just behave

[warmfeelings]

Chelsa permits Harley's original affections to persist intact. For a while. (She maintains regular upkeep of his kindlings to his lovely new friends, of course.)

And then she gets impatient, because he's so antisocial, she can feel him all kindled warm but he refuses to act like it, it's not even just her he's nasty to but her other friends as well, and there's one thing left she hasn't tried.

She doesn't really like dousing people. Even when warmth isn't aimed her way, it's still warmth, and warmth is good. But she can do it.

She does a few repetitions of the douse, late at night, while he's sleeping, and then she cuddles up to Amdon and goes to sleep herself. With any luck Harley'll be better behaved in the morning and won't even notice why.

Comments

[alicornucopia]

Demauri puts Harley in a chair. "He'll be able to move around in another five, ten minutes," he says. "I found him hiking east. Do you need anything else?"

[salus_populi]

"Not right now," she says, smiling warmly. "Thanks."

[alicornucopia]

"Love and loyalty," says Demauri, smiling at her, and he goes to retrieve his bike and head out.

[salus_populi]

Aelise closes her office door and sits with Harley.

"Here's the thing," she says. "I need you. Chelsa wants you. If we can both have you, fine. But I'm not so sure we can; her methods clearly aren't working like they usually do. So if you'd rather be my battery than her pet, that can be arranged."

[pythbox]

It takes Harley ten minutes to answer.

(Aelise doesn't go anywhere during those ten minutes, and he hates that he likes that, but he likes it anyway.)

"You been spying on me or something?"

[salus_populi]

"Naturally."

[pythbox]

He snorts. "Shit, at least you're honest."

[salus_populi]

"I can afford to be," says Aelise.

[pythbox]

"...If you don't ever, ever let her touch me again," he says, "then I won't run away." He shivers. "Not that you care, but I used to love some people. Now I don't love anybody. Except maybe Corona."

[salus_populi]

"I think Chelsa would disagree," says Aelise.

[pythbox]

"I think I don't give a shit," says Harley.

[salus_populi]

"I'm starting to get that," says Aelise. "I'll see what I can do."

[pythbox]

"Yeah? And in the meantime... what? Just go back and let her fuck with my head some more?"

[salus_populi]

"In the meantime, go wherever you want. Although I'd appreciate it if you stayed handy, so I don't have to send Demauri after you again."

She gets out of her chair and goes to talk to Chelsa.

[warmfeelings]

Chelsa is with Amdon in their room. She has had Amdon longer than anybody; he doesn't kindle as warm as Corona, but in some ways he's her favorite.

[salus_populi]

"It turns out," says Aelise, "that he ran away because you doused him."

[warmfeelings]

"I thought it would help," exclaims Chelsa. "I can't exactly go find his old friends for him, they aren't here."

[salus_populi]

"He is a very unusual person," says Aelise. "And he's more or less promised to keep running away as long as you keep interfering with him. It would be inconvenient if that happened."

[warmfeelings]

"...Not even maintenance for the kindling? I won't douse him again, but..."

[salus_populi]

"Could you manage that?"

[warmfeelings]

Chelsa squirms. (Amdon kisses her shoulder and pets her hair.) "It'll burn out so quick if I don't. If this is how he acts when he loves me..."

[salus_populi]

"I think he is doing his very best not to act like he loves you," says Aelise. "And doing a pretty good job. I'm sure it won't be hard to make sure he avoids you, if you're worried about upsetting behaviour."

[warmfeelings]

"But then what's the point?" asks Chelsa.

She can sense warmth at great range, but only in quantity - world-population quantity. She notices the change when she does morning announcements for billions of people in one go. She can't even feel Corona from two rooms away.

[salus_populi]

"The point," Aelise reminds her, "is that with him in my pocket, I don't have to worry about how many of your friends I can safely immortalize."

[warmfeelings]

"...Yes. I suppose there's that. It will be very tempting anyway, though - he gets so warm -"