There is a suspicious uptick in tinkers focused on useful prosocial projects, actually. It's suspected that Sphere was targeted specifically; and now the Simurgh hovers silently over Madison, Wisconsin.

(Lorica assembles and drops care packages into each walled city.)

Her setup for better resource distribution in the cities is very elegant. He likes hearing her plan it. He likes her a lot. He likes kissing her a lot.

Good. She likes kissing him too. (And petting his hair.)

Eeeeeeeeeee.

"Do you want to live on this island indefinitely?" she asks one day, after checking their finances.

"I want to find a way home eventually, but until then, sure. Why?"

"Just wondering if I should budget for a house someplace again. Dragon doesn't seem to mind us being here."

"I have kind of a lot of money now but no particular desire to build a house again."

"Here's fine."

"Is there still a portal to Aleph in Wisconsin?"

"Yeah. I've got a bot supplementing the guards."

"Hopefully someone else'll figure out portals soon."

"Yeah, that'd be nice."

A while later, Legend sends Dragon an email asking where Lorica and Library Elf are living.

Do Lorica and Library Elf mind Legend knowing?

Yeah, kind of. If he wants to meet them they can meet somewhere else.

"They'd prefer to meet in a neutral location."

"Reasonable. They can pick wherever they'd like."

"Any place you've been meaning to go on vacation?"

"Yellowstone's supposed to be pretty."

"They'll be at Old Faithful tomorrow at noon local."

"I'll be there."

Lorica has a new suit. It would not pose a significant obstacle to Legend, but still. Bulletproof. Flying. She shows up in it.

He reads Legend's mind.

—he's doing the private thoughts thing. His presence is there, but Fëanáro can't read him.

"Hello," he greets them when they arrive.