"Exciting. Did you want to finish our game of Governor sometime? Tonight?"

"Tomorrow? I don't know how long it's going to take you to trounce me and an evening start seems like a bad plan." And I have a date and is this what scheduling around dates is always like here aaaaaugh.

"Tomorrow works." He walks him comfortably about the palace gardens, recommends some tasty plants.

"Oh, I was thinking maybe eating flowers was an Elf thing. Humans don't usually eat flowers."

"Everything in Valinor is edible and technically nutritionally complete."

"Huh, that's interesting." Kib tries some tasty plants.

"It's useful for extended travel."

"I bet it would be, yeah, don't have to pack food, just eat whatever random things."

"Can't end up lost and low on supplies. I used to travel a lot."

"Where to?"

"Ah, Valimar, Alqualondë, various locations where one could go cave-crawling or cliff-diving - there's a song for cliff-diving - mountain climbing..."

"Why'd you stop?"

"I've really just slowed down. But I've had more responsibilities here in the city."

Nod, nod.

"If there's anywhere you'd like to go -"

"Is there anywhere I should be going? I'm not much of a traveler by default."

A teasing smile. He is still allowed teasing smiles, right? He has been forgiven and so theirs can be a friendship that includes teasing smiles. "Why, everything is exceptionally pretty! Is that not sufficiently motivating?"

Kib does not chide him for the teasing smile. "But things are also exceptionally pretty right here!"

"Differently exceptional, and differently pretty. And you might like some of the people in the south, I hear they're charming and eccentric and think the Valar are wrong about all sorts of things..."

Snort. "All sorts, huh?"

"I doubt you have a strong opinion about marriages between first cousins, do you."

"No. First cousins? As opposed to what?"

"...this is not information you need. But okay. Your first cousin is the child of your father's brother. Or mother's sister, whatever. Your second cousin is the grandchild of your grandfather's brother. Marrying first cousins is generally out, second cousins is fine."

"Why?"

"Because the point of romantic relationships is reproduction and you can't reproduce with close family, it's bad for the child."