Well. Unfortunately, I can't be anyone other than myself — though I could pretend my name was something different, I suppose.

[He arranges the balls neatly, then goes over and finds his preferred cue before lining up and making a clean break, more for the sake of hearing the balls clack against each other than anything else. He'll set them up again when Tifa is finished with her own work; for the time being he's more than content to amuse himself with something to do with his own hands, appraising angles and taking shots on the table to pass the time.]

Let's see. We've discussed my dog and your cat. You've told me about your father and — well, who doesn't know mine. [He says, dry as bone.] There's a girl here who's been trying to get me to "make friends" with people. Suddenly I wish I'd paid more attention to her ideas about small talk.

[He pauses.]

You never mentioned your mother. Off-limits?