(no subject)

It's not that I'm wholly unfamiliar with how the axiom Children should be seen and not heard works in practice, it's just that it, like many Chinese/ dragonish/ royal customs, is contra-intuitive and has to be thought through: partly because my Sino-Japanese dragons have respect levels in their language and English doesn't. Young dragons attend their father at table to learn the customs of gentlemen and do not take part in the conversation of whatever other adult relatives and guests are present. If your royal father addresses a question to you, you answer in the polite fashion you normally speak to him in. What do you do however when your royal and somewhat unconventional uncle asks you a question? Request Papa's permission before answering or not?

(There /are/ worse ways to spend time before work than this. Paying bills, for instance.)