"Is she going to eat me?" he asked, voice careful.
Chris looked at Tania, then back at Ethan. "Not unless you do something stupid."
Ethan swallowed. "I do a lot of stupid things."
Chris nodded like that tracked. "Then don't do any right now."
Tania rubbed her head against Ethan's knee.
Ethan's whole soul left his body for half a second.
"I don't know what to do," he admitted, very quietly, still staring at the tiger like she was a philosophical problem with teeth.
Chris stepped closer, calm shifting into business. "Sit," he said. "Breathe. And stop doom scrolling. Half of what you're reading was written by people selling fantasies to teenagers."
Ethan blinked. "That is… unfortunately accurate."
