Far away, and only present in the back of his mind, with all his current concerns to take center stage. But still there, nonetheless, nagging at him distractingly. "Yeah, it's all right," he says, encouragingly bordering on flippantly, like he can make it true for either of them. "The universe, and all the people in it, still there. Good to have someone to knock about the stars with, so I usually did. There's so much to see, when you can go anywhere, any time," he says, with evident fondness, giving the central construction of his castle a satisfied once-over. Not any consolation to either of them, but all of time and space abides, that's the beauty of it. He sets to piling up a corner tower, very traditional, an old classic. "I'll get the rift sorted one of these days. Then the sky's the limit. Any of them." Manhattan is barely even training wheels, to that.

The owl graciously makes room in her little hut, letting the snake get out of the sun if he likes. Awkwardly but determinedly, she grooms at nothing on the snake's smooth scales. What strange, perhaps offputting little spirit creatures. No fur, no paws, not well suited to anything, but here nonetheless.