:...something can be important, right, because it does something big to help people. And things being fun is - the thing helping me, when I didn't start with a problem:

Ma'ar looks very puzzled. 

:It's hard to explain!:

:Mmm. ...Can you tell when someone else is having fun or is happy?:

:Yeah, they smile, or laugh, or make more jokes, or they comment on how fun it is, or they keep wanting to do the same thing again other times:

:- Can you remember any times where it seemed like I was happy or having fun? Then maybe I can try to remember what that felt like:

:It seemed like you liked my joke about being my royal advisor? I wouldn't be so convinced you don't like things if you were frequently giggling about stuff...:

:Hmm: It's surprisingly hard to remember what he was feeling, even though it was just moments ago, mostly he only bothers to remember his thoughts. :I - think I was appreciating how even though it was a joke, you - joke about that thing because you really are the - sort of person who wants to do big important things with your life?: 

:I guess that's, you know, something:

:Can you think of other times? I still don't know what the emotion is that I'm supposed to notice: 

:Sorry, I haven't been specifically trying to catch every time you look momentarily amused... I can start:

:All right. ...I think maybe I'm happy when I do difficult magic for the first time and it works? Or - when we passed the test to study ley-lines, I felt very good about that: 

:I don't remember but that sounds plausible:

:...I guess trying to learn difficult magic or pass tests to go into higher-level classes is something I want to do more of? But - not really because of how I feel, just because it's - important for my goals, and it sounds like you think that's different: 

:Yeah. I think that's also good but not the same thing:

Shrug. :I think I'll be really happy if I fix all the problems in Predain: 

:You wouldn't just find more problems somewhere and grimly get cracking on those?:

:...I mean, I'd do that too, but I'd be really happy for a bit first: 

:Something to look forward to:

:Mmm: He looks up at her. :...It still bothers me that Urtho is - probably wrong, about this really important thing. Are you going to keep trying to talk to him about it next class?: 

:It depends if it comes up, maybe the topic will be something different:

:- Does it not bother you that he's wrong? And - that he doesn't even know you think he's wrong because you were talking like you basically agreed?: 

:I'd rather he was right but I don't feel really hung up on it? I have most of the conversation we had written down and if he storms up to me in five years being all 'Azabel, how could you possibly run for mayor, we discussed this' I will be able to pull it out and explain to him that I have addressed all his points and am running for mayor very humbly: Also, like, that's not very plausible in the first place, she's kind of not sure Urtho would notice if she ran for mayor.

:It just seems pretty bad if he's the most famous mage-teacher in the whole world and runs the most important school in Tantara, and also he thinks mages shouldn't try to do important things with their lives! Because probably a lot of the students will just believe him!: 

:Do you want me to... orchestrate an anonymous poll of the class: