It's Not Stalking; It's A Stakeout [Leonard][C]

[Zaxal]

He had honestly tried to leave well enough alone, but something -- his training, his instinct, paranoia -- kept nagging at the back of his mind. Eventually, as he had, Leonard would have to realize that this wasn't an illusion or delusion or anything except cold, hard (or, rather, soft and hot reality given the sand they'd all woken up in) reality. The realization wouldn't be a kind one. It had taken him days to pull himself out of the chaotic mess of emotions that had tried to drown him.

It was out of genuine concern that he found himself tailing Leonard, keeping an eye on him, waiting for that realization and waiting, too, to take action if it was required of him. Igen wasn't Santa Barbara, but his oath was still with him, and he wouldn't sit by and allow someone to potentially pose a threat to others. It just wasn't in him.

He did his best to be discreet, but sometimes, there was no avoiding it. The cafeteria -- no, kitchens were usually packed, people coming and going even at the oddest hours. But now, there was a lull in activity, a grace period between major shifts, and Carlton found himself in a giant room with Leonard and a few other people.

From the far side of the room, he ate and watched, keenly aware that what he was doing might look... odd to outsiders. But Carlton had accepted that he was an odd man and would always appear to be a strange person to onlookers. That was simply the way of things.

From his shoulder, Sonora cheeped imperiously, demanding another strip of meat which she plucked from his fingers and downed quickly before preening at herself and at him. His hair had grown out some in the last while, the longest bits now irritatingly brushing the tips of his ears, though she was always kind enough to put them back into place.

Carlton would have vehemently denied it, but there was something nice about being cared for. And having someone else to look out for. Sonora was his partner in crime -- or partner in the law, to be more accurate -- and she had integrated herself seamlessly into his life.

He frowned slightly, thinking of his conversation with Haelyn. Go back? He'd have to, if the opportunity presented itself. That was where he belonged. But leaving Sonora? Something in his chest twisted, and he forced himself away from that thought.

Sonora's tail squeezed lightly at his neck, just enough to be supportive as she nuzzled his jaw before making another pleading noise for another piece of meat. Carlton gave it to her, and his eyes drew up, focused again on Leonard.

[Inouken]

Leonard glared into his dish, eyes narrowed as he pushed food around his plate in geometrical patterns that he raked through fiercely. "He's still there, isn't he?" he muttered, holding up a strip of meat for Sheldon with his free hand.

The firelizard snatched it quickly after a precursory once-over, but didn't answer, seemingly more interested in satisfying his hunger than paying attention to Leonard's problem. Leonard understood, begrudgingly. If he could ignore the prickling on the back of his neck, he would, that unsettling feeling of being watched that for Leonard had been stretching on for days.

Whenever he ventured out of his apartment, he would feel it, starting at the base of his skull and sinking to the pit of his stomach. For the first couple of days, he had done his best to pretend it didn't bother him. He hated to acknowledge the detective's presence, and hoped against hope that turning a blind eye to the guy would make him disappear, give up, or whatever it was hallucinations did when no one was willing to believe in them. No such luck. The detective was still tracking his movements with dogged determination.

Leonard's frown deepened. He stabbed at his tubers with his knife, only stopping when he realized that he was getting strange, concerned looks from the only other person at his table. Awkward.

He set the knife down slowly, offering an apologetic smile that he didn't feel before he let his eyes drift back to his now thoroughly eviscerated potatoes. He made a face at the unappealing mess and pushed the plate aside, though he would be kidding himself if the meal alone was making him lose his appetite. He could feel the detective's eyes on him still, all of that sharp focus pointed in his direction and making it impossible for Leonard to concentrate on anything besides the desire to make it stop.

"Okay," he breathed, "okay, fine. He isn't disappearing, which means my strategy is flawed. Think, Hofstadter. How do you break the cycle?"

The man at his table scooted over two seat lengths.

Leonard glared. "Oh, real subtle," he huffed, bitter at the irony that he was apparently capable of repelling others but not the ones that mattered. "Please tell me that wasn't your idea of a helpful tip, subconscious, because I already tried it. Moving away from him doesn't do squat."

