just behave

Chelsa permits Harley's original affections to persist intact. For a while. (She maintains regular upkeep of his kindlings to his lovely new friends, of course.)

And then she gets impatient, because he's so antisocial, she can feel him all kindled warm but he refuses to act like it, it's not even just her he's nasty to but her other friends as well, and there's one thing left she hasn't tried.

She doesn't really like dousing people. Even when warmth isn't aimed her way, it's still warmth, and warmth is good. But she can do it.

She does a few repetitions of the douse, late at night, while he's sleeping, and then she cuddles up to Amdon and goes to sleep herself. With any luck Harley'll be better behaved in the morning and won't even notice why.

managing not to

Aelise keeps Harley in her room, and allows visits - mostly Corona, sometimes Tima - but doesn't let him run around being obnoxious to anyone. Chelsa avoids him. Corona is home, after all, and he's just as warm and isn't horrible to her. And now she can invite more friends in. There's that girl she rotated out to make room for Tima, still alive, in Wales - there's that pleasantly sparky boy she met on her trip to Egypt - Chelsa is able to content herself with the situation.

sudden ice

"Aelise! Aelise!"