"It's not very likely on either count, but I seriously considered not even explaining to the slaver states why they were being excluded and letting them figure it out by induction, I'm uneasy of making it too salient that the storks are directed."

"Well, in time either they will come around or they will stop existing, and I'm content either way. Unless Father gets a general solution to mortality and he says it's in the works but a Year or two out..."

"That will complicate trying to use storks to get people to behave. A couple Valian years is enough for them to start feeling a pinch from an aging population, though."

"I have reservations about not handing out immortality to slave states."

"Yeah. Me too. I guess depending on distribution method we could decline to hand it out to slave owners. Manumit everybody in your possession first then step right up."

He nods thoughtfully. 

"...I actually did not terraform you an island so we could talk politics exactly like we're back in Tirion."

"You didn't? Gosh."

He puts his arms around him. "...I admittedly mostly terraformed you an island because I was jealous. But - I love you. I am deliriously happy you fell into our laps. I am really looking forward to fixing everything in both universes, and the fact we have to keep this secret is on the list somewhere, although, you know, slavery - I wonder if I'm in fact capable of not talking politics..."

Snuggles! "The island is lovely and you being jealous is cute and I love you too and it's not like politics isn't interesting but you are handily telepathic and could simultaneously kiss me."

He kisses him. I get jealous over you all the time, it's ridiculous. When you first mentioned you'd had a conversation with Findekano I was so embarrassingly confusingly upset - and I did not in fact know he'd decided he liked you - and then you were married - I am very good at sharing if I am allowed to occasionally be melodramatic about it...

Well, I like how you do melodrama. Mmmmkisses. With pretty boats and this fantastic grass, I want to carpet my house in this grass.

Isn't it lovely? Like lying on a cloud - or what I imagined lying on a cloud would be like, before Manwe told me that they're just water vapor...

Yes, exactly. Like lying on a cloud in a dream.

I should like to give you the world but islands are an acceptable interim present. 

It is the best island and I love you.

I know you do. 

More kisses, less clothing?

Capital idea.

When it gets very late he brought blankets too. They can stargaze - the worlds have, of course, different stars - and fall asleep in each others' arms. 

There aren't even any pox dreams to interfere with the coziness.

It's a week after they get back to Tirion that someone brings to Maitimo's attention a discrepency in visitor records in the last half-Year of mortal tourism in Valinor. He thinks about telling Kib he has another inventory problem, but this is a little too serious. 

Kib is busily explaining to tourist humans that they should have read the infosheet.

"It specifically says not to hit on the Elves. It explains why not to hit on the Elves. After last month there is a footnote about how loitering in the bathhouse staring at the Elves in the nude merely amuses them and does not constitute hitting on the Elves and that if they giggle at you this is because they find your interest in nudity inherently hilarious, not because they're flirting with you. Did you read it?"

"I - I looked it over, but she -"

"- was reacting the way you'd react if Elves blushed at you for combing your hair in public, because she thought you were being a silly foreigner and jailbait at that, not flirting."

"Well, I didn't know that!"

"This is because you didn't read the infosheet! And therefore not her fault!"

Hey, can you stop by here when you get a chance?

Yeah, sure. "So you're going to read the entire infosheet, I did not put any words on there for my health. You are going to tell her that you are very sorry and should have known better and you apologize for being so inappropriately moved when you were overwhelmed by her beauty -"

"- that's not flirting?"

"This is why you're going to read the infosheet first, you can look at them naked and tell them they're pretty you just can't touch their hair or kiss them, there is a reason I hand these things out."

"Oh."

"And then you are not going to bother her again and you're going to go home for at least six weeks. Got it?"

"...okay."

And when this gentleman has been sent on his way Kib meets up with Maitimo. What is it?

We've got more humans going in than out. Consistently. For the last half of a Year. The ones who come in and don't go out aren't vetted and I was trying to sort out how that happened and then I realized - they're babies, the portals consider them cargo. Someone's smuggling babies into Valinor after all.

- what, and putting them where?