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]

"Aww, no, it's okay, I have had embarrassing vertigo too!" says Ike. "When I was a small child I could not ride any kind of moving vehicle without it!"

[snowandsparks]

"...Did you often have cause to - are those things common in other worlds? I hate them, they're not as bad as a skittish horse but they're miserable to travel in."

[newtimov]

"Various kinds of moving vehicle are extremely common in my world, and they are mostly not miserable as long as you're not a small child with spatial orientation issues," he says.

[snowandsparks]

"Well, they're probably designed to fit you. There's fewer than two hundred angels and we can fly, so no one bothers making sure the vehicles have room for a big set of wings." He checks his surroundings, then unfurls one wing to its full six-feet-and-change span. "What kind of spatial orientation issues?"

[newtimov]

Ike looks at the wing. Ike smiles.

"—Oh," he says. "Um, me and Val are not entirely human, and the kind of not human that we partly are comes with some talents. Like always knowing exactly how big or far away things are by looking at them, and always knowing how far we're going when we walk or move. Which makes it impossible to get lost without teleporting, but also means that traveling at high speeds not under our own power can be, um, kind of rough until we get used to it. Val mostly didn't have a problem, but I threw up on a lot of trains."

[snowandsparks]

"What's a train?" Lucas asks. He looks at his wing, like he expects to find a bit of spinach between a pair of feathers, then looks at Ike looking at the wing, then holds it in place for a long moment before letting it re-fold.

[newtimov]

"A train is a kind of vehicle that runs on rails and usually goes much faster than the kinds that use roads."

[snowandsparks]

"Huh, I don't think we have those at all."

[newtimov]

"Then if I had grown up in Samaria I would probably have had a much less nauseous childhood!"

[snowandsparks]

"Probably! Vehicles are mostly for cargo, anyway. People get around on horses for everyday still. Unless they can fly, or know people who will pick them up and can fly."

[newtimov]

"I know very few people who can pick me up," says Ike. "Well, more now that I know a bunch of people who are magic. But I mean, unassisted humans generally can't."

[snowandsparks]

"I could pick you up," says Lucas, almost casually.

[newtimov]

"I am heavier than I look," says Ike. "My bones are mostly iron."

[snowandsparks]

Lucas looks him over. Almost casually. "I could pick you up," he repeats.

[newtimov]

"I am not sure I believe you!" says Ike. "I demand empirical testing."

[snowandsparks]

Lucas grins, and -

scoops him right up.

[newtimov]

"Eee!" squeaks Ike. "I am surprised and delighted!"

[snowandsparks]

"You are heavier than a regular mortal your size would be, but not four times heavier or anything," grins Lucas. "I'll admit I probably couldn't carry you and your sister at the same time even with a basket or something."

[newtimov]

Ike giggles. And, since he is scooped and all, hugs Lucas.

[snowandsparks]

Lucas laughs; he's already using his arms, but he's got wings! Swoosh. Now they are around Isaac.

[newtimov]

Isaac is surrounded by fluffiness! "I feel very snuggled," he says.

[snowandsparks]

"Let me know if you get too warm. Angels are. Warm, I mean."

[newtimov]

"I have noticed that. It's nice," he says.

[snowandsparks]

Lucas grins. "It's so we can fly at high altitudes and not freeze."

[newtimov]

"That's convenient!" he says. "Convenient and also cuddly."