He jogs up the path from the landing pad and hugs her. As always, it's like getting cuddles from the sun; as usual, he looks most of the way to tears.

Hugs hugs hugs! "Hello! I'm so glad to see you," coos Chelsa. "And there's a surprise for you, too."

"Surprise! Show me the surprise," he says.

Chelsa beams and shows him to his room, where Harley has been stashed. "Harley," she sings. "Corona is home."

"Come on out," encourages Chelsa. "I think you two will get along so well."

"He's having trouble adjusting. We're not sure where he came from," explains Chelsa. "He just appeared. He didn't even know who me or Aelise were. She hasn't been able to convince him to tell her anything much, yet."

"Why is he in my bed?" wonders Corona.

"It seemed like the best place. Haaaar-leeeey," sings Chelsa, tugging at the blanket. "Come on out."

"He's so much like you," beams Chelsa. "Not just the face, but he sounds the same - including when he jumped off the mountain - and he kindles just like you do." She pets Harley's hair.

Harley bites her hand.

Thank goodness for Kers. He can try to bite her hand all he likes. "And," she says, frowning, "he has some antisocial habits he picked up wherever he's from."

"I can tell," says Corona. Slightly enviously.

Chelsa waits patiently for the release of her hand. "Anyway, it seemed like you should meet. Harley, this is Corona!"

"I hate you," says Harley. He drags the blanket back over his head.

"You love me," sings Chelsa, fluttering her hands through the air. Twin suns, lovely twin suns.

"Go fuck yourself," hisses the pile of blankets.

"I'm sure you'd have a much better time of it here if you tried to be nice," says Chelsa. "I think I'll let you two get to know each other, how does that sound?" And she goes off to see which of her friends is most in need of company; she kisses Corona on her way out.

Aelise wears shoes that make a very distinctive, echoing sound on the tiled stone floors, and she doesn't visit Chelsa's friends very often. The sound of her walking down the hall in a hurry is both unmistakable and unexpected.

Chelsa obligingly cuddles Sandre until she hears Aelise's footsteps, and then she gets up and peers out into the hall. "Aelise?" she asks, puzzled.

"Our new guest has an interesting talent," she says. "I'd like to ask him about it."

Chelsa blinks, confused, but opens the door to Corona's room.