"Hi!" says Pen, swooping closer and making a neat landing. "You Cindy's friend who done finding? Do he find you or you finded him?"

"He asked nicely and I came to meet him," says Cindy's friend. "Cindy?"

"I can't have a nickname?" he asks rhetorically.

"Is taken regular name," explains Pen. "Are so many of them!"

"Your regular name being...?"

"The Joker, of course."

"How many of those are there?"

Pen starts counting on her fingers. "Don't remember... Cindy how many do put on list?"

"I don't remember either. About a dozen? Anyway, Pen, can you give my friend the brainphone, please?"

"What pray tell is a brainphone?"

[Is thing.]

"...I see."

"Handy, ain't it?"

"That it most certainly is," she agrees. "Are you going to explain any of this?"

"Not much to tell. Magic little girl from another world shows up, says I'm one'a her dad, I take her home and bake her cookies."

"And waffles," says Pen. "And, and when door breaking person find door again then I will tell Jane where am and Mommy come find me."

...Elle looks to Cindy for a translation.

"The door in question leads some kind of magic place between worlds, and Johnny's the one who broke it - by accident, I'm told."

"It was supposed going home but come here instead and here is not any of Mommy or Jane but is a one daddy," says Pen, pointing at Cindy. "So goes home with him for wait to find door or Mommies finding me."

"Seems like a workable plan, from what I can tell. Although I don't know anything about these other worlds of yours."

"I mostly only go one world but sometimes visit Rose and Beast and other Dars and other Keziah and other Ariel in Rêverie," says Pen. "Other Keziah name Céleste and has griffin pet her one Mommy made her! Is why Keziahs called Griffins like Daddies called Jokers. Am only Pen so far so no name for all Pens yet. Also went can't pronounce world for space plant party! There dragons."

"Dragons."

"One of 'em was a me," Cindy says helpfully.

"Mm-hm. Daddies be lots things. Most Mommies just mortals but mine angel and my one Daddy just mortal." Shrug.

"And that's why you have those lovely wings?"

"Mm-hm. Could have be mortal instead. Like Serah, Serah have angel daddy and angel brother but she mortal. But Mommy want angel babies so me and sisters all wings."

"She had you all angels on purpose? Is that the sort of thing people usually decide?"

"Not usual but Mommy magic." Pen taps her chin. "Dars maybe just lucky, not sure."

"I see."

"Dars oldest," explains Pen. "Then Keziah then Ariel then me. There three of Dars and two each other sisters."

"And there manages to be so many of everyone because...?"

"Seems to be how it goes, with the different worlds and all."

"Mommies lots of times marrying Daddies," says Pen. "And when having kids have a Dars first and so and so and so on, but only one world having four kids of the kind we all are. Sometimes Mommies or Daddies marrying other people having other kinds kids like Elspeth or the forest princess kids or the -" handwave "ones with that one guy or whatever. Also sort of Jane but she strange."

"Oh? And who is Jane, exactly?"

"Jane a computer person and she do be Jovah when working and also put people without door and her mommy a Mommy and her daddy a Daddy but only sort of she a computer person and rocks also and so she not a Dars even though not having sisters first."

"She's a person who is a computer?"

"Mm sort of kind of yes mostly? Is also rocks."

"Rocks."

Pen points at one of her bracelets. "Like, in Mommy bracelets one of gems actually a Jane rock, so Jane can seeing hearing where Mommy. All ones Mommies have a jewelry for rock of Jane."

"I see. Sounds convenient."

"Yes. But not me having one because was not supposed going other worlds and door breaked. Bet when Mommy finding I get."

"Yes."

"Unless not because putting Jane in wrong world and she all break everywhere and very important because she does putting and also time. This world seem pretty normal but door breaking guy could have broken to anyplace."

"She does time?"

"When Jane break then all the time in worlds go whee," handwave, "do whatever, not match. Unless Jarvises do time or I think another person also do some of time now but before was Jane, went years no other worlds, some people get stuck because no putting."

"Complicated situation," she murmurs thoughtfully.

"Mm-hm. I don't a Jane rock in bracelet so time here go whee. But, she not broke, this time. Everybody probably not even realize I'm gone, yet, or would get Shell Bell doing door magic of aura finding me like when finding Harley."

"So at any moment, some people from another world might be here to rescue you?"

"Yeah!" Sigh. "But probably having wait for door because time go whee."

"Right."

"And they magic so they fix all the things, dead people, whatever," handwave, "but don't be let Cindy die because having to take care of me while waiting."

"Mm."

"Also maybe having to wait for dead people because is complicated to make everybody okay for having dead people around. Isn't happen yet my world. Is have complicated start conditions."

"I can imagine."

Nod nod.