managing not to

[warmfeelings]

Aelise keeps Harley in her room, and allows visits - mostly Corona, sometimes Tima - but doesn't let him run around being obnoxious to anyone. Chelsa avoids him. Corona is home, after all, and he's just as warm and isn't horrible to her. And now she can invite more friends in. There's that girl she rotated out to make room for Tima, still alive, in Wales - there's that pleasantly sparky boy she met on her trip to Egypt - Chelsa is able to content herself with the situation.

Comments

[pythbox]

"...Fuck me, I'm home?" he says incredulously.

[temporal_affairs]

"This is Aurum. If you're some kind of parallel Harley whose world is not named Aurum, speak now," says Nathan, scratching his head. "You've been missing for nearly a year."

[pythbox]

"I - no, it's me, I'm here," he says dazedly. "Fuck. Is - is everyone okay?"

[temporal_affairs]

"Her Highness is worried, your wolf's been asleep in your room since you vanished, everyone else is carrying on more or less acceptably," says Nathan.

[pythbox]

"Elsie." He rubs his face with both hands. "Fuck. I should - she's gonna cry, shit - I should see Elsie, will you take me to Elsie?"

[temporal_affairs]

"'Course."

Port.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Harley," breathes Elspeth, when they appear. She's sitting with Jacob.

This isn't the Québec house; this is her quarters in the Safesun capitol.

[pythbox]

Harley bursts into tears.

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth promptly gathers him up into a hug as Nathan teleports away to update his mate. "Harley. What happened?"

[pythbox]

"I went - to another world - I don't know how, I tried to come back and I couldn't, I tried every night - I met someone who is an alt of Chelsea and she has this horrible mind control empire run by an alt of your grandma."

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth's arms do-not-tighten in the manner of someone who is working very hard at not-squeezing.

"Did she get you?"

[pythbox]

He nods miserably.

[her_imperial_radiance]

"I should be able to undo anything she added." Elspeth swallows. "If you would like me to. I can't put back anything she took." She lets him go.

[pythbox]

Harley grabs her and clings, sobbing.

[her_imperial_radiance]

She hugs him again, instantly, as soon as it's clear that he wants the hug.

[pythbox]

"Get rid of her, get rid of her," he whimpers. "Get rid of everything she did to me that you can."

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth tries.

It's harder - Chelsa soaks in deeper than Chelsea ever did - but Elspeth does not let up.

She keeps pushing until there is nothing to push against.

[pythbox]

Harley curls up in her lap and cries.

[her_imperial_radiance]

Elspeth -

Holds him.

And resolutely declines to cry.

But she does, after a few minutes, ask:

"Should I leave Zeus asleep?"

[pythbox]

"I don't - I don't know," he sniffles. "I don't wanna hurt him."

[her_imperial_radiance]

"Okay."

Hugs.

[pythbox]

Cuddly cuddly hugs.

"I love you, Elsie," he whispers.

[her_imperial_radiance]

She shuts her eyes tightly.

"I love you too."

[pythbox]

He wraps his arms around her and squeezes as hard as he possibly can.

[her_imperial_radiance]

She doesn't squeeze him as hard as she possibly can.

But she matches his own hug.