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

[pythbox]

He blinks.



He screams and runs away.

[warmfeelings]

Well, that's hardly polite.

She was going to leave him untouched to report on his initial state to Aelise, but now she has little recourse but to reach out for his chilly self and strike matches.

[pythbox]

This does not seem to have an effect on the screaming and running away that he is doing.

[warmfeelings]

She runs after him. "Harley!" she calls. "Calm down! I only want to bring you to Aelise!"

[pythbox]

Still running away!

Now too out of breath to scream.

(But, running away or no - he has properties in common with her Corona other than just his face.)

[warmfeelings]

That's familiar. And lovely. She doesn't like the running away, but perhaps he can be calmed down eventually.

He's running in the direction of her friends' quarters.

She follows him, exasperated.

[pythbox]

He runs through her friends' quarters, to the balcony at the end of the hall, and he does not stop running when he reaches it.

It's a beautiful view, and a long way down the side of the mountain from here.

[warmfeelings]

"Anneia!" exclaims Chelsa. "Someone's just jumped off the balcony - come with me -" He's likely to land near where the south elevator lets out, and if he's alive at all he'll need healing.

[lookingforwardtoit]

Anneia dashes out of the room she shares with Sandre and follows Chelsa to the south elevator.

"What happened? Who is it?"

[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.