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]

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.

[warmfeelings]

Now where might Aelise be at this hour?

[salus_populi]

She is extremely likely to be in her office!

[warmfeelings]

To her office!

"Aelise," calls Chelsa as they approach.

[salus_populi]

"Yes?"

[warmfeelings]

"A few minutes ago a boy who looks and sounds and kindles very like Corona appeared in the hallway right in front of me, in his pajamas, and spoke to me briefly, and had none of the generally possessed warmth for me or you but wasn't cold like that one horrible girl and kindled just fine when I tried, and when I told him my name in trying to get him to come see you, he took off screaming and jumped the balcony. Anneia's fixed him, though."

[salus_populi]

Aelise inspects the boy.

"He is very like Corona," she comments.

[guiltless]

"But he's younger," says Sandre. "And he doesn't have any scars. Inside or out."

[warmfeelings]

"Yes, I'm frightfully confused," complains Chelsa.

[salus_populi]

"I can tell," says Aelise. "Who have you kindled him to so far?"

[warmfeelings]

"You, me, Anneia - me and you because I was trying to convince him to come talk to you, her to calm him down when we fetched him from the bottom of the mountain."

[salus_populi]

"Leave him with me for now," she decides. "I'll see if I can't get some sense out of him."

[warmfeelings]

"Okay," says Chelsa agreeably. "...He does kindle exactly like Corona. And I've heard Jony muttering about going to bring up his grandchildren with his daughter gone, if crowding is a concern."

Hint hint new live-in friend hint hint.

[salus_populi]

"If he's not dangerous, you can keep him," Aelise promises.