"Of course." :Er, are we going to bring Leareth? I would assume not for all of it, but do you think he's ready to go on a trip and see Vinyamar?: 

Well the easiest way to answer that is - Leareth, do you want to come along to see Vinyamar?

Leareth considers it. He thinks he can manage it now, yes, and it might feel satisfying to be out and actually doing something even if that something is only touring a new city. 

Sounds like he'll come with us, he tells Vanyel.

:I'm glad: Vanyel is a surprising amount of pleased about this. "I'll contact Savil tonight and figure out when she'd be ready for a Gate," he suggests. 

I'll look forward to it.

Savil wants two days. She's going to bring over some Bards and Healers with her, and - is it all right if they invite some mages who are not technically from Valdemar? Her and Vanyel's friends Starwind and Moondance are Tayledras – a tribal people that live in the Pelagirs. Starwind had a bad head wound a few years back and they're hoping Lórien can do something about it, and the Tayledras know a lot of magic that isn't common in Valdemar, and also technically their Vale, k'Treva, has an alliance with Valdemar, and so it seems politically appropriate for them to meet the Noldor as well. 

Queen Karis is going to want to come at some point but probably not until Midwinter on the Velgarth calendar or later. 

The Noldor are delighted to meet peoples from the other nations of Velgarth. 

Wonderful! Then they'll be ready to go in two days. 

He sends Leareth memories of Vinyamar so he'll know what to expect, gets the delegations who want to go to Velgarth for cultural exchange together, and is ready to show them around two days later.

On the Velgarth side they're all lined up and ready to go. They're doing the Gate outside from the larger Heralds' temple, because several Heralds want to come and bring their Companions. 

Savil is through first. She nods to Maitimo, smiles brightly. "It's wonderful to meet you." 

"Likewise. We are so grateful to Valdemar and to Vanyel, and we're honored to have you all here."

The next person to come through is a young - very young - man with bright red hair, which is kind of an unfortunate clash with his red tunic. He's trying to look everywhere at once. 

–He sees Vanyel. 

Twenty seconds later they are still staring at each other. 

- cute, and going to make some Quendi confused and distressed once they notice, which he thinks they mostly haven't. Are there other people around to greet so the two of them can get over themselves without other people catching on.

There are! "I'm Herald Dara, King's Own to Randi. This is my Companion, Rolan. It's really lovely to meet you." Dara looks barely any older than the red-haired youngster but she speaks in a level, adult way. 

All the humans except Leareth feel in a sense like tiny children but it's unfair to let that leak into relations with them, they're really doing very well with the ridiculous handicap. "It's lovely to meet you too! Vanyel was warning me how much work we must have left you with."

"...Oh, I mean, yes, it's been a pretty busy time, but - it's work I'm really excited and happy about, you know? And I've got lots of help, I left Herald Tantras in charge."

Vanyel has finally managed to tug himself free of staring at Stef like a goddamned idiot. :Sorry, Maitimo, I, just...: There is literally no good way to explain himself here. 

He will continue the conversation with Dara in the background. 

Do you two know each other?

:Yes. He's my nephew's roommate at Bardic - well, I guess not anymore, looks like he's graduated. I, um, I haven't seen him in a few years and it - caught me off guard, is all: 

It is not really any less creepy for him to think that Stef at sixteen is absurdly attractive than Stef at fourteen, but it doesn't seem like his hindbrain is giving him much choice in the matter. 

- all of the advice he could possibly think of is obviously wrong, which is a weird feeling - if he's assuming that humans are like Quendi his advice should be 'knock it off', which is wrong, and if he's assuming that they're not or that some people shouldn't be held to that his advice should be 'do whatever you'd like', which is also wrong, but that leaves him -

- this is such a confusing thing to be stuck on - what would his model of Findekáno say - come on, he always knows the answer to that -

Is he so distracting I should come up with an errand for you? Someone ought to show the Companions to the stables here, probably, and you haven't seen them in a while -

:Yes, please, that would be perfect: