Is there a non-awkward response to that. Randi isn't sure if that exists. 

"Um, well, thank you." 

Vanyel draws himself up. "I can be a test subject for the time travel. If you need that."

"No!" 

"Van!" 

"- Huh? What? Someone has to." 

Leareth takes a deep breath. There's absolutely no reason for him to find that proposal as upsetting as he apparently does. 

"I think that we ought return to Earth and discuss this further then," he says tightly. "And I suspect it would make the most sense for one of my people to volunteer." They're a lot more expendable, although he isn't going to say that in front of Vanyel. 

He's a little surprised by Randi's introduction; Randi doesn't exactly look like a king, although his idea of what a king should look like is his father and no one is ever going to be like his father.

"I don't know where your planet is in space," he tells him, "but there is a natural speed limit to the universe and it's unlikely that our ships could return you there in less than several decades, as time would be measured there. You would experience the voyage as taking much less time, but I'm not supposing that that would be helpful?

"—there is also a place in Valinor, the domain of one of our gods, where you could potentially observe events in Valdemar. Possibly she can also send you back; you've experienced Vala-teleportation, I think, I don't know if there's a range limit—"

He turns to Vanyel. "I was inviting you on the time-travel mission, assuming we are able to do this at all, not to be the first test subject. However, you are right: someone has to go first, and I don't personally have any opinion on who it ought to be, so if you would like to you may. I actually think we should perform the first trial here and now, where we already have the equipment set up, and are nearer to Mandos if anything does go wrong. He's already sent you back once, I expect he'd do it again, though one never can be sure."

Shrug. "There's a pretty good argument for it, right? I–" 

:No: A mindvoice interrupts all of them. :I lost you once, Van. I'm not risking it a second time: 

"'Fandes, but–" 

:Don't I get a say? You're my Chosen. Gods, Van, and they need you. ...Honestly, if anyone's more expendable, it's me: 

"What. No!" 

"Also you are not human-shaped." Sigh. "Honestly, the only one of us without a soulbond to someone else is myself." 

"Leareth!" 

"What?"

He switches to private Mindspeech with Vanyel alone. :Also, unlike any of you, I have a backup plan:

:Yes, and your immortality method is horrible: 

"I was assuming the Earth humans don't have soulbonds?" Randi offers. "Though, obviously, it's not my place to ask them to volunteer. ...Sondra might be the most expendable of us. If Shavri's all right then I - could handle losing her, I think. Probably. And she's human-shaped now." 

Sondra is making a FACE but this argument does make sense! 

"Mandos might be more likely to send Leareth back, though, if he does die? Because, er, we clearly really badly need him. ...Also, is there any reason we can't just ask Mandos before we try it?" 

"I suppose you could try. We need to make a decision on this quickly, though - we are wasting time -" 

Vanyel sighs. Closes his eyes, dragging a hand briefly over his face. He just got given a new body, he has NO EXCUSE to be suddenly feeling tired. It's just...a lot. 

"Fëanor? What do you think?" 

"I'll ask the Earth humans," Fëanor says in Valdemaran.

Then in English to Tony and Bruce—"We are looking for a volunteer for our second attempt at time travel. I don't expect it to be harmful to humans, but I understand why you'd be reluctant and I wouldn't ask, except that most of our willing volunteers have magical soulbonds that would hurt their partners if they died."

"It is probably not wise to do anything that might harm me—I become—quite destructive when provoked. I'm not sure if this would be the relevant sort of harm, and I'm having trouble with that thing anyway, but—still not wise."

(This is quite confusing to Fëanor, so he skims Bruce's unguarded surface thoughts for context, and gods that is horrifying.)

"I'll do it if death god promises to send me back."