Telvo is "a bit of a strange fellow?" I assume that this is just in relation to his family? Because, compared to the whole rest of Aman, all the males of that house are well beyond the "a bit of a strange fellow" stage.

Snarky!Macalaurë is a logical conclusion from angsty!Macalaurë. There's a certain type of person who just gets more comfortable in their own skin as they grow older. Much of the angst of adolescence, especially one spent as someone's target, turns to snark after adulthood arrives. Not that you or I know anyone like that, of course. . .

Of course Macalaurë is a clever guy. He's a musician. I've met very few musicians who weren't clever. A few, but they were exceeding rare, and usually not very good.