horrible cold

[warmfeelings]

Chelsa buries herself in her friends, and the warmth of the world that Harley isn't on anymore. She doesn't understand him. She never will. But there's Corona, sun-scorching and intense; there's Amdon, her oldest and closest; there's Anneia, sweet and smiling; there's Sandre, cuddly and fun; there's Tima, pretty-kindling and empathetic; there's Pacco, bright and deferent; there's Jony, hot as a kiln; Lionara hot as molten glass. And Aelise herself, who makes so many compromises but who does love Chelsa after all.

Harley wasn't like that one cold, cold girl, who - she wasn't even technically a sociopath. Sociopaths kindle like everyone else. She was just - cold. Like an airless environment in which no fire can burn.

But Aelise had her killed, and Chelsa made sure no one would miss her, and if anything like that ever happened again, Chelsa has every confidence that Aelise would make it right. Harley's one thing. He can just be - out of sight, out of mind. Aelise would never expect Chelsa to compromise on the existence of such a terrible cold.

Comments

[alicornucopia]

"Yes," sighs Mehitabel, "and then I guess I go and I live with your aunt? Is she nice? I don't think I knew you had an aunt."

[salus_populi]

"Not a lot of people do," says Aelise. "I think she's plenty nice. My mother died when I was a little younger than you are, and Kers raised me from there."

[alicornucopia]

"Where does she live?"

[salus_populi]

"That's a secret. It's such a big secret, I can't tell you until I take you there, even though you're a pretty big secret yourself."

[alicornucopia]

"I'm a secret," giggles Mehitabel.

[salus_populi]

"Yes you are. A state secret."

[alicornucopia]

"Okay. I'm a secret and I'll go live with your secret aunt and my mommy and daddy will think I died and I will get to say goodbye but I have to lie a little to do it." Mehitabel sighs and traces her finger in apparent idleness across her borrowed tablet.

[salus_populi]

"That's the plan," Aelise agrees.

She calls a doctor.

[alicornucopia]

Mehitabel gets her story straight.

It is with unfeigned sorrow that she tells her parents that she loves them and bids them goodbye.

They cry. She cries.

She doesn't have to do a lot of explicit lying, what with all the crying.

[salus_populi]

Aelise keeps a respectful distance from these proceedings.

The doctor collects Mehitabel eventually, and then Aelise puts the doctor back where she found him.

[alicornucopia]

Mehitabel rubs her stinging eyes and follows Aelise.

[salus_populi]

After dropping off the doctor, she does something to a control panel and heads south.

[alicornucopia]

Mehitabel picks up her book.

There are only a few chapters of it left.

[salus_populi]

Aelise takes them to one of the orbital towers, parks at the bottom, and waits.

[alicornucopia]

Mehitabel closes her book.

"Where I'm going there are enough things to keep me, aren't there? I've left all my stuff at home."

[salus_populi]

"There are plenty of things," Aelise promises. "And it's always possible to get more."

[alicornucopia]

"Okay. That's good. I don't want to actually die."

[salus_populi]

"I don't want you to either," says Aelise. "C'mon, let's go meet Kers."

[alicornucopia]

Mehitabel follows her, book clutched in her hand.

[salus_populi]

They enter the tower and take the elevator up.

It's a long way, but the elevator is fast.

[alicornucopia]

"I wish there were windows," sighs Mehitabel.

[salus_populi]

"There are windows at the top," says Aelise.

[alicornucopia]

"Will I be able to see the Earth from them?"

[salus_populi]

"Yes."

[alicornucopia]

"I bet it's pretty," predicts Mehitabel. "Does anyone live where I'm going besides your aunt?"