All good?

:Yes, it was - very valuable. ...He accidentally said something that was kind of hurtful but he apologized: Whyyyy is that the most memorable part of the conversation.

Oh?

:He said, vulnerabilities that take an evil god to exploit aren't much of a liability most of the time. He - was talking about you, actually. The extent to which making everyone happy matters to you. But, well, it applies more strongly to me: 

There is no possible person I would rather have had dropped on us with your resources.

:I know. I think I agree with you, even. It is just - still something of a sore point: 

That makes sense.

Leareth sips his tea. Tries to avoid staring at Maitimo's hair thinking about how soft it is– all right, he definitely gets the hair thing better, now, it would be even more distracting if it weren't neatly braided out of the way. 

He will make polite conversation about the architecture, perhaps similarly distracted.

Architecture, yes, good, Leareth can produce some opinions about it. 

- osanwë sigh. Should we go home?

Leareth finishes his tea. :Sure. I do not really have other productive things to do here: Well, they probably exist but his mind isn't going to stay on topic long enough to think of them.

There is something kind of enjoyable about sitting at a tea place having to pretend very hard that he's not having the feelings he is in fact having about Maitimo, and predicting that Maitimo is doing exactly the same, but he's had his fill of it now. 

Is there a way we can go home invisibly so my absence can be assumed to be a consequence of my remaining in Vinyamar -

:...I could cover us with an illusion? Though it would still be visible if we used the Gate-terminus, it glows. I could cover us with an illusion and do an ordinary Gate from somewhere hidden, I might be a little more tired from it but I will recover fairly quickly: 

He stands up. Sure, let's do that.

Then they can head out and once they're out of sight of people Leareth can slip them under an illusion until they find a hidden nook where no one's going to see a Gate. He doesn't have to worry about shielding the magic from it, since there aren't any other mages in Vinyamar. 

Maitimo takes his hand once they can't be seen.

Leareth does the Gate directly to his room for simplicity, leans a bit on Maitimo as he takes it down. 

"What a useful ability." Kiss.

Leareth could really use thirty seconds to catch his breath and try to get some mage-power back from various nearby artifacts. He takes Maitimo's arm and tugs him toward the bed. 

That seems like the most appropriate place for Leareth to catch his breath!

Leareth snuggles contentedly until he's less winded and then turns and kisses Maitimo. 

Think we should do the Velgarth thing. I do not think I'd enjoy months of - tea -

:I completely agree. I have been considering the safety aspect, given the local deities, but - well, in Valdemar the Companions are in charge and I do not think it is very likely that the god who created them will directly coerce them into attacking me. So if Vanyel can speak to the Groveborn - that is Dara's Companion, Rolan - and confirm that I am welcome, I think it would be reasonable to visit. We could also go north but the north is much less scenic: 

And probably if you lead me around blindfolded we'll confuse everyone.