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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.
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warmfeelings
"Wow. That explains the screaming, I thought you were just having fun with self-mutilation again."
Corona giggles. "Nope, it was all him."
"Is he okay? I mean, physically intact yes, but - okay?"
"...Not really," he says. "He's - well, he's like me. And Chelsa wants to keep him and he really doesn't want to be kept. But the draining was fine," he adds. "He liked that."
"If he's just infinitely renewable I guess Luhan's going to leave, isn't he," Tima remarks. "I still don't really get what you have against Chelsa. Either of you, I guess. You're full of contradictions."
"She's a fucking mind rapist," snarls Harley from the bed.
Corona looks conflicted, but he doesn't actually disagree.
Corona looks conflicted, but he doesn't actually disagree.
"Oh, you talk," says Tima. "So where are you from?"
Harley sighs.
"Everybody keeps asking me that," he says.
"Everybody keeps asking me that," he says.
"Well, you don't have to tell me, but it seemed worth asking."
"I am not feeling super sociable right now," Harley says flatly. Corona winces.
"Uh," says Tima. "If it bothers you when Chelsa kindles you, can I give you some advice? Pretend to be sociable when she's around. She doesn't like it when people aren't getting along."
"How about I just set her on fire instead," says Harley, with a tone of deliberately false cheer.
Tima winces. "I get that you have mixed feelings about her but - dude, that's a little much. Besides, Kers covers her."
"Yeah, I know," says Harley. "If she wasn't magically invincible I wouldn't be joking about it, I'd've fucking done it already."
Tima looks away. She's used to Corona, but Corona doesn't talk like that.
Corona sighs.
"See?" he says. "It's awful, he's even worse off than me."
"See?" he says. "It's awful, he's even worse off than me."
"I can see that," says Tima quietly. "Sometimes I wish there was something I could do. I don't know what, just something. But I'm pretty useless, all I do is kindle pretty."
Corona smiles sadly and hugs her.
Hugs.
"How much like you is he? How does that even work? He doesn't sound like he came from an awful place like you did or he'd be glad to be out of it, right?"
"How much like you is he? How does that even work? He doesn't sound like he came from an awful place like you did or he'd be glad to be out of it, right?"
"I don't know exactly," murmurs Corona, hugging her some more. "I know he doesn't have scars like I do. I think he's scared to say anything about where he came from but I don't know why. But - he looks like he could be my twin, and Sandre says he's all the same inside except for the scars and being a teenager, and Chelsa says he kindles the same. It's almost like somebody - I don't know, cloned me and raised the clone somewhere in secret like that story with Zeus and the goat."
(Harley starts crying again.)
(Harley starts crying again.)
"Is Aelise worried? I'd expect her to be worried if someone's raising baby Gifted someplace where they don't get kindled on the regular. That's what she put a stop to."
Kindling comes in flavors. Chelsa gets warm personal affection. Aelise gets the awe due a world ruler. Tima's tone of voice is appropriate for this distinction.
Kindling comes in flavors. Chelsa gets warm personal affection. Aelise gets the awe due a world ruler. Tima's tone of voice is appropriate for this distinction.
"She didn't seem worried, but it's hard to tell with her," says Corona with wry fondness. (Some people are less flavour-receptive than others.)
"I guess, yeah. Huh. Corona-clone. I wonder if there are more of anybody else. More Aelises, more Chelsas."
"One Chelsa is enough," shudders Corona.
"Well, Harley doesn't have your gift, maybe another Chelsa wouldn't have hers?"