"And how would you have conducted the subsequent interaction?"

"I'm not sure I would have thought of it but probably by talking to Kero and making sure he wouldn't do anything… I wouldn't want him to. Agree on things we should both do beforehand and things we shouldn't do, such as going around and potentially revealing things the other person considers a potentially useful secret."

"These pronouns there were very confusing."

"I'd want Kero and me, were I in this hypothetical situation, to agree on a plan of action and not end up accidentally sabotaging the other in a way we didn't realize was sabotage?" Pause. "Meaning I'd want Kero not to reveal drawbacks of the cards to you just because you petted him."

"He was nice!" Kero protests.

"– I'm sure he was, unlike Theo, but Theo was sort of understandably not nice."

"Sort of?"

"You probably could have at least made more of an effort to pretend."

"I'm not sure pretending to be nice is very nice."

"… I think it's nicer than being actively hostile?"

He looks at Theo. "I don't think I've ever seen him be actively hostile?"

"I guess it depends on what your threshold is for 'actively hostile', but he at times was definitely not a fan of certain things and people."

"… I usually didn't do anything about it, though?"

"And you get credit for that, but like, could've been nicer. I guess it could look like manipulation but it's probably better than looking surly and getting frustrated."

"It's very much not a crime in any reasonable moral system to think unkind thoughts, and I personally would prefer people to let it be known they dislike me than pretend they like me."

"Sure, with you it works. With some people it just makes them not act in your interests and potentially do stupid things that could be detrimental."

"Well, sure, but it's still better they do that while believing true things than they believe untrue things."

"I think we might differ here."

"How exactly?"

"I would prefer people know true things, we're the same there, but if they would sabotage your plans for some sort of irrational reason were they to know more then I don't necessarily feel I should tell them more."

"That would require me to believe myself to be much more rational than I think I have any reason to believe. On the other hand, I do see a point in not going out of my way to inform other people of things."

"I wouldn't go advising actively withholding information that people request, especially if they know more about a situation than you do, no. But if they would work much more effectively if I didn't let slip a few rude comments when I could get by just fine without, and they then use their abilities to achieve something I want and they don't dislike, I'd rather not make negative comments about them. So I can get what I want, added bonus of not burning any bridges."

"—I wouldn't advise making negative comments about anyone, no, but again I've never seen Theo actually do that so I thought the hypothetical here was more 'act like you do not particularly like a person' instead of 'actively be a dick to them'?"

"… He pretty clearly does not like Kero? Has made remarks to that effect before, I'm pretty sure? – Sorry, Kero."

"...I don't remember him ever being mean to me. Maybe a bit sarcastic."