César was also looking forward to another Spouse Guy joining their ranks. He was enjoying learning more about woodworking and now Peter's tools are in his attic-turned-workshop... it hurts. And it scares him a little people who seem to be settling in can just up and disappear like that.

Maybe it's just his imagination, but it seems like Magne's been holding him a little closer at night since he told her the Starrs disappeared—or maybe he's just been focusing too much on memorizing the safety of her embrace. Enveloped by her presence, her body and arm wrapped around him from behind....

"Not yet. I've been mostly getting just food production up and running in general. Now that things are settling down, I can start to look at bumping up efficiency in such ways." César's smile broadens a bit. "It'd be nice to satisfy my scientist brain by starting up some sorts of experiments again."