He does! Adana's thrilled for him. She - also sort of wants to meet them. Maybe. If they want to be met? Do they want to meet their son's angel girlfriend?

"Haven't heard from Mom yet. Dad's curious if you're willing to say hi."

"I'm willing to go say hi," she assures.

"Okay. Anything you want to know about him first?"

"Uh. I'm - not sure what to ask, honestly."

"When he was alive he was a small-town chief of police. When he died his thing was his house - the house you will see is basically the exact same structure I spent summers in as a kid and moved into when I was seventeen. He's pretty quiet, pretty sensible - I think he'd get along with your dad, actually. Since he got a house he has to interact with his neighbors more than he probably would if they didn't need the stuff that the house generates so much."

"Ah. Mm. I don't know if there's a way to help with that. Maybe letting him move somewhere else that isn't in Limbo, remaking the house, and letting him live in peace?"

"I don't think he hates his neighbors - or at least that's not the impression I'm getting - just wishes that he weren't the only source of running water for miles around."

"Blech. And now I want to fix that obsessively."

"Yeah. We'll get to it. They'll keep a little longer while we catch up on what Limbo's deal is."

"Mhm. We're going to be exceptionally busy for the next few centuries, aren't we?"

"Yes."

She giggles. "I'll study my technology obsessively. I've still got to make the mirror thing, and it's not like the - biological study will be much good in Limbo, since everyone's got immortality. But technology is scale-able."

"Technology is scalable with resources. Limbo doesn't really have any. I think probably the best thing to do for them is make rivers."

"Well, yes. And - actually. Can we borrow Ice's robot army? Or just have you make robots that are connected to their network except working for us? And farming and such for food along with water."

"The network doesn't behave across portals, so it'd have to be a new network. Farmer robots are a good idea, but I'm not sure if Limbo will accommodate a normal water cycle. Normally it doesn't have, like - weather. Even over the ocean."

"... Obsessive irrigation systems? That we refill regularly?"

"Yeah, that's probably the way to go. Maybe eventually summon other demons to add water if we can find some who are, if not as nice as me, at least loosely trustworthy."

"Zane's an option. I don't think it would be his dream job, but it's easy enough, I don't see why he wouldn't."

"Because he'd get bored making water all the time?"

"... Well. Yes, but - if that's all we wanted Zane to do, every now and then, he'd be okay with it, because he's got other things to do besides just making water. If we put him on a strict 'go make water every day' schedule, of course he'd balk, but if it's just a once a week thing, that would be fine."

"So - maybe a big mountain far away from the ocean, with a river between the mountain and said ocean, and a complicated reservoir arrangement in the mountain so that once-a-week refills can handle it?"

"Yeah. We'll have to do some testing to get it right, of course."

"Little model mountains!"

"Adorable little ones with little fake plastic trees!" she giggles. "And we can just do those tests in Pantheon."

"Maybe a New Kystle dayside? There's got to be actual irrigation they could use done there."

"Oooo. Ooo, I love you, have I mentioned, lately? Let's go with Cypress's, he'd love us for that."

Cam beams and kisses her. "I love you too."

"Ooh, of course."

"I do think that for Limbo in particular we need to use as little non-daeva magic as possible, tempting as it might be. Not unless it's runecasting, anyway. All of the others have a scaling problem, and Limbo is very big."

"Runecasting has a scaling problem too in the sense that we have to either centrally produce the scrolls or turn the knowledge totally loose."

"Yeah. But not as bad as with other magic types. Those aren't transferable at all."

"We could install Perinixu in Limbo..."

"There's an idea. Think we can convince her?"

"Probably not. Nobody's sick there. It's worth a shot. We could also try Rae, it's effectively a desert everywhere but actually in the ocean, but he'd be less value-added, I think."

"... Should we go look for other gods? For terraforming?"

"Maybe. But installing a god involves trusting it pretty thoroughly, and if there were any that were that trustworthy I feel like Spring might've located them."

"Fair point. Mm. We can always just go ask?"

"Yeah. Directory of Pantheon gods."

