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

[telesonorous]

"A daemon," says Helen. "People have them in Alethia. They're like your soul walking around outside your body as an animal. My Kalavar's a teratorn, and Shura's Nicoa is a ptarmigan."

[subastra]

"I don't know what either of those are," says Serah. "Why would your soul do that? Isn't that dangerous?"

[telesonorous]

"That's just how it works in our world. It's dangerous sometimes, but I still wouldn't want it any other way."

[subastra]

"And it's really weird that you don't have one. What would it be, I wonder?" says Shura.

"I couldn't begin to tell you. If most worlds don't have them isn't it yours that's weird?"

"Hmph."

[telesonorous]

"Weird is relative," says Helen. "I could show you yours if you want."

[subastra]

"You could - show me? How?"

[telesonorous]

"It's just a square, to get an illusion of what your daemon would be if you had one."

[subastra]

"Oh. One of those coin things. You have those? Well - all right. As long as my real soul stays where it belongs."

[telesonorous]

Helen produces a square (sunlight through pine needles) and wishes on it.

"I'm not sure what that is, but it's really cute," she says.

[subastra]

"...I don't know what it is either, but it is cute, yes," Serah agrees.

"We both have round, cute things," laughs Shura.

[telesonorous]

"Round cute souls," giggles Helen. "Aww."

[subastra]

"What would I do with it if I had it? Would I just - keep it at home in a pen, like a pet -"

"What, no!" exclaims Shura. "Ew! You're not a witch, so you'd have to keep him with you all the time. You could carry him or he'd sit on your shoulder or maybe he'd be fast enough to just follow you around. Daemons aren't pets."

[telesonorous]

"Witches can go far from their daemons, which is lucky for me because mine is a six-foot-tall bird," says Helen. "I'd barely be able to go indoors if Kal had to stay close like most daemons do."

[subastra]

"A six-f- that's enormous," says Serah.

"Yeah, Kalavar's a giant. Nicoa's more travel-sized," says Shura.

[telesonorous]

"I have the hugest daemon I've ever heard of," says Helen.

[subastra]

"Does... that mean you have... I have no idea what that is supposed to mean," says Serah.

[telesonorous]

"I think it means I'm peculiar."

[subastra]

"Peculiar is Helen's word for all things that are unconventional in sometimes magic ways," Shura explains. "Especially her dad."

"...Is her dad another of Micaiah?"

"...Maybe? I don't know who Micaiah is."

[telesonorous]

"Yes," says Helen. "Micaiah and Kas are both Jokers. Jokers are extremely peculiar."

[subastra]

"I can still remember back when Isabella met Micaiah," reminisces Serah. "It was terribly cute..."

"Isabella Amariah in our world is this legendary figure who went missing for like half a century before we were even born," says Shura.

"Oh. In my world she's going to be the Archangel in a couple of years, and Micaiah the angelico."

[telesonorous]

"I want to hear the cute story!" says Helen.

[subastra]

"Well, er -" Serah peers at the witches' arms, sees no Kisses, and rolls up her sleeve. "We get these, when we're babies," she says. "And they say that when they light up it means you've found your true love. When Isabella and Micaiah met theirs were glowing like falling stars and he looked at her like she was the whole world."

[telesonorous]

"Awwwwwww," says Helen.

[subastra]

"And soon enough she had made sure that if she was going to be Archangel he was going to be angelico, and they got pregnant, and married - I planned the wedding and it was beautiful if I do say so myself. And then they had a little angel baby who looked just like you, and then three more."

[telesonorous]

Helen giggles. "That is cute."