who will be coming?

[small_magics]

Aianon has made a plant in the open airless space above the surface of Thilanushinyel. It is a very, very large plant - some dragons will be attending the party, after all, even if Ansharil in particular is going to be assorted small things and stay on Sarion's person the bulk of the time.

The locals will be Sarion, her beloveds, their other beloved, the five conjured dragons (and their Bondmates, where applicable: Virgivere and Lissa), and Liselen - Magania has, as usual, declined, and so far no Bell party has featured Bell parents.

Amariah is bringing her boyfriend and spontaneous daughter and two of the spontaneous daughter's friends, as well as an Alethian instance of the Rupert template.

Shell Bell is bringing Pearl and Screwdriver.

Golden is bringing her usual large contingent, as usual not including her husband but including her daughter and daughter's grown fosterling (the other remaining at home) and his wolf, both mothers-in-law and one father-in-law, adopted siblings, staff members including the Joker and Nathan, and the children of the aforementioned.

Glass is bringing both wives, all three daughters, Kanim, and her cat. She invited Icarin and Valeria, but their parents are not willing to let them gallivant into other worlds unsupervised and had a scheduling conflict.

Stella's bringing a smattering of people including Alice, Anna, Sandy, Libby, Bridget, her college roommate Janine, and Lazarus.

Tab is bringing Aelise (but not Kers) and Luhan.

Etty is bringing only Nona.

Aether, likewise, brings no one but Celo.

Pattern comes with Ripper, Slipstick, Queenie, and Ghosty.

Aegis is accompanied by her four-bodied boyfriend, Merryweather, Whitlock, and Howlett.

Aurora comes with Brilliance, Lexi with her Device Persica, Agent Honey with her Device Adularia, and Beth.

Rose brings her husband and three children and her former apprentice, Luc.

Angela brings her husband, her four children, several of her friends, and some of those friends' children and grandchildren with and without wings. Keziah also brings a friend.

Juliet shows up with Soph, Minus, Red, Giles, James, Virginia, Minnie, Ike, and Val.

Cam brings Jellybean and Tilly and stops there.

And from unBelled worlds hail additional Sherlocks and Tonies, Darcy, Matilda, Pepper, and Eights.

Comments

[newtimov]

"I had not heard of Matildas," Ike confirms. "That is interesting! How do they scare magic?"

[telesonorous]

"Maybe it wouldn't be important for Devices, since they don't," says Helen.

[segreant]

"Maybe. Aurora's a human, though."

[lifes_sake]

"Oh, it turns out that Wellspring's magic system is actually lots like the Sunshine-family worlds, except Sunshine-family worlds have had it for a long time and demons or something have been using it in unpleasant ways. It's kind of impressionable magic, so it gets unpleasant when used that way. But Matildas are all really intensely good at this kind of magic, so if they went and were good examples for it, they might be able to shift things some."

[telesonorous]

"Yeah, I mean maybe it wouldn't be important for kids who were Devices to be babies if Devices don't do that," she says. "But I don't know that much about Devices anyway. I haven't actually met the other Jokers. They'll probably get around to mobbing me in a few hours."

[segreant]

"Probably. I don't know where they all are now, and I told Maman I had lost track of Papa, and she said that was probably for the best."

[newtimov]

"Ooooooh," says Ike. "That's interesting. They should do that! Our magic kind of mostly sucks right now."

[telesonorous]

"...Yeah, I bet they're off somewhere having... fun," says Helen.

[segreant]

"I know, I don't want to think about it though."

[lifes_sake]

"They plan to! I don't think they have a timetable though."

[telesonorous]

"In fairness, we don't actually know that they're not baking an enormous cake," says Helen. "Or making each other silly costumes. I'm now imagining Kas dressed up as a frog and it's really funny."

[segreant]

"...Now I'm imagining Papa being fluffy and dressed up as a bird, at the same time."

[newtimov]

"I am sure they will get around to it someday. Did you know you are extremely pretty?"

[lifes_sake]

"I've heard this from reliable sources before. But not from you. It's good to know."

[telesonorous]

Helen giggles. "Fluffy bird! We should tell them, they'll do it."

[segreant]

"He would be like a weird layered griffin. Rainier would be ashamed of him."

[newtimov]

"Oh good," says Ike.

[telesonorous]

She giggles some more.

[lifes_sake]

"You're cute, do people inform you of that often enough?"

[newtimov]

"With reasonable frequency! But mostly they are members of my immediate family and that is not at all the same."

[segreant]

"And -" Whatever Céleste was about to say get cut off; she turns around. "There's... something coming."

[inherpiety]

A moment later, her angel alt lands on the nearest balcony.

They look at each other, and then in the direction of the something that is coming.

[lifes_sake]

"I wouldn't expect it to be, no. But here I am, not related to you, thinking you're cute."

[jellyinthemix]

The stairs on which Céleste is standing enter a closed section about a dozen steps below the gathering. Someone emerges from that archway, sipping his tea as he climbs.

[newtimov]

"I have noticed that," says Ike. "I am very pleased!"