45. Helena
Helena
Helena tried not to be nervous before her video call with Syr Hippolyta. But it was difficult not to be when Hippolyta was such a pioneer in her field, an absolute giant in Helena’s eyes.
Hippolyta’s large, angular face filled Helena’s computer screen. She smiled as she took in Helena’s bedraggled appearance.
“Ah yes.” Hippolyta smiled. “So, you’re at that stage of raising an imprinted neonate. Don’t worry—perfectly normal. And it’ll be easier once we get your coauthor involved. Jennie’s son, right? Bertram?”
“Yes.”
“Good kid,” Hippolyta said. “And very good with otherfolk. You’re actually in a good position, believe it or not.
The bond between you and the owl-bear is what’s driving her to be defensive of you, yes.
But that same bond can be leveraged for training.
She’s particularly programmed to crave your attention, so you have to be mindful of when you give it to her.
For example, if she performs an undesired behavior and then you chastise her for it, all she understands is that that behavior is a good way to get your attention. ”
“Oh,” said Helena.
“At Midsummer, we call a brief period of no response an LRS, or ‘least reinforcing scenario.’ When Lovatch, you said her name was? When she does any behavior you want to discourage, try giving her ten to fifteen seconds of no reaction whatsoever. Then when she performs a behavior you do want her to repeat, reward that heavily. I’m going to send you a copy of The Training of the Shroo by Katherina Minola; it’s the most up-to-date text on positive reinforcement training of Leopardoptera. ”
“I would love that,” Helena said as relief flooded her body. “Thank you.”
“Of course! Now. Tell me a little more specifically about her attacks on Bertram.”
Helena launched into the various incidents of Lovatch launching herself at Bertram.
“And how have you reacted in those instances?” Hippolyta asked.
“Not by doing an LRS; I can tell you that much.” Helena blushed. “It’s been pretty much sheer panic. And it keeps getting worse and worse, because she keeps being faster and faster to attack him so now I’m freaked out even when they’re just in the same room together.”
“I think that may be exactly your problem,” Hippolyta said.
“When dragons imprint, they become extremely sensitive to the emotions and mood of their imprinted ‘parent.’ But she can’t read minds.
So, when you, Lovatch, and Bertram are in the same place, Lovatch doesn’t think ‘oh, my mom is scared that I’m going to hurt the nice man who poses no threat to me.
’ All Lovatch knows is that every time Bertram shows up, you’re terrified.
She feels the need to protect you against the man who is scaring you, which makes you more scared, which makes her more protective. You need to break that cycle.”
“How?”
“Try to have calm, happy, positive interactions with Bertram in front of Lovatch until she doesn’t intrinsically associate him with your fear and discomfort.” Hippolyta glanced at a clock behind her. “I do have a lecture in about ten minutes, but do you have any final questions?”
“That was so helpful.” Helena sighed in relief. “I think that’s as good a start as any. If I have any questions after I read Minola’s book, I’ll let you know. Thank you so much.”
“My pleasure,” Hippolyta said. “And in that case—”
“Oh!” Helena interrupted. “I do actually have one more question, if that’s okay. As the world’s leading draconologist, where do you fall on the pileated dragon versus ivory-snouted dragon debate?”
“Unfortunately, I do believe the ivory-snouted dragon is most likely extinct,” Hippolyta said. “However, when it comes to magic . . . nothing is ever truly impossible.”
The first step was to just be around Bertram without fear.
Both Helena and Bertram had been reading The Training of the Shroo, as well as some of the Midsummer dragon handling books that Hippolyta herself wrote. Together, they had prepared for the incremental process by which they would eliminate the baby owl-bear’s very unfair hatred of Bertram.
Having the baby owl-bear attached at her hip had made keeping the objectivity of calling her “specimen V-2” all but impossible, and now even “Lovatch” had fallen mostly by the wayside in favor of the even more informal “Lovey.”
The name suited her perfectly when it came to her unfailing affection for Helena but fell short in terms of her continued dislike of Bertram—a dislike they hoped to break through once and for all.
Helena took a deep breath and focused all her energy on having very positive, very calm emotions as she stepped out of the tent with Lovey.
Bertram sat at a log bench beside the campfire, reading one of Syr Hippolyta’s books and decidedly not moving, talking, or even looking up.
Helena continued to talk to Lovatch, stroke her, keep her calm, sing her little songs.
“Look at the baby, look at the baby, such a cute baby,” Helena half-chanted, half-sung to Lovatch as she stared deep into her eyes.
Lovatch cooed happily.
“Just normal things are happening here,” Helena continued. “Everyone is safe and calm and fine and calm and fine and safe and good . . .”
Out of the corner of her eye, Helena caught Bertram smirking behind his book.
“Going on a little walk, walk, walk,” Helena sang. “Just walking around the campground, so normal, normal and fine.”
