42. [texts]
Bertram
Hel, are you okay?
Helena
fine why
Bertram
I heard you crying
Helena
I wasn’t crying
Bertram
What’s going on?
Helena
just tired
Bertram
Is there anything I can do to help?
Helena
not without risking Lovatch either attacking you or, arguably worse, becoming attached to yet another humanoid being and setting the likelihood of her being releasable back even further
I feel like it’s the unknown of how long I have to live like this that’s stressing me out
If this were a bird, the chick would be independent within months or maybe even weeks.
If this were a bear, I’d know I might have to care for her 2 years, 3 years, 4.
But we don’t know about owl-bears and they could live 500 years and spend 50 of those in a clingy neonate stage.
I don’t think I could survive 50 years like this.
I don’t even know if I can survive fifty DAYS of this
Bertram
do you want to call me?
Helena
that feels stupid you’re thirty feet away from me
Bertram
great I’m coming over