"But she didn't like to do it too often, so there was Luhan, and Chelsa has to send someone away if she wants to rotate someone in - or she did, anyway, I guess she can keep you and Jony now."

"How do you not understand how fucked up that is?" says Harley. "You live in an empire built on dead babies and mind control!"

"It's not very many dead babies," says Tima. "And before Aelise found Chelsa and took over there were a lot of wars, and now everyone gets along."

"It's not very many dead babies," Harley repeats incredulously. "How about I just kill everybody on this mountain, then, there's not that many of you!"

Tima shrinks away from the cuddling.

"So do I," Harley says into Corona's shirt. Corona cuddles him some more.

"If they were here she'd let you visit them. We all leave sometimes except Amdon," says Tima. "Chelsa isn't setting out specifically to make you miserable."

"No," says Harley, taking his face away from Corona's chest. "She's just making me miserable by accident because she wants to get high on my feelings and doesn't care how bad she fucks me up in the process."

Tima doesn't really have anything to say to that.

"It's not okay," says Harley. "It won't ever be okay."

"I wish I could make it okay for you," says Tima tentatively.

"Then get Chelsa to leave me the fuck alone," says Harley.

"I can't," says Tima. "She loves me; that doesn't mean she does what I say. I'd say ask Amdon, but..." She shrugs; that wouldn't actually work.

"Yeah," says Harley. "I figured."

"Aelise could make her but I don't think she would."

"Course not," says Harley. "Well, fuck her too."

Tima shivers.