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

[lifes_sake]

"Hello, you must be Ike's sister. I'm Cam."

[inherpiety]

"I'm like a unicorn?"

[segreant]

"But we're the Griffins."

[grabsthebutt]

"Val," says Val. (She is not wearing her nametag.)

[newtimov]

"He is sort of slightly flirting with me," Ike says helpfully. "I think."

[grabsthebutt]

Val snorts.

[lifes_sake]

"I didn't think I was being that ambiguous about it."

[nonbird]

"I don't think your ingot powers know that," says Lazarus. "It's just a comparison, anyway. But yes... let me look at you again." He turns back to Giles.

[jellyinthemix]

"If you must."

[inherpiety]

"Gooky," mutters Keziah.

[grabsthebutt]

"You have to be pretty direct before Ike will stop looking for alternate interpretations," says Val. "Try not to make him cry. I punch people who make him cry, and I think I might get kicked out of the party or something."

[jellyinthemix]

"Yes, thank you, I'd noticed," says Giles, somewhat irritably.

[lifes_sake]

"I don't think I have ever made anyone cry. Also, it wouldn't be automatic for you to be kicked out, it'd depend on how mad I was and how much Juliet likes you and whether you seemed likely to be otherwise disruptive."

[nonbird]

"You have a... connection to... something," says Lazarus. "I might be able to get more details if we were in your world. But it's definitely hostile, although very dormant, and it's definitely the kind of thing that the girls' ingotry can get rid of for you. There shouldn't be any unforeseen side effects, unless you were depending on your connection to a malevolent force or entity for something."

[jellyinthemix]

"Not especially," says Giles. He sighs. He looks around for somewhere to put his tea, discovers a lack of any such place, and sets it down on the stairs in front of him very close to the wall. "All right, you may... de-gook me."

[grabsthebutt]

"Well, if you don't make him cry, we won't have to worry about it," says Val.

[newtimov]

"I think he is very unlikely to make me cry!" contributes Ike. "He is nice and interesting! And very pretty."

[grabsthebutt]

"He is definitely pretty," says Val.

[segreant]

The Griffins converge on his arm, and each hold it in both hands, interspersed, like they choreographed it in advance.

And they do - something.

[inherpiety]

It isn't quite painless, but it hurts in a good way - like removing a splinter or draining an abcess.

And there is a vaguely chilly clean feeling left behind after they're done.

[lifes_sake]

"Just once I wish people would look past my stunning exterior and see me for the wizardly millionaire philanthropist that I really am inside," deadpans Cam.

[jellyinthemix]

Giles frowns slightly and rubs his shoulder.

"Thank you," he says.

[inherpiety]

"You're welcome," says Keziah brightly. "All gone."

[grabsthebutt]

"Uh-huh," says Val.

[jellyinthemix]

"I'm just going to..."

He turns away, turns back, picks up his tea, turns away a second time, and heads down the stairs in the direction from which he came.