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]

"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.

[warmfeelings]

"Thank you!"

And off traipses Chelsa.

[salus_populi]

Aelise contemplates the shivering bundle in Sandre's arms.

"Anneia, could you go and get our new friend a blanket and maybe a new pair of pants?"

[lookingforwardtoit]

"Sure thing!"

[pythbox]

Harley seems quite content to do nothing but cry on Sandre.

[guiltless]

Sandre avails himself of a comfy chair, since the office has an extra.

[salus_populi]

Aelise has plenty of work to do while she waits for the mystery boy to calm down.

[pythbox]

It takes a while.

Not forever, though. He spends about an hour cycling betweeen whimpers, sniffles, and sobs, and finally quiets down after that.

[salus_populi]

Aelise closes the latest report from the orbital ring, gets out from behind her desk, and pulls up the other comfy chair next to the one Sandre and Harley are occupying.

"Hey, you," she says gently. "I don't think we've been introduced."

[pythbox]

Harley gives her a look. It contains heavily mixed emotions, but the one he's trying to get across is contempt.

[salus_populi]

"I want to help you, but I can't do that unless I know what's wrong," she says patiently.

[pythbox]

"My - feelings," Harley says helplessly, and he pulls the blanket Anneia gave him over his head and starts crying again.

[salus_populi]

"Corona all over again," Aelise murmurs. "Oh, dear."

[pythbox]

"Who the fuck is Corona?" says the blanket.

[salus_populi]

"He's... very like you," says Aelise. "I think you should be introduced to him."

[pythbox]

The blanket sniffles.

[salus_populi]

"Do you want to tell me anything about who you are or where you came from?"