The man wasted no time gathering his food, wide-eyed and wary as he retreated to the far end of the room.

"Newsflash, running doesn't help, either!" Leonard called after him. His eyes inadvertently fell on the bane of his existence when the man hurried past the detective. Without looking away, Leonard added under his breath, "God, but I wish it did."

It was the first time Leonard had dared to meet the detective eye to eye since he had barged into his apartment. He felt anger, sharply honed as it burst through the irritation that had been building for days.

Leonard would put an end to this, perform whatever psychological trick was necessary. Giving the detective the cold shoulder hadn't worked, so that left direct confrontation as Leonard's only option. He had stormed out during their last encounter, leaving whatever business the guy had with him unresolved. It made sense for it to carry over now, hovering in the background until Leonard was prepared enough to face it.

He clenched his jaw, pushing himself away from the table before walking up to the detective and scowling in a way that was totally meant to be intimidating. He squinted hard, then harder when he realized he had no idea what he was going to say.

"I know you've been following me," he finally blurted out, "so cut the Dick Tracey routine, will you? You're terrible at it. Just tell me what you want with me and get it over with."

[Zaxal]

Carlton watched the interaction going on between Leonard and the man at his table. Amusement and concern rose up like twin devils, one on each shoulder, distracting him from his true purpose here. He took a breath and pushed them both down. Remaining impartial was going to be essential to making sure he could correctly step in when it was needed of him.

Sonora chattered warningly as Leonard stood up. She didn't understand everything that was going on, but she understood that Hers would follow the other man, become vexed by his actions, and then continue following him in spite of the overwhelming negativity. She could think of much better ways for Hers to spend his time. Like rubbing oil on the itchy parts of her hide or feeding her treats. Much better than following the odd human with the rectangle eyeframes.

"I know," he muttered to her, reaching up with his free hand to smooth along her eyeridge. This placated the green long enough for Leonard to get close without her making more of a scene than she had before. Instead, she sat up on Carlton's shoulder, watching Leonard carefully.

Carlton met Leonard's anger with a cool, calm head. He knew he was good at his job -- he just hadn't been particularly trying to hide that he was following Leonard. The way he saw it, it was insurance. If Leonard knew he was watching, then maybe he wouldn't overreact when the time came.

At least, that was going to be his excuse for sloppy tailing, and he dared anyone to challenge him on it.

He shrugged at Leonard's demands, reaching up again to calm Sonora who had made a low, almost hissy gargle at Leonard's tone. She pressed her head into his palm, and Carlton spoke while petting her. "I'm keeping an eye out. Igen was kind enough to take us in. I'd hate for them to have to face an egomaniac after he's been proven that the world really doesn't revolve around him."

It was enough of the truth to work, and, in the end, that's why he had full confidence it would conceal his true purpose which was honest concern for Leonard's well-being as well as the safety of everyone else in the Weyr. He'd heard the excuse endlessly while on the job -- they were so quiet -- that he knew not to trust quiet. Quiet people were the snakes in the grass, coiled up tightly and ready to strike.

[Inouken]

The green firelizard on the detective's shoulder looked peeved, its body poised with a certain degree of tension that Leonard felt mimicked on his own shoulder when Sheldon returned his sibling's temper, growling low.

Sheldon's irritability had spiked well above normal over the past few days, affected not only by Leonard's mood but also by the initial source of the problem. Whoever this gangly man was, he was throwing off Leonard's concentration, inhibiting his productivity and thus halting the pursuit of scientific knowledge. It was unacceptable, and his sister would do well to recognize the error of her human's ways.

Leonard raised his chin in agreement, silently appreciative and partially boggled that any subconscious representation of his roommate would be so supportive. A small smile flickered across his face at the thought, but soon drew into a sneer when the detective started speaking.

Of friggin course. Leonard had let their confrontation hang before, so it went to figure that the detective would pick up right where he had left off, lathering, rinsing, then repeating the same old bogus accusations.

"I already told you; I'm not--" Leonard glared, clenching his fists. "I'm not an egomaniac."

