"I mean, I didn't have a lot of decorative items strewn over my front room," he assures her, holding off that worry until he's checked the kitchen and bedrooms. "But I did keep the place clean."

Thankfully, while Bodhi doesn't materialize from his upstairs room, signs of life do manifest. Feet skitter on tile as Aurora rounds a corner of the kitchen, bounding toward them with her eternal enthusiasm for company. Now divorced from her importance, and hardly the person she spends most of her time with anymore, Kira's surprised by how happy he is to see her. "Well, this is a good sign." Bending down, he lets her stand up with her paws on his stomach, nipping at his chin and licking his face.

"There should be a goat and a crow around here somewhere," he adds--somewhat hopeful for the latter. It's a wild enough thing that he wouldn't be surprised to lose it at some point. "Clothes first, though, let's check my room."