good morning everyone

[warmfeelings]

Chelsa has just finished the morning announcements. She loves doing the morning announcements; it's like piping hot coffee, the rise in the world's warmth. Most of it is for Aelise, of course, but Chelsa gets her own share, and of course she's not selfish, everyone loves their neighbors too. Everyone gets along so well.

She is on her way from the broadcasting studio where she does her announcements to the living quarters where she keeps her dearest friends. She makes sure to pay them plenty of attention. They watch the announcements - everyone does, unless they are doing some sort of emergency work right at that moment, and then they're caught up as soon as possible with the next installment - but they're kept closer and need more fine detail work to stay happy with her. It is terribly important that they be happy with her.

Comments

[warmfeelings]

"I'm not sure. He just appeared, in the hall. He looks a lot like Corona but he definitely wasn't, none of the right warmth until I kindled it; I was trying to bring him to Aelise when he took off running."

[lookingforwardtoit]

"Maybe Corona learned how to double himself," she suggests wryly.

[warmfeelings]

"I suppose stranger things have happened," allows Chelsa. "But I think anyone Corona conjured up like that would have heard of me and Aelise. He didn't know who she was."

[lookingforwardtoit]

"I don't know, then. And Corona's still not home, right? I hope he's okay - the stranger I mean."

[warmfeelings]

"Corona's still off on his vacation, yes. The stranger said his name was Harley."

Here is the bottom of Mont Blanc! It's a fast elevator.

[lookingforwardtoit]

Anneia rushes out.

The stranger is lying on the path that leads down the mountain from this elevator. Well, most of him is. He hit a few trees on the way down, and it seems they kept some parts.

She heals him.

He lets out a very familiar moan.

"...Are you sure this isn't Corona? I mean, he's too young, but - look at him."

[warmfeelings]

"They do look very alike," agrees Chelsa, peering down at Harley. "Similar capacity for warmth too, even if it was aimed all wrong - but - I don't think Corona would do what he did."

She leans over the visitor. "Harley," she says. "This is Anneia. She's your friend, so am I, we're all friends here, okay? You're very off-balance right now, I know, but the best thing for it is to take you to Aelise - she's friendly too, we're all friends here - and let her sort it out."

And her hands dance to enforce what she says.

[pythbox]

Harley curls up into a little ball and whimpers.

[lookingforwardtoit]

"It looks like a duck, it quacks like a duck..."

[warmfeelings]

"Do you suppose we can carry him between the two of us?" asks Chelsa. "Into the elevator at least?"

Finding a new Corona, even an impolite one, is not all bad. Although if she's going to keep him she'll have to rotate someone out.

[lookingforwardtoit]

"I dunno," says Anneia. "And do what with him then?"

[warmfeelings]

"Fetch some of the others, haul him to Aelise together? I am really not cut out for making critical decisions about strange things," says Chelsa helplessly.

[lookingforwardtoit]

"No kidding," sighs Anneia. "All right."

She crouches down beside the curled-up Harley and scoops him up with an oof. He's tall but not very broad; she can manage him all by herself, although not very comfortably. The fact that he clings to her the moment she makes contact helps a lot.

[warmfeelings]

Chelsa shadows Anneia on the way back to the elevator in case she needs help, and then up they go.

Her hands make little patterns in the air, fanning the flames.

[pythbox]

Harley buries his face in Anneia's shoulder and cries.

[warmfeelings]

"Well, at least he'll act like he likes you," says Chelsa. She doesn't begrudge her friends their affection with each other. It's so much more convenient this way. She just wishes Harley would act like he likes her, too. The warmth is catching and crackling just like it ought, but... hm.

[lookingforwardtoit]

"I'm not sure if he's acting like he likes me," says Anneia. "It's hard to tell, with just the crying to go on."

[warmfeelings]

"He isn't trying to run away from you, let's put it that way. Honestly. I'm not scary," says Chelsa.

[lookingforwardtoit]

Corona might disagree, but there's no point getting into that. Corona's just Corona, that's all. Anneia sighs and pats her bundle of Harley.

[warmfeelings]

This is a fast elevator. Here they are. "I'll get Sandre to help you carry him," says Chelsa. And back she goes into her friends' quarters. "Sandre!"

[guiltless]

Sandre peers out of his and Anneia's room. "Huh? What?"

[warmfeelings]

"We need to transport someone to Aelise and he's very upset and needs to be carried; Anneia can manage him, but only just."

[guiltless]

"Oh. Okay," he shrugs, and he gives Chelsa a hug and a kiss on the cheek and follows her to... wherever.

[warmfeelings]

Here is the elevator; here is Anneia with Harley in her arms.

Onward.

[guiltless]

With some difficulty, Sandre transfers Harley from Anneia's arms to his.