He cast a quick, self-conscious glance around the room, wincing at how far his voice had carried. Drawing further attention to himself was far from ideal.

"Listen," he hissed, snapping his attention back as he dropped into the opposite seat, "I don't know what your hangup is, but I don't suffer from delusions of grandeur."

Did he? Everything from his low self-worth to stunted sense of accomplishment pointed to no, and yet his subconscious was telling him otherwise. Leonard exhaled sharply through his nose, just trying to make heads or tails of it.

"Okay, no, you know what?" He shot the detective a dirty look. "Let's play it your way. Let's say I am a conceited, self-admiring, capital-D douchebag. You've been observing me for days. Present your evidence." Leonard prompted him by splayed his hands out. He leaned back, mouth quirking up in challenge.

There wasn't a damn thing he had done recently that would suggest he was an egotist. He never patronized the Weyrfolk, never boasted in front of them or tried to build himself up in their eyes. Being crazy enough to see them was nothing to brag about for one thing. It was just insane. Insane the way arguing with his subconscious sleuth was insane, but Leonard knew he was sound of mind in this one thing at least.

He crossed his arms over his chest as he waited for the detective's reply, and tried to assure himself that he hadn't lost himself that completely yet.

[Zaxal]

Sonora's head tilted to the side as she peered cautiously at Sheldon. She didn't mind if her was cross with her (he'd get over it eventually; everyone loved her, right?) but if he was growling at Hers? She shifted her wings, her long tail whipping behind her in a way that reminded Carlton of a cat. Carlton sent her a sharp thought -- Behave, Sonora -- and, wonder of wonders, she settled, still tense but willing to do what Carlton ordered. For now.

He brought up a scrap of meat as a reward which she gulped down gratefully with a pleased rrr-ing noise that sounded like a lizard-ish purr.

Carlton didn't flinch at Leonard's louder-than-usual voice. He seemed at least partially self-conscious about disturbing everyone else's dinner, but it wasn't enough evidence to conclude that he'd figured it out. So far as Carlton could tell, he hadn't. Still in denial. A delusion he could only keep going if he were so self-involved that he couldn't accept the truth.

Carlton, for one, knew he wasn't imaginary, and he was more than a little insulted that someone else thought he was.

"You still assume this entire world is built up in your head, and we're all little parts of your brain trying to tell you something instead of accepting that Pern does not revolve around you."

"You're not a bad person," he said, presenting his evidence and truths as calmly as he could. "You haven't been cruel to others, and you mostly keep to yourself. But this fantasy world you're living in is dangerous, and the only type of person who can keep believing that none of it is real is someone who vehemently denies reality. You're a scientist -- that's not you. So it has to be your ego."

Carlton folded his hands on the table, meeting Leonard's eyes across the table. "I just signed my divorce papers after being separated from my now ex-wife for five years." He shook his head and chuckled bitterly, glancing down at the pale band around his ring finger. "I thought we were getting back together." Slowly, he brought his eyes back up to Leonard, "I'm not imaginary. No one here is. And yet you keep insisting on it and keep fighting it."

He snorted a quiet laugh but turned a frown to Leonard. "That's enough evidence for me."

[Inouken]

Sheldon arched his back when Sonora struck her offensive pose, both of their tails twitching in open irritation. He wasn't predisposed to violence, but the sooner this ended, the better in his opinion. He'd fight for Leonard. His eyes whirred red. Not to mention, he'd win.

Leonard placed a calming hand on Sheldon's back, stroking along his spine. Take it easy, he thought. I've got this.

Sheldon slitted his eyes at Sonora and Hers, but thankfully relented at Leonard's wish, body going slack when Leonard rubbed his favorite spot behind his eyeridge.

If only the real Sheldon Cooper was as easily placated, Leonard thought, then his mind flashed an unwelcome image of him scratching his roommate behind the ear. His hand dropped awkwardly.

Sheldon protested on his shoulder, trying to entice his hand back by nudging him gently with the tip of his snout.

