"And things are mostly better these days but there's still considerable resentment on both sides, I don't want to accuse the people who decided to blame my parents for that whole fiasco of doing it because Dad was Bremri, but--I'm not actually sure that wasn't part of it."

"Stateless ethnic groups we can offer their own state, if that's likely to make them happy. If the local magic system doesn't work off-world or doesn't work for children born off-world or whatever - neither of which seem true of your world - we can install some islands."

"That's not a complete solution--a lot of people aren't going to want to give up homes they've lived in their entire lives--but it should help."

"The only thing I can do is give people better options, I can't make them get along."

"I understand."

"Anyone to go back for in particular?"

"Hmm? No, not unless it turns out that resurrection is significantly more feasible in the universe the person died in. ...Which is plausible."

"For some kinds of resurrection I'd expect it to work that way. If you're pulling them out of a dream, maybe not - which will make your world another one with involuntary forking problems, once enough people get that advanced..."

"It would definitely be more complicated than that but I wouldn't necessarily expect that to mean it didn't have the forking problem."

"Well, it'll be to our advantage to have you be the first person to figure it out, then."

"I should probably try to take advantage of some of the engineers' time dilation."

"I don't know exactly what the story is there but it seems like if you do less interacting with people you're likelier to end up sped up."

"...Problematic."

"Need some social outlets? All the mes in here are going a little spare, I think, for the same reason."

"How many of you are there?"

"Three. I don't mind that Midnight's miserable but I've certainly noticed it, and Matt'd probably be miserable either way, but..."

"If there's anything I can do to help let me know."

"Uh, describe how likely you think random people in your world are to figure out resurrection, given-knowing-it's-possible-with-local-magic and given not knowing that, and if this creates forking problems how we fix them."

She gamely attempts reasonable population statistics, and"I can't really answer the forking problem question until I have a better idea of the mechanics."

"Fair enough. Good skill."

"Thank you."

"I am flattered that your first reaction to learning your world was around in something resembling remembered form was that I should be in charge of it."

"You're--the same as him.

...When we first arrived the Ambarussa said he could talk people out of their souls and that he then kept them somewhere cozy and sang to them. And then I met him, and I ended up staying in the palace, so we talked a lot..."

Hug.

Hug. Hug hug.

"It's not fair and I'm not so self-centered as to think I'd even make a list of people any of this was unfair to but once upon a time I had a friend who smiled and meant it, who was okay, and I miss him and I am never, ever getting him back."