He kisses him back. He really wants to know what in the world is going on but it seems like Leareth doesn't want to say just yet.

Leareth is absolutely intending to tell him what in the world is going on! ...In a few minutes. 

He feels half-dizzy, still, disoriented by the sheer scale of it. And he wants Khemet to understand, but - first, apparently, he wants to shove Khemet up against the wall and pin him there with magic and then just stand there and enjoy looking at him for a moment. 

"Am I supposed to try to guess? It's ....not uncomplicatedly good news, but it's not exactly bad, but it made you sad anyway.... prophecy is back and Pexa has been foretold to become the savior of the world after a final battle with Rovagug. Electricity works but it must be powered by the blood of orphans but it's all right if the orphans are eighty and their parents died of natural causes. There's an awful plague in Kintargo but it proved the cowpox scheme worked."

"- Gods, I love you so much." Leareth laughs, still looking into Khemet's eyes. "You - had the meta right. I..." 

And he half-turns away, the smile fading but still half there on his lips, and switches to Mindspeech.

:I met another me. Who had found another Golarion. He - they...: 

It really shouldn't be so hard to say. And yet. 

:The other me is an alien with powerful alien weapons. He - they - fought Asmodeus. For Hell. Until Asmodeus surrendered: 

:Wow. And - he still has the powerful alien weapons?:

:Yes: 

Another long pause. 

:They. They killed.....they destroyed.... three. billion. souls.: 

What year was it in the other Golarion?

:I think 4707: 

- nod. So Aroden was still human? 

:Still is. In their timeline. Pharasma is mad at him. Because - of how the war went, I assume. With Asmodeus: 

Another long pause. 

:I - I am hopeful and - very upset, and I have very many confusing feelings, and I wished to have your advice both on that and on the strategic situation. But I - first - I want -: 

...It is absurdly hard to find the words to convey 'I want to pin you to the wall and put compulsions on you and do whatever I want for half a candlemark, are you okay with that' –

...all right, fine, maybe he can tell Khemet literally those exact words. 

That is the traditional way to figure out the answer to that question. 

(He can do that.)

:I love you so much: 

And Leareth, feeling safe and happy and at home, pins Khemet to the wall and mentally whispers endearments to him, even as he compulsions him to NOT MOVE and NOT RESIST - 

- and approaches, and kisses him, and picks his up to carry him over to the guest bedroom in his operations building... 

...

A long time later: 

:- All right, I suppose that I do need your advice: 

:About fighting a war with Asmodeus? I don't even really know where to start, with that. Is Abadar in favor?:

:Abadar is in favour of ships that travel between the stars. And - various other impacts of various other technologies that Ma'ar's people will bring to this: 

Snuggle.

:- And yet, I am not sure that Abadar truly sees all the possible costs...: 

:Of ships that travel between the stars? Or of - destroying Hell?:

:I...am not even sure what all the possible costs are, of having ships to travel between the stars. I - meant mostly about destroying Hell. But - as an example of fighting for all sentient beings everywhere...:

He takes another long, shuddering breath. 

:- It was already not something that Abadar could hold onto, right. The economic product of 3.2 billion souls in Hell, but directed toward Asmodeus and His goals. And then destroyed instead, where - where no one would ever have it...:

:I'm not sure I follow. Abadar - opposes destroying Hell, presumably, there are things happening there that He regards as valuable and He has a very strong presumption against starting wars of conquest. You might do it anyway, because - it is a resource Asmodeus has, and He's opposed to you, and because if we controlled it we could do something more valuable - to both you and Abadar though I don't expect Him to find that convincing...:

:There are billions of sapient beings suffering, in Hell, right now. And - suffering is bad...: 

:But - you're not doing it for them, right. If doing it will kill them. For - the next generation of them, maybe.:

:- I think that is part of what I am confused about, right now. Who...are the people who are helped, if I take my resources and use them to fight Hell. Because - it feels worthwhile, to me. For the future. But -:

Another long pause.

:Does Carissa disagree?:

A bitter laugh. :Which Carissa?:

:...I would not have expected you were in touch with the other one! Though I guess it follows that she'd exist, if the world is really the same as ours...:

:Oh, I am sorry, I - have really not properly caught you up on everything that happened. I - will try to go through it in order, now: 

And Leareth takes a deep breath, and steps back, and does his best to convey everything in the order that he learned it. Starting with when he and Urtho and teenage Ma'ar reached the other world and he first saw the sketch of the woman who wasn't using her soul as an artistic project.