Yeah, later, Leonard promised uncomfortably, a rapid-fire response just so he could put an end to the wandering thoughts as soon as possible. There were more pressing matters that needed his attention first.

He re-crossed his arms, listening with annoyance, then incredulity as the detective explained his reasoning.

"Okay," Leonard said. With a deprecating chuckle, he shifted forward again, leaning his elbows on the table. "Let's get one thing straight. Being stuck here doesn't mean that I think the place revolves around me. I have no power in Pern. None. No influence, no significance, no nothing, so don't you think for one second that I'm not aware of just how helpless and royally fucked I am."

Something like a knife twisted in Leonard's gut at that admission. He inhaled sharply, but plowed ahead. "Pern is scientifically impossible, by the way. Not improbable, impossible. I've run the math, okay? I used to spend hours with my friends calculating the variables, solving for a universe where dragons could theoretically exist. None of those universes, not a single one of them, had laws of physics that would support both humanoid and draconic life."

"I don't deny reality," Leonard said, tone cold and bitter. "I study it, and basic physics tells me this place is nothing more than an elaborate fantasy world from hell."

Sheldon chattered unhappily, upset that Leonard was still insisting he wasn't real. Sheldon believed in Leonard and science. There was no reason that Leonard couldn't do the same.

Leonard tilted his head away, unable to deal with the accusations that were coming from both sides now. He clenched his jaws, barely bringing himself to meet the detective's eyes across the table. He wondered, vaguely, why he had bothered giving the man a depressing backstory that started with marriage but ended in divorce. So far it was the only thing the guy had said that wasn't a rehash of their previous encounter. Was Leonard supposed to sympathize with him? Was he supposed to care? Would pretending to care get the guy to stop following him? Leonard doubted it, and he was frankly feeling too defensive to try.

"Saying that you used to be married doesn't prove to me that you're real," Leonard huffed. "All it does is point out the obvious. You're lonely and bitter about it, so you spend your days inserting yourself into the affairs of other people, too disappointed in your own existence to examine the failings there. Yeah, that's right," he said, smiling without humor. "I can psychoanalyze you right back. How do you like them apples?"

[Zaxal]

"Math or not, it's here. It's real, and we're stuck in it." It took until that moment for Carlton to realize why he was so personally invested in forcing Leonard to see the light. For the betterment and greater good of the Weyr? Of course. But there was more to it than that. He had denied it, too. The realization that this wasn't a cruel joke or a dream had shaken him to his core.

And maybe, just maybe, he didn't want someone else have to deal with that. The same way he chased suspects without tiring or giving up in hopes that no one else would have to suffer because a criminal hadn't been properly punished to imprisoned.

Having his attempt at being helpful and charitable and open thrown back in his face immediately set him on edge, shattering the calm he'd been dealing with so easily for the last several days while waiting for Leonard to get with the program. He felt heat rise, collecting and burning at the back of his neck and the tips of his ears. Rage. Too familiar. Though the person that was usually associated with was nowhere to be found.

He doubted Spencer would have broken him apart so cleanly. He'd rather play with his food.

Carlton shook the thought out of his head, trying to keep himself calm, which wasn't being helped by Sonora hissing again, flaring her wings and trying to scare the other two off so she could take care of Carlton. They didn't need them. Nasty, mean little males. They were upsetting Hers.

While he appreciated the care and concern, Carlton knew full well that he could fight his own battles. She was still a baby. No need to go fussing at creatures twice her size -- though that was on the generous side concerning Leonard, and that thought helped ease the tension he felt ready to snap inside him at any moment.

"Sonora, down." He ordered, sending her a more complex command through their mental link. Perplexed, Sonora obeyed, hopping from his shoulder down to the table next to him. conveniently out of the way.

Carlton's expression firmed up, the same uncompromising, cold scowl he'd shown to thousands of interrogations during his time as an officer of the law.

"I'm perfectly aware of my failings. I'm not hiding from anything." He sneered, "Unlike you."

[Inouken]

Leonard rubbed at the space between his brows. Math or not. It was like talking or running into wall, expecting the barrier to collapse when there was no rational reason for believing it was possible.