By the time they finished their circle of the campground, Lovatch had not noticed Bertram, or if she had, she hadn’t felt any aggression toward him.
They did the same thing the next day.
And the next.
Each time, Helena allowed their walk to bring them a little closer to Bertram.
On one walk, Bertram and Lovatch locked eyes.
Helena forced herself to remain calm, to not worry about Bertram . . .
And Lovatch didn’t attack him.
The feeling of relief that flooded Helena’s body was so strong that she hoped it would be enough to wipe out all of Lovatch’s memories of any other emotion Helena had ever felt around Bertram ever.
The next day it was time to make a big move.
“So today we’re not just going to ignore Bertram and not attack him because he’s quietly minding his own business,” Helena said loudly, for the benefit of Bertram and Lovey both. “Today we’re going to actually interact with Bertram, and it’s just going to be so super happy and joyful and great.”
“Yes, it is,” Bertram said.
“Because I’m just going to soak up positive vibes about how safe and great Bertram is, and we’re all going to feel so safe around him!” Helena scratched Lovey on the head. “Right, Lovey?”
“Mareep!” chirped Lovey, which Helena hoped was a “yes,” but logically knew was just a vocalization in response to Helena vocalizing.
“So, I was thinking to just help radiate thoroughly ‘not a threat’ energy, we could just recount some of the times you took care of me and protected me,” Helena said.
Helena blushed the second the words left her mouth.
Perhaps she could have found a way to say it that didn’t seem so hopelessly sappy, but her statement hadn’t been inaccurate. Besides, there was no time for embarrassment when baby owl-bear socialization was at stake.
“Remember that time you built me a custom desk to fit my shitty college apartment, so I could feel like a real scientist while living in a one-room windowless box?” Helena said, trying to radiate as much gratitude for Bertram as possible. “That was really, really nice of you. Thank you.”
“Oh. Uh. No problem,” Bertram said.
“And you would stand up for me whenever I got teased, even if it was by your friends.”
“Anyone who teased you wasn’t a real friend of mine,” Bertram said, fiercely.
Lovey started to growl, a barely audible little rumble.
“Yes, but maybe we stay focused on how great it was that you were there to help me rather than getting angry about People being mean?” Helena said pointedly, gesturing with her head toward Lovey.
“Right, yes, of course,” Bertram said. “I was happy to—just like I’m happy to be here right now, and so are you.”
“Yes, we’re all very happy. Remember when I was on student council and you helped me make all those garlands?” Helena asked. “You worked so hard learning to make those origami roses with me . . . and then I didn’t even go to prom.”
“You didn’t miss anything,” Bertram said. “Sitting on the floor folding old newspapers with you was by far the best part of my prom experience.”
Helena blushed slightly.
“Remember when we went to Tornado Plains with the guys?” Bertram asked. “You said you were scared of heights so they should go on the roller coasters without you, and I waited with you while they did all the rides.”
“Mhm,” Helena said. “That was very nice of you.”
“No, that was very nice of you.” Bertram smiled. “Gerard was driving me to baseball and asked what I thought of the Teeth Dropper. I said I didn’t go on it because I was keeping you company. He told me it was your favorite ride, and you’d been doing it since you were seven years old.”
Helena’s mouth fell slightly open.
“Yeah.” Bertram smiled guiltily. “I was too embarrassed to say it at the time, but I’ve always known you took the bullet for me that day, even though everyone made fun of you.”
“It was a calculated sacrifice,” Helena said.
“I could tell you didn’t want to go on the rides, but if they knew that, they would’ve roasted you forever.
Yes, they teased me a little, but then they totally forgot by next week.
If they had known you were scared, they never would have let you live it down. ”
“Regardless. It’s a decade and a half late but thank you for doing that.”
Helena smiled, somewhat shyly. “We’re supposed to be talking about the times you rescued me.”
“But you’ve rescued me, too,” Bertram said. “Maybe it’ll help Lovatch trust that I won’t hurt you if she hears how much you’ve done for me. Or maybe you just deserve to hear it.”
“Oh. Um. Well. Um.”
Helena’s mind had suddenly gone blank. She had expected Bertram to go along with the positive reminiscing for the sake of Lovatch, but she hadn’t expected him to be quite so . . . sincere.
“Good start!” Helena said. “Yeah. We’ll just have to keep that energy up.
That’s probably enough for today; I don’t want to push it.
But we’ll just keep doing this until you can get closer and closer, and I’ll make some treats I can give you to give to her, and we’ll just keep working on it and having nice conversations, and it’ll be great! ”
“Perfect.” Bertram smiled. “I’ll brainstorm friendly anecdotes we can recount for the baby.”
“Same,” Helena said.
That was a lie—she didn’t need to brainstorm anything. Those memories hadn’t been far from her mind, not since she watched Bertram bite a turnip that first night.