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Elspeth isn't sure till she says it, but when she says it, she's sure.
[My particular affinity for Milliways doors is gone. I went too long without using it when we had Jane, and if it comes back at all it will take a long time. Someone may still find one, but we can't expect it to be me or soon.]
She fields some questions - not that many; people tend not to ask Elspeth for clarifications or restatements.
And then she settles Harley on her lap.
"We're stuck in Aurum for a while," she tells him.
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her_imperial_radiance
He knocks a hole in the wall and watches all the water trickle out. Then he patches it up, builds it higher, and runs back and forth to fill it again.
her_imperial_radiance
Awww.
She'll just watch unless he decides to invite her to help.
She'll just watch unless he decides to invite her to help.
He is content to play in the sand by himself, apparently!
His pond walls get higher and higher until they collapse on themselves, filling the pond with loose sand. He giggles.
His pond walls get higher and higher until they collapse on themselves, filling the pond with loose sand. He giggles.
her_imperial_radiance
Elspeth conjures up a book and reads it with half an eye, the rest of her attention on Harley.
After a little while, he abandons his pond and comes over to look at her book.
her_imperial_radiance
It's a short story collection. "Would you rather I read to you for a bit than keep working on your pond?" Elspeth asks.
"Yeah! Read to me," he says, snuggling up.
her_imperial_radiance
"All right," she says, and she finds something loosely age-appropriate - though Elspeth is not nearly good enough at keeping secrets to sustain this perfectly, she can manage as a general rule - and puts her arm around Harley and reads it aloud.
Harley snuggles and listens, gazing at the pages of the book.
But the cuddles do not!
her_imperial_radiance
Okay then. Cuddles. Elspeth starts looking for another story acceptable for a toddler.
Warm sunny cuddles!
her_imperial_radiance
They've been out long enough that he's getting a little pink. She conjures him a bottle of ice water and hands it over; he wanted to try sunburn, not sunstroke. Then she finds a story that she thinks will be okay and starts reading it.
Mmm, water! Water and reading and cuddles.
her_imperial_radiance
All three of those things.
This story too ends eventually.
This story too ends eventually.
So does the bottle of water!
But there are always more cuddles.
But there are always more cuddles.
That is good, because Harley wants lots.
her_imperial_radiance
Elspeth does wonder what will happen to a small Joker who is hugged whenever he likes. Perhaps it won't make much long-term difference. But short-term difference suffices.
The short-term difference is, he feels all warm and snuggly and nice!
But the snuggly and nice are from Elspeth.