Having conversations with himself was never this frustrating until Pern. It was sad to admit, but what had he expected? His inner voice had never been crazy before. Self-loathing and self-defeating, sure, but never scientifically wrong on purpose, spouting bullshit at him just to prove a nonsensical point.

Math or not.

Leonard scoffed.

As if it was possible to divorce the world from the mathematical axioms that governed the laws of nature, the workings of the universe.

Just who did the detective think he was trying to fool?

Leonard narrowed his eyes at him, then at his firelizard when she hissed and tried to appear bigger than she really was. Annoying little thing, but surprisingly Sheldon didn't pay her any attention. Leonard could sense that he was still upset with him, the near feeling of rejection rolling off him in waves.

"Sheldon," he said cautiously, "I know you're real."

Sheldon Lee Cooper was real, anyway. His roommate was real, and if Leonard had to stretch the truth to appease Sheldon in his subconscious, then it wasn't any different from appeasing him in reality. With the way things were going, it was as close to real as Leonard was going to get.

Seemingly unaware of the deeper meaning behind his words, Sheldon cheeped happily and nuzzled under Leonard's jaw. The firelizard's emotions were clearcut, running through Leonard like a knife. Sheldon was thanking him, capable of expressing more now that some part of Leonard was in control of his actions.

The part that needed validation, apparently.

Uncomfortable, Leonard cleared his throat, eyes trained on the detective even as he spoke to Sheldon. "Yeah, I know, buddy," he patted Sheldon's flank with a tentative hand. "I like you, too."

What he didn't know was whether he'd ever be okay with this now that he was consciously aware of what he was doing. Shaking his head, he brought himself around just in time to answer the detective's accusation.

"I'm the one who's hiding? Last time I checked, I wasn't the one skulking around, suspiciously shadowing people like some kinda stalker. You should do us both a favor and drop the act." The anger came back, simmering low as he leaned in, sneering. "You creep me the hell out."

[Zaxal]

"Fine, you want the act dropped?" He held his hands up, a serious surrender that was only echoed by the severity of his expression. "Done. You want to know why I'm following you? It's because you're dangerous. Whether or not you think you are, you are vehemently hiding from the fact that this place? Is real. The people around you are real. The dumb-ass shit you pull is 100% real, and one of these days, it's going to come around and bite you or someone else. Hard."

Sonora sat down primly in front of him, nodding firmly when it seemed like Carlton needed someone to agree with him.

Carlton crossed his arms again, glaring at the other man. "I don't want to see anyone get hurt because you refuse to open your eyes. Not anyone else in the Weyr, not your little Sheldon, not you. But it's a possibility every time you walk these halls and act like what's going on around you isn't as real as home. Even if you're not actively encouraging it, it's a possibility."

Realizing he'd started raising his voice, he coughed slightly, his tone lowering to be back between them again. "I won't follow you anymore if that'll make you happy, but you can be damn sure I'm going to keep an eye out and an ear open, because that's my job."

He might've lied about not tailing Leonard anymore, but he hadn't quite decided, and getting the rest of the truth out there -- even though he didn't doubt Leonard would continue on in his blissful, forced ignorance -- was more important than that one minor detail.

When it came down to it, Leonard's comfort level wasn't something that ranked high on his list of priorities. Call him heartless, but he had bigger fish to fry than tip-toeing around to spare some jerk's feelings.

[Inouken]

Anger ignited into indignation. He clenched his teeth and gave the detective a reproachful glare. "Stop it," he grit out. His hands balled into fists on the table. "Stop it and shut up. I already told you, there is no mathematical or scientific explantation that validates the nonexistent possibility of this place being real, so stop regurgitating the same horseshit over and over. Stop insisting that I'm crazy when in the same breath you try to take from me the one goddamn piece of logic that keeps me holding on."

He heard his voice strain under its own weight, felt shallow breaths heave in and out of his chest as his vision went dark around the edges. "I'm not a threat," he said hoarsely. "I'm not dangerous. I would never hurt, never hurt anyone." His hands were shaking. He pressed both of them to his temples, trying to keep calm as the pulse in his head grew louder, ricocheting through his skull. "Oh god," he breathed. He slammed his eyes shut. "Oh god, not here."

