"Thanks."

"There's also a lot of other stuff, though I'm not sure how all of it stands up to your world's technologies, and some of it's localized. One of the lightnings - alts of my darling and yours - named Ellayania can hand out blessings for..." She takes a moment to remember. "Water-walking, enhanced vision, enhanced memory, more stamina, faster speed, and resistance to the cold and damp. She has an ally that can do preservation, her blessing she's willing to hand out usually slows down aging for a decade each time she gives it, but interacts weirdly with some unusual circumstances."

"For other worlds... There's a couple of contagious or teachable magic systems, which so far haven't interacted catastrophically with each other. Most of them do different things. Mine's more focused on enhancing the body and manipulating the environment and is pretty free-form, while the other three main ones do discrete spells or rituals."

"We also have safe worlds - Ellayania's territory is our main base, though there's also Glint's world, which is more under her control but less safe overall. Glint's one of the crows - my and your alts. Glint's a goddess of madness, and can impact anything in her domain - like, one of the other crows had an issue with her mind that Glint helped resolve."

"A couple of us have inter-world transit, so we're not extremely bottle necked, though no one has anything suitable for mass trading and such. One of the learnable magic systems might eventually solve that, but the ritual would need to be developed, and that's still being worked on - Mora, its source, has inter-world transit already, but it's just for a few people."

"For favors... The favor we call in most is resurrection - that's only come up a few times; twice for crows, once for a lightning, once for one of Tentou's friends. We're trying to get that so it's in-house, but that's also slow going."

"...You can put back the dead?"

"Yeah. Is there someone - ?"

She goes tense and glances at Occlus. "...There - was. A time ago."

Her hand tightens on Ani's shoulder.

"Someone I'm told I bear a striking resemblance to. A claim which may need to be reevaluated in light of recent developments."

Snuggle.

...She's pretty sure their visitors are being honest. She also - needs to talk with Occlus.

"Sadly, I can't run off right now." Faint smile. "My daughter would gut me if I took her children off to other universes without consulting her. But - if you don't mind hanging around, or coming back, I can arrange some free time."

"I think we can wait. Perhaps you can recommend somewhere to eat?"

"Sure." She names somewhere with food she suspects they'll both like, that Occlus nonetheless isn't well recognized in.

Occlus floats a credit chit over to them with a wave of her hand to send the pair on their way.

She contacts Leia, explains the situation, and arranges to hand off the children to Luke, who's fortunately near enough.

Then, once they're not going to be interrupted, she curls into Occlus's lap.

"I - want Elesse alive. Somewhere. It - was wrong, that she died. But - I'm yours."

"Mm." She strokes Ani's hair. "You are. And I do not appreciate competition. If Elesse is truly an... alt, neither would she, I think."

"She's - not competition. If you felt like sharing, I'd - go along with it. But I belong to you. And - there's a very large part of me saying that if she wanted me, she shouldn't have tried to kill me. I..."

Nuzzle.

"I want her to apologize. I want to apologize to her. I want to be friends with her again. I - want to introduce her to my family, and laugh with her over all the problems I had with teaching Luke and Leia, and ask her to teach one of my grandchildren someday - "

"I don't want to belong to her. Maybe even if I - didn't have you to compare to. I'm... Not sure I'd trust her enough. ...And she's not much older than my children. That would be weird."

"Yes, I suppose she would be."

"Wanting that closure is understandable, and I do acknowledge your devotion. Saying that you would not go to her- helps. The main component of my reservation now is, I think, that I do not entirely trust my own reaction. I do not approve of people who hurt the things that are mine."

She smiles and kisses Occlus. "I'd really rather no one draw weapons on each other in my presence, but... It seems likely we'll have more than enough time to patch over... Unkind or upsetting words." Also there's a part of her that's rather happy about the idea of Occlus scolding Elesse. Probably the part with self esteem.

"One hopes."

Longer kiss. "You're so good to me."

"Are there - arrangements that'd make you happier, with Elesse returning?"

Occlus hums.

"I have been thinking of granting you a token to wear," she says, hands lightly brushing Ani's neck. "Something shiny, perhaps."

Her eyes flutter shut, and she presses her neck a bit more into Occlus's hands. "Oh?" she asks, voice breathy.

She traces a finger around, under her chin and up over her nape. "Perhaps a phrik alloy. Silver filigree."

Shiver. "Appropriate for formal occasions, too," she murmurs. "How soon - ?"

"I have had my eye on an artisan. Tomorrow, I think. With the proper... encouragement."

Kiss.

"Hm... The day after tomorrow, then, for when our alts should take us back with them? Will give me time to sort out logistics, too."

"That will do. Assuming we can keep our guests occupied and out of trouble."

"Might be a small challenge."

She grins and leans her head against Occlus's shoulder.

"Should we go see what they've gotten up to, speaking of?"