What else do they want to talk about, do you know?

I was really stressed out today and they might want to talk to you about that - I'll be fine and I told them so but it still bothered them.

I apologize for stressing you.

She shrugs. I'll be fine.

You seem very not fine. I didn't expect it to hurt you that badly, I'd have lied if I had. Sorry.

She sighs. I really do prefer not to be lied to. And I really will be fine - not I am, but I will be, I've been through worse than this and come out fine afterward, it'll be okay.

Okay.

And he leans back and starts singing.

She doesn't sing along, and in fact reacts much less to the music than she usually would. She keeps working on dinner; when it's done, she teleports his to him and sets her own aside. I'll go find Findekáno and come back to do the portal.

Thanks.

She goes.

Findekáno? Yes to talking; where do you want the portal?

Anywhere the whole camp won't see it.

Okay.

She's been keeping an eye out for out-of-the-way nooks to hide in when the crowd gets overwhelming; she sets a portal up in one of them and sends the location to him. Gotta do the other side, be right back -

She goes back to the cave, sets that up without comment, retrieves her dinner, and teleports back to sit with Findekáno.

"Hey," he says to Maitimo.

"I am entertaining this at kobold's request, they're upset."

"I'd noticed. Why?"

"Proximately? Because I said that if I can't get myself together far enough to be an asset rather than a liability in the war, if it's looking like I won't ever do that, then my family'd understand if I died in an accident."

"So keep in mind they make a lot of inferences from how communities treat their members who are burdensome, in terms of what the communities will do for the kobold when needed."

"Ah. Thank you."

"I think once you have a bit more time you'll be an asset, even without believing any of this real. But if not, maybe at least try sailing for Valinor? Seems the kind of suicide Mandos would appreciate better."

"I'll let you know if I get to the point of settling on details."

"Okay. Is existence tolerable, would you want to die absent any considerations of asset or burden -"

"Very badly."

"Do you have the means to kill yourself if you want to?"

"Yeah. Then I just wake up in Angband."

"If this were real and not a hallucination, would you want me to kill you."