White-knuckle tension coiled through his body. He couldn't take in air, couldn't think. His eyes flew open and held the detective wildly, accusingly. "Panic attack," he choked out. "I'm having a panic attack. I'm going to-- I can't fucking breathe."

In his fading periphery, he could hear Sheldon's worried exclamations. Felt him hop from his shoulder onto the table, but Leonard was too far away to process the information until he found himself swaying forward, having to splay his hands out just to keep himself steady.

He inhaled sharply. Once, twice, three times, as slowly as he could manage.

The detective was fucking with his head. Leonard didn't know what he had expected, but going off their last encounter he had hoped the man would give him some kind of clue, some kind of lead on how to break out of this prison. Unfortunately, the guy was the worst subconscious investigator ever, only managing to dig up Leonard's paranoia --something Leonard was aware of already-- so he could shove it back to him, making it the foremost concern in his mind.

Leonard breathed deeply until he trusted himself to speak. "You think you're helping me see the light, but you're not." He sounded thin and transparent, still far away from this world. "You're not helping me at all, and until you figure it out, don't even bother. I don't need your brand of so-called help."

[Zaxal]

This argument clearly wasn't going anywhere. Listening to Leonard's rant, he remained stoic, expression stony as he tried to figure things out. All he managed was a quiet, petulant, "I didn't call you crazy," before there was a sudden shift that left him reeling, lost.

His eyes widened as Leonard's breaths came faster, his voice weakening as he slowly crumbled. Carlton was stuck in place, watching, staring maybe, helpless himself to do anything. He hadn't meant... This was the sort of thing he'd wanted to prevent, this crash of sudden emotions, but instead he was responsible for causing this to someone else. Guilt coiled up tightly in his chest, only to constrict even tighter as Leonard turned the accusation on him.

Panic attack. He had dealt with those, usually perps or loved ones reaching full realization of the grim news he often had to report to them, but in the past, he'd never had to deal with it. His partners, the Chief, the rookies, hell, even Spencer and Guster all acted as a shield against the emotional messes he had no idea of how to clean up or prevent.

"I..." He wasn't sorry for pushing. Coddling others was something he looked down on. But he wasn't exactly proud of this moment either. He shifted uncomfortably, eyes falling guiltily to the table and Leonard's hands, fingers splayed as he tried to ground himself.

What he hadn't expected was Sonora's eyes to begin whirring, on yellow-alert apparently, as she crooned gently at Leonard. She picked up the last of her meat scraps up off of Carlton's plate, padding across the table and laying them between Leonard's hands, nudging them slightly towards him with her snout and giving an encouraging cheep.

God bless her, at least she was trying, though Carlton had serious doubts that eating firelizard scraps would help Leonard feel better.

"Fine," he said, his voice almost snappish to make up for the fact that he felt horrible because he didn't know what to do to make this mess better. Carlton cringed at himself before giving up. Trying to be a kind, sympathetic person was beyond him, and pretendy playtime was over.

Somehow, that firm assessment in his head didn't make the guilty weight in his chest go away.

[Inouken]

Leonard managed to get his breathing under control, but his hands still shook with nervous energy. He forced them flat against the surface, determined to snip the aftershocks in the bud. Confronting the detective had been a stupid idea, like challenging a gunman to fire knowing full well that the chamber was loaded. Leonard berated himself silently. He wouldn't make the same mistake again.

He drew in another calming breath, allowing his eyes to momentarily close. When he opened them again, he blinked in mild surprise. Sonora was standing in front of him, offering him the rest of her meal. It was a gesture of kindness, sympathy, concern.

Leonard quickly looked between her and the detective, his brow creasing as he tried connecting the pieces in a way that made any sense at all. The detective's actions showed he didn't care what Leonard thought or felt, yet his firelizard was reaching out to him, wanting to play nice despite merely being an extension of the same hallucination.

