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]

"How is missing all these people going to help?" wonders Chelsa.

[pythbox]

"If you stop him missing them, it will hurt," says Corona. (Harley whimpers and burrows under the blanket.) "Having our own feelings is better than having somebody else come along and change them even if they're not feelings we like."

[warmfeelings]

"But you're happier than he is and you don't miss anyone from home," Chelsa says.

[pythbox]

"Look, if you want to know how to make Harley happy, I'm telling you," says Corona. "The answer is leave him alone."

[warmfeelings]

"And that will make him happy?" Chelsa asks skeptically.

[pythbox]

"Happier than he'll be if you do anything else to him," says Corona. "I think maybe he's just never going to be happy ever again."

[warmfeelings]

Chelsa hmmmms. "Well, we can try it that way and see what happens," she sighs.

[pythbox]

"Thank you," says Corona, cuddling Harley.

[warmfeelings]

"You're welcome. I love you, you know," she says to Corona. "My warm sun."

[pythbox]

"I love you too," Corona sighs. Because it'll make her happy, and it's not false. It's just not - the whole story.

[warmfeelings]

Chelsa beams at him, doesn't kiss him because Harley is in the way and would probably bite her, and goes off to pay attention to her other friends.

[alicornucopia]

Tima's back late that evening. "How is he?" she asks Corona, nibbling on something chocolatey.

[pythbox]

"Pretty bad," says Corona.

[alicornucopia]

"Can I do anything?" she asks.

[pythbox]

"You can come snuggle with us," he suggests.

[alicornucopia]

Tima joins the snuggle.

[pythbox]

Harley cuddles up to her willingly enough.

"How can you not hate her," he sniffles.

[alicornucopia]

"I don't see how anyone would," says Tima. "I understand that you do, just not - how."

[pythbox]

"She fucked around with my head," says Harley, shivering. "She literally forced me to love her and you don't think that's fucked up?"

[alicornucopia]

"She's been around my entire life," says Tima. "I'm only fifty." (She doesn't look fifty.) "I've loved her from the day I was born and one day she found me, out walking around, and she thought I kindled pretty and now I get to live here with her and see her in person, every day, and she hugs me and tells me she loves me. I can't think of anything nicer. I don't know where you're from, but - this is where I'm from."

[pythbox]

"I'm from... somewhere else," says Harley. "I'm not just a clone of Corona. There's a bunch of us, twelve or something. We're called the Jokers. And we all have really shitty childhoods, except me, because the other ones found me when I was a baby and they gave me to somebody who wasn't shitty."

[alicornucopia]

"Twelve Coronas," whistles Tima. "Wow. I think it's probably best if nobody tells Chelsa that."

[pythbox]

"Yeah, because she'd want to track them down and mind-rape them," snorts Harley.

[alicornucopia]

"And she's not allowed to have all the live-in-friends she wants. I don't think kindling pretty will keep me a spot next to that many of you, and I like my spot."

[pythbox]

"...Think about why she's not allowed to have all the pets she wants, though," says Corona, glancing at Harley.