"I can redirect food. If it's from you that causes problems?"

"It could, I'm not sure."

"Thanks. I'll be careful."

"Thank you."

"Of course. I'm glad you're doing this."

"Doing what?"

"Treating more of the world as within reach of you."

"...what?"

"Talking to more people, considering bigger plans, figuring things out more..."

"I'm not making progress on any of the plans. Nor do I feel like I've done much figuring."

Nod.

"I'm not sure how much, uh - he didn't give me a nickname - told you."

"We call him my father's son. He mentioned some things. He's very happy you're here."

"- you call him your father's son?"

"Yes. Referents like that can be reused pretty safely."

"No, I mean, my understanding was that son-ness was not something that had amounts -"

"Oh. Uh, it's not, in the most literal sense, but some people share more traits with their parents than others, and you might comment on the relatedness more when it produces related sensibilities and behavior."

"Oh, that I can see."

"Also parents have favorites."

"And it's generally the ones who are more like them?"

"Actually, not necessarily? Some people don't necessarily like interacting with people who are a lot like them. But in my father's case, yes. He wanted a child who shared his talents and interests."

"I'd like someone who was a lot like me, I think."

"I would too. Honestly, not liking oneself feels to me like a sign that something else is wrong. And yet lots of people don't."

"I think some people like themselves and just wouldn't care to meet another."

"Probably so."