Sounds good.

Leareth heads back to his room to collect a few of his things in case he ends up staying overnight, and then heads to meet Maitimo at the Gate-terminus. 

"Good morning!" Maitimo says. "How's the Gate research going?"

It takes Leareth a good ten seconds to compose himself enough that he can answer, because seeing Maitimo in the flesh prompted several distracting emotions, one of which is wanting, and - for some reason remembering Maitimo's thoughts, how the first desire he had for Leareth was shaped like 'he can do whatever he wants', and - and now his mind is generating a list of all of the things he could do, if he wanted–

Focus. "We are making some progress although there is a great deal still ahead." 

"Great," he says, very lightly, and then they can go on through to Vinyamar.

And now they're in Vinyamar! Usually the first thing Leareth does is instinctively survey the area with mage-sight, check that everything there is supposed to be there, but he is actually too distracted to think of it. 

To Quendi everything seems to be where it's supposed to be. He starts heading towards the palace.

Leareth follows. He's fairly sure that he can manage to act exactly the same as he normally would, but it's taking a lot of his attention. 

:I really hope you become less distracting at some point: he sends with careful directional shielding, not that there are any Velgarth Thoughtsensers in the city who might listen in. :In public, I mean, you are welcome to be distracting at other times: Is this how Maitimo has felt a bunch of the last few years? How in all hells did he put up with it? 

It takes a lot of practice! - we could probably come up with an excuse for a trip out of town, or off this world, if you really need to get it out of your system -

:Oh. There are a number of reasons that I actually ought to visit Velgarth at some point, actually: It's also a slightly nervewracking idea though, given the presence of confused deities with a personal grudge against him, he likes the idea of Maitimo getting in the way of that even less than he wants to contemplate getting murdered again himself. 

If I were the Velgarth gods I'd be thinking about negotiating, at this point. There are other worlds, that's got to be changing the strategic picture for them too. 

:True: He needs to give the matter more thought, but...it's tempting. :There are many things in Velgarth that I would wish to show you. Though unfortunately much of it will be ugly by your standards...: 

I'd love to see it. 

Leareth carefully does not smile. 

They reach the palace; he heads down to Findekáno's office. "Findekáno?" he says courteously, sounding a little bored. 

"Nelyafinwë! Oh, and Leareth. If you want to renegotiate the artifacts the answer is no, we've already picked a city site based on them."

"We can get you everything, it just might take longer than expected. And Leareth had some design questions."

"Sure. Sit down, Leareth -"

"And me?"

"You can stand."

"Did my father do something."

"No, which is most of the problem."

Sigh. "Leareth, I'll catch you again around lunchtime?"

"Of course." He nods, aiming for the usual level of friendliness and hoping he succeeds, it's kind of hard to calibrate just because this is not the mix of emotions that he's used to concealing. 

He heads out.