She giggles. "Hopefully the ones we have won't get jealous or something."

"Well, the two of them at least get along with each other reasonably well."

"Yup. We can't upset the delicate balance between the only two gods that we actually know."

"Yeah, that wouldn't be a good plan. But we seem to have strayed from the topic."

"We have, I'm sorry. Terraforming via gods would just be so helpful."

"It's an excellent shortcut, absolutely. If it comes down to it I could encase populated Limbo in a gigantic dome or several so it could self-contain a water cycle and then it wouldn't need much added maintenance. There could be little external gravitic supports. But for today - you want to meet my dad?"

"Yes, please!"

And so they go through the portal into Charlie's Limbo house. Charlie is in it. There is a football game of some kind playing on the TV in the background and eggs frying on the stove. Cam gets a hug as soon as he's stepped into the kitchen. "Dad," he says, "this is Adana, my girlfriend. Adana, this is my dad Charlie."

"Hullo, Adana."

"Hello," says Adana, smiling. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

"Charlie's fine," says Charlie. "And it's nice to meet you too."

"Do you want me to handle the eggs, Dad?"

"I have got the hang of eggs since last time you saw me cooking anything, Cam. But thanks."

Adana raises an eyebrow. "Is... I feel like there's a story there, do I want to know...?"

"I am not," says Charlie, "a particularly good cook."

"It was pretty awful when I was alive, but apparently there's been improvement since. At least in eggs. Those look edible."

"I'm glad to hear it." She then pokes Cam, affectionately. "You also are still alive."

"Would you have batted an eye if I'd said 'before I died'?"

"... Good point, my boyfriend dying is sort of vaguely upsetting. But you're definitely still alive."

"You realize that by that logic literally no one from our world is dead. And this before we even start intervening. Kind of stretches the word 'dead'."

"Other people are allowed to have died. I don't like it, but it's within their basic human rights. You're not, you have to not ever die. So declares your girlfriend. Who also died."

"I know you did. I was there."

Hug. "It's okay, angel."

Hug. "It is now," she agrees, softly.

"The sort of pidgin spoken in this part of Limbo has different words for 'dead' like an animal and 'dead' like a Limboite," comments Charlie. "Think it's Chinese for the first one and Portuguese for the second. Something like that, I don't pay much attention to etymology."

"Huh. Maybe we should use those, that's helpful. I know the angelic I picked up translated it to 'ascended' instead of dying."

"The demonic terminology is probably best translated as 'upgraded', for people who become demons, and something - more or less untranslateable for people who become angels, and it varies how the languages feel about fairies, and I think I'd render the word for becoming a Limboite as 'defaulting'."

"The terminology for becoming an angel is something mean, isn't it," snorts Adana.

"Yes. But in an extremely untranslateable way!"

She giggles. "Of course. The way angels referred to demons is kind of - similar. I don't know how to accurately translate it. I can try, if you're curious?"

"Sure. And vice-versa if you like."

"Go for it, I won't be offended. Hmmm. Uh - okay, 'The cheating, useless people of wasted potential and zero skill.' Also translatable as 'blisterbutts.'"

"...Blisterbutts. Is that a reference to the tails, the lakes of fire, or something more obscure? And the words for angels tend to aim at - you know what a Mary Sue is, in literature? Characters who may or may not be written such that they actually do no wrong, but who the story considers paragons, and who are consequently really annoying. One language also calls you 'fluff-for-brains'."

Adana giggles. "I'm pretty sure it's a reference to all of those, but also how demons are - basically in permanent retirement and apparently do nothing but sit around. Those are - hilarious translations."

"Racial slurs over fried eggs. Very romantic." Charlie serves up fried eggs.

"Apparently my view of romance is a bit different from the standard."

"We are very suited."

She grins. "Plus, it's - not like either of us are going to use the racial slurs on each other. Or anyone else, really. I just think the ones for angels are somewhat entertaining."

"But you don't want me to translate 'angel' when I use it as an endearment?"

"I can imagine it now," she snickers. "'Hey, fluff-for-brains, c'mere, I want to cuddle.'"

