This is real. This is real-ish? Ish. Real enough for him to sigh and reach up to scratch the underside of Emu's chin as she butts her face up against his. Not a hallucination, not a moment when the world slides into a shade of unreality.

Okay.

He motions for her to follow and turns his back on her (not without some tension, getting kicked up an elevator shaft was, in fact, a thing) to lead. Down the hall, second door to the left and it's small. Simple. Private. He sets the lighter down on the shelf next to his bed and turns to lean against the wall, arms crossed. "...I missed you. Don't get me wrong, I did miss you."