take after their parents.

Oh. I wouldn't know. You're both smart, just differently...

Very differently, though.

Well, he could apply himself to social skills, you say, just doesn't. Motivation more than ability gap, maybe.

I tried applying myself to engineering with no success at all. I'm thoroughly mediocre at it.

Then I am out of speculations.

You all right? You must be wearying of defending your personal life.

It's what I signed up for. I am surprised that he hadn't heard that I didn't remember I was married before.

I think he'd heard it and was unsure whether to believe it. It is a bit strange.

Yeah, reincarnation: it's weird.

Much better than you dying forever though.