"Mary Sue darling, let's go put an aquifer in Limbo. Yes. Perfect."

"There is no way that can go wrong. Ever. Not even once."

"Excellent. I'll revise my vocabulary posthaste."

"Good, good, it's always nice to stay completely updated."

"So you're the other person with the - alts? And all the other Cams are girls and all the other yous are boys?" says Charlie. "I don't know if I'd even like to meet others of myself but Cam seems to think it's grand."

"It's pretty grand, actually. My alts are even all very nice - even Prime, the one who is five hundred years old and also basically incapable of not saying things sarcastically. I'm just - occasionally frustrated by how they're all men. I'm sure there are girl versions of us, somewhere. I can't be the only one."

"You could get the mages to look specifically. Isn't that how we got found? Turtle wanted to, ah...?"

Adana coughs. "I mean. I wouldn't be looking for the same reasons. At - at all. But it would be nice to not be the odd one out in being female. Not that - they're not jerks about it, they don't treat me strangely or anything, but it would be nice."

"Phix wanted to know what it's like to be a boy. That was weird. I'm not overwhelmingly itching to have to switch from being 'Cam' to being 'Revelation' in peal company, though."

"... Fair. Oh, I would need a nickname, too, wouldn't I, if there were another female me. Hm. Call me sentimental, but I'd like to match."

"The others are all doing it, except Rain and Katydid, and even they both have familiar-oriented names. So sure. Along what axes would you like to match?"

Adana snickers."Alts of us are super adorable. I have no idea how I'd match yours, though. It sounds vaguely biblical?"

"It is pretty Biblical, in etymology if not in intent. Soundalike, like Phix and Max?"

"Ha. Sure, it can soundalike. Uh - well. Okay, you brought about a huge 'revelation' and got everyone to know about magic. I - made plans for a space station and threw you at them and then got you to terraform Mars? And also lots of infrastructure, which if I'm lucky didn't collapse after I became an angel. Hoooow do I put that in a simple one word form that goes with yours...?"

"I'm not coming up with anything very namey."

"It's surprisingly difficult, yeah. Hm. .... Revival? Sounds kinda biblical, and it's even a soundalike."

"Ooh. Revelation and Revival."

"We sound fancy," she giggles.

"We do! Like we belong in a high-concept film in Viennese Carnival outfits."

"Ha! See, now I'm keeping it."

"Okay. And it will be ready to deploy when there are more Adanas."

"Yup! And we'll be all cute and matching and vaguely biblical."

"We're adorable." Kiss.

He likes!

"Hello," he says. ".... I'm taking a guess that this is not to invite me for tea and biscuits?"

Adana coughs. "Well. Um. No, sorry."

"Well, thank you for being polite about it, anyway. What do you need me for?"

"I have - little to no idea how your magic actually works aside from the end results, but if you or Cypress go scrying for other alts of us - could you also look for a girl version of me? It gives us more than just one thing to look for."

"Sure," he shrugs. "Same for him, I'm guessing?" He motions to Cam.

"I don't actually care. I mean, sure, if casting a wider net helps, but meh. I will supply tea and biscuits if you want."

"I'll switch to looking for more of you if I fail to find more recognizable female Bells. And - tea and biscuits, sure, why not."

And lo, there were tea and biscuits.

"... Was that very hard to do?"

"No."

"Yay, we clear an extremely low bar."

"You deserve trophies, for your efforts."

"I'd make some but I'd soon run out of shelf space if I made myself all the equally deserved trophies I could conjure."

"Alas."

"You could make a scrapbook. With pictures of all of the equally deserved trophies you could conjure, in it."

"Nah. It'd be tacky."

"Aww. My heart. It breaks."

"I have had to learn self-restraint with the demonic magic. Sorry, angel."

"But I can get rid of anything you make! You don't have to have as much restraint!"

"Maybe in a hundred fifty years my habits will reverse themselves."

"Maybe. Anyway - thank you, Prime."

"Sure. Have fun - not making trophy cases or trophies. Or tacky scrapbooks."

"Will do."

And Adana and Cam head back home - they have work to do.