Leonard took the scraps of meat in his still jittery fingers. "Thanks," he said, voice cautious, "but I can't accept these." He gave Sonora a skeptical look before narrowing his eyes at the detective again as he thrust his hand out. "Take them back. Sheldon won't eat them anyway unless he knows the strips were cut specifically for him."

Sheldon snorted at the meat, turning his snout up as if to prove the point.

"See what I mean?" Leonard kept his expression firm, free hand curling on the table just waiting for the man to move. "Come on," he said, exasperation setting in. Glancing down at Sonora, he sighed, relenting just enough to ease his tone. "Your girl still looks hungry anyway."

[Zaxal]

The rejection of her gift made Sonora's wing droop, her head dropping as her tail curled around one of her feet. The perfect image of a firelizard that had tried and failed to fix her problem. She seemed to take some peace from the fact that Leonard wasn't still in the grips of panic, her eyecolor calming to a bluegreen mix, more curious than worried.

Before Carlton could take the scraps back, his hand halfway extended, Sonora hunkered down against the table, a rogue waggle of her rump the only indication before she leaped into the air, snatching the regifted meat from Leonard's hand. She landed on Carlton's arm -- he flinched at the scrape of her claws -- and scurried up to his shoulder, her prize in her maw.

She ate the rest of them delicately and then she gave a merry trill, head tilted at Leonard. See? Things weren't so bad.

Carlton had the same feelings for this that he did for Spencer's usual song and dance. While it was relatively harmless, it did sort of get in the way. Sonora licked his jaw, crooning. He got the distinct impression that she didn't believe he was actually at all upset with her.

"Sorry if she nipped you," he finally said, embarrassed. Made a mental note to find someone to help him train her to not take food from complete strangers. In fact, leave complete strangers alone as often as humanly possible. "Still figuring out that her little teeth and claws hurt."

Sonora looped her tail lazily around his neck and preened, either oblivious or ignoring the shift in his entire attitude that she'd so easily caused.

[Inouken]

Even though Leonard was looking right at Sonora, he hadn't anticipated how high or fast she could launch herself off the table. He yanked his hand back not a moment too soon, eyes widening in surprise as she snagged the meat just an inch or two away from his fingers.

"Whoa, hey!" He pulled his arm to his chest reflexively. "Take it easy, will you?"

Leonard didn't think his physical body would sustain injury from anything that happened in Pern, but that didn't mean he wanted his subconscious projection walking around with nine fingers, either. Fight-or-flight, self-preservation, these were all mutually ingrained on an instinctual level.

He glanced at his hand. It was still shaking, small tremors that he stilled by clutching the front of his shirt.

"Didn't bite me," he said, voice wary as he lifted his head to meet the detective's gaze. "It was a close thing, though."

Closer than he would have liked, yet here he was, trying to assure the firelizard's owner that he was fine, like everything about this was fine when it absolutely wasn't. The guy was stalking him. Worse than that, he felt no shame for doing so, and seemed to think he was actually doing Leonard a favor.

Because that's what favors were like, trying to convince someone that he was unhinged for believing in reality.

Leonard's eyes narrowed. "If you'll excuse me," he said, pushing away from the table. "As charming as our encounters are, I really should be going. Come on, Sheldon." He extended his arm, wincing when Sheldon's nails stippled into his skin all the way up to his shoulder. Yeah, he really needed to get those trimmed.

"I know I might be asking too much here, but don't follow me," he called behind him. "Take the rest of the day off, or you know, the rest of forever."

[Zaxal]

Carlton was relieved that Sonora hadn't bitten Leonard -- the last thing this already agitated state of affairs needed was another reason for Leonard to be angry. The panic attack still had him thrown off, less angry than he might have otherwise been. It wasn't that he thought of Leonard as being delicate, but he genuinely hadn't meant to cause that extreme of a reaction.

Carlton watched as Leonard got up to leave, picking up his firelizard before turning his back again. The farewell he tossed over his shoulder made Carlton prickle -- his sympathy and patience were limited even on the best of days -- but he let it go.

He would keep his eyes open, and when the time